1. Titan Of Kystolni

    Titan Of Kystolni New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 2, 2016
    Messages:
    12
    Likes Received:
    3
    Location:
    Alaska

    Worried about my book

    Discussion in 'Plot Development' started by Titan Of Kystolni, Sep 26, 2018.

    So i recently posted a thread about finishing my book and asking for advice. Now i have another concern. I thought that i had come up with something fairly original as far as plot within the fantasy genre. He's a prince as opposed to a commoner. My thought was "Instead of him being nobody and all of this happening to him all at once, he was somebody to start with." One brother is killed, one is crippled, and two of his sisters are kidnapped when the goblins attack the castle. So he goes on this mission to get them back. I thought it was fairly new because 1) i had never read anything where the main character was a prince/someone high to start with except for the Game of Thrones books, 2) I have still never read anything where family loyalty is THE driving factor behind the story, and 3) I've never found a story where the rebellious "Big Guy" is the main character. he always plays second fiddle to the smaller, less skilled protagonist who somehow manages to do things where the badass can't. Bu I've found several stories where the main character is a prince or king, and one other where he's the big guy of the group, and now I'm worried about it. Does anyone have any advice? Is any of it too cliche, in your opinions?
     
    jannert likes this.
  2. ChickenFreak

    ChickenFreak Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Mar 9, 2010
    Messages:
    15,262
    Likes Received:
    13,084
    IMO, none of those things are so cliched as to matter. Your execution of the story is still what's going to matter.
     
    matwoolf, jannert and izzybot like this.
  3. Azuresun

    Azuresun Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 25, 2017
    Messages:
    418
    Likes Received:
    573
    "It's not who did it first, it's who did it best."
    --David Bowie.
     
  4. izzybot

    izzybot (unspecified) Contributor

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2015
    Messages:
    2,419
    Likes Received:
    3,884
    Location:
    SC, USA
    Originality isn't the be-all end-all. Like Chicken says, it's the execution that matters.
     
  5. Justin Thyme

    Justin Thyme Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 17, 2018
    Messages:
    134
    Likes Received:
    182
    Having personal/family loyalty as the major driving force should elicit all sorts of fascinating and intense dilemas, what you are doing sounds to me like it could be extremely interesting.
    I'll also second the notion that it's not 'who did it first, but who did it best,' that matters, although it doesn't even have to be 'best' it can simply be 'good enough'.
    'Best' is a hard target to aim for.
    I wonder if perhaps you're not having that all-too-common fit of nerves now the job is almost done?
     
    jannert likes this.
  6. BlitzGirl

    BlitzGirl Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    May 30, 2018
    Messages:
    566
    Likes Received:
    738
    In my opinion, every story idea/character idea on the face of the planet has been done at least once by someone else. It's not the originality of the plot that necessarily matters, but the execution. I can take the most cliched story idea yet add my own personal touches and character quirks to make it its own thing.
     
  7. Mckk

    Mckk Member Supporter Contributor

    Joined:
    Dec 30, 2010
    Messages:
    6,541
    Likes Received:
    4,776
    Seems to me if you're shocked by seeing these very tried and tested tropes, that perhaps your problem isn't your book, but that you don't read nearly enough. Which probably also means you're pretty young.

    I say, just write it. Enjoy it, have a blast with it. It doesn't matter. You sound fairly inexperienced, which means it's highly unlikely your first story will be made available to the public - that will come, but likely in many years down the road. Let your imagination go wild and just write a story you'd enjoy writing. That's all.

    And for goodness' sake, read more.

    Once you've got plenty of reading and writing under your belt, start worrying about the quality then. I think it's too early to worry right now.

    Not everything needs to be published. Not everything needs to be good either. There's value in just having fun, and exploring, and writing the story just because you want to, because you're excited about it, and to hell with anyone who doesn't think so. So, just write.

    This was the best advice my mum ever gave me. When I was 9 I was worried about writing - I wanted to write but I was worried that my English wasn't good enough (technically my second language, now morphed into my "mother tongue") and my mum just said, "Who cares as long as you enjoy it? You're writing for yourself."

    So, really, who cares? Write, and enjoy every moment of it, and be proud of everything you've written. That doesn't mean it doesn't have flaws or that it's publishable at all. But be proud of it, because it's yours, and it's awesome.
     
  8. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

    Joined:
    Aug 8, 2015
    Messages:
    17,922
    Likes Received:
    27,173
    Location:
    Where cushions are comfy, and straps hold firm.
    Cliches? Every bloody thing on the planet is a cliche!
    Like Mckk said just have fun and write it. It is your spin
    on an idea or concept that doesn't already exist.

    Good and bad are merely subjective to the reader. Not
    everybody finds Steve King to be a master story teller.
    (This guy being one). But that doesn't stop him from
    writing his stories any more than knowing he is second
    best to Clive Barker as a master of Horror.

    I have epubbed one book, that I had a lot of fun writing, and
    a few people have read it, but it is not making any money, but
    it is out there, and it is my own labor of love and fun. It is hardly
    perfect and abandons the set norms for a book in its genre.

    So just write, and go with the flow. If anything else you get the
    exp. and learn for how to write the next one. Also reading helps
    a lot as well, to learn just how the stories are structured, characters
    are portrayed, and everything else that got it to being published in the
    first place. Mind you even published works can be total shit, but you
    can learn from those as well.

    Good Luck. :superidea:
     
    flawed personality likes this.
  9. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

    Joined:
    Aug 8, 2015
    Messages:
    17,922
    Likes Received:
    27,173
    Location:
    Where cushions are comfy, and straps hold firm.
    Cliches? Every bloody thing on the planet is a cliche!
    Like Mckk said just have fun and write it. It is your spin
    on an idea or concept that doesn't already exist.

    Good and bad are merely subjective to the reader. Not
    everybody finds Steve King to be a master story teller.
    (This guy being one). But that doesn't stop him from
    writing his stories any more than knowing he is second
    best to Clive Barker as a master of Horror.

    I have epubbed one book, that I had a lot of fun writing, and
    a few people have read it, but it is not making any money, but
    it is out there, and it is my own labor of love and fun. It is hardly
    perfect and abandons the set norms for a book in its genre.

    So just write, and go with the flow. If anything else you get the
    exp. and learn for how to write the next one. Also reading helps
    a lot as well, to learn just how the stories are structured, characters
    are portrayed, and everything else that got it to being published in the
    first place. Mind you even published works can be total shit, but you
    can learn from those as well.

    Good Luck. :superidea:
     
  10. jannert

    jannert Retired Mod Supporter Contributor

    Joined:
    Mar 7, 2013
    Messages:
    17,674
    Likes Received:
    19,889
    Location:
    Scotland
    I really like the fact that you deliberately tried to break the common tropes in this kind of writing. I'm sure what you came up with will be original enough to stand out. Now, like others have said, it will boil down to how it's written and how capable you are at creating realistic people and situations, rather than just characters with 'traits' and 'plot points.'

    I totally support @Mckk's point of view that you should be having fun with this. And also writing what you, yourself, would enjoy reading. Don't worry AT ALL (at this stage) about whether other people are going to like it or not. That kind of worry will hold you back and make you second-guess every sentence. Just get it written.

    In my opinion, the next step should be to put it aside, once the first draft is finished, and let it cook ...for long enough to where you can look at it without remembering every step of how you wrote it. Get to where you can read it as if somebody else had written it. Then start editing for flaws that you can (and will) recognise.

    Once you've done that, start giving it out to a few willing betas and get feedback from them. Make more changes as needed, then give it to a few MORE betas to read the second version. (Don't give it back to the first ones unless they ask for it.) Keep doing this till you are happy you've got the story you wanted, written in a way that your readers engage with it.

    And keep having fun. It really is fun.
     
    Cave Troll likes this.

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Dismiss Notice