'The MC and companions discover the existence of this side quest through passing comments, often in bars or in the rare non-demolished village.' - So, so true.

'the reader should encounter many words s/he is not familiar with. This principle is also used in science fiction (activate the antigrav hovbots, now!) where it serves the same purpose: to show the reader just how amazing and alien this new world is.' - I was wondering if you had ever read anyhting of Trudi Canavan's. She's often asked the same question- 'Why not call a sheep a sheep? Why call it a grothbotolynai?' To which she replies, ''Why not call it a llama? Just because a creature fills the same ecological niche of a sheep does not mean it's a sheep.' If you're reading a fantasy story and the MC eats an apple, it is instantly not a fantasy world. It is the past, with added dragons and magic. Therefore, it can be better to have your character eat a mowb, a red-skinned fruit that can taste sweet or sour and is normally crunchy.

Also, this structure VERY MMUCh reminds me of Eragon - coincidence?

I love this. Thank you so much for this. Really helpful! :D

Another great chapter and wish there was more.

~Marie Silver~

Oh yes, one thing I forgot to mention in my first comment:
The thing goes by many names; the muse, intuition, the subconscious, inspiration, and others. Regardless, it is a strange thing, and very hard to predict. I seriously do not think that Eragon was supposed to imitate Star Wars, but, the muse being the unpredictable thing it is, he could easily have beed doing it subconsciously.
There is also the old adage "there are no new stories, only new ways of telling them." Bear this in mind, and I still hope I haven't ruined anyone's enjoyment of Eragon.

I'm not sure how many people know this, but the original Star Wars trilogy (episodes 4-6 in the current system) was also an epic fantasy.
A comparison of Eragon and Star Wars:
There is a powerful evil emperor who is strong in something closely resembling magic (Galbatorix and Palpatine; remember that lightning-looking thing the Emperor used on Luke in Return of the Jedi?).
The evil emperor has a right-hand man who is a close relative of the main character (Murtagh, Eragon's half-brother; and Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker, Luke's father).
The main character never meets his birth parents (okay, Luke met Vader "I am your father" right near the end of Empire), instead growing up with an uncle and aunt (Garrow, who is mentioned to have had a wife that died before chapter 1; and Owen and Beru).
The evil emperor has troopers that destroy the main character's home and kill most or all the people close to him (the Ra'Zac and the Stormtroopers).
The love interest is rescued from the direct custody of the emperor's right-hand man (Durza at that point of Eragon, or Vader throughout Star Wars).
Love interest has a monkey wrench thrown in (Arya is more than six times Eragon's age; Leia is Luke's sister).
The old mentor dies fairly soon after the mentor-replacement is introduced and the love interest is rescued (Obi-Wan was killed by Vader and replaced by Han Solo; Brom was killed by the Ra'Zac and replaced by Murtagh).
The protagonist goes to the hut-type thing of a very, very old master of the first mentor's craft (Oromis and Yoda) after being told to in a thoroughly fantastical way (whatever it was that Oromis did, and Obi-wan's ghost) while mostly delirious (Eragon had just been cut open by Durza; Luke was near freezing on Hoth).
The very old master teaches what he can, and then dies (Oromis is killed by Murtagh; I still do not understand what happened to Yoda).
There are other pieces I get too busy to mention, and most of the main essay applies to both.
All of that said, I like Eragon and count myself something of a fan. If I have spoiled anyone's enjoyment of Eragon, I sincerely apologize and would also point out that the elements are very non-obvious unless actively looked for. I also apologize for my own length, if such is called for.

Nice. I continue to get a tremendous laugh out of your sarcasm and blatant honesty. The opening was priceless, and I wonder how many readers are wincing as they recognize these selfsame flaws in their own works...

'Prolog' should be Prologue

i blame joseph campbell... >_>

As so many others have mentioned, it's like you typed the outline of Eragon.

ahaha :) very funny.

I think I've read this before on Anti-Shurturgal but anyway I enjoyed it and I'm not sure how some of your other reviewers missed the sarcasm. I hope there will be more to this.

~Marie Silver~
(Known as misswriter on AS)

omg! this totally DID remind me of Eragon.
it was great!

lol i was chuckling to myself through most of this, especially having read earagon and thought at the time how it was just a mash of better fantasy writers. i do hope no one takes you seriously though, that would be unfortunate ;)

For all that is holy, and hell, unholy- please don't use this as a way to write. This is a horrible way to write and just cliches a plot further. Do not use railroad plots.

Note- Eragon? You consider Eragon to be good, and since this is basically an outline of it you consider it GOOD?

Wow.