For me, perhaps for all writers, one of the most difficult aspects of the craft is coming up with fresh, original ideas. Not really original themes, as one can argue that almost every theme that can be written has been written. That is to say, all tragic love stories derive from Romeo and Juliet to some extent. Originality comes into play more in how an author expands on a common theme, or twists that theme in a new direction. As I usually do, I’ll refer back to The King for an example.
Stephen King is a master at layering original ideas, one atop another. Originality oozes from the plot, the backstory, the characters, the climax. Let’s take as an example, The Green Mile.
The theme of GM is fairly standard sci-fi/horror fare. A man with extra sensory powers such as mind reading and healing by touch. This has been covered by everything from Star Trek, to Twilight Zone. King himself deals with it earlier, in The Dead Zone. Yet, in the GM, he sets the theme in a prison death house. One in the depression, no less. The bearer of these gifts is a mentally retarded prisoner and a black man in the Deep South, making him the ultimate underdog. For all intents and purposes, John Coffey is akin to an abused dog, something sure to arouse sympathy in almost anyone. All that is pretty original, but King doesn’t stop there.
The supporting cast is rich as well, weaving in and out of each other’s lives in original ways to tell this tale of wonder, evil, love, and retribution. Paul Hedgecomb is the ultimate protagonist, fundamentally sympathetic. Percy and Wild Bill are the ultimate villains, both detestable yet interesting. Belinda and Hal Moore provide an interesting cancer sidebar. Even the other death-row denizens and guards are varied and richly crafted. As if all this wasn’t enough, into the plot weaves Mr. Jingles, a performing mouse that creates reader empathy while cutting across the lives of multiple characters. Now that is originality.
And the GM is just one of King’s novels.