McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
Seeking help. Am I just one giant walking cliché?
Anduriel:
Thanks gravesbane. Yeah I heard about that somwhere along the line, every story will fall into one of 12 archetypes. Or even that there is only one story; "The Quest" with about 12 sections, that every story can fit into.
Thank you and I'll keep writing. The death story sound interesting, and I shall have to try and find my niche!
comprex:
Joseph Campbell's The Power of Myth is actually on audio books as well now.
Have you written any supporting material for it yet? Like side-backstory on one of the chars?
Anduriel:
For the Dead Guy? No, not as of yet. I came up with the premise in like a minute or two, then as more of a writing exercise than a novel-based idea, I started the first paragraph. It was after then that I thought 'hey this may work'. So I gave it to a friend to read quickly for a second opinion, and that was when he told me it was clichéd etc etc.
Again with the Bounty Hunter idea, I came up with the premise pretty quickly, but have done no work on it, as I wanted to check if that idea was too contrived as well, ya know before I took it any further.
rinascita:
Perhaps jump right into you protaganist in a climatic completion of a "job", then give the explanation to what he is. The action may lure one in without seeming "cliche".
Franzeska:
--- Quote from: Anduriel on April 06, 2008, 11:36:56 PM ---I very much enjoy contemporary/ urban fantasy.
--- End quote ---
Don't think like a writer for a minute: think like a reader. If you like genre fiction (and I'm talking about myself here too), then you love cliches pretty much by definition. Genres are all about "more of the same, but different". I can offhand think of at least a dozen series (books, tv, manga) about afterlife bureaucracy, and they're all great.* Would I read another one? Sure, in a heartbeat. I'll bet you would too.
I wouldn't worry about being too cliched. Come up with a protagonist that you genuinely like (not someone who's perfect, someone you like), and other people will like him too. If you're stuck for ideas, have a look at all those series you admire and see what you don't like about them. Then go fix it.
*Well, ok, given how quickly some of them got canceled, maybe not everyone thought they were great, but I liked them.
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