Are You Writing Serious Fantasy? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Niphredil Baggins · 07-02-2002, 05:08 AM

Overused plot devices?
Well, I personally think that a heroic quest to rid the world of a newly risen evil overlord is used, if not overmuch, at least enough... unless it is written in a fresh way, not in a style copied from others.
I mean stories like this: an ordinary swineherd finds out he is the prince who is prophesied to overthrow a tyrant king. He sets on a journey, makes friends with an elf archer, a teenage thief and an old dwarf, and rescues a princess somewhere by the road.
I don't know if there is a story like this, but if there is, it will have to be really well written for me to read it.

07-02-2002, 05:08 AM	#1
Niphredil Baggins Wight Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Finland Posts: 118	Overused plot devices? Well, I personally think that a heroic quest to rid the world of a newly risen evil overlord is used, if not overmuch, at least enough... unless it is written in a fresh way, not in a style copied from others. I mean stories like this: an ordinary swineherd finds out he is the prince who is prophesied to overthrow a tyrant king. He sets on a journey, makes friends with an elf archer, a teenage thief and an old dwarf, and rescues a princess somewhere by the road. I don't know if there is a story like this, but if there is, it will have to be really well written for me to read it. __________________ Wistful, willful, wingless, fly!