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List of Over-Done Stories

Ghost

Inkling
I love setting at least as much as my characters and probably more than my plots. Even so, I can't imagine 8. How does anyone even think that's a story?

The only one I have is 12. It's a story partially inspired by Linda Hazzard. My healer thinks she's helping people and she believes her method works. I don't think I'm in too much danger there.
 

Caged Maiden

Staff
Article Team
Wow, I think the horror list is much more interesting than the fantasy/sci-fi list. In fact, as I read down the list, I just named off the movies whose plot is EXACTLY what they were mentioning. Actually, I don't read or watch horror (except vampire and werewolf movies which I LOVE because I wish I were one), but if one were to eliminate all these plot devices from their horror writing... um, not do be dumb, but what's left? I mean, take out the evil clowns that no one can see, the zombies, the houses on haunted hill, serial killers, gremlins, and whatever the Ring was..... and I don't even know what's left in the genre, honestly.
 

Devor

Fiery Keeper of the Hat
Moderator
I love setting at least as much as my characters and probably more than my plots. Even so, I can't imagine 8. How does anyone even think that's a story?

I imagine it's something like a walk through Dante's Inferno, only without Dante there to walk. If it's an intricate enough setting, I could see someone doing it and thinking that's enough. In fact, maybe I'll do it for anihow's challenge.



Someone calls technical support for a magical item

That actually sounds fun.

My wife just reminded me that they did it on Sesame Street. The ukulele made Snuffy invisible, and they had to call in for a missing part.
 
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ThinkerX

Myth Weaver
Close brush with 7C on the fantasy list...but the character was not that 'evil', and redemption was only part of the picture.

15A, though...yep, lots of my older stories fall into this catagory...but then again the world was created as part of a D&D campaign! Since then, though, on the works I've elected to attempt to do something with, I've really downplayed or dramatically altered the gaming elements...I hope.

Parts of the Horror list read like an idictment against Lovecraft. When did he become cliche'?
 

Corvus

Scribe
Person is (metaphorically) at point A, wants to be at point B. Looks at point B, says "I want to be at point B." Walks to point B, encountering no meaningful obstacles or difficulties. The end. (A.k.a. the linear plot.)

What if the person is at point A and does NOT want to "go" to point B but has to anyway? That's basically my plot condensed in to one sentence. It does have other things like a subplot that collides whit the main plot etc.

Still interesting lists. Reading the horror one reminded me why I don't watch horror movies.
 

Leif GS Notae

Closed Account
Person is (metaphorically) at point A, wants to be at point B. Looks at point B, says "I want to be at point B." Walks to point B, encountering no meaningful obstacles or difficulties. The end. (A.k.a. the linear plot.)

What if the person is at point A and does NOT want to "go" to point B but has to anyway? That's basically my plot condensed in to one sentence. It does have other things like a subplot that collides whit the main plot etc.

Still interesting lists. Reading the horror one reminded me why I don't watch horror movies.

That is technically conflict, so it can work out well. Writing the story needs conflict to keep it going, I think you can cover that with "not wanting to go to point B".

As far as the lists go, these are amusing and sad to see people get uninspired to write or read. No wonder there are 17 million manuscripts sent in and only 1% of 1% get accepted every year (ish). If they all write with these plots, there is a bleak future for writers out there... *sigh*

Except everyone here, we all rock and will save the world with our awesome tech support stories!
 
Thankfully, my story doesn't fall into any of these. I was thinking about doing the whole it was all in the protagonists head thing, but I really don't like books like that.
 
I think the d&d players finding themselves in the d&d world could be a hilarious plot. Having been in a rpg group or two, I can imagine how badly that would have gone. :)

As for horror movies lacking original plots...um...when did horror movies require a plot? Honestly, I don't watch zombie movies for a plot, I watch them for the zombies! It base gory entertainment that requires no real thought (other than how stupid it is not to run away when the nasty thing shows up), and you can waste an hour or two enjoying the rarely believable events that happen. Which is probably why I don't read horror.

What I didn't see on the horror list is the teen falls in love with vampire/werewolf/zombie (although that could be more interesting) plot. Maybe that goes under the overdone romance plots?
 
I think the d&d players finding themselves in the d&d world could be a hilarious plot. Having been in a rpg group or two, I can imagine how badly that would have gone. :)

There have been a number of stories with that exact premise, including a novel series called Guardians of the Flame from around 20 years ago that had a D&D (well, it wasn't D&D specifically, it was a Generic Fantasy RPG) group suddenly getting sucked into the fantasy world. And they're actually stuck there permanently; as far as I know they never get home. So they adapt and live out their lives there. I only read the first few books before I lost interest (granted, I was a teenager at the time), so I have no idea how well it holds up.
 
Person is (metaphorically) at point A, wants to be at point B. Looks at point B, says "I want to be at point B." Walks to point B, encountering no meaningful obstacles or difficulties. The end. (A.k.a. the linear plot.)

"People living at point C, being a point directly in between, are often given to wonder what’s so great about point A that so many people from point B are so keen to get there, and what’s so great about point B that so many people from point A are so keen to get there. They often wish that people would just once and for all work out where the hell they wanted to be.

Mr. Prosser wanted to be at point D. Point D wasn’t anywhere in particular, it was just any convenient point a very long way from points A, B and C. He would have a nice little cottage at point D, with axes over the door, and spend a pleasant amount of time at point E, which would be the nearest pub to point D. His wife of course wanted climbing roses, but he wanted axes. He didn’t know why—he just liked axes."
 
A few of these read like old Twilight Zone episodes.

Sadly, a story I posted in the Shocase forum (The Severing) matches up a little with point 9:g. In my defense, however, I wasn't really going for a twist ending.

They don't read like old twilight zone episodes. They are point for point exactly the old twilight episodes.
 

Amanita

Maester
Well, none of these resembles what I'm doing besides the evil doctor who's doing experiments on his patients. I have one of those, but it's only one of various things he's doing and doesn't directly affect the main characters.
The scientists who is testing his or her discoveries on himself or herself can make for an interesting story though and it's not been uncommon in earlier times at all. Unlike with most other things on the list I see no reason not to use it.

This one's rather "funny" though.
b.The author is apparently unaware of the American constitutional amendment prohibiting cruel and unusual punishment, and so postulates that in the future, American punishment will be extra-cruel in some unusual way.
Of course, everyone in the distant, possibly dystopian future will follow the American constitution. :insertevillaughhere (Sorry, had to try out one those new smiley.)
 
Someone must really not like the Twilight Zone.

Not at all, that isn't what I meant. Twilight Zone was far before my time, and tv then was much different than what it is now, so it is hard for me to judge it on its enjoyment value because of the difference of eras, if that makes any sense. That being said, I don't mind the episodes that I've seen. I was just saying that three or four of the twilight zone episodes I have seen are exactly what they have listed.

That might be understood so let me clarify that the statement is not in any way a knock on the twilight zone. I think many of those plots probably originated (or became popular) from that show, and the authors that write sci-fi and submit to this publisher are unknowingly (or knowingly) replicating these plots. To me that doesn't mean the plots are bad, just over used now. I hope some of that made sense.
 
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