Writing a book - Is this a terrible plan?

[Alternative Solution]

I'm in the process of writing a supernatural sci-fi book series, and so far I've been very cautious about making sure I don't do anything cliche or delve into anything that's been overdone.

This is turning into a problem because there's something I would very much like to do because it fits so well into what I already have planned, but I am afraid that it might be viewed as cliche.

Before you get more confused, I'll try to explain my plan here.

My plan deals mostly with the main goal of a character named Adrian. He is one of the main antagonists whose goal is to reach paradise. In order to open the door to paradise, he has to do things that put a lot of people in danger. He justifies his actions because he would be able to share paradise with others. He believes that since suffering and discontentment are such a big part of the world, that there should be a break from it, which paradise would provide. His inspiration came from his friend, who lived a life filled with suffering.

So, this is one of the main story arcs, and one of major themes is suffering and discontentment versus peace and contentment.

I'm just wondering if this plot (pursuit of paradise) and this theme (suffering/peace) is too overdone.

In defense of myself, if you strip each story down to it's basic themes and plots, you're gonna get a lot of the same sorts of things.

Still, I thought I'd ask you guys what you think. If the consensus is that I'm fine with my plan, I can be more comfortable as I move ahead with it.

~ aLT3RNATIVe Solution

 

[Andy]

Do it. I'm assuming this is the first book you've written. I found that when I wrote mine I had to have a pretty clear picture of where I was going with it otherwise I dried up. With a bit of skill you should be able to make that work.

 

[Totenkindly]

In defense of myself, if you strip each story down to it's basic themes and plots, you're gonna get a lot of the same sorts of things.

There's your answer.

Every story can be boiled down to a list of maybe forty unique plots? The uniqueness of your story will not be in the theme/general plot, it's going to be in the details. If you're a good writer and interesting/fun to read, that's all people care about. Cliche occurs in your writing style and how you say things, not your themes per se.

Don't worry too much about it at this point. It will derail your progress, and at this stage of the game, it's more important to get a draft on paper. THEN you can have people read it, get feedback, and crank out a second draft that is more tidy.

One way to make your story more interesting is not to share with the readers what you've shared here. Let it be an unfolding mystery to them as to what he's doing and why. Make them think. Give them a little piece at a time. Don't unveil everything until the end.

 

[Accept]

I'm just wondering if this plot (pursuit of paradise) and this theme (suffering/peace) is too overdone.

It's often said there are no new stories to be told. It's probably true. What matters is how the common themes are delivered to the reader. An interesting tale overcomes the obvious, and in reading a fresh perspective, we can either admire the unique approach or possibly find something overlooked by those who covered the idea before. Universal themes are used because they work. Shakespeare went so far as to borrow stories already available to the public, but won acclaim by reworking what was stale into a living representation of what it means to be human.

I think you've picked an excellent place to begin, where the dilemma of the protagonist's decisions can be presented in ways that can force the reader to determine what their choice would be if they were faced with the same problems.

The challenge is to make the reader care about the outcome.