Concerning High-Conepts

[Rush Limborg]

For those of you who don't know, "high-concept" is Hollywood-eese for a plot summary (usually used as a story proposal) consisting of a single sentance or two. Theoreticaly, this summary is supposed to express exactly what is "fresh and new" about the story.

Basically, the high-concept's something similar to the brief summaries we see in TV Guide.

Traditionaly, a high-concept movie (or book) is one that isn't too deep (precisely because the summary is able to be so short), although there have been exceptions.

So...here's a question for the writers. Have y'all ever used any high-concepts when proposing stories to Pocket, or do you find it's better to get more detailed?

 

[Lonemagpie]

Heh. When asked for six ideas for The Sky's The Limit, I sent in five half-page synopses, one of which was On The Spot, and a sixth which read simply: "Spot Vs Q. One's a mischeivous intelligence who delights in tormenting lesser species, and the other is Q."

But I'd really rather do that as a full novel...

 

[Christopher]

and a sixth which read simply: "Spot Vs Q. One's a mischeivous intelligence who delights in tormenting lesser species, and the other is Q."

So true...

For anthologies, I've sometimes been asked to pitch several one-paragraph proposals, but I don't think I've ever been held to one sentence. That kind of brevity isn't my forte.

 

[Dayton Ward]

Like Jim and Christopher, I've usually been asked to provide a paragraph or so when pitching ideas for anthologies. The closest any editor ever came so far as giving us such a pitch to work with was John and/or Keith, with "The origin of the S.C.E." or something to that effect.

The closest I think we ever came to delivering a "high-concept" pitch was for the MU anthology: "Robert April as Harvey Keitel's character from Pulp Fiction." However, even that concept was modified to great extent as the story was fleshed out. Still, it makes for a cute story that gets laughs at con panels.

 

[KRAD]

Well, my high concept for The Art of the Impossible was a dialogue exchange in "The Way of the Warrior."

And I verbally sold John Ordover on The Brave and the Bold as "starship team-up."

For that matter, I pitched my Buffy the Vampire Slayer novel Blackout as: "What if Buffy was created by Gordon Parks in the 1970s instead of Joss Whedon in the 1990s?"

 

[David Mack]

I sold my New Frontier short story "Waiting for G'Doh" with the one-line pitch, "Zak Kebron goes undercover as a park statue." I sold my S.C.E. novella "Failsafe" as "Star Trek SCE does Black Hawk Down." I pitched SCE: "Small World" as "The da Vinci crew must rescue a planet trapped in a box," and SCE: "Invincible" started out as, "A Star Trek version of the true story of the Tsavo Lions." Last but not least, I pitched my Wolverine novel Road of Bones as, "Wolverine as James Bond."

 

[KRAD]

I sold my New Frontier short story "Waiting for G'Doh" with the one-line pitch, "Zak Kebron goes undercover as a park statue."

Which, BTW, instantly sold it to both me and Peter.

 

[Rush Limborg]

Which, BTW, instantly sold it to both me and Peter.

Yeah! I can imagine!

I'm sad to say I've never read the story (yet...). However, considering the play that the title's based on...I can guess the extent of poor Zak's suffering. (After all, in the play, Godot never shows up....)

By the way, Mack--that was an awesome sub-title! "How I learned to stop moving and hate people!"

Makes me wonder what "the people" did to the poor "statue"....

 

[David Mack]

I'm sad to say I've never read the story (yet...). However, considering the play that the title's based on...I can guess the extent of poor Zak's suffering. (After all, in the play, Godot never shows up....)

By the way, Mack--that was an awesome sub-title! "How I learned to stop moving and hate people!"

Makes me wonder what "the people" did to the poor "statue"....

People weren't his biggest irritation, but they were definitely one of them. I had a lot of fun writing that story, I hope you'll check it out one of these days.

 

[TJ Sinclair]

That kind of brevity isn't my forte.

This much we know.

 

[Rush Limborg]

People weren't his biggest irritation, but they were definitely one of them. I had a lot of fun writing that story, I hope you'll check it out one of these days.

As do I.

 

[Geoff Thorne]

Chiaroscuro in Prophecy & Change began as "Ezri Dax goes to hell."

I wouldn't say that's what sold the piece but it was certainly what got Marco's attention. I think it was one of about 15 i pitched for that antho.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

I had a lot of fun writing that story, I hope you'll check it out one of these days.

For the record, Dave, "Waiting for Go'doh" was my favorite story in No Limits.

 

[JD]

Mine too, that was a great story. I've always really liked Zak Kebron, and that was the perfect story for him.

 

[Geoff Thorne]

Mine too, that was a great story. I've always really liked Zak Kebron, and that was the perfect story for him.

I'll third that. I wasn't sure anyone but PAD could do him justice and was thrilled to be proven wrong.

 

[Baerbel Haddrell]

Which, BTW, instantly sold it to both me and Peter.

Yeah! I can imagine!

I'm sad to say I've never read the story (yet...). However, considering the play that the title's based on...I can guess the extent of poor Zak's suffering. (After all, in the play, Godot never shows up....)

By the way, Mack--that was an awesome sub-title! "How I learned to stop moving and hate people!"

Makes me wonder what "the people" did to the poor "statue"....

Read it and find out

I love that story. It is the ideal story to read when you feel depressed and need a good laugh.

 

[Mistral]

Loved that story. For anyone who thought it would be "cute" to pose as a living mannequin-here's something that would make you think twice!

 

[Dayton Ward]

^ Actually, the thought never occurred to me until I read the story. After that, the notion consumed my thoughts every waking moment. I even saw it in my sleep...and I don't sleep all that much.

Frikkin' Mack.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

And Dayton, why do I have a feeling that the Weeping Angels only made your fear of statues worse?