| Question Home |
Position:Home>Books & Authors> What cliches should I definitely avoid when writing a fantasy novel (think LotR)Question: What cliches should I definitely avoid when writing a fantasy novel (think LotR)!? I''m pretty good about not using cliches, but I want to make sure I don't use any big ones!. Like!.!.!.I know one that I shouldn't use is some type of jewelry that gives magical powers, but what about a shield or sword that gives magical powers!? Or should items that give powers be avoided altogether!?
Like I said, I'd like to hear about any fantasy novel cliche you think I should avoidWww@QuestionHome@Com Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Ummm!.!.!.!. it *is* a fantasy novel, so stuff with magical powers is all good!. The whole 'damsel in distress' thing is a bit overrated, and not too popular with girl readers - make your female characters generally as smart and strong (not physically) as your male characters, even if there's not a lot of them!. Try getting someone who hasn't read a lot of fantasy to look at your story, and if THEY think something is cliche, then you definitely need to dump it!. Good vs!. evil, objects with magical power, races like elves and dragons, etc can work very well, but can be really cliche when not done well!.Www@QuestionHome@Com I'm going to give a bit of different advice!. Study the current market!. Fantasy is like anything else, it has trends!. For awhile there it was quests for magical objects!. Then that fell out of fashion and it became reluctant heroes!. Now doing this gives you 2 options!. Go with the flow or go against it and hope new and different starts a new trend!. I think you'll find though, that when it comes to finding a publisher, you are better off writing to fit the current trends!. Here is an example of what I'm talking about!. (Note this is last year's study) http://www!.beneaththecover!.com/2007/07/2!.!.!. In other words, cliches may not be a bad thing as long as you use the right ones!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Stories that involve ordinary items with magical properties go back well over 3,000 years!. They're not cliches, they're used so often because they work!. The problem is that the fantasy market is flooded with second- and third-rate books!. It seems to me that it's fantasy itself that's way overdone!.Www@QuestionHome@Com 1!. glowing magical swords 2!. The good guys are saints (Frodo vs!. Han Solo) 3!. Dragons and other Mythological beasts 4!. Elves/dwarves 5!. polythestic, pagan, magic How about a alternative history 789 ad era of charlamagne and have divine power be real and demons/devils real!. and have heros/villians be in the priesthood, and political subcultures and inquistions!.Www@QuestionHome@Com power items!.!.!. yeah very avoidable!. what else!.!.!.!? - hero rising out of poverty is quite repeated!.!.!.!. - the theme of good vs!. evil gets a bit old -- maybe spin a new twist on it!?!? - dragons!. wayyy overrated in their typical sense, find another creature, or look for another perspective into dragons!. - same with elves!. -Www@QuestionHome@Com hmm!.!.!. well i guess something in ur novel should have powers i mean it IS a fantasy novel, just don't write cliche characters I suppose!.!.!. or put them in situations that we've all seen b4!.!.!. for ex!. searching for a weapon or person that has a certain purpose-- (The Sword in the Stone, Merlin, Star Wars, etc) (^-^)Www@QuestionHome@Com yes!.!.!. magical weilding items should definately be avoided!. as should main characters that have an unknown purpose (as in harry potter; the hobbit, etc)Www@QuestionHome@Com anything with 'magical powers' really!. and stay away from anything to do with mirrors!.Www@QuestionHome@Com |