Interesting link - common plots

seun · Feb 28, 2009

This is mainly for horror/fantasy writers but I thought it might be worth everyone having a look.

http://www.strangehorizons.com/guidelines/fiction-common.shtml

alyssalynne · Feb 28, 2009

Thanks. I was relieved not see my story plot among them

The Lonely One · Feb 28, 2009

The alien is fluent in English and completely familiar with various English idioms, but is completely unfamiliar with human biology and/or with such concepts as sex or violence and/or with certain specific extremely common English words (such as "cat").

Lol.

seun · Feb 28, 2009

alyssalynne said:
Thanks. I was relieved not see my story plot among them

Neither were mine.

The Lonely One · Feb 28, 2009

I've seen a lot of that stuff on there in published fiction.

Then again, that's probably why they're tired of it.

Gillhoughly · Feb 28, 2009

The protagonist is surrounded by people who know the explanation but refuse to give it.

There go most of the plots for the whole damn Star Trek franchise.

Well *I've* got an insane protag dreaming about writing a novel while in a virtual reality program, but the software "gets loose" bringing in idiom-speaking aliens who don't understand why there's so much porn on the Internet. When they ask "Why?" the whole system crashes, saving Earth!

Bet they haven't seen THAT one!

RunawayScribe · Feb 28, 2009

Yay, my plot's not there either

backslashbaby · Feb 28, 2009

Those are astonishingly awful!! Thank you

The only story I've ever had a non-writer tell me was his that he should write one day is on there, of course

Susan Lanigan · Feb 28, 2009

Clarkesworld do a good list too.

Kathleen42 · Feb 28, 2009

White protagonist is given wise and mystical advice by Holy Simple Native Folk.

If I ever do this, stop me. Please.

Thanks for posting the link

dwellerofthedeep · Feb 28, 2009

Kathleen42 said:
If I ever do this, stop me. Please.

Thanks for posting the link

I'll send you an ebomb.

Yeah, I love things like this because they remind me that I've come along a great deal since I started writing. Even starting, I wouldn't have used some of those plots.

Ugawa · Feb 28, 2009

Gillhoughly said:
There go most of the plots for the whole damn Star Trek franchise.

Well *I've* got an insane protag dreaming about writing a novel while in a virtual reality program, but the software "gets loose" bringing in idiom-speaking aliens who don't understand why there's so much porn on the Internet. When they ask "Why?" the whole system crashes, saving Earth!

Bet they haven't seen THAT one!

OO. That sounds like something I'd buy!

Red_Dahlia · Feb 28, 2009

Some of these are pretty funny, and make me feel alot better about my plots.

Story is based in whole or part on a D&D game or world.

A party of D&D characters (usually including a fighter, a magic-user, and a thief, one of whom is a half-elf and one a dwarf) enters a dungeon (or the wilderness, or a town, or a tavern) and fights monsters (usually including orcs).

Story is the origin story of a D&D character, culminating in their hooking up with a party of adventurers.

A group of real-world humans who like roleplaying find themselves transported to D&D world.

Do people actually do that?!?!

alyssalynne · Feb 28, 2009

Twee little fairies with wings fly around being twee.

this one is funny!

Toothpaste · Feb 28, 2009

Pity though. "Twee Little Fairies with Wings Fly Around Being Twee" is the name of my next book. Sigh, back to the drawing board . . .

Straka · Feb 28, 2009

Damn it!

I just finished a manuscript about a writer who can't write, but that terms out to be a dream because he REALLY is a alien from Mars who comes to America and gets into trouble with the INS, but that turns out to be all in his head because he is just a runaway software program related to SHODAN, who then downloads into someone's body and tries to take revenge on those fat evil jerks wronged him in the real world before. All because his designer never understood him and never gave him any toys who talked. Now the designer is sad because he had a shrewish wife and all his D&D buddies got sent through space and time to the underdark. In the end they all die and heaven is boring.

Oh well... back to the drawing board I suppose.

heretic_scribe · Feb 28, 2009

I'm going to read through this very carefully as soon I put the finishing touches on my story about the knight in shining armor who rescues a princess from an evil dragon. I know, it's a cutting edge plot, but I think the world is ready for it.

Shweta · Feb 28, 2009

I do love those lists. Even though you could argue that some of my short stories fit them in some ways. If you look at them through sufficiently neurotic lenses, anyway.

maestrowork · Mar 1, 2009

Boy meets girl. Boy loses girl. Boy gets girl.

Old as dirt, but these novels continue to sell.

Don't worry too much about common plot. Focus on having your own unique twist and the delivery.

Mr Flibble · Mar 1, 2009

maestrowork said:
Boy meets girl. Boy loses girl. Boy gets girl.

"It's the old, old story - droid meets droid, droid becomes chameleon, droid loses chameleon, chameleon turns into blob, droid gets blob back again. Blob meets blob, blob goes off with blob and droid loses blob, chameleon and droid. How many times have we seen that story?"

Oh wait, that's been done too

seun · Mar 1, 2009

IdiotsRUs said:
"It's the old, old story - droid meets droid, droid becomes chameleon, droid loses chameleon, chameleon turns into blob, droid gets blob back again. Blob meets blob, blob goes off with blob and droid loses blob, chameleon and droid. How many times have we seen that story?"

Oh wait, that's been done too

Smeghead.

Interesting link - common plots

seun

Horror Man

alyssalynne

The Lonely One

Why is a raven like a writing desk?

seun

Horror Man

The Lonely One

Why is a raven like a writing desk?

Gillhoughly

Grumpy writer and editor

RunawayScribe

It is what it is.

backslashbaby

*

Susan Lanigan

Kathleen42

crushing on fictional characters

dwellerofthedeep

Electric Alien Fish Machine

Ugawa

It's a catastrophic success!

Red_Dahlia

alyssalynne

Toothpaste

THE RECKLESS RESCUE is out now!

Straka

Bored Fanatic

heretic_scribe

CIA Roadsign Assassin

Shweta

gone

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

Mr Flibble

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

seun

Horror Man

Interesting link - common plots

Horror Man

Why is a raven like a writing desk?

Horror Man

Why is a raven like a writing desk?

Grumpy writer and editor

It is what it is.

~~~~*~~~~

crushing on fictional characters

Electric Alien Fish Machine

It's a catastrophic success!

THE RECKLESS RESCUE is out now!

Bored Fanatic

CIA Roadsign Assassin

gone

Fear the Death Ray

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

Horror Man

*