1. I think he's made sure that everything's safe for a 16-year-old super math wiz, and what (unintentional) harm is he putting his son in? He's just hiding it from his competitors, and it looks like a regular projector, so how would anyone looking for it know what to look for? Unless you know more about John's dad than i do. (which you probably do)

2. absolutley nothing.  

 

Irony ftw.

 

1. The harm I'm referring to is John's propensity to use the time machine. John doesn't know what's on the other side, it could be sudden death. John's dad is stupid for letting his son hold a machine that is so potentially deadly.

2. That's a... hell of a story.  

 

Don't listen to the "Sex sells" B.S. There are a lot of great novels with not a shred of smut in them.

As for cars, do NOT pick a DeLorean! It's been done already in a certain '80's movie trilogy.  

There have been all sorts of objects that have been used to make time machines. Some are original contraptions that resemble nothing. Some are cars, phone booths, and even wrist watches.

You don't want to create something that will take too long to explain. What age group are you targeting? Or is it a general book good for all ages like Harry Potter? Or is it for younger readers or adult? This should be considered as well.

Generally, the device should be something that the traveler can take with him/her in order to get back to his/her own time, and move about to other points in time. It could either be something he can carry with him or drive around in. The device can create an energy force field that protects the traveler from any dangerous elements while in transit, thus not needing a protective suit.

 

He could fairly well end up in mid-air, or in some ocean.

Just curious... Does this "time machine" send people through just time, or to different locations?

 

1. You do have a point. but who said John's dad intended for him to use it? or:

2. I was kidding, but still, it is a reality.

 

1. It's a science fiction story, you KNOW John's going to use it.

2. Yeah.

 

1. but does his dad know that?

 

He better be convinced that John won't use it.

 

or we could say John's totally safe because maybe:

 

Because his dad GAVE HIM THE INSTRUCTIONS.   If he just intended his son to hide the item, he wouldn't have told him how to use it. Oh, and he wouldn't do it over the phone because of that nice cliche of possible bugging of his phone.

Question...if the actual device is a projector that stays in the time they left, how will they get back? If they go back in time, the projector won't exist yet, if they go forward there's no guarantee that the projector won't have been stolen, destroyed, etc, between the time they left and the time they arrive at. What are the limitations of the device - can they only go places and times that they have pictures for (like a Red Dwarf episode I re-watched recently...)?

--Moony

 

Do you mean, "your writing is crap"? You're is an abbreviation of you are.

Originally, they were going to use a fridge, not a DeLorean in BTTF.

 

I should write all this down so i don't get anything messed up huh? i was kinda still getting the plot down for the book when i posted this thread, and i didn't exactly pay much attention to the previous things i posted, so it might not be a perfect plot, yet. don't worry, it'll all make sense later.

well, since you need something that can do 50mph to time travel and i know they need a way to get back so they just take the thing with them. (mounted on the hood of a car, etc.) and the projector is actually quite small.

 

Make John Stevenson an older man. Give him a dog. Instead of a 40 or 50 mph limit why not 88? Write in Huey Lewis as well.

 

You should at least make an outline so you keep things straight.

If going into the projected picture is how they travel, then mounting it on the vehicle guarantees they'll never go through it because it will always be projected in front of them...but everything they approach might!  

And what's with the assumption that its necessary to move at any particular speed in order to time travel?

--Moony

 

"I call it... Billy and the Cloneasaurus!"

 

I'm glad I wasn't the only person sad enough to notice that.

 

How about a Segway? Or some of those "Heelys" shoes the young people are so fond of nowadays?

 

what if the picture is projected onto a wall? then they would reach it. you can't project on to the air. and the particular speed? to add more suspense.  

 

But if the projector itself is mounted on the vehicle and the vehicle drives at a wall, the picture would become smaller the closer they got to the wall until it was only the size of the lens. They would crash into the wall that's around the picture.

Of course you could put all these problems into the novel as things John's dad didn't notice, or didn't tell them about for some reason or another ("I only tested it as a stationary unit, not attached to a moving vehicle...") and have all kinds of comedy and trials for the kids ensue.

--Moony