In The Shadow Of Genius

So I've been wracking my brain for a follow up to the three novel trilogy I've been working on since I was in high school. I had an idea for a children's book I'd write later but apart from a select few short stories I had no idea what I'd write apart from those ideas.

I started playing around with the idea of this mean spirited parody of indie comedies where this outright awful woman dates this sweet nice autistic guy who's really sincere about his writing, and she only cares about the fame but she doesn't deserve what she wants, but it just didn't feel right. But tonight... an idea struck me that just fit like a velvet glove.

Imagine if you will, a universe where an autistic guy spends his entire adolescence writing a book trilogy that gets turned into an intensely successful movie franchise. But his twin brother who's devoted his university years to studying film is pissed that his annoying, but entirely sincere autistic brother who deserves every ounce of success he now gets because he couldn't get a movie deal and he makes movies, his annoying but very nice brother got a movie deal because he wrote books, which as we know are the third most likely candidate for movies other than remakes or sequels these days.

This causes problems for the less successful, non autistic brother. And this is the story of that. And the brilliant part is, to cheer his film school brother up, the autistic twin who became a famous author convinces his bro to do one of those internet review shows that the film school bro always catches autistic bro watching in between reading and writing a shitload of books from time to time.

It becomes a story of the autistic bro who was shut out a lot by his brother as a kid trying to reach out to his sibling by turning him into an internet celebrity using his knowledge of what known shut in autistic people like to see in their internet video review comedy.

It's family bonding dramedy gold, is it not?

But the sad thing is... if my books ever get published and I DO get a movie deal, I can totally see a situation similar to the above happening with my twin brother who went to film school. What do you guys think of this idea?

If you wanted to make it believable then have the autistic brother playing with model trains in his parents' basement all day.

So is the story about the filmmaker or the author? Or equal parts both? Sounds like you might run the risk of making your author a bit of a Mary-Sue, throwing his poor, unsuccessful sibling a bone.

Also, "In the Shadow of Genius?" I hope that was ironic, 'cuz success is not necessarily indicative of genius. Just look at Danielle Steel and Judith Krantz.

edited 29th Jan '13 3:27:44 PM by Robbery

Way to be an ass.

For the OP, I wouldn't worry about it unless you're actually offered a film deal. Assuming you finish the book, anyways.

It seems like you're making the thinly disguised version of yourself into a saint. You've made several references just in that summary to how nice and sincere and fully deserving of all his great success he is; if the actual book were anything like that he'd be completely insufferable. That title is also ridiculous.

That said, I think it would be a workable and interesting story if it were well written.

What the fuck is wrong with you?

Also, what he said. There's nothing wrong with writing a personal story - even one where a character based on you achieves your dreams - but if you do it, make sure to avoid Character Shilling at all costs. It will ruin you.

edited 4th Feb '13 2:14:00 PM by Wheezy