Plot Bunnies

[Naruzeldamaster]

I had a plot bunny for Dragon Quest series where the world was always ruled by the dark lord and the next Luminary (hero) was the dark Lord's son.
The only tell of this (for like 95% of people) is that he has pointy ears and it would be purposefully kept a secret from the reader until enough simi obvious hints had been dropped. Usually when the games I play do this kind of thing, they make it super obvious right away.

 

[Fyri]

The only tell of this (for like 95% of people) is that he has pointy ears and it would be purposefully kept a secret from the reader until enough simi obvious hints had been dropped.

I'm just seeing Spock hiding his ears under a hat in so many of the Star Trek Original series episodes. XD

 

[Naruzeldamaster]

I'm just seeing Spock hiding his ears under a hat in so many of the Star Trek Original series episodes. XD

Nah protag just thinks it's normal and thinks everyone else is weird for having rounded ears lol
Also he's a bit of a goofy goober, a bit like Link has been in more recent Zelda games.

 

[Fyri]

I know someone that has pointed ears, so it could absolutely pass as normal. Humans have many variations.

What could also be fun is to have them hang out with someone that also has pointed ears and theirs is just a mutation or something.

 

[Naruzeldamaster]

I know someone that has pointed ears, so it could absolutely pass as normal. Humans have many variations.

What could also be fun is to have them hang out with someone that also has pointed ears and theirs is just a mutation or something.

I had a few characters planned like that, notably a witch lady who was originally the advisor of the dark lord (when he was still human) who has now become a half monster (I haven't decided which yet, likely some kind of Fae) she's one of the first few characters to surmise that protag is the Dark Lord's son. After taking a few lumps (in battle) she decides to team up with him as one of the first party members. She's going to be fun to write if I ever get around to it.

I would argue that there's another species of Plot Bunnies that are much more annoying.
They're bigger, meaner, and don't tend to leave you alone. How the idea comes to you is a mystery (unlike plot bunnies)
I call them Plot Jackalopes.

 

[Fyri]

I would argue that there's another species of Plot Bunnies that are much more annoying.
They're bigger, meaner, and don't tend to leave you alone. How the idea comes to you is a mystery (unlike plot bunnies)
I call them Plot Jackalopes.

Oh? Do provide examples~

 

[Naruzeldamaster]

Oh? Do provide examples~

For me it's easy to tell a plot bunny because I'm the one that 'comes up' with it (Usually)
Plot Jackalopes tend to come out of nowhere (and often at like 1:AM or something, or in the shower etc) and are so 'left field' compared to what you're used to writing you go 'wait wat?' when you actually think about it. Jackalopes suck because unlike Plot Bunnies who just sit in a corner, they keep playing scenes on repeat until you 'deal' with them. (either writing them or actually killing the thing)

 

[Prince of Spires]

I've got a whole list of plot bunnies. They're fun to keep around. And some of them find a way to latch onto my brain and become full-blown stories. Just a few:

- The main characters are hired/coerced by some wizards into helping them win an important election
- The muses are a beleaguered lot, if you think about it. Wantonly summoned and dismissed => what if some muses get pissed off at this?
- Werewolf: shape-shifting is at will (or some other user driven way), but it's addictive and each time it becomes harder to shift back.
- A person is cursed to attract nearby monsters. He goes off to search for a cure.
- Kill the main badguy in every chapter.
- What if in the past, an AI invented humans to do all the boring, simple tasks for it, and we're now inventing AI again to do the same for us?

I could go on and on... They're fun, and each of them has a story hidden in them somewhere. I just don't write fast enough to write them all. But they keep me company when I've got nothing better to do

 

[Fyri]

I've got a whole list of plot bunnies. They're fun to keep around. And some of them find a way to latch onto my brain and become full-blown stories. Just a few:

- The main characters are hired/coerced by some wizards into helping them win an important election
- The muses are a beleaguered lot, if you think about it. Wantonly summoned and dismissed => what if some muses get pissed off at this?
- Werewolf: shape-shifting is at will (or some other user driven way), but it's addictive and each time it becomes harder to shift back.
- A person is cursed to attract nearby monsters. He goes off to search for a cure.
- Kill the main badguy in every chapter.
- What if in the past, an AI invented humans to do all the boring, simple tasks for it, and we're now inventing AI again to do the same for us?

I could go on and on... They're fun, and each of them has a story hidden in them somewhere. I just don't write fast enough to write them all. But they keep me company when I've got nothing better to do

yesss! Like these!

The werewolf one reminds me of Howl's Moving Castle, actually. And some other show I watched that reminded me of Howl's Moving Castle. XD

Kill the main bad guy in every chapter sounds like so much fun. Someone please write this! XD

 

[Fyri]

For me it's easy to tell a plot bunny because I'm the one that 'comes up' with it (Usually)
Plot Jackalopes tend to come out of nowhere (and often at like 1:AM or something, or in the shower etc) and are so 'left field' compared to what you're used to writing you go 'wait wat?' when you actually think about it. Jackalopes suck because unlike Plot Bunnies who just sit in a corner, they keep playing scenes on repeat until you 'deal' with them. (either writing them or actually killing the thing)

Ah, see, what I mean with my plot bunnies are just things I will probably never write (because I am hyper focused on my main series and cannot keep shoving knew ideas into it. *slaps back of my hand for discipline*) Just like, extra ideas where I'm like, "Oh, that's cool. Someone should write that." XD And then I write the idea down somewhere in a notebook I will never find again and the idea gets lost to the gremlins. XD