Just Throwing it Out There...
So, I anticipate that a basic plot line would suffice, and that would still leave authors with much freedom to contribute to the work. The reason that I stress this is because I have perceived that some individuals wish for complete freedom, and some seem to wish for a larger, more concrete plotline before we begin. As keeping with the ego (just kidding, psychoanalysis is mostly a fallacy, sorry Freud), I believe it would be wise to seek a sort of compromise: a basic plot line that the writers are free to express the work upon. There is no building to construct if the foundation is not first established.
So, for the plot, here is my basic, very general, idea: something that has to do with fantastical, Middle-Age warfare, perhaps? (I would imagine that some degree of cannons and firearms would be permitted, as cannons have been around since the 1300s, and firearms have been around since the early 1400s - technically the Middle Ages). But, in the end, I will likely proceed as a writer with whatever plot gets chosen.
Plot
A mix of mystery, medieval war, and possibly a bit of romance? There could possibly be a war going on but nobody knows who started it? So someone snuck out of camp to go scout the enemies camp and met with someone else from the other camp who was going to do the same. Then they decide to work as partners and bond, then they end up discovering a big underlying plot to.... ruin the world or something, could we even make the plot hilarious? Like a big plot to rob the world of bacon and eggs?
Story Plot Idea?
Wellll, I love all the plot ideas that everyone else has shared and can totally see them becoming books on here. I noticed that several of the ideas had some similar aspects-- a medieval time period, a sci-fi element, a possible apocalypse, etc. That’s a lot to be mashed into one story, but could turn out really cool, if everyone is able to put boundaries on how detailed the plot gets. On top of that, most of the people that wanted that sort of plot added that there would be a lot of characters involved. That can get tricky. There were some stand-out ideas, as well. Caleb's serial killer idea (which would be a LOT simpler to write, guys, since the amount of characters is lessened and the plot is simple and clear), someone mentioned eggs and bacon (which, I'm really lovin'), and there are a couple others that I'm forgetting. Anyways, yeah, it's fun to compromise plots, but the more detail, the more difficult it gets to write the story as a group.
If we're doing a complex plot and a large number of characters, I think it's easier to pick one or the other. Complex plot with a small amount of characters, or just one main character. That could possibly be aligned with Caleb's idea. Or larger number of characters and brief plot. For example, a murder mystery in which every character genuinely believes themselves to be the murderer and must cover it up--that sort of story chooses complex characters over plot.
The Illusionist (Name pending)
How about a story of a squad of detectives hunting a serial killer whose house never seems to stay in the same place. One of the detectives is the killer and is leading the police to his local residence. Upon finding the place, the police begin searching the house, only to find that it's a never ending maze of traps, hidden rooms, deadly puzzles and mezmerizing illusions! When the last two are alone, the killer reveals himself, being one of the cops that seemed to have died earlier to a pit-fall trap, he lays out his master plan to them before they fall into an eternal ring of madness. Afterwards, they are let back into society as to which can never be normal for them again.
Why did you have to call it that?
Sigh... Someone’s plotting again already, even coming up with a title.
Can we at least think about the scene/location/time period/season thing?
Freedom, no constraints until the first chapter’s written! What is wrong with a bit of FREEDOM?
In my opinion, we should leave such things as vague as possible and just agree on those things I mentioned above at the start. That'll be what I end up voting for anyway.
(Don't rely on likes, either, let everyone get their ideas in before putting it to a proper vote.)
Plot
The universe is ruled over by two “gods” (maybe aliens) who create a race of vampires to destroy humanity through romance.
“Gods” (or blasphemous aliens): Merlin and Morgana (open to development, I just like the names)
Vampyres: created by Merlin and Morgana to convert humans
Vamps: coverted humans, which are either killed or mind controlled to convert more humans
According to the plan, once all humans have become Vamps, they will all be killed.
It's supposed to be a twist on the stereotypical vampire romance. The focus is not on the romance but on the defeat of Merlin and Morgana.
Hope you guys enjoy this idea! I'm open to suggestions and stuff, just comment and I'll edit it into this post! :)
Toad Man
I'm currently working on a book that could only be described as a surrealist novel. The plot involves an alien fleet landing on earth and seeking the nearest human to give them information about the planet. Unfortuneately, or perhaps fortunately for the human race, the person they find turns out to be completely crazy and gives them unreliable information. This leads to a chain of events where the aliens end up working for the man, thinking that his absurd dillusions are true. The book is titled toad man because the strange man has an almost religious obession with toads that he tells the aliens are Gods.