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Classical fantasy tropes work for a reason. Just like your music analogy, we just have to switch the pieces of already known tropes to make our own story unique yet familiar
Preach. I have been saying this for years. One of my favourite series of all time is the Inheritance Cycle. And I have never been shy in admitting how derivative it is. It is just Star Wars in a high fantasy Tolkien inspired setting. But that’s what makes it fun. It’s all the familiar plot beats that worked so well in the original trilogy, written in a very easily digestible way that manages to feel like there is deep lore whilst keeping things simple. I know others may have done those tropes better, but that doesn’t stop it from being fun. And while I’m on the subject, Avatar: the Last Airbender is also beat for beat just Star Wars in terms of plot structure. Last survivor of a monk like society dedicated to peace, returns to take on an an evil expansionist empire with a ragtag group of rebels, is pursued by a similarly powerful warrior with a burnt face, who ends up redeeming himself by the end, and his final battle is with the leader who wields Lightning, and plans on using the power of a celestial object to destroy worlds. Oh, and Mark Hamill is in it.
Glad to hear my take on originality wasn't completely off for so many already 🙂 And yes, you're right with some of those examples there. If you look carefully enough, it's almost impossible not to find familiar elements almost anywhere.
There is one thing about being original changes the game. PotC2 does it PERFECTLY. You've seen cursed pirates, but not ones like these. You've seen a cursed ship, but not one that sails like that. You've seen cursed treasure, but never has it been a still beating heart.
I gave up a long time ago on pursuing originality when I realized it was a pursuit of vanity. I could do X-Y-Z to show off how clever I am, but that doesn't serve anything other than my own ego. Once I realized that, I dove headlong into historical magical practices, including lapidary and herbalism, because the real-world beliefs and material culture of human civilizations are richer than anything I could devise. Understanding _people_ and their environments became paramount, each little fact or quirk a potential point of inspiration. I am satisfied that the story I'm currently working on cannot be written by any other person, despite not reinventing anything.
I never looked at it this way "originality as a pursuit of vanity" but this is a take I definitely can get behind. It resonated with me immediately when reading it. I'll let that one sink in a bit more. Appreciate that 🙂
If you want originality you need to read in other genres and not just read nothing but fantasy. I read Thomas Pynchon and DFW and Japanese literature (Dazai, Abe, Mishima, Murakami both Haruki and Ryu, etc) and watch a lot of anime and it's been great for idea generation. Originality comes from the filter that is YOU and the unique mixture of your influences. Also most people just want a well written story with good prose. They won't care if it's original or not if it's fun. Plenty of people have ripped off Tolkien almost 1:1 and did fine because the audience wanted more stuff in the vein of Tolkien. Eventually your ideas will evolve and refine by virtue of experience and practice which is what you should actually worry about at this stage. Write more read more is trite advice but it's trite because it's just that important.
Everything he said in this video is totally true, I have to admit I am totally guilty of throwing away a story because it was too similar to a movie that came out the same year.
I've abandoned way too many ideas in my early years as well, trust me. The good thing is, once you become aware of how unnecessary it is, you can always consider pulling some of those projects out again 🙂
It's also possible to utilize multiple character and story tropes. For example, Harry Potter use both the Chosen One and School of Magic tropes. Another example is The Lord of the Rings, which uses tropes like the old mentor, the Dark Lord, the Quest, and the One Ring as "the object to be kept out of evil hands, among others. The One Ring trope has a more specific name but it eludes and I'm sure someone will correct me on it. Then there's also ways to be creative with existing tropes. Such as the Chosen One, which can be used for subversion or even extend to multiple characters in a way that fits your story. Then there's the old mentor trope, where you can have the main character run into them and reconnect, finding them imprisoned somewhere, seeing them come from or faking their death to escape their enemy. You can even subvert it further by having a "fallen mentor" who now opposses their former student. There's plenty of other ways to be creative within and even subvert existing tropes.
Yeah I started off thinking my story felt like a copy of Berserk but I kept pushing my desire to write a monster hunting comic book set in the Wild West and it’s formed its own unique vibe. Just keep it pushing.
@jakeheye4931 I have the main story laid out and some subplots ready but now I have to fill in the journey, because it starts in New Mexico and ends in Sicily (Italy). I have 7 story arch’s that cover small important plots or events that change the story’s path.
You could do a bit of a Gaimens American Gods thing where monsters of europe came over to America like rats in a ships bilge. They are an invasive species versus alot of native monsters. Plus US has lots of criptid and all sorts of stuff to modify or subvert. Could be cool. stuff.
It's often a question of perspective. Take Sandersons 'Mistborn Magic', how is that so different from the potions of the Witcher? Or Alchemy in general? You gather materials, sometimes you mix and refine them, but in the end you get a 'magic' effect by ingesting something.
I mentioned I'm one of your posts that I am a cutter as my day job, well, it's relevant here too. I frequently hear new knife makers complaining about how hard it is to design an original knife. Well, that's because it's impossible. Perhaps the only thing humanity has done longer than make cutting tools is tell stories. I am sure that at some point, someone told the world's very first story about a dragon kidnapping a princess. I am also equally sure that when that story was first told, most people didn't like it and wanted to hear their favorite classic Ugh Ugh Fights The Bear story. I am just as certain that when that story teller reworked his dragon story to mirror Ugh Ugh's bear fighting story, it was a smash hit.
My debut novel (due to be released in 2026) is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast set during the Civil War. A publisher liked it and decided to take a chance on it. And that’s good enough for me.
Whoa! That sounds really cool, always interesting to have more stories set in the US Civil War period. If you don’t mind me asking, what is the book called? I really don’t want to miss out on this book.
That sounds really interesting, love more stories set during the US Civil War period. What is the title of the book? How far are you with the writing? I really want to know because that idea sounds really fascinating.
It's interesting how some people advise against tropes. But, I think this issue is confusing trope for stereotype. Choosen One (trope) damielsel in distress (stereotype). Otherwise, like you said, it comes down to perspective. Because even certian stereotypes could work when given a fesh enough take (just remember, you're not reinventing the wheel).
Yes, I agree. Even the Damsel in Distress can be put a spin on. I shared an example somewhere else in the past, like "what if the 'damsel' actually lets herself get caught on purpose due to some larger agenda". Certainly a much different story then 🙂
@TheTaleTinkerer Read a story that did this year's ago (middle school, so twenty years ago). The princess, MC, didn't want to marry the knight. So she let herself get captured by the dragon. And then made herself the personal assistant to the dragon queen. It was an enjoyable read. With dragon political intrigue and strong female characters that weren't "rude" but actual women with personalities and self-interests.
I needed to hear this. I've been reaching my brain trying to substitute something from another author I really liked and keep failing to come up with a satisfying replacement. Instead of completely re writing my manuscript, I'll keep it and finish the book. 💪🏾
Always glad to hear when someone feels inspired/encouraged by my content. Hope the element you're keeping works out for you and your story, best of luck with that 🙂
After all, great authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien have also been inspired by many different writings. My own fanfiction "Chronicles of Antia", which I am currently writing on Wattpad, is also just a collection of well-known tropes. My story is about a young woman who was chosen by an ancient prophecy to save a magical world threatened by a sinister force.
When written out like that, I did have to chuckle a bit here "My story is about a young woman who was chosen by an ancient prophecy to save a magical world threatened by a sinister force." 🙂
My first project was the story of a girl from the dominant culture becoming more involved with the oppressed culture, eventually moving into the other culture and fighting for their liberation. Looking for similar books, I found The Lost Kingdom of Bamarre, by Gail Carson Levine. It's the story of a girl from the dominant culture becoming more involved with the oppressed culture, eventually moving into the other culture and fighting for their liberation.
@@TheTaleTinkerer Huge differences. I was pleased with the result, but finishing the tale left two more issues that need to be addressed in further books. I wasn't expecting it to turn itself into a trilogy. I wonder what books those will look like.
My story shares a lot of similarities from warhammer40k. My twist in all this is to take the magic system away and give a more “grounded” experience. Something I also try to do is to make aliens feel truely alien. My father’s favourite scene is sokea (a noxar) being surprised that humans just go inactive and seemingly at random. In return nyra (a human) is fascinated by sokeas ability to persevere his surroundings without vision, hearing or smell.
@ Sadly he isn’t to much into sci-fi but I provided him with nightmares on a scene I wanted to be very memorable so I take that as a win. Update on the story: the main plot is closing in rapidly to the reunion with the sideplot, which only is about half way done. New estimate for completion is late January to mid February.
One of the reasons why I use historical events and gropes of people with mythology. Then ,when for example you have evil knights with horns (like Warhammer fantasy-Chaos Warriors) you could say I don’t know what you talking about i was looking for evil Teutonic Order that terrorise Livonia and Poland as reference.
Honestly, the only Fantasy cliché I'm not a great fan is the School of Magic. And ironically enough, I like the Harry Potter series. I prefer the Master and Apprentice approach on the matter, because is easier to develop two characters at once.
@abcdef27669 It’s a trope that’s been very saturated thanks to anime and people really liking Harry Potter. Heck KingKiller chronicles I know has a magic college. I’d say if you are going to go for it try to mix it up. Maybe it’s a military academy or even a school that the empire or whatever ruling government subsidizes. And heck change the subjects. Maybe focus on professors instead of students? That would go a long way of keeping things fresh because teaching is very different than being a student. All in all, it’s a trope that you do need to put some thought into.
That's the beauty of tropes in my opinion, they don't have to ALL resonate with EVERYONE. As long as there is something that speaks to you personally, then that's already a win 🙂
What my magic system is like is basically is based on a simple made up scientific theory that I made up before writing, and the magic takes advantage of that Theory for its existence and how it works. Can someone tell me if this magic system is good I've been dying to know 😭
Fourth wing is a very bad example. While it sold well, the book it self is atrocious and should be only mentioned as a prime example of how not to write a coherent story and fleshed out characters.
@leopoldakaleopoldalsoknown5050 Krimson Rogue’s review of it was really enlightening to how bad it was. It should also go to say that just because a book, series or show is popular doesn’t make it good. Something could be quality and popular but not the other way around. For example, memory sorrow and thorn is one of my favorite epic fantasy series but barely anyone talks about it. Even though it was a big inspiration for Martin, Jordan, Paolini and many big fantasy authors today.
Appreciate the feedback, thank you. The thing here is that my main point is not about literary quality, but emotional resonance with readers. And the fact remains that the book is incredibly popular and very highly rated in terms of reviews. Creative taste will always be something subjective, regardless of how much scholarly interests might want to define what is "right" or "good". I didn't like everything in Fourth Wing either, some I even disliked heavily. But there were parts I've found especially well executed upon. The deadliness of the world for example did come across real to me, quite differently from many other stories where it feels badly "tacked on" in an unbelievable or forced way.
Before even watching this video, know that there has been roughly 100 billion humans who have lived on this planet and most discoveries were happenstances that were of surprise. The likelihood of originality is like sewing a globetrotter cargo plane through the center of an atom …. So plagiarize till your hearts content compadres!😂
Harry Potter obviously left a huge impact on the genre and that particular trope for many years now, so I do understand some people thinking of it as "overdone". But then again, with the right twist, it might feel all fresh again 🙂
@@TheTaleTinkerer I think Harry Potter in particular has a lot of themes I don't like. Also, "school" probably isn't a place I like to be taken back to, for a laundry list of reasons. My problem as a writer is that I'm unable to maintain a reasonable scope on literally anything. A book that's meant to just be a writing exercise to get my name out there turns into a series of five interconnected stories with an entire world built around it, then I get overwhelmed and I work on exactly zero of any of them. I wrote over a hundred thousand words last year on one story, and now it's set on the backburner as "version 2.0" with "version 4.0" being the current iteration at maybe a few thousand words. I wish I could focus.
@@joshmoonXY I am by no means an expert, but, the advice I was given was to set aside a time -- schedule allowing -- to write every day. Even if it's not on one of your primary projects. Brainstorm, take notes, do writing exercises, always at the same time every day. Then, when you start getting into the flow, maybe set a minimum daily word quota you want to write. I know it sounds awful, and at first it's a slog, but you can kind of train your brain this way. And if what you write is garbage, at least you got practice, which is forward momentum. Stuff can always be edited later.
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Classical fantasy tropes work for a reason. Just like your music analogy, we just have to switch the pieces of already known tropes to make our own story unique yet familiar
Exactly my point(s), yes 🙂
Preach. I have been saying this for years.
One of my favourite series of all time is the Inheritance Cycle. And I have never been shy in admitting how derivative it is. It is just Star Wars in a high fantasy Tolkien inspired setting. But that’s what makes it fun. It’s all the familiar plot beats that worked so well in the original trilogy, written in a very easily digestible way that manages to feel like there is deep lore whilst keeping things simple. I know others may have done those tropes better, but that doesn’t stop it from being fun.
And while I’m on the subject, Avatar: the Last Airbender is also beat for beat just Star Wars in terms of plot structure. Last survivor of a monk like society dedicated to peace, returns to take on an an evil expansionist empire with a ragtag group of rebels, is pursued by a similarly powerful warrior with a burnt face, who ends up redeeming himself by the end, and his final battle is with the leader who wields Lightning, and plans on using the power of a celestial object to destroy worlds. Oh, and Mark Hamill is in it.
Glad to hear my take on originality wasn't completely off for so many already 🙂 And yes, you're right with some of those examples there. If you look carefully enough, it's almost impossible not to find familiar elements almost anywhere.
A family friend told me this a few years ago at the start of my world-building process, which was a big help.
I wish I'd heard that much sooner years ago too. Would have spared me a lot of worrying 🙂
There is one thing about being original changes the game.
PotC2 does it PERFECTLY. You've seen cursed pirates, but not ones like these. You've seen a cursed ship, but not one that sails like that. You've seen cursed treasure, but never has it been a still beating heart.
Some good examples there, yes 🙂
I don't remember where i read this, but it went like this
"You don't have to be original, you just have to interesting"
Never heard that one before but I love it! 🙂
I gave up a long time ago on pursuing originality when I realized it was a pursuit of vanity. I could do X-Y-Z to show off how clever I am, but that doesn't serve anything other than my own ego.
Once I realized that, I dove headlong into historical magical practices, including lapidary and herbalism, because the real-world beliefs and material culture of human civilizations are richer than anything I could devise. Understanding _people_ and their environments became paramount, each little fact or quirk a potential point of inspiration.
I am satisfied that the story I'm currently working on cannot be written by any other person, despite not reinventing anything.
I never looked at it this way "originality as a pursuit of vanity" but this is a take I definitely can get behind. It resonated with me immediately when reading it. I'll let that one sink in a bit more. Appreciate that 🙂
Relevant and Supportive Comment to feed the Algorangim
If you want originality you need to read in other genres and not just read nothing but fantasy. I read Thomas Pynchon and DFW and Japanese literature (Dazai, Abe, Mishima, Murakami both Haruki and Ryu, etc) and watch a lot of anime and it's been great for idea generation.
Originality comes from the filter that is YOU and the unique mixture of your influences. Also most people just want a well written story with good prose. They won't care if it's original or not if it's fun. Plenty of people have ripped off Tolkien almost 1:1 and did fine because the audience wanted more stuff in the vein of Tolkien. Eventually your ideas will evolve and refine by virtue of experience and practice which is what you should actually worry about at this stage. Write more read more is trite advice but it's trite because it's just that important.
What makes your story unique is your own perspective. Great video!
Glad you enjoyed it! :-)
I’ve accepted my story is the basic story with some twists and I’m so okay with that. I grew up on that stuff.
Everything he said in this video is totally true, I have to admit I am totally guilty of throwing away a story because it was too similar to a movie that came out the same year.
I've abandoned way too many ideas in my early years as well, trust me. The good thing is, once you become aware of how unnecessary it is, you can always consider pulling some of those projects out again 🙂
"I know... And I am glad for it". - Myself.
It's also possible to utilize multiple character and story tropes. For example, Harry Potter use both the Chosen One and School of Magic tropes. Another example is The Lord of the Rings, which uses tropes like the old mentor, the Dark Lord, the Quest, and the One Ring as "the object to be kept out of evil hands, among others. The One Ring trope has a more specific name but it eludes and I'm sure someone will correct me on it.
Then there's also ways to be creative with existing tropes. Such as the Chosen One, which can be used for subversion or even extend to multiple characters in a way that fits your story.
Then there's the old mentor trope, where you can have the main character run into them and reconnect, finding them imprisoned somewhere, seeing them come from or faking their death to escape their enemy. You can even subvert it further by having a "fallen mentor" who now opposses their former student.
There's plenty of other ways to be creative within and even subvert existing tropes.
Absolutely! You can definitely weave in multiple tropes in a single story. Plenty of examples for that, even some shared in the video 🙂
Yeah I started off thinking my story felt like a copy of Berserk but I kept pushing my desire to write a monster hunting comic book set in the Wild West and it’s formed its own unique vibe. Just keep it pushing.
Wild West Witcher, I could get behind that.
That sounds really cool! How far are you with that idea? Written any outlines or chapters?
@jakeheye4931 I have the main story laid out and some subplots ready but now I have to fill in the journey, because it starts in New Mexico and ends in Sicily (Italy). I have 7 story arch’s that cover small important plots or events that change the story’s path.
You could do a bit of a Gaimens American Gods thing where monsters of europe came over to America like rats in a ships bilge. They are an invasive species versus alot of native monsters. Plus US has lots of criptid and all sorts of stuff to modify or subvert. Could be cool. stuff.
That sounds like a very interesting concept. I'm personally not a big fan of "Wild West" settings but I do like the idea behind it 🙂
As someone that I want to write a book, is not about originality, is about the execution and how the plot is what make it original.
Yes, that's more or less the point I'm trying to make 🙂
It's often a question of perspective.
Take Sandersons 'Mistborn Magic', how is that so different from the potions of the Witcher? Or Alchemy in general? You gather materials, sometimes you mix and refine them, but in the end you get a 'magic' effect by ingesting something.
I mentioned I'm one of your posts that I am a cutter as my day job, well, it's relevant here too. I frequently hear new knife makers complaining about how hard it is to design an original knife. Well, that's because it's impossible. Perhaps the only thing humanity has done longer than make cutting tools is tell stories. I am sure that at some point, someone told the world's very first story about a dragon kidnapping a princess. I am also equally sure that when that story was first told, most people didn't like it and wanted to hear their favorite classic Ugh Ugh Fights The Bear story.
I am just as certain that when that story teller reworked his dragon story to mirror Ugh Ugh's bear fighting story, it was a smash hit.
Yeah, I can see how knife making - given how long humanity has done it - might follow a same pattern here 🙂
My debut novel (due to be released in 2026) is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast set during the Civil War.
A publisher liked it and decided to take a chance on it. And that’s good enough for me.
Whoa! That sounds really cool, always interesting to have more stories set in the US Civil War period.
If you don’t mind me asking, what is the book called? I really don’t want to miss out on this book.
That sounds really interesting, love more stories set during the US Civil War period.
What is the title of the book? How far are you with the writing? I really want to know because that idea sounds really fascinating.
@@jakeheye4931 thank you!
It’s called The Strange Curse of Carrie Carroll
Sounds great - congratulations to the publisher deal and best of luck with the story 🙂
@ thank you!
It's interesting how some people advise against tropes. But, I think this issue is confusing trope for stereotype. Choosen One (trope) damielsel in distress (stereotype).
Otherwise, like you said, it comes down to perspective. Because even certian stereotypes could work when given a fesh enough take (just remember, you're not reinventing the wheel).
Yes, I agree. Even the Damsel in Distress can be put a spin on. I shared an example somewhere else in the past, like "what if the 'damsel' actually lets herself get caught on purpose due to some larger agenda". Certainly a much different story then 🙂
@TheTaleTinkerer Read a story that did this year's ago (middle school, so twenty years ago). The princess, MC, didn't want to marry the knight. So she let herself get captured by the dragon. And then made herself the personal assistant to the dragon queen. It was an enjoyable read. With dragon political intrigue and strong female characters that weren't "rude" but actual women with personalities and self-interests.
@@Dragonmoon1598 Haha, sounds fun, but also a bit comedic 🙂
It's all about taking tropes you like and playing around with them.
Thank you! I was about to quit writing my novel but this video really helped me.
That comment alone made this video worthwhile already - thank you for that, and best of luck with your continued writing :-)
I needed to hear this. I've been reaching my brain trying to substitute something from another author I really liked and keep failing to come up with a satisfying replacement. Instead of completely re writing my manuscript, I'll keep it and finish the book. 💪🏾
Always glad to hear when someone feels inspired/encouraged by my content. Hope the element you're keeping works out for you and your story, best of luck with that 🙂
After all, great authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien have also been inspired by many different writings.
My own fanfiction "Chronicles of Antia", which I am currently writing on Wattpad, is also just a collection of well-known tropes. My story is about a young woman who was chosen by an ancient prophecy to save a magical world threatened by a sinister force.
When written out like that, I did have to chuckle a bit here "My story is about a young woman who was chosen by an ancient prophecy to save a magical world threatened by a sinister force." 🙂
My first project was the story of a girl from the dominant culture becoming more involved with the oppressed culture, eventually moving into the other culture and fighting for their liberation.
Looking for similar books, I found The Lost Kingdom of Bamarre, by Gail Carson Levine. It's the story of a girl from the dominant culture becoming more involved with the oppressed culture, eventually moving into the other culture and fighting for their liberation.
And yet when you tell your story, it might still be completely different and unique, despite these underlying familiarities 🙂
@@TheTaleTinkerer
Huge differences. I was pleased with the result, but finishing the tale left two more issues that need to be addressed in further books.
I wasn't expecting it to turn itself into a trilogy. I wonder what books those will look like.
My story shares a lot of similarities from warhammer40k. My twist in all this is to take the magic system away and give a more “grounded” experience. Something I also try to do is to make aliens feel truely alien. My father’s favourite scene is sokea (a noxar) being surprised that humans just go inactive and seemingly at random. In return nyra (a human) is fascinated by sokeas ability to persevere his surroundings without vision, hearing or smell.
Having an engaged beta-reader right away sounds like a great way for you to get some early feedback 🙂
@ Sadly he isn’t to much into sci-fi but I provided him with nightmares on a scene I wanted to be very memorable so I take that as a win.
Update on the story: the main plot is closing in rapidly to the reunion with the sideplot, which only is about half way done.
New estimate for completion is late January to mid February.
Your video came up from auto play and i liked it, i was going to sub until i looked at the screen. FOR THE HORDE!
Sorry to hear that - but I'm loyal to the alliance :-D
One of the reasons why I use historical events and gropes of people with mythology.
Then ,when for example you have evil knights with horns (like Warhammer fantasy-Chaos Warriors) you could say I don’t know what you talking about i was looking for evil Teutonic Order that terrorise Livonia and Poland as reference.
Yeah, history can really be a great inspiration for such things - and a form of "credible source" 🙂
Honestly, the only Fantasy cliché I'm not a great fan is the School of Magic. And ironically enough, I like the Harry Potter series.
I prefer the Master and Apprentice approach on the matter, because is easier to develop two characters at once.
@abcdef27669 It’s a trope that’s been very saturated thanks to anime and people really liking Harry Potter. Heck KingKiller chronicles I know has a magic college. I’d say if you are going to go for it try to mix it up. Maybe it’s a military academy or even a school that the empire or whatever ruling government subsidizes. And heck change the subjects. Maybe focus on professors instead of students? That would go a long way of keeping things fresh because teaching is very different than being a student.
All in all, it’s a trope that you do need to put some thought into.
That's the beauty of tropes in my opinion, they don't have to ALL resonate with EVERYONE. As long as there is something that speaks to you personally, then that's already a win 🙂
What my magic system is like is basically is based on a simple made up scientific theory that I made up before writing, and the magic takes advantage of that Theory for its existence and how it works. Can someone tell me if this magic system is good I've been dying to know 😭
My story is about an orphan who turns out to be the long lost heir to the throne, that’s been done a million times
And if done well, it can be done another million times 🙂
How did you know?!?! 😂
I make a really good lasagne, but its not an original pasta dish, doesnt mean it isnt a hit with family n friends.
Hehe, certainly the best analogy I've read so far about this 🙂
Fourth wing is a very bad example. While it sold well, the book it self is atrocious and should be only mentioned as a prime example of how not to write a coherent story and fleshed out characters.
@leopoldakaleopoldalsoknown5050 Krimson Rogue’s review of it was really enlightening to how bad it was. It should also go to say that just because a book, series or show is popular doesn’t make it good. Something could be quality and popular but not the other way around.
For example, memory sorrow and thorn is one of my favorite epic fantasy series but barely anyone talks about it. Even though it was a big inspiration for Martin, Jordan, Paolini and many big fantasy authors today.
Appreciate the feedback, thank you. The thing here is that my main point is not about literary quality, but emotional resonance with readers. And the fact remains that the book is incredibly popular and very highly rated in terms of reviews. Creative taste will always be something subjective, regardless of how much scholarly interests might want to define what is "right" or "good".
I didn't like everything in Fourth Wing either, some I even disliked heavily. But there were parts I've found especially well executed upon. The deadliness of the world for example did come across real to me, quite differently from many other stories where it feels badly "tacked on" in an unbelievable or forced way.
Before even watching this video, know that there has been roughly 100 billion humans who have lived on this planet and most discoveries were happenstances that were of surprise. The likelihood of originality is like sewing a globetrotter cargo plane through the center of an atom
…. So plagiarize till your hearts content compadres!😂
That => "The likelihood of originality is like sewing a globetrotter cargo plane through the center of an atom" was not an analogy I'd expected 😀
I can see further, because I sit on the shoulders of the giants who came before me...
Sir Isaac Newton...
Yeah, definitely a quote that I've resonated with for years 🙂
To be fair, fantasy academia IS a massively overdone theme. Then again, that's coming from someone who never liked the genre to begin with.
Harry Potter obviously left a huge impact on the genre and that particular trope for many years now, so I do understand some people thinking of it as "overdone". But then again, with the right twist, it might feel all fresh again 🙂
@@TheTaleTinkerer I think Harry Potter in particular has a lot of themes I don't like. Also, "school" probably isn't a place I like to be taken back to, for a laundry list of reasons.
My problem as a writer is that I'm unable to maintain a reasonable scope on literally anything. A book that's meant to just be a writing exercise to get my name out there turns into a series of five interconnected stories with an entire world built around it, then I get overwhelmed and I work on exactly zero of any of them. I wrote over a hundred thousand words last year on one story, and now it's set on the backburner as "version 2.0" with "version 4.0" being the current iteration at maybe a few thousand words.
I wish I could focus.
@@huskymcfluffYou're doing more than me. A year has passed and I barely wrote 3,000 words
I think you're doing all right and on your way. 🤙.
@@joshmoonXY I am by no means an expert, but, the advice I was given was to set aside a time -- schedule allowing -- to write every day. Even if it's not on one of your primary projects. Brainstorm, take notes, do writing exercises, always at the same time every day. Then, when you start getting into the flow, maybe set a minimum daily word quota you want to write. I know it sounds awful, and at first it's a slog, but you can kind of train your brain this way. And if what you write is garbage, at least you got practice, which is forward momentum.
Stuff can always be edited later.
Mine is original. Sorry. Lol