[ SECRET POST #2189 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #2189 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 00 pages, 084 secrets from Secret Submission Post #313.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 1 2 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ], [ 1 2 - posted twice ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

Re: Too cliche?

[(Anonymous)]

As someone who reads a lot of fantasy, I'm afraid to say that yes, that concept sounds a bit too formulaic to me, and isn't something I'd usually be excited about reading (assuming it all proceeds as planned, and there are no twists to throw it off course). However there's lots of things you can do to make it more tempting, such as creating unique cultures/environments/magic systems, and a strong and interesting cast of characters.

Have you ever read Limyaael's fantasy rants? They're a really good resource for writers, with advice on heaps of different topics.

Re: Too cliche?

[(Anonymous)]

It sounds a bit tired to me as well, in that practically every video game RPG I can think of essentially follows this plot - and it's not necessarily something that translates very well into narrative form. I've seen this in fantasy books as well, and I've never felt it was very well-done (though maybe I'm reading the wrong books).

That said, it's not so much what the plot is, as how it's executed that's important. You can go with a generally cliched idea but re-write it in a fresh way, and despite the common trope at the heart of it? It'll still be the most interesting thing your readers have read in a long time. It's about re-inventing, and making your characters/settings/descriptions interesting enough that people don't care it's a trope that's been done to death.

As a suggestion: why not investigate the basic features of the trope, and then experiment with ways to turn them on their head? You don't have to use all those inversions in your story, but they'll help you get a good grasp on how these features function within the context of the trope - you're not just engaging them unthinkingly. Once you've got that, writing them in an interesting way should come naturally.

Good luck!

Re: Too cliche?

[(Anonymous)]

Don't sell yourself short - it's doable! The first time I wrote a long fic, it was a deliberate attempt at revitalising an old cliche, and I got some very positive reviews about it. Personally I feel like everything's been done already anyway, so whatever your plot's going to be, the presentation is always going to be more important than whether or not it's a cliche.

Video game fanfic is generally where I've seen it too, but like I said I've never seen anything that struck me as particularly great. Don't get me wrong, they're generally not bad either - just not anything that stuck with me afterwards, or that warranted a re-read, or any attachment at all. I think part of the problem is that people have a very clear image of how something would play out in the game/as a visual but forget that it translates very awkwardly into words. As long as you're paying attention to how the words flow - as a story, not just as images - you'll be fine. And since you said you like dissecting things and playing around with tropes, I'm pretty sure you'll be able to catch any awkward parts and rework them.

It might still be possible to join a writing forum? You can always ask for critiques on small sections of the work, if you're not comfortable putting all of it/large portions up. Or if not, is there anyone (friends, family) you'd trust to have a look at it and honestly tell you which parts don't work for them? It doesn't have to be a thorough critique - someone telling you that a certain part was boring, even if they can't pin down why, will still give you a starting point to figure it out yourself.

Re: Too cliche?

[(Anonymous)]

It could work, as long as each section is really, really interesting and imaginative. It is a little contrived and a little familiar, but as long as you're really original with the character's stories themselves, and as long as you're fairly aware of the fact that this section is basically character x's story, and each section in itself is original, it could be good. I mean, there's nothing in itself wrong with telling a whole bunch of stories sequentially with a framework around them. I think that following the videogame logic might be problematic, though, and lead to the thing being hackneyed and stifled, so things like having an "upgrade" are maybe not the best.

Compare something like the Demon Princes series, where each book is absolutely centered around taking out a different villain. But each villain is different enough and original enough, and the plot of each book is different enough, that it still works anyway. So you can make it work, but it's a little tougher to avoid being unoriginal. Hope this made sense and wasn't just confusing rambling, good luck to you and keep writing.