Overused Plots

[Nittanylizard]

hahukum - I completely agree; most people don't write a cliched story on purpose. I know I've made all kinds of mistakes in my stories that I didn't recognize as mistakes until I spent a lot of time reading about novel-writing, and I'm sure that some of what I am writing now will make me cringe in another few years.

Having been the recipient of some vague reviews that went on and on about "amateurish writing", cliche's, and overwrought whatever, I can say that it was quite frustrating that those reviewers had reacted with annoyance rather than being just a tad more helpful and giving concrete examples. It was as if they were offended by my blatant refusal to write better, instead of recognizing that I wasn't yet at that certain point on the learning curve.

I have left some detailed reviews in the past when I came across stories that could just use some work, or where I got a really good feel that the author had some passion and ideas, but wasn't quite there with the writing skills. I have also sent PM's to authors when I felt like there was more to address than I wanted to put in a big review. That way they could just plug away and ignore me if they wanted.

While I'm at a point that I feel I can help other writers to a certain extent, I am also aware that there are plenty of writers out there who are levels above me in experience and skill. I would hope they would help me out if I asked, rather than shake their head at my ignorance, so that's what I keep in mind when I do leave a review.

[latch22]

_{... *sighs; clears throat; mumbles* You did ask...}

Okay, I like to think that I can spot potential in writing (or writers), even if it's terrible, in the littlest of ways, and that such potential can be honed into something quite good. It doesn't have so much to do with mechanics as the amount of effort that is noticeable, and, as I said, attention to the little things, which I think definitely add to the quality of a story.

So if I feel that you have potential, then I will try to help you out to the best of my ability. Yes, I have done that before. It sounds awful, but if I don't see evidence of said potential, then I will set it aside as "not worth my time."

However, I don't necessarily think that template plots are a bad thing. Sometimes it's just practice, and practice is always good. But just because something has been done before does not mean that it has been done well, and so one can always build on template.

And I'm either not making much sense or repeating something... so I'll stop now... after saying that I agree, basically, and it took me all of those words to say it...

[fairlane]

I agree that it can be really hard to see problems in your own writing. I've had at least three times where a reviewer has commented on an issue that should be completly obvious, yet I can't actually see it until someone points it out.

But I don't often critiscise anything, and if I do it just tends to be on stories that I really like and feel like its actually more courteous to give an honest review than not mention it.

[theinsider]

Overused plots? I have to say that if I read one more story about Johnny and/or Dally (or even Bob, for that matter) coming back from the dead, I'm going to throw my computer out the window. They're dead, folks, and they ain't coming back.
Time-travel is very overused, too.

[sharpshooter]

if I read one more story about Johnny and/or Dally (or even Bob, for that matter) coming back from the dead, I'm going to throw my computer out the window.

I know how you feel. I wouldn't touch any story that mentioned Johnny and Dally still being alive, but -cough- check out Maxiekat's story where they're still alive, and you'll be surprised...

Another overused plot I think is the ones set a year or so after everything in the book.
It seems most of them just have the Socs terrorizing the Greasers again, even though In That Was Then, This Is Now, it's pretty obvious there not fighting on a large scale any more. Though there is the possibility the writer hasn't read TWT, TIN and so they don't know that, it still gets pretty boring. -no offense to anyone who has written one-

[Tensleep]

Ok, I officially haven't read anything Outsiders related in a while. I figured to give myself a little time of from them. Now I'm completely out of the loop, but this is what I have foud, loop or no loop.

I see a lot of is Mathews/Randle sisters. It is a different take on the Curtis sisters plots, mainly since the girl can fall in love with Sodapop and no one will call it incest. I just find it a little disappointing that the characterizations aren't new, but just moved. Not to say I haven't read some good ones, but that there is a sterotype forming - or may have formed and it is kind of sad.

Just thought I'd give us all some food for thought.

[Nittanylizard]

tensleep said:

mainly since the girl can fall in love with Sodapop and no one will call it incest. I just find it a little disappointing that the characterizations aren't new, but just moved.

Hahahahah! That incest line really cracked me up. But I think you really summarized what makes so many of them fall flat, even with writers using a canon character - they're using the same characterizations.

As far as overused plots, I'm going to vote for the nonplot. You get a situation (girl moves to Tulsa and falls in love; girl is best friends with Ponyboy and part of the gang; etc.), but the writer doesn't even know what the story is about when she starts it. A bunch of stuff happens, and the character doesn't grow or change in any way. Everybody just reacts to everything that happens to her.

I think one of the reasons some of the plots seem way overdone (because really, every plot in existence has been used a bazillion times, and I'm talking about published stories here) is because they are written up the same way over and over again. But there are writers out there who can do a girl-moves-to-Tulsa story that works because the story itself works and has a purpose (at least one resides here ;D).

Even the Dally-and-Johnny-are-alive one can work if it's done well and the author puts some thought and effort into it. I think the problem is that many writers use "I don't like that they died and I love Johnny!" as not only a reason, but a plot point. A story about Johnny as an older teen or adult, working on the possibility that he lived, could be very interesting, if it were actually about Johnny and not about how much he loves the new tough girl who moved to Tulsa.

[theinsider]

Dally with a sister. No no no no no. Bad.
If there's one thing I hate more than Dally coming back from the dead, it's Dally having a sister. I don't care if she's a twin; Dally is most definitely an only child.
I have seen WAY too many fanfics written about that.

[ladeedooda]

one overused topic that annoys me very VERY much are the "Darry looses custody of ponyboy and he gets sent to an abusive foster home" stories. I get very frustrated by them. Grrr.

I'm sorry to say that I currently am working on my first FF and it's a "new girl comes to tulsa" fic. It will NOT be a romance though because those annoy me very much as well. I hope it will be different, but there's no way to tell right now

[missmouse]

Ahh time travel!

I used to have a time travel fic, and I must admit, I thought it was original and I still do.
It wasn't a 'girl gets thrown into The Outsiders era'...

Anyways, somehow or another which I forget, The Outsiders end up traveling through time. They can't control it though, and end up going hundreds of years into the past, then a thousand years in the future etc. At some points they end up leaving parts of the gang behind because they didn't stay together (and have to somehow end up back to pick up that person, lest they be lost forever in a time warp), and end up with OC's in their gang because they happened to be in conversation when the time warped. I seem to remember writing a couple of clydes ending up with the gang in the middle of New York in 2028 or so.
I had part of it up on ff.net, then took it down, and since that computer is no longer ours, it's looong gone. Really liked it though.

I hate the "Darry loses custody" as well, and most time travel, and sister fics, and blahblahblah. I love original things, but I don't really ff.net much, so I miss a lot.


Sorry, that was a lot of rambling.

[Rozamond]

Sept 2, 2007 12:44:05 GMT -5 xolilkelox1 said:

I think parodys are getting used alot to lately but im not sure if Parodys can be overused.

Pfff. In my opinion, you can never over-use parody. ;D
But... that could just be because everything I've posted on FFnet, with the exception of an Evie-related oneshot, is crazy-goofy. Or parody. I parodied the Rocky Horror Picture Show [haha, THAT'S not an over-used plot!]

I think, though, as many have stated, nearly any story can be good if the author knows what they're doing with.

My major pet peeve is self-insert time travel. Ack.

[missmouse]

A few years ago, I was frequently writing parodies... Now that I look back, they weren't that funny- but some people thought they were.

So much so that they would parody based off my parody. I could tell. They'd all have the same basic plot as mind, and bizarre typing, but they'd insert a few of their own things. Now THAT is annoying.

[Rozamond]

Nov 29, 2008 18:39:10 GMT -5 missmouse said:

A few years ago, I was frequently writing parodies... Now that I look back, they weren't that funny- but some people thought they were.

So much so that they would parody based off my parody. I could tell. They'd all have the same basic plot as mind, and bizarre typing, but they'd insert a few of their own things. Now THAT is annoying.

Ach. THAT can't be fun.
I've had something like that happen to me... a part of somebody's chapter in a story was eerily similar to a story I've got...