# Writing test, does your story suck?



## Roc (Jul 8, 2012)

I'm sure many of you have already seen this "exam", and it's actually kind of humorous. Have fun 

The Fantasy Novelist's Exam


----------



## ThinkerX (Jul 8, 2012)

Hmmm...most of the recent published fantasy works I've read include as many as a dozen of those points.

I'd have to answer yes to about three or four, myself.


----------



## RedMorningSky (Jul 8, 2012)

I take lists like this with a grain of salt, but they do make some good points. Obviously generalizations, but definitely some things to keep in mind.


----------



## Alex97 (Jul 8, 2012)

I actualy read this a while ago.  It's a bit generalised and not everything on that list is necessarily bad, but some good points made.  Also laughed at a few of them


----------



## Chilari (Jul 8, 2012)

I've seen this before. It's a rather sarcastic and disparaging list of question which seems to be intended more to make the writer and some readers feel clever, and is thus not very useful.

There is another list somewhere with a better set of questions designed to make a writer consider their book in greater depth. I'll try and find it.


----------



## Devor (Jul 8, 2012)

I only had one, the artifact that could destroy the world.  But even that's iffy as to whether it meets the description.  It's not one artifact but several different magics which are brought together, and it doesn't really "destroy" the world - but it does do damage world-wide.


----------



## Steerpike (Jul 8, 2012)

Chilari said:


> I've seen this before. It's a rather sarcastic and disparaging list of question which seems to be intended more to make the writer and some readers feel clever, and is thus not very useful.
> 
> There is another list somewhere with a better set of questions designed to make a writer consider their book in greater depth. I'll try and find it.



The guy who wrote this list clearly isn't fit to give advice, and as such his urging to abandon your novel at once if you answer yes to any of the questions should be ignored.

According to this list, no one should ever again write a story with an elf, orc, dwarf, or halfling in it (even though a number of the other questions assume that you do have them and are therefore redundant with the prohibition against them). A lot of the other questions are equally lame. Maybe the whole thing is meant to be tongue-in-cheek, but if so it isn't very well done.


----------



## Chilari (Jul 8, 2012)

I can't seem to find that list I mentioned. Maybe I imagined it. Perhaps we should make our own list of questions, designed to provoke an analytical approach to writing, bearing in mind certain cliches, rather than a scornful approach to reading. If we do, I think the question I would propose is this: "Are all the female main characters involved in romance arcs with male main characters?" I'm not saying a yes would necessarily be a bad thing, but it's certainly something you see a lot, and something I feel writers should think about when they're writing.


----------



## Roc (Jul 8, 2012)

This wasn't to be taken seriously, just for some laughs.


----------



## Philip Overby (Jul 8, 2012)

I thought it was sort of funny.  Someone has been reading a lot of Dragonlance books (which don't suck by the way  )


----------



## Benjamin Clayborne (Jul 9, 2012)

Steerpike said:


> The guy who wrote this list clearly isn't fit to give advice, and as such his urging to abandon your novel at once if you answer yes to any of the questions should be ignored.
> 
> According to this list, no one should ever again write a story with an elf, orc, dwarf, or halfling in it (even though a number of the other questions assume that you do have them and are therefore redundant with the prohibition against them). A lot of the other questions are equally lame. Maybe the whole thing is meant to be tongue-in-cheek, but if so it isn't very well done.



I dunno, it seems pretty obviously tongue-in-cheek to me. Mostly it's just listing a lot of the most clichÃ© fantasy tropes that tend to show up in first-timer novels. I seriously doubt that they think that any book containing any of these things should be immediately abandoned (like "Is this the first book in a planned trilogy?").

Maybe you don't think it's funny, but I do


----------



## Elder the Dwarf (Jul 9, 2012)

This list has been posted here a couple of times.  Maybe if you have most of these things, you could reconsider your novel, but by no means is it to be taken seriously.  I'm pretty sure it is impossible not to break at least a couple of the rules if you are writing fantasy.


----------



## JCFarnham (Jul 9, 2012)

"Are you writing a work-for-hire for Wizards of The Coast?"

... And you're supposed to stop at once if you are? Frankly, good luck to you. For hire works can definitely bring in the moneys... Oh but don't forget the pre-packed fan base.

This list is both for a laugh, written by someone who has no clue what they're on about, and almost certainly one of those people who mistakes THEIR opinions, built from the context of THEIR reading past, for the word of God.

Battling cliche is pointless especially if you instead think of them as archetypes and tropes.


----------



## The Dark One (Jul 9, 2012)

Was honestly able to say No to every question (although the list is obviously not to be taken seriously).

Mind you, I couldn't really tell you what my genre(s) are. One is definitely speculative fiction (although with some surreal/fantastical flavours), and another has a definite fantasy element but it's a subplot within a historical novel. I suspect that if you genuinely say No to every question there's every chance that you're not writing fantasy.


----------



## JonSnow (Jul 9, 2012)

To be fair, its virtually impossible to write fantasy without having some of those elements in it. And just about every work of high fantasy is some sort of a LotR rip off, considering that is what spawned the entire modern fantasy genre. I got a good laugh, though, having read a lot of Dragonlance and Lord of the Rings back in the day. While it is cliche to have the conflicted half-elf leading the party of halfling and befriended dwarf and elf against the evil forces of a dark lord, you shouldn't necessarily scrap your book if you have one of those elements.

I have chosen to avoid grumpy dwarves, tormented half-elves, busy-fingered halflings, and dark lords altogether. HOWEVER, I am struggling finding another sort of powerful antagonistic force in addition to greedy, violent humans and corrupt lords and kings. Dragons, undead armies, demons and wraiths are always good candidates, but they have been overused as well. It is easy enough to create some race of evil, twisted beings. But who is leading them, if not some powerful necromancer or dark lord? Without some of those supernatural forces, you run the risk of losing the fantasy aspect altogether.


----------



## Amanita (Jul 9, 2012)

I don't have any of this, or at least not much.
Still, I don't really like this test at all and I don't think it's really funny either. I'm not a big fan of most of those cliches myself but the idea that every novel written in a specific style is bad and every one that isn't is good, just doesn't work out. It's not as simple as that.


----------



## Agran Velion (Jul 9, 2012)

Ah I love this quiz, always gave me a laugh. But it naturally isn't meant to be taken seriously, the website it's posted on is meant for humor. However, I do think that a handful of the questions do warrant _some_ consideration. 

Do you see nothing wrong with having two characters from the same small isolated village being named "Tim Umber" and "Belthusalanthalus al'Grinsok"? ((Unless of course, there's a specific reason))

Do you think that the only two uses for ships are fishing and piracy?

Does anybody in your novel stab anybody straight through plate armor? ((Naturally can be avoided, just, plate armor was top of the line for a reason))

The majority of it though, is just meant for comedy rather than an actual test. Like the Evil Overlord List  (although it makes much better points).



Peter's Evil Overlord List


----------



## Mindfire (Jul 9, 2012)

I plead guilty to #17, #28/#29, and #50, with a couple caveats. For #17, I do have a group of characters who you could call feminists, but you'd be using the term very loosely. They're a pro-female amazon style cult that routinely practices kidnapping. ceremonial castration, slavery, and human sacrifice, among other things. Obviously I didn't write them to champion a cause, but rather because: A: I thought they'd be cool one-off villains, and B: to ridicule extremism. As for #28/29, while I do already have plans for sequels, I think my first book will be a pretty decent stand-alone if it has to be. And for #50, what's wrong with fireballs and lightning bolts anyway? Besides, _my_ fireballs and lightning bolts are quite distinct, I think.


----------



## Ireth (Jul 9, 2012)

Let's see how mine stack up:

_Winter's Queen_ and _Summer's Pawn_

#8, kinda.
#35, yes.
#48... dunno if I'd call it "inordinate", as the journey is what Summer's Pawn is all about. There's no real destination, they're trying to find a specific person who is doing her best to hide from those who want to find her.
#49, yes. She doesn't tell them because it's in her own best interests not to.

_Low Road_ and its backstory

#9... uhm? A goddess does act as a catalyst, but she doesn't disguise herself at all.
#10 more like great-times-nine-grandfather, and neither he nor the hero ever figure it out.
#28, guilty. XD
#32, yes. Though the prequels ARE the next books in the series. Hopefully.

Hm. Interesting.


----------



## ScipioSmith (Jul 9, 2012)

_Spirit of the Sword_

#3 Kinda, but you could argue the villain has a stronger claim.
#4 Hell yeah!
#9 She doesn't make any secret of it, but she doesn't announce herself either.
#19 Well what do you expect, they don't have fire under water.
#29 Yup.
#39 Two of four.
#50 Yes.


----------



## Roc (Jul 9, 2012)

Love the answers Ireth and Scipio, and I must also "plead guilty" to #35 and #48


----------



## Benjamin Clayborne (Jul 9, 2012)

Here's the ones that mine matches:

#4, ehh, sort of
#28

That's it.


----------



## Chime85 (Jul 10, 2012)

I'm guilty of a couple of them. Luckily for my own self esteem, not many.

However, my favorites on the list had to be:

33:Is your name Robert Jordan and you lied like a dog to get this far?

and

63: Is your hero able to withstand multiple blows from the fantasy equivalent of a ten pound sledge but is still threatened by a small woman with a dagger?

x


----------



## danr62 (Jul 10, 2012)

I think this was something of a tongue in cheek type thing.

Some good things to look out for, but if you tried following it to the letter you'd never have anything that could classify as fantasy. Or at least not epic fantasy, perhaps.

Besides, cliches can be useful at times.


----------



## Fluffypoodel (Jul 11, 2012)

that test was a laugh fest! I can also honestly say that I said no to every question, which may make me a little worried...


----------



## J.P. Reedman (Jul 12, 2012)

I pass I guess. I only have 2, and since my novel is a retelling of the King Arthur legend with a huge twist, I have to have 'the youth who doesn't realise he is king.' The other was barbarians  on the tundra drinking mead; the people in my book archaeologically WERE drinking mead or other fermented drinks, and may have even had a male drinking cult!


----------



## Jess A (Jul 12, 2012)

A bit of fun, though it is a silly quiz not to be taken seriously.

I got:

28. Is this the first book in a planned trilogy? *Yes*.

48. Do your characters spend an inordinate amount of time journeying from place to place? *Not sure yet. But I like a journey if it is necessary to the story, so I won't be shying away from it.*

(At this point, I noticed a link to a site about swords and got thoroughly distracted for a while)

Nothing more after that.


----------



## Alex (Jul 12, 2012)

I had like...one.  Also a possible maybe lol.


----------



## Lawfire (Jul 12, 2012)

Funny stuff!


----------



## Zophos (Jul 12, 2012)

If you said "No" to all of those, I'd say you aren't writing fantasy.  Not fantasy that is readily identifiable as fantasy, anyway.

I'm also amused that some of us are insulted by a funny list of aphorisms about the genre.  It's a funny list. The only real test is actually being offended by it. In the spirit of syllogistic reasoning, if you're offended by it, you are therefore in violation of the list simply because you're regarding your fantasy far too realistically and likely stuck in a world of cliche or monism.


----------



## mijo (Jul 12, 2012)

The Original Fiction Mary Sue Litmus Test
This is a better one if you really want to tell if the story is good.
P.S this is only for the character.


----------



## Jess A (Jul 12, 2012)

mijo said:


> The Original Fiction Mary Sue Litmus Test
> This is a better one if you really want to tell if the story is good.
> P.S this is only for the character.



-chuckle- Oh dear, Mary Sue characters. I've seen this test. Not all of those traits are bad - but too many and the character becomes tedious! Depending on how they are written.


----------



## PrincessaMiranda (Jul 12, 2012)

I answered 'yes' to about three, but thats the point of my story. To tell something like that in a different light. I dont have any orcs, elves, or shades. But I do have half mermaids. Does that count.


----------



## Dark Squiggle (Dec 31, 2017)

<<<Thread Necromancy>>>
Is it just me, or does WWII fit  this almost perfectly?
The few things on this list that didn't actually happen seem to have been added as legends later.
The Bomb
Stalin/Hitler
Add more as you feel like.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie (Dec 31, 2017)

My books are so far from being traditional fantasy that this stuff is barely even applicable. I've seen it before though.

Looked through it again. None of them, that I can identify. But again, my book is barely even within the usual bounds of the fantasy genre.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity (Dec 31, 2017)

The only ones that fit my latest book are:

Could one of your main characters tell the other characters something that would really help them in their quest but refuses to do so just so it won't break the plot? Yes, but there's a chance that the world would end. It's complicated.
Is this the first book in a planned trilogy? It's kind of the third book in a trilogy that is suddenly six+ books.
How about "a wise, mystical sage who refuses to give away plot details for his own personal, mysterious reasons"? Yes, but see above.
<But again, my book is barely even within the usual bounds of the fantasy genre.>
Same here, for all of my books.


----------



## Guy (Dec 31, 2017)

#58. It is entirely possible to stab someone with a scimitar.
#59. If the weapon in question is magic, yes.
#64. Kill? Perhaps not, but it can take multiple shots to stop a man before he bleeds out from the arrow wounds.


----------



## Gurkhal (Dec 31, 2017)

I got to answer no to all the questions. So I guess I'm "good" from that lists point of view.


----------



## Penpilot (Dec 31, 2017)

I'd like to replace all the questions on that list with just one.

Do you need an arbitrary online test to justify that your story is original and worthy of being written?

If the answer is yes, go to a book store, peruse the aisles, come back, and read the list and the question again. 

If the answer is no, congratulations, you finally understand what true originality is.


----------



## Annoyingkid (Jan 1, 2018)

mijo said:


> The Original Fiction Mary Sue Litmus Test
> This is a better one if you really want to tell if the story is good.
> P.S this is only for the character.



Mary Sue tests are supposed to be just for fun. They're not a legitimate tool for writers.


----------



## Tom (Jan 1, 2018)

Oh my god, it's the fantasy novelist's exam! I remember taking this quiz years ago for the project I'm still working on. It's come a long way since then, I think I scored pretty poorly with the old version of the plot.

4. Is your story about a young character who comes of age, gains great power, and defeats the supreme badguy?
5. Is your story about a quest for a magical artifact that will save the world?
6. How about one that will destroy it?

Ehhhh.....? Technically yes to 4 and 6...but the bad guy isn't a person. And the artifact is only destroying one island, not the whole world. (But this island feels like their whole world to the main characters.) 

Well, I did a lot better than last time. I think I still have the printout of the exam I wrote my old answers on tucked away in an old folder somewhere. It would be hilarious to go back and reread them.


----------



## Alora pendrak (Jan 1, 2018)

4. Kinda but i don't want to give too much away 
8. Yes   
21. Every  character is torn about their heritage in some way in my book. 
49. in her defense she's under a magical oath she tells and she dies.
57. magic parasol 
61. does it count if their both guys instead? 
63. If its Sealiea wearing a slasher smile and holding a pair of scissors or a pencil the  hero will pee his pants becuse a ten pound sledge wielded by a manticore is less scary then her with any sharp object let alone a dagger.


----------



## pmmg (Jan 1, 2018)

*Does my story suck?*
Probably, its changed a lot since I started, and I've changed as well. I am not sure if I would write the same story if I started over again. I fear I was too slow though, and missed a windows of opportunity with it, but trends come and go. I think my biggest lament is that I am so slow in writing it.
*
4 Is your story about a young character who comes of age, gains great power, and defeats the supreme badguy? *
Possibly on this one. Comes of age is seems likely, great power was true from the start, defeats supreme baddy...not sure yet.;.

*25 Do you not know when the hay baler was invented?*
I did not, but is not sure how its relevant

*28 Is this the first book in a planned trilogy, and 29) How about a quintet or a Decalogue?*
Maybe. It was not the original intent though.

* 
37 Do any of your main characters have names longer than three syllables?*
Um...yes and no. Depends on who speaks the name. Most characters have shortened the names of the major characters to two syllables or less.


More important question, will I ever finish... I don't know.

The rest of the questions don't apply.


----------

