"Lucy" and the Grassroots of Quality Fiction

My wife and I went to see the movie “Lucy” recently, and it made me realize something that I think carries overarching value in the world of fiction;

Film makers no longer know how to tell a good story.

When I look at many of the box-office successes in the past few years, the ones that carry the most weight are often those that are based off a book or story of some kind.

“Lucy” was an original screenplay that took the concept of “what if we could use more than 10% of our brains,” and turned it into a film based on that concept alone.

The chief problem here is that a concept alone cannot perpetuate a good story. It might sound awesome and thought-provoking, but it can’t last in the eyes of viewers if there is no greater value than a decent concept.

I get a vision of some film executives sitting in a boardroom bouncing ideas off each other. One of them says, “What about a movie where a girl is able to use more than 10% of her brain?”

Another responds, “Perfect. We start shooting on Monday.”

“But, shouldn’t we write a story for it?” One argues.

“Nah, we’ll totally figure one out., says the first.

So, we are left with, what? A film that feels like it was just thrown together because no one actually sat down and tried to develop characters, foster adequate plot progression, or create any likable story elements at all. Just some cool effects, a half-baked concept, and a couple big names—throw it on the grill and serve it up at $22 a plate.

From what I understand, the movie has done alright in the box office, but in terms of longevity, it will be forgotten, even by those who go to see it. Why? Because the story isn’t appropriately incubated or developed.

With the creation of independent publishing platforms like Kindle and Nook, many critics are saying that it is the end of quality fiction, since any old Joe can publish a book now. I disagree. I think that it is the beginning of the end—not for quality fiction, but for tiers of the industry.

Rather than established executives deciding what might be a good story to put on the big screen, it will revert to grassroots-driven trial-by-fire for authors. If a story is well received by a large audience, filmmakers can deduce that it will be well received by moviegoers as well.

There are some major drawbacks to self-publishing platforms, but the benefits, in my opinion, are far greater. If a book is quality (and well marketed, of course), it will succeed. If it is not, it will fail.

Agents, publishers, executives—these gatekeepers will no longer decide what succeeds. Or, at the very least, their role will continue to diminish from its once god-like status. Authors will succeed on their own merits and efforts, not on the backs of bloated publishers.

Movies like “Lucy” will become less common as good stories are more readily available.

Of course, this is just my prediction. I would like to think that, based on the direction of the publishing industry, it is not far off.

Time will tell.