I'm just an unusual guy trying to find his way in the world. One of my goals in life is to one day release a successful series and become a published and renowned author. I enjoy reading stories that are different and that set themselves apart from the rest.

The Dos and Don'ts of Writing

When it comes to writing, there are many things that writers do that I personally see as mistakes and in some cases story killers. I've seen some of these trends, tropes, and clichés in more than just fanfiction. I've seen them in books, movies, video games, etc. Here are just some tips and things to avoid when writing a story.

1.) Avoid Prophecy

Personally, I hate seeing prophecies inserted into stories because to me they're a cop-out. It's a way for the author to avoid giving the character(s) actual agency. Agency is basically what a character wants. It is what drives them to move forward. Prophecies create a situation where the character(s) reacts to a situation rather than choosing to do something. It forces them into different roles and their actions are dictated by the prophecy. Everything the characters do usually ends up revolving entirely around the prophecy. It's the difference between having to do something and wanting to do something.

In regards to agency, some people have made the argument that Ichigo Kurosaki from Bleach is a flat and boring character. A flat character is one that is one-dimensional and/or uninteresting whereas a round character is interesting. The question here is "What would Ichigo be doing if Hollows weren't attacking or the Soul Reapers never appeared or the Quincy never attacked?" A lot of these situations Ichigo was either forced into or dove into to protect/save his friends and family. "Would he have trained and fought these different groups if none of his friends, family, or even Karakura Town were in danger?"

A character can still be interesting if they're forced into doing something, but them having their own agency and showing what they want outside of or separate from these types of situations can give a better look into and greater depth to a character that the reader might not have gotten otherwise.

The other big problem with prophecies is that no one ever questions them. I've seen some people tear apart prophecies in some fanfics, but they're few and far between. Too often do the characters just blindly follow them without question, despite how vague and open to interpretation/debunking they are. I'd love to see a character in a book or movie hear of a prophecy and basically just rip it to shreds and explain how stupid it is or even manipulate events to make someone else have to deal with the prophecy instead of themselves.

2.) Your characters should overcome challenges and build themselves up through their own efforts.

Going hand in hand with prophecy, there are nonsense power-ups in way too many stories, oftentimes in Shonen manga, but they can be found elsewhere.

I'll update this more later.