“The Neighbor’s Window” — Would You Read This?

[Maryyy_A]

I’ve had this idea brewing for a while, and I’m curious if it has potential or if it’s too cliché.

Premise:
A recently divorced woman moves into a small apartment in the city to start fresh. Late at night, she notices a man in the opposite building - windows wide open, seemingly unaware that his routine is being observed. What starts as curiosity quickly turns into an obsession. She begins timing her evenings around his habits. But one night… he looks directly at her.
Except - he smiles.
From there, a game begins. No words, just silent exchanges through the glass. Clothing slowly becomes optional, gestures become more deliberate. But when she finally meets him in real life - let’s just say he’s not at all what she expected.

I’m debating whether to keep it strictly voyeuristic or eventually shift it into psychological thriller territory (with intimacy, of course). Would love your thoughts!

 

[Carnevil9]

I think it is an intriguing premise. With that beginning, I would keep reading. It can certainly go many different directions.

 

[KittyOfSteele]

I've done this before (story long taken down), and I tried to make a steamy out of it but didn't know how to keep going. What I'm wondering is how he is not at all what she expected though.

 

[StillStunned]

A Quiet Woman starts with that premise, although the narrator is male.

 

[KindredFlame]

I read something along these lines some time ago. I think it went that on a snowy night one woman missed a bus and while waiting looked at a block of flats opposite the bus stop, firstly from an architectural basis as this was what she was studying at college, then she sees a light she sees a solitary light turn on at a window and her eyes are drawn to it.

At the window stands a woman who is seemingly oblivious to her surroundings. The women in the window starts to remove her clothes and begins to play with herself in front of the full length window while the women outside watched.

I can not remember exactly what happens next, but I like the concept and it is believable. Good luck

 

[Rob_Royale]

Interesting. I think there is a good story here.
I would add that one of them is an agoraphobe. Doesn't leave the house much, very repressed. Suffers from anxiety.
One day there is a phone number on a large piece of paper taped to the window and they begin to talk to one another.
I would keep it largely voyeuristic as psychological thrillers aren't my style.

 

[KindredFlame]

Interesting. I think there is a good story here.
I would add that one of them is an agoraphobe. Doesn't leave the house much, very repressed. Suffers from anxiety.
One day there is a phone number on a large piece of paper taped to the window and they begin to talk to one another.
I would keep it largely voyeuristic as psychological thrillers aren't my style.

Wasn’t there a classic film like this? Just asking.

 

[Rob_Royale]

Wasn’t there a classic film like this? Just asking.

Rear Window perhaps?

 

[Ellies_adventures]

I’ve had this idea brewing for a while, and I’m curious if it has potential or if it’s too cliché.

Premise:
A recently divorced woman moves into a small apartment in the city to start fresh. Late at night, she notices a man in the opposite building - windows wide open, seemingly unaware that his routine is being observed. What starts as curiosity quickly turns into an obsession. She begins timing her evenings around his habits. But one night… he looks directly at her.
Except - he smiles.
From there, a game begins. No words, just silent exchanges through the glass. Clothing slowly becomes optional, gestures become more deliberate. But when she finally meets him in real life - let’s just say he’s not at all what she expected.

I’m debating whether to keep it strictly voyeuristic or eventually shift it into psychological thriller territory (with intimacy, of course). Would love your thoughts!

I think you just write it and let the story direct you as to which way it ends up. If you are really uncertain which way you want it to go, write as an interactive story which can allow the reader some choices as to which way ending they read

 

[Britva415]

I’ve had this idea brewing for a while, and I’m curious if it has potential or if it’s too cliché.

Premise:
A recently divorced woman moves into a small apartment in the city to start fresh. Late at night, she notices a man in the opposite building - windows wide open, seemingly unaware that his routine is being observed. What starts as curiosity quickly turns into an obsession. She begins timing her evenings around his habits. But one night… he looks directly at her.
Except - he smiles.
From there, a game begins. No words, just silent exchanges through the glass. Clothing slowly becomes optional, gestures become more deliberate. But when she finally meets him in real life - let’s just say he’s not at all what she expected.

I’m debating whether to keep it strictly voyeuristic or eventually shift it into psychological thriller territory (with intimacy, of course). Would love your thoughts!

An idea isn't cliché, it all depends on whether there's any originality in how it's written.

 

[LupusDei]

Fully voyeuristic relationships are real. And while you're vague at how, the guy being totally different in person is very believe to me, the girl may as well be too. They're watching and building idealized romanticized images of each other, and the meeting may be a total let down. Even if not, it may just not play out, they may not click. Eiter way, it may not preclude the voyeurism, especially if it's mutual. They may instead even manage and formalize their "contract" what's the limits are, then immediately push at those. They may diverse their shows by bringing unaware partners into them, as if showcasing what the other is missing out on being nitpicky, and so on.

 

[LupusDei]

They're watching and building idealized romanticized images of each other, and the meeting may be a total let down.

...she sighed leaning back, and lit up a thin brown cigarette she fished out of her bag with single fluid habit trained movement.

"Didn't know you smoked," he broke the silence, condemnation sounding through the mask of casual tone.

"I do," she asserts, "any problem with that?"

"No," he claims untruthfully, "I even did. Casually, perhaps two thousand cigarettes total in a span of five years or so. Dropped as soon sensed it to shift into addiction. Now, I'm privately quite proud I have a pack of my favorite make on the shelf in visible place untouched for years." His gaze fixed on her cleavage as he speaks.

She smirks. "You know, if you still did the smoke would at least mask the stench of your sweat." Did she intend the venom? Perhaps not, but the joke would have failed anyway.

 

[Carnevil9]

Rear Window perhaps?

That's the first thing this thread made me think of. Jimmy Stewart was recovering from a broken leg, confined to a wheelchair, and he spent the time looking out the window at a neighboring apartment building with a huge set of binoculars.

 

[Coconutty70]

I also thought of rear window. The thing that comes to mind for me is whether the scenario has legs for a lengthy story, or whether it’s a short story with just one scene?

Opportunities exist for things like obsession. She/they have a relationship based solely on body language and there’s scope for the protagonist to fall into a deep obsession and series of fantasies revolving around the mysterious stranger in the other window. The symbolism of a window is like a mirror, or a way of viewing different facets of the erotic mind of the watcher. Her recent divorce may play a part. There may be loss and a desire to regain something. Lots of potential for imagination and fantasising, with the other watched person being completely oblivious that he is the object of her erotic projections. Or perhaps he does realise and he is manipulating her?

I imagine her desperately trying to find out who he is, but never being able to find anything. Waiting outside the apartment, but never seeing him anywhere else but in the window. Does he even exist?

I may be over-thinking it?

 

[Reenigam]

What does "recently divorced" add to this?

 

[ericrodman101]

Rear Window perhaps?

The title 'Rear Window' is just aching for a porn parody.

 

[Victoria1]

Not a writer but more of a reader here. I think it has potential, it might be something I would read as long as the scenario was based in reality