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Author Topic: How not to do.  (Read 4657 times)

Offline Sebastian

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How not to do.
« on: March 06, 2009, 03:40:07 PM »
Heh. Lol
http://rinkworks.com/fnovel/

And while I'm sure most of you have seen this...
http://www.eviloverlord.com/lists/overlord.html
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Offline Quantus

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Re: How not to do.
« Reply #1 on: March 06, 2009, 04:50:14 PM »
Awesome.  Seen the overlord list obviously, but not the Writer's exam
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Offline Matrix Refugee (formerly Morraeon)

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Re: How not to do.
« Reply #2 on: March 07, 2009, 12:08:42 AM »
:: Throws the writer's exam at Christopher Paolini::
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Offline meg_evonne

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Re: How not to do.
« Reply #3 on: March 07, 2009, 02:21:53 AM »
still love 'em---especially 8 and 54 and 74 and 75 on the first.   impossible to select the best from the evil overlord list.  LOL
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Offline LizW65

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Re: How not to do.
« Reply #4 on: March 07, 2009, 03:40:55 PM »
these should be required reading for every aspiring fantasy writer.  Are there any similar lists for aspiring mystery writers?
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Offline Simon Hogwood

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Re: How not to do.
« Reply #5 on: March 09, 2009, 07:43:20 PM »
Quote
28. Is this the first book in a planned trilogy?
29. How about a quintet or a decalogue?
:D

This guy doesn't miss a trick, does he?
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Offline Kali

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Re: How not to do.
« Reply #6 on: March 09, 2009, 11:46:32 PM »
Oh no! Codex Alera fails on numbers 2, 3, possibly 4, 35, and 37!

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Offline knnn

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Re: How not to do.
« Reply #7 on: March 10, 2009, 12:08:38 AM »
I wonder what fantasy series fails on the most points?  It certainly seems to be written with R.Jordan in mind (33).
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Offline Shecky

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Re: How not to do.
« Reply #8 on: March 10, 2009, 02:57:16 AM »
Um, Jim WRITES his stuff using as many trite old formulas as he can find. It's what got him his first sale. :D

Just proof that following the formulas isn't necessarily a bad thing; it's how you put them TOGETHER that counts. :)
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Offline El Diablo

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Re: How not to do.
« Reply #9 on: March 10, 2009, 03:01:49 AM »
That's a good JB question to ask.
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Offline JRBobC

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Re: How not to do.
« Reply #10 on: March 10, 2009, 03:13:54 AM »
Yeah.  If all authors followed that list to the letter there would be no new Fantasy/SciFi/Romance/Action/Drama tv shows, movies, books, comics, etc. 

Agree with Shecky, what matters is how its put together.
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Offline belial.1980

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Re: How not to do.
« Reply #11 on: March 11, 2009, 12:55:50 AM »
I've decided to write a spoof story that uses as many of these as possible, just for fun. Maybe if it's funny enough I'll post it up here.  :D
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Offline Matrix Refugee (formerly Morraeon)

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Re: How not to do.
« Reply #12 on: March 17, 2009, 01:36:55 AM »
Quote from: belial.1980 on March 11, 2009, 12:55:50 AM
I've decided to write a spoof story that uses as many of these as possible, just for fun. Maybe if it's funny enough I'll post it up here.  :D

Ooohh... I used to hang around the Godawful Fanfiction Forums before it dried up, and I can tell you, there were things on there that would give Denarians nightmares. How bad/cliche could it be??
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Offline thausgt

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Re: How not to do.
« Reply #13 on: March 17, 2009, 06:04:13 AM »
Quote from: Shecky on March 10, 2009, 02:57:16 AM
Um, Jim WRITES his stuff using as many trite old formulas as he can find. It's what got him his first sale. :D

Found this in one of my favorite "light reading" wikis. The fact that the "narrator" is named Bob is an utter coincidence:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/SoYouWantTo/WriteAFilmNoir

Quote from: Shecky on March 10, 2009, 02:57:16 AM
Just proof that following the formulas isn't necessarily a bad thing; it's how you put them TOGETHER that counts. :)

Exactly. You could take a couple of your favorite cliches and see how you can twist them into something completely different... and more interesting.

For example, let's start with a basic one that would make Harry groan: "The Butler Did It". Our hero gets dragged into a classic murder mystery, and all the evidence seems to point toward the master of the dining room, wine cellar and pantries... until Harry notices that all of the evidence has been tampered with. After a lot of lightning crashes and mysterious chases, the true culprit is revealed: whose real name happens to be 'Butler'.

Of course, care must be taken to avoid turning a tense thriller into a farce. As Sherlock Holmes can attest, upon unmasking the murderous victim of all-but-unique shape-shifting curse: "Alimentary, my were-Datsun!"
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