Perad

I'm working on a plot which is set in mythical times with swords magic etc about a man who is trying to get over a crime he commited in the past and play his role in saving the world.

Basically he is a renowned swordsman and used to protect the king, a co founder of the kingdom is plotting against the king and the hero kills him without defininate proof. Sh*t hits fan and he is forced into exile. He is brought back into the service of the king because of the elders. (The guardians of magic.) Will be explained better when i write it.

Anyway one thing leads to another, he makes friends and he helps save world.

The only problem with this is its a bit cliched. I was wondering if anyone had any tips or advice which would stop my story from becoming just a yarn where the hero is put in danger but predictably escapes it and does what is set out in front of him.

Saponification

Uh, that's up to you. Heck, I guess that's advice. You and only you can make it worthwhile. You shouldn't need to struggle for a reason. Make us care. We've read this a million times before and it's become old. If you can make us care after all that, you're a sexy writer.

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midlandsmuse

I disagree... it's not a bit cliched... It's totally cliched.

You have to ask yourself why anyone would want to read your book when numerous versions of it already exist.

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Perad

Yes thats what i have been thinking about. I read a book for a good story and thats what i hope to write but is a good story enough? I was just hoping for some advice on how to dodge the cliche and bargan bin...

midlandsmuse

If a good story was enough we'd all just write about little hobbits, a ring and a couple of wizards, wouldn't we? Therefore, you cliched ridden plot might appeal to some but most will not bother... been there, done that, ain't paying £6.99 to do it again.

Normally to avoid a cliche I'd say just turn it over. However, fantasy is full of reversed cliches as well. The only way to avoid them is to either have an original idea or look at the cliches in another way. You just need to avoid the cliches. One or two might be okay but filling them with it will turn people off.

All you can do is keep working on the plot until it isn't cliched.

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Perad

well the hero is a legendary swordsman lol... i think i might have to remove that. I'm going to have to mull it over, as for saving the world he won't know about it till the end and even then anybody could do it... its just him who is there and strikes the final blow. I guess i will have to rethink my plot and just have the one cliche which i will try to hide underneath plot twists and the like.

Crazy_dude6662

yyou could have that it is a bit cliched but have him maimed unespectedly in a battle
eg
he laughed in triumph, he swung his sword at the demons head. his hand went numb, he dropped the sword. he didnt realise it was strong enough to have advanced powers. the demon cackled sadistlicly it used it talons to slice into his arm, (insert heros name here) screamed in pain. the demon went for his neck. it exploded, blood and demon inards covered the clearing (and your hero) a man stepped out of the forest. "close call that" he grinned then dissapeared.



somthing like that, or evil could win, there arnt enough books where evil wins!

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Hurley

I think it would be a good idea to brainstorm for a more creative main character - this can really help you develop a more original plot. I already envision a hero swordsman cutting his way to the top, as usual, and have lost interest. Unlikely hero's are good because they solve problems in unlikely ways, and would generally need the help of other interesting characters to get things done.

Kane

How about a legendary axeman in a country where axes are forbidden, and every good citizen fears the axe?

lisajane

To make this less cliche, as it can't possibly be more:

- originality, originality, originality, originality...

Better be one hell of a man, crime, saving the world, protector... as it is, it's totally uninteresting. It's moments like this in which I remember why I don't like fantasy.

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Kimahri

I agree with everyone for the most part. The Fantasy genre I think will always have cliches especially with such greatly structured works like the LOTR series. I am also a fantasy writer and one of the things I noticed was that I also had several cliches that could be similiar to Tolkien or Robert Jordan's books. What I did was take those cliches and twist them in some way so that they were similiar but at the same time different. That way they would appeal to readers who didn't mind that sort of thing and also so they would experience something new. But it's all up to you of course on what you do. I would just really try to come up with some new ideas and also this may come in the process of writing. My story has totally gone in directions I would not have suspected just because in the process of writing an opportunity opened up and I took advantage of it. Hope that helps.

Kimahri

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SwedishFish

I think we mentioned an interesting point. Make the hero the villain. This crime he commited could actually be a trigger within him. He finds that he likes to do bad things. Slowly he does more and more, realizing his evil potencial and it hits him- Since I am so good at being bad, I'm going to take over the kingdom. He kills the king and is on top of the world then BOOM! A hero rises up and gives him a run for his money. He does all he can to kill the hero, but the hero is always just a little smarter. He begins to question his own chosen path. Should he have turned evil? How he resolves this conflict would be interesting.

CRAP! That sounds good, I almost don't want to post it, but I think its good. Not my kind of story anyway.

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blademasterzzz

You are a sad case, Ilyak. Sad sad sad.

And as for the idea, shred it. Cliche and uninspired.

Hodge

Why sympathise? How about because no one is born like that? Something always causes people to do horrible things, and they're usually horrible in their own right.

Unless you want your character to just "be" evil or good. In which case you've used a major, unforgivable cliché...

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Hodge

I dunno. People who are capable of seeing things in shades of gray, I guess. Maybe people who recognize that no one's perfect or that in the right situation, that "evil" character could be them.

Or maybe just people who care about people.