Archetypal plot used in my story: 1. "Child of Prophesy" 2. Godly Protagonist (who becomes 'godlier'/stronger, not necessarily literally and physically; gains "powers" or "knowledge" throughout the story) 3. Saves the World from ________ (the story initially took place where ________ is like the "evil warlord" or something along those lines----could be a single person, could be a race) 4. Ending: To Be Determined-----*Insert the dilemma of choosing how the story should be internally resolved for the character and concluded* I was wondering if this plot (which is the "general plot outline") is very cliche and "outdated". I know there is a "niche community" of readers (probably sci-fi/fantasy) who like this kind of stuff, but I don't want to be limited to those kinds of readers. I don't want to be seen as a "sci-fi/fantasy author"; I want to be seen as a contemporary author who uses 'creative elements' (which just happens to be sci-fi/fantasy elements in this case) to drive the plot of my story. If I use this plot, will I automatically be considered a "sci-fi/fantasy author", or is it possible to make my story more nuanced and contemporary.
"It's not the idea that matters, it's what you do with those ideas." - Neil Gaiman Yes, those three points are cliche. Yes, they've been done before. Yes, they'll be done a thousand times after you've done it. However, what's important is the in between details. The interesting and unique things you manage throughout the story. To throw a cliche at your cliche: It's not the destination, it's the journey.
Also, think about that structure. Why in the world would we have an archetype like that? What does it mean relative to a person, or even better, to people who largely read stories that more or less adopt this ready-made plot sequence? Broad questions, but try to answer them: You might think of your story differently.
