Overused Plots

[BlindedxxFalcon]

What are some overused plots and other things that writers should stay away from? i know time travel is a big one.

[xolilkelox1]

I think sister story stories are over done if its the same "sister falls for one or two memebers of the gang"Plot.

[BlindedxxFalcon]

yeah...I totally agree with that. Some sister stories are okay, but practically every other story on ff.net Outsiders section is sister stories.

[queenjaneapprxmtly]

I'm writing a sister story, but am proud to say it's most certainly not like every other one out there. :D

I do think that plot is overused, however. When I started writing mine, I was just overcome by a wave of inspiration, so ... :)

I think time travel is overused, but, if somebody actually takes that plot and does something different and good with it, a time travel story could turn out to be really great. The thing is that everyone uses the same plot -- one or more than one person, usually female, gets sent back in time and get sucked into a collective life with the greasers; and it's usually self-insertion so more often than not it's the author and a group of her friends.

But if somebody did something different with the time travel idea, I think it could turn out really great. :)

[BlindedxxFalcon]

That's a good point...I hope somebody does.

[fairlane]

Any plotline should be able to be given an original spin, it really depends on the writer and how much effort they put in.
With the exception of anything involving the words "me and my friends..." in the summary.
Here's an awesome time travel fic, if you want to see an example of how it can be done well;
www.fanfiction.net/s/2356606/1/

[samanthamae]

The only "time travel" fic I liked was about this girl switching places with Angela Shepard. I forget what it's called and who wrote it.

Overused Plots--a new girl in Tulsa. It's come to the point where I won't even go near stories with the words "new girl" in the summary. Especially when this girls attends to soften up Dally. Arghhh...

I did a little bit of looking around on ffnet and found out sister fics have been around since the beginning of time. So have...Mary-Sues. Even time travel ones!

A pretty common one is Dally's last thoughts before he dies. I've seen about five or six of them recently.

Wow, justonegreaser. I spent five minutes just staring at your picture, then my mom walked in. Geez, talk about embarressing.

[zevie]

Woot, Hahukum Konn! Where'd that guy go anyway?

[BlindedxxFalcon]

yeah...I get waht you guys mean. I'll go check the ones out now...

[BlindedxxFalcon]

Hey I just noticed...marsonfire and fairlane, you gys posted the same link! lol. I'll read it, anyhow!

[st.elmo-lover]

I don't know if anyone has said this one..if they have I'm sorry, but it just makes me really ANGRY!

"Soda is my best friend but he doesn't know that I'm in love with him."

I HATE HATE HATE that overused plot. I'm sorry to be so harsh but it's so overused now-a-days and those stories are pretty much why I don't read anything with Soda in it anymore.

[Masquerade]

I feel bad for Sandy. Sure, she cheated on Soda. But still--look what she has to go through. Pony certainly never describes her as a slut--far from it! So why is she written that way so often?

Me, I would like to write more stories presenting Sandy as a more sympathetic character. I've done a few already.

And I also hate the "Soda was my best friend, and now I was in love with him" plots.

[fairlane]

Yes the beat-up-girl-gets-saved-by-the-gang is totally overdone. I don't think it could be redeemed even by a good writer - it would be a well written overdone cliche. But there's almost nothing I won't read if I like the writing style. Likewise, I won't read the greatest most original plot in the world if its not well written. (well written in my opinion of course, taste is subjective).

[latch22]

Bitch!Sandy... *shudders*

[BlindedxxFalcon]

Yeah....I agree, fairlane.