Poor Heatless, so sad and lonely with me in my corner and you all alone <33

Honestly, it really depends on the type of story that's being written, but really... I'm getting kind of sick of fantasy stories that sound like D&D campaigns gone wild. Granted, if you're writing traditional fantasy, you would do well to use elves, gnomes, wizards, etc. But do something a little different. Make your wizard discernable from Gandalf, or make sure your elves aren't clones of Elrond or Legolas. Everyone has their own idea of varying races, just look at all of the different interpretations of Tolkien's work. The Hobbit animated film portrayed the Elves as odd little people resembling plants, for instance.

I'm all for classic, traditional fantasy and using the well-established races, I just don't like it when they're empty or typical. I can't stand reading novels or shorts or poetry, and feeling like I've seen exactly the same thing somewhere else.

Yeah, i agree. Make everything your own, and don't be afraid to branch out into something different. But i have to say, it annoys me when people have race that is exactly like an elf, or a goblin etc but they call it something else to be original. If its going to be that similar, just let it be rather than trying to disguise the fact that you used a classic fantasy creature.

There is so much of the whole 'coping Tolkein' thing. We all know he was great and his series made it to the big screen (even though they cropped his books for selling purposes). But originality is originality. Most of what makes it now needs something new to it.

[q]If its going to be that similar, just let it be rather than trying to disguise the fact that you used a classic fantasy creature.[/q]

True. I think your "cliche" (there's a less demeaning word, but I can't think at this time of night) characters do serve a purpose. Or, to phrase it differently: they specifically don't serve a purpose. What do i mean? Well, people know elves, orcs, dwarfs, etc. They understand them, they know what to expect. Now, there's something to be said for pushing boundaries, trying new things, etc. But why create a whole new race of beings, forcing the reader to use time and thinking on getting to know them, when they're pretty much there to be a wise old race that's very in tune with nature?

And this comes from a person who doesn't read much fantasy anymore because I'm tired of reading the same old material again and again!

Oh, umm... how do I quote here? It's been so long! That used to work...

[q]If its going to be that similar, just let it be rather than trying to disguise the fact that you used a classic fantasy creature.[/q]

True. I think your "cliche" (there's a less demeaning word, but I can't think at this time of night) characters do serve a purpose. Or, to phrase it differently: they specifically don't serve a purpose. What do i mean? Well, people know elves, orcs, dwarfs, etc. They understand them, they know what to expect. Now, there's something to be said for pushing boundaries, trying new things, etc. But why create a whole new race of beings, forcing the reader to use time and thinking on getting to know them, when they're pretty much there to be a wise old race that's very in tune with nature?

And this comes from a person who doesn't read much fantasy anymore because I'm tired of reading the same old material again and again!

Oh, umm... how do I quote here? It's been so long! That used to work...

"Canon" characters, that's the one!

Unfortunately they don't use bbc style anymore, so that doesn't work here .

As for that. I see your point, about making a new race. There is a difference between altering a race and making a new race.

Just for the sake of conversation, Alfonts, I personally think that the amount of effort that one puts into one's stories poses a reflection of his/her capabilities. That is obvious, of course.

However, in creating a new race one must be quite a savvy writer in my opinion. Any good book that has created new races (maybe ONE that I have read, all the rest are quite mediocre in their attempts) must be able to make it seem natural for the reader to easily understand, but also in an informative way. Many books that have new races, in each's attempt at being original, each makes each's own novel uninteresting. The reason being because as the aforementioned person said, instead of concentrating on the story, the reader is distracted by the narrator's lecturing about a half-man/half-moose or whatever it may be. This being the case, this reflects the author's talents as a writer.

In my opinion, writing is not something anyone can do; one must have linguistic talent. And through that talent, one must be able to project information in an interesting way.

(I'm not the best writer, myself, but I give good critiques xD.)

~Nimit~

You're a better critic than writer? Tell me about it! (That means: me too, by the way).

I quite agree with most of what you've said. It's tough to truly create a new race, and often writers fall into the pitfalls you've described. However, I'm a big proponent of the KISS principle in life (Keep It Simple, Stupid), which means I don't believe in going the extra mile unless is serves a purpose (specifically, a good purpose), creating a new species because you can isn't really a sufficient reason for me. And, unless this is for some sort of grading purpose, I don't believe doing it to show your skill is worth it either.

But, as I said, if you're talented and have a good reason (basically none of the canon cast fit the bill) go for it! You've got no choice, and heck, you may even create a new canon. After all, I believe elves were always little pixie type things before Tolkein.... Though I wouldn't quote me on that!

You both make good points in, well, the fact that you're... agreeing. Writing is writing.

And Alfonts, pixies? Really now? That's cute X3

What can I say? Six foot and hair legs. I'm a cute kind of guy.

I have no idea what the heck that meant XD.

X3 That made me laugh. Lolz, you're taller than me. Most guys aren't *weird face at that*

Oh, I get it.

I'm... 5'10''? Any help at that? ...

...

...

... fine.

Okay, nevermind, we're off topic. A tangent, if thou willest.

To get back on track, let's say I pose a question!

What are some of the most non-original books out there? Easy enough, right? Well, I'm not done yet. After answering the question, try to say how you would have changed the situation to fulfill that non-originality into something "fresh." (god, I sound like my English teacher... creepy.)

Yeah, sorry.

"Most non-original", eh? Id don't know actually, I tend not to read things that I feel are too unoriginal... I went through a phase of reading a hundred stories about "a group of unlikely heroes setting forth on a quest to save the world from unspeakable evil and return blance". But it's been a while, I struggle to remember specifics...

Isn't it funny though that a group of unlikely heroes has become the most likely? After all, when was the last time you read a story about a bunch of people who were pretty much born and bred to be heroes saving the day?

0.0;; Wow. Not often. I recall a few books like that, where they were bred to be heroes and blah blah. Just a good one of those doesn't pop up very often. ^^;;

Gotta give the world props for making pretty much everything a cliche.

Evil Minion Number 2:

I love taking an original idea, and turning it upside down. As for races and what not, I think very few people cna have truely original races anymore. They are either...

Animal-people hybirds

Plant-people hybirds

Elemental-people hybirds

Or Something that isn't really a character as much as a monster anymore.

For my older story, I made a race of four-armed humanoids who essentially had two consciousnousses (or however you spell that) that shared all the information pondered/gathered; for an example, they could both concentrate on a fight and think about what to cook for dinner at the same time. I haven't encountered anything like it anywhere else.

And it really depends on what you call a monster; this race lived similar to how humans do, except for obvious changes that would have to take place for their different physiology.

To answer Nimit Dave:

Probably Eragon. He did have some good original content (I actually used his magic system in the afrementioned story), but much was cliched/deathly similar to other stories.

For an example, Star Wars: Eragon = Luke, both farmboys, both live with uncle, and egg = C3PO and R2; Brom = Obi Wan, both die to protect pupil after teaching in the ways of the force/magic;

SPOILER IF YOU HAVEN'T READ ELDEST:

Murtagh = Leiah, sibling to farmboy seperated at birth; Vader = (forgot the name of Eragon's real father), both betrayed the just and upright knights and fathered two children; lightsaber = Eragon's sword (forgot that name too), both received from their father

Etc, etc, etc. Sure, the book was good before I realised all these things, and it might still be entertaining, but I can't say it's all original.

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