Welcome, fellow writers! Some of you are eager to release your super-cool (or, at least, what's super-cool to you) fanfictions. However, most new writers don't realize that their plot is much overused. Sometimes their story has practically no detail. So I created this thread of Do's and Don'ts to help them.
You should know what a plot is or else you can't really be an author. Plot is basically the backbone of the story. The plot is the events of the story. If nothing happens, there's no plot. I tink no further explanation is needed. Many plots that people think are original tend to be something used every other fanfictions. Here are some unoriginal (but you can still use them)
Steve is told by Notch that he has to destroy the Ender Dragon and save the world.
Notch's brother Herobrine has escaped from his seal to try and destroy the Overworld so now Steve has to battle Herobrine.
Someone summons the Wither but loses when fighting it. A boy is told he is destined to kill it
After traveling to the Aether, a boy learns he must save the world from the evil Sun God.
I'm not saying don't use these plots. They're just overused. [/anchor]
I know there isn't much yet, but I am planning for a lot to be added so people can have good fanfictions that don't have overused plots, bland titles, or just bad setup.
If you like what I've done here, click that mysterious green arrow in the corner!
[represent]
Good, but the 'donts' seem a bit too strict.
All they seem to be lacking is detail,
I could easily see one of the 'donts' becoming a good story. Plot really is not a thing you generally mess with, honestly. Consider for a moment how many vampire love stories were written before Stephanie Meyer came into the picture? With beginning writers in a place like this those rough plots that they have come up with turn into much greater stories before they finish. As most of us aren't professional it is a learning experience. I will gladly sit through a hundred 'Steve kills the ender dragon' stories for just one Real story with good potential.
Welcome, fellow writers! Some of you are eager to release your super-cool (or, at least, what's super-cool to you) fanfictions. However, most new writers don't realize that their plot is much overused. Sometimes their story has practically no detail. So I created this thread of Do's and Don'ts to help them. Note that the "do's" don't have to be done but are guidelines. However, the "don'ts" SHOULD NOT be done.
NOTE: Do not use these plots. They're examples that are not to be used.
You should know what a plot is or else you can't really be an author. Plot is basically the backbone of the story. The plot is the events of the story. If nothing happens, there's no plot. I tink no further explanation is needed. Many plots that people think are original tend to be something used every other fanfictions. Here are some bad/unoriginal plots (don'ts) and good/original plots (do's):
DO: Steve joins a group of hunters determined on destroying the terrible Ender Dragon. However, what Steve doesn't know is that the leader of the group is actually trying to overthrow the Ender Dragon and take control of the Enderman Army to destroy the Overworld.
DON'T: Steve is told by Notch that he has to destroy the Ender Dragon and save the world.
DO: Steve learns that the ancient Nether Demon Herobrine has entered his body and will soon possess him. Steve must seek the ancient god Notch, the only person who can cure him.
DON'T: Notch's brother Herobrine has escaped from his seal to try and destroy the Overworld so now Steve has to battle Herobrine.
DO: After defeating the Wither, a man gains its powers and attempts to save the world from evil. However, slowly, he is being taken over by the Wither and is slowly losing the human part of him. Now, at the verge of madness, the man asks his only son to find the cure for what has taken over him.
DON'T: Someone summons the Wither but loses when fighting it. A boy is told he is destined to kill it
DO: A boy discovers an ancient journal left behind by his father telling of a hidden heaven filled with golden trees and fascinating creatures. However, upon arrival, he discovers that the heaven known as the Aether has turned into a place now known as the Hostile Paradise. He also finds out his father is still alive but has been captured by a rogue Valkyrie.
DON'T: After traveling to the Aether, a boy learns he must save the world from the evil Sun God.
See how the "do's" seem to just be the "don'ts" but with a original twist to them. That's exactly how most great fanfiction ideas work. They take a basic villain and turn it into something totally new. [/anchor]
I know there isn't much yet, but I am planning for a lot to be added so people can have good fanfictions that don't have overused plots, bland titles, or just bad setup.
If you like what I've done here, click that mysterious green arrow in the corner!
[represent]
Well done SC! The Literature subsection could use a thread like this to give new writers beginning tips. Since it's abstract and doesn't target their stories directly, I suppose it'll alleviate the concern of wounding there pride while teaching them some fundamental lessons in writing. I hope to see you lengthen and improve this with more later on!
Good, but the 'donts' seem a bit too strict.
All they seem to be lacking is detail,
I could easily see one of the 'donts' becoming a good story. Plot really is not a thing you generally mess with, honestly. Consider for a moment how many vampire love stories were written before Stephanie Meyer came into the picture? With beginning writers in a place like this those rough plots that they have come up with turn into much greater stories before they finish. As most of us aren't professional it is a learning experience. I will gladly sit through a hundred 'Steve kills the ender dragon' stories for just one Real story with good potential.
I have to agree with Dejers on this. Plots are subjective. It's fine to teach new writers what story elements are and what mistakes to avoid making in immutable, set-in-stone subjects like grammar, but I don't think you should warn them against using certain plots. An unoriginal plot can be as good and even better than an original one if the writer writes it well. Just because a plot is overused doesn't mean the writer using it can't still do a great job writing about it. Writing depends on skill, and while originality is good, you shouldn't discourage writers from using unoriginal plots.
Other than that, I think you did everything great on this thread, and, as I said before, I hope to see you add more concepts to it later. I think another interesting idea would be to have a dictionary of writing elements, with definitions and examples included (as you did here with "Plots"). Perhaps you can do that here or in another thread.
Feel free to leave your comments. Or criticisms, I suppose, if they're constructive. Almost anything really, unless it's an outright threat. In that case I'd prefer you put it in a private message.
I think we tend to put a lot of stress on plots being overused, because as a writer it's easy to get wrapped up in the plot, in other words focusing on where A is and where B is. While a good plot can help to make a good story, a story can feel empty without all the other things in between, in other words, the process from getting from point A to point B, with all of its twists, turns, and scenery along the way.
Having said that, I like where this is going and hope to see it grow.
I'm not trying to tell people ABSOLUTELY DO NOT EVER use these plots, but they do tend to be overused. However, when you put a twist to them such as The Aether's Rage, it becomes something really good.
I kind of wanted to help out with the knowledge that I have, and so... If you need any help about titles, sc...
Creating Your Title
Since you will probably post your story (With a prologue and or a first chapter) instead of the whole finished story, make sure your tittle is relevant. Plan in advance at least the general plot of your story and as lessons are important, get something from the lesson and the story itself. For example: Stardust by Neil Gaiman (Sorry, just, favorite author alert.). It is an award winning book, it has a nice title (See 2.) because it is literally what the story is about. Three people (Actually, more like people and groups.) want this star, all for different purposes, and knowing that they all want it in the same amount of time, they get in each other's way. So on and so forth.
Make the title catchy and luring. A book called Air Conditioner isn't that good a title is it? What about, if you were writing about a boy who has cancer, you wouldn't name it Sunshine and Rainbows would you?
Different Methods Of Coming Up With Titles
Again, life lessons. One of the main reasons we read books are just to find that. Or at least, with some people and plus, it really does help your character and development. Usually, life lessons come from some small phrases that mean a lot or something bigger than those very words. Phrases that will make you think "Oh yeah!" or "Wow!" Just the emotions a reader will get when a title is related to a phrase in the book and suddenly find a connection between them. Amazing isn't it?
Catchy titles can have two or more words that start with the same letter. Like Rescuing Raindrops or Creating Catastrophy.
Rhyming seems more for, children's books, doesn't it? Well, if you are writing a children's book, you can do this. As long as the title is relevant (See 2.)
I can't really help you with anything, so I am just going to sit back and applaud for ideas others have, make smug remarks and drink cherry tea.
I dunno, maybe you should write a few example stories as for in what is generally good or not. Not as a fix rule but a guideline. For overused plots, do a spin on them! I imagine a generic steve kills herobrine story. And then another steve kills Herobrine story, but Steve actually is Herobrine because of split personality and steve doesn't know that he is Herobrine. Suddenly we have a story about a man who has to decide between his good and the good of the world, etc. blabla rhabarber.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Would you like to know the atomic structure of a piece of bread?
I can't really help you with anything, so I am just going to sit back and applaud for ideas others have, make smug remarks and drink cherry tea.
I dunno, maybe you should write a few example stories as for in what is generally good or not. Not as a fix rule but a guideline. For overused plots, do a spin on them! I imagine a generic steve kills herobrine story. And then another steve kills Herobrine story, but Steve actually is Herobrine because of split personality and steve doesn't know that he is Herobrine. Suddenly we have a story about a man who has to decide between his good and the good of the world, etc. blabla rhabarber.
I can't really help you with anything, so I am just going to sit back and applaud for ideas others have, make smug remarks and drink cherry tea.
I dunno, maybe you should write a few example stories as for in what is generally good or not. Not as a fix rule but a guideline. For overused plots, do a spin on them! I imagine a generic steve kills herobrine story. And then another steve kills Herobrine story, but Steve actually is Herobrine because of split personality and steve doesn't know that he is Herobrine. Suddenly we have a story about a man who has to decide between his good and the good of the world, etc. blabla rhabarber.
Steve was holding himself upright on top of an end portal. His eyes were heavy but his bearing was high and when he looked at his people He Showed nothing but love. "Forgive me" he said quietly then it seemed like the rest of the world disappeared and he Spoke "I am going to jump into this portal. But then you have to destroy it!" With that Steve took one long look before dropping backwards into the portal. As he fell His Eyes Became blank and a hoarse voice screamed "I Will Return and I Will K-" his voice cut off abruptly as he passed through the portal. The high wizards moved forward to each of their positions and focused all their powers on it and destroyed the portal in a shower of flame.
Table Of Contents
You should know what a plot is or else you can't really be an author. Plot is basically the backbone of the story. The plot is the events of the story. If nothing happens, there's no plot. I tink no further explanation is needed. Many plots that people think are original tend to be something used every other fanfictions. Here are some unoriginal (but you can still use them)
Steve is told by Notch that he has to destroy the Ender Dragon and save the world.
Notch's brother Herobrine has escaped from his seal to try and destroy the Overworld so now Steve has to battle Herobrine.
Someone summons the Wither but loses when fighting it. A boy is told he is destined to kill it
After traveling to the Aether, a boy learns he must save the world from the evil Sun God.
I'm not saying don't use these plots. They're just overused. [/anchor]
I know there isn't much yet, but I am planning for a lot to be added so people can have good fanfictions that don't have overused plots, bland titles, or just bad setup.
If you like what I've done here, click that mysterious green arrow in the corner!
[represent]
All they seem to be lacking is detail,
I could easily see one of the 'donts' becoming a good story. Plot really is not a thing you generally mess with, honestly. Consider for a moment how many vampire love stories were written before Stephanie Meyer came into the picture? With beginning writers in a place like this those rough plots that they have come up with turn into much greater stories before they finish. As most of us aren't professional it is a learning experience. I will gladly sit through a hundred 'Steve kills the ender dragon' stories for just one Real story with good potential.
Well done SC! The Literature subsection could use a thread like this to give new writers beginning tips. Since it's abstract and doesn't target their stories directly, I suppose it'll alleviate the concern of wounding there pride while teaching them some fundamental lessons in writing. I hope to see you lengthen and improve this with more later on!
I have to agree with Dejers on this. Plots are subjective. It's fine to teach new writers what story elements are and what mistakes to avoid making in immutable, set-in-stone subjects like grammar, but I don't think you should warn them against using certain plots. An unoriginal plot can be as good and even better than an original one if the writer writes it well. Just because a plot is overused doesn't mean the writer using it can't still do a great job writing about it. Writing depends on skill, and while originality is good, you shouldn't discourage writers from using unoriginal plots.
Other than that, I think you did everything great on this thread, and, as I said before, I hope to see you add more concepts to it later. I think another interesting idea would be to have a dictionary of writing elements, with definitions and examples included (as you did here with "Plots"). Perhaps you can do that here or in another thread.
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Curse PremiumHaving said that, I like where this is going and hope to see it grow.
I dunno, maybe you should write a few example stories as for in what is generally good or not. Not as a fix rule but a guideline. For overused plots, do a spin on them! I imagine a generic steve kills herobrine story. And then another steve kills Herobrine story, but Steve actually is Herobrine because of split personality and steve doesn't know that he is Herobrine. Suddenly we have a story about a man who has to decide between his good and the good of the world, etc. blabla rhabarber.
TT2000, you are genius.
0_0 Go read the original 'The Reincarnation."
Well, I have other ideas. Some are that crazy they might just work. But yeah. Just as an example.
TT2000, you are genius.
Now, let us find again the trail of ontopicness!
TT2000, you are genius.