Hiya! I'm back!

Sorry for the absence. As you all know, summer is rapidly fading, and reality has recently slapped me hard across the face, causing a nasty bit of hypothetical bruising.

Now, I've decided that it can't be pushed back any longer. I'm going to jump on this rearing bull and hold on to the horns, because I might get trampled by what I'm about to talk about.


Originality!

PART ONE

[the dreaded and over-used Chaos stories that everyone seems to need to have]

Now, I've been on fanfiction for over a year, and I may have missed something. I never got the memo saying that the first story I'd write would be a Chaos story. Apparently it's required when joining fanfiction.

Wait.

Hold on.

Shut the front door.

It's not required.

Actually, it should be killed with a huge amount of fire and gasoline because poor PJO fanfiction is positively drowning in it.

Drowning.

In.

It.


Storyline

I want to first give a standing ovation with screaming crowds and confetti blasts to the person who originally came up with the story. You deserve a medal! Good on ya! But now, it's spiraled completely out of control. And for that, I'm incredibly sorry. I'm sure you didn't see this comin', now did you?

My first question is why is it always the same? Is there some Chaos fanfiction guide out there saying that Percy has to be betrayed by Annabeth, and obviously caught kissing his long-lost, finally-found brother that really sucks at everything? Or is awesome at everything?

Do Thalia and Nico have to be killed and resurrected?

And then Annabeth enters into depression, is granted immortality, and pretty much feels sucky for the rest of her miserable excuse for a life?

And then Percy comes storming in with a new appearance, awesome clothes, and galactic powers that no demigod could have, throwing Annabeth's life into chaos...

Chaos.

See what I did there?

People, RUN AWAY FROM THIS PLOT. Run like the Minotaur is hot on your heels, because this plot will eat you alive with haters and flames.

It's the same thing over

And over

and over

over

over

over...

No, this story line is over. No more. Get rid of it. Expel it from your mind now. Use Occlumency against it, because it wants to be used!

For some reason, when thinking about this story line, it reminds me of Jabba the Hutt. It's fat, spoiled and disgusting. It's holding you on a chain as prisoner like Leia in a skanky outfit when you use this story line. Take your slave chains and strangle this monster, because it deserves to die a slow, painful death. I don't think the creator of this story thought it would turn into the obese alien that it now is, and I feel terribly sorry for them.

Please. Just stay away from this:

A mistake. A terrible mistake.

He showed up to camp one day, disheveled and bleeding. I was the one who found him staggering to the top of the hill, and I took him immediately to Chiron so he could be healed. His green eyes looked incredibly familiar, and he smiled feebly at me.

"I'm Jesse," he said, giving me a bloody smile.

"Annabeth," I said. "Don't worry. You'll get fixed."

But a light suddenly blazed above him. I stared, open-mouthed, at the revolving trident above his head.

"No...it's not possible," I gasped. "You...you're..."

"A son of Poseidon, yeah," he said nonchalantly.

Other campers suddenly appeared and took him away from me and carried him the rest of the way to the Big House. I couldn't stop staring.

That was the mistake.

I couldn't stop staring. And soon it turned to something more. We would meet during the night, hiding on the beach or by the lake. Percy never knew. I didn't want him to. The news would have killed him.

And that's exactly what happened.

He had stumbled across us kissing on the beach, holding a handful of flowers that he was going to give to me. He took one look at us, and then vanished. I never saw him again. He might as well be dead.

Years passed, which turned into centuries. I was rewarded with immortality for my services to Olympus. But Jesse had changed as well. A once amazing boy turned into an abusive boyfriend.

It was all a mistake.

A terrible mistake.

But then, it all changed.

It happened during lunch one day. What looked like a black hole appeared over the fire, and four teenagers stepped out, wearing black leather and sunglasses. They all had black hair and fair skin.

And then I knew.

He had returned.

It was him.

It was—

OH-kay. I'm done. My rant is over. Sorry about that. [I feel like I just wrote an equivalent to Twilight]

If you want your stories to be as realistic as possible, just think about this. Do you really think that Annabeth would ditch Percy for another random son of Poseidon that shows up on the Camp's doorstep?

No.

She wouldn't. She and Percy have been through way too much to throw all of what they have away. They've been through hell together.

Literally.

Keep this kids in character! Nearly every Chaos story that I've read stars a Bella-esque Annabeth, moaning and whining about how much she missed Percy and how miserable she was. Annabeth is tough! She didn't pull a Bella when Percy went missing. She actually went out and looked for him! Don't you think Annabeth would do the same in this however nearly impossible situation this is? Please refer back to my first chapter on Characterization, please.

And also, don't make empty promises. I've seen way too many This one's different, I promise! Is it? Is it really? If it's different, make it different! Please! Prove us all wrong that Chaos stories don't have to be all the same! If you do that, I'll give you a thousand drachmas.


Too Repetitive

The characters are all the same, and it's so boring. Percy get's betrayed (check that off the list), Annabeth has crappy new boyfriend (got it), Thalia and Nico are killed (whoopee), and random Chaos kids visit Camp, where everyone is immortal (alrighty then).

And it doesn't seem like there's any action in the story either. I could just be missing it, [because I stop reading the story in a rage-quit] but what exactly is the reason why the Kaos Krew show up at Camp? Because I'm pretty sure they're not there to show off their own powers and make everyone else jealous.

Don't jump on the bandwagon with any story. Make it your own! Do the Moffat-like plot twists that everyone hates and secretly loves! [like Sherlock. Are you kidding me with that one?!] Come up with a killer battle that'll keep everyone on the edge of their seats. You want to come up with a story that will keep readers interested. Write one that leaves them dying for the next update. That's how you'll get a successful story.


Your Original Story

"So LBC," you ask, "how on earth do I come up with my original story?!"

I'm glad you asked, hypothetical reader! It's one word.

Inspiration.

Now, this is going to be tricky for me to explain.

Everyone gets inspiration. It just hits them in different ways. I get hit by ideas whenever I'm about to fall asleep, taking a shower, or distantly thinking about the subject. You know what I mean, right? Like, it just sneaks into my brain and then suddenly I'm running to my computer to make sure I get it all down.

Now, the ideas that you get might be...well, crappy. I've thought of things at 1:00 in the morning, and when I look back at them, I might as well have been high. But you've got to keep trying. Find the way that keeps you in tune with your idea-maker in that noggin of yours, because I can pretty much guarantee that everyone has one.

"I can't think of anything!" you moan.

Writer's block hits everyone, and it's the worst thing ever. And, I'm not the best person to turn to to conquer it. Google ways to blast it aside, meditate, do yoga, take a walk, whatever. It all depends on how you get that 'ole inspiration.

If all else fails, turn to the books and myths. Want to write about something? Take a new angle at it! My first story that I published on this site was what Annabeth did while Percy was gone, because you never learn about it. Think of what might happen after the whole Prophecy mess. Find things that haven't been discussed in the books and write about those!

OR, hit the myths. The Greeks have a gazillion myths that you could write about with your own Percabeth spin or Thalico or whatever.

It all depends on you.

I know that isn't the best advice, but it's true.


Sorry if this wasn't as helpful as other chapters [which goes without saying...were those other chapters helpful?] Telling someone to get an original idea is hard, because it isn't something that you can spoon-fed.

Be that as it may, practice makes perfect! Continuously writing will help you get better! So keep those gears in your brain a-turning and I hope to see you all soon!


P to the S: A note to my wonderful reviewers! Some of you have left me some reviews asking me to go over your stories or characters. I love to look at what you've come up with, but some of you have left them as guests, or users that I can't reply to. If you want me to look over your story or OC, leave me a PM so I can reply to you. (Seth Halo, I'm talking to you) Thank you all for the wonderful responses, and I am a-o-kay with looking over what you've written if you'd like.