Pro tip: stop using fantasy tropes as a crutch

I keep seeing prompts that just slap elves and dragons onto a regular plot and call it creative. Try writing a story where the fantasy elements are the problem, not the decoration, and see if that doesn't shake things up. Anyone else get tired of the same old 'chosen one' starter packs?

2 comments

2 Comments

mason_foster681d ago

Man, I had a buddy who tried this once and it backfired hard. He wrote a whole story where the "magical" forest was actually dying because some ancient curse was leaching the life out of it. But he made the curse the main character's best friend, like a literal shadow that just wanted to help but was poisoning everything around it. Ended up with a pretty deep take on how even good intentions can wreck a place. He never used the word "chosen one" once, and it actually got picked up by a small press. Kinda proved the point that taking the mystical stuff and turning it into a real problem gives you way more to work with than just slapping pointy ears on a royal child.

andrewh431d ago

The "good intentions can wreck a place" angle is the real kicker. That shadow friend concept is way more interesting than another chosen one story.