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McAnally's (The Community Pub) => Author Craft => Topic started by: Sebastian on March 06, 2009, 03:40:07 PM

Title: How not to do.
Post by: Sebastian on March 06, 2009, 03:40:07 PM: Heh. Lol
http://rinkworks.com/fnovel/

And while I'm sure most of you have seen this...
http://www.eviloverlord.com/lists/overlord.html
Title: Re: How not to do.
Post by: Quantus on March 06, 2009, 04:50:14 PM: Awesome. Seen the overlord list obviously, but not the Writer's exam
Title: Re: How not to do.
Post by: Matrix Refugee (formerly Morraeon) on March 07, 2009, 12:08:42 AM: :: Throws the writer's exam at Christopher Paolini::
Title: Re: How not to do.
Post by: meg_evonne on March 07, 2009, 02:21:53 AM: still love 'em---especially 8 and 54 and 74 and 75 on the first. impossible to select the best from the evil overlord list. LOL
Title: Re: How not to do.
Post by: LizW65 on March 07, 2009, 03:40:55 PM: these should be required reading for every aspiring fantasy writer. Are there any similar lists for aspiring mystery writers?
Title: Re: How not to do.
Post by: Simon Hogwood on March 09, 2009, 07:43:20 PM: Quote
28. Is this the first book in a planned trilogy?
29. How about a quintet or a decalogue?
:D

This guy doesn't miss a trick, does he?
Title: Re: How not to do.
Post by: Kali on March 09, 2009, 11:46:32 PM: Oh no! Codex Alera fails on numbers 2, 3, possibly 4, 35, and 37!
Title: Re: How not to do.
Post by: knnn on March 10, 2009, 12:08:38 AM: I wonder what fantasy series fails on the most points? It certainly seems to be written with R.Jordan in mind (33).
Title: Re: How not to do.
Post by: Shecky on March 10, 2009, 02:57:16 AM: Um, Jim WRITES his stuff using as many trite old formulas as he can find. It's what got him his first sale. :D

Just proof that following the formulas isn't necessarily a bad thing; it's how you put them TOGETHER that counts. :)
Title: Re: How not to do.
Post by: El Diablo on March 10, 2009, 03:01:49 AM: That's a good JB question to ask.
Title: Re: How not to do.
Post by: JRBobC on March 10, 2009, 03:13:54 AM: Yeah. If all authors followed that list to the letter there would be no new Fantasy/SciFi/Romance/Action/Drama tv shows, movies, books, comics, etc.

Agree with Shecky, what matters is how its put together.
Title: Re: How not to do.
Post by: belial.1980 on March 11, 2009, 12:55:50 AM: I've decided to write a spoof story that uses as many of these as possible, just for fun. Maybe if it's funny enough I'll post it up here. :D
Title: Re: How not to do.
Post by: Matrix Refugee (formerly Morraeon) on March 17, 2009, 01:36:55 AM: Quote from: belial.1980 on March 11, 2009, 12:55:50 AM
I've decided to write a spoof story that uses as many of these as possible, just for fun. Maybe if it's funny enough I'll post it up here. :D

Ooohh... I used to hang around the Godawful Fanfiction Forums before it dried up, and I can tell you, there were things on there that would give Denarians nightmares. How bad/cliche could it be??
Title: Re: How not to do.
Post by: thausgt on March 17, 2009, 06:04:13 AM: Quote from: Shecky on March 10, 2009, 02:57:16 AM
Um, Jim WRITES his stuff using as many trite old formulas as he can find. It's what got him his first sale. :D

Found this in one of my favorite "light reading" wikis. The fact that the "narrator" is named Bob is an utter coincidence:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/SoYouWantTo/WriteAFilmNoir (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/SoYouWantTo/WriteAFilmNoir)

Quote from: Shecky on March 10, 2009, 02:57:16 AM
Just proof that following the formulas isn't necessarily a bad thing; it's how you put them TOGETHER that counts. :)

Exactly. You could take a couple of your favorite cliches and see how you can twist them into something completely different... and more interesting.

For example, let's start with a basic one that would make Harry groan: "The Butler Did It". Our hero gets dragged into a classic murder mystery, and all the evidence seems to point toward the master of the dining room, wine cellar and pantries... until Harry notices that all of the evidence has been tampered with. After a lot of lightning crashes and mysterious chases, the true culprit is revealed: whose real name happens to be 'Butler'.

Of course, care must be taken to avoid turning a tense thriller into a farce. As Sherlock Holmes can attest, upon unmasking the murderous victim of all-but-unique shape-shifting curse: "Alimentary, my were-Datsun!"