forum Top overused fantasy cliches?

Started February 01, 2018 by Tetra Wayne

tune

I agree completely! I've just kind of gotten sick of straight fiction. Also, there is a lot more bad YA straight fiction than there is bad YA gay fiction, possibly because it's harder to get a gay book published so they have to be really good. So I end up rereading the same books over and over again (like Carry On by Rainbow Rowell).

Honestly, everything just needs better representation…

yeah. Not enough books with gay characters, POC characters, mentally ill characters… It's annoying!

And well written non-mary sue/gary stu characters…

Yesssssss

And just like, more writers who know what's realistic. Sometimes it's like, 'I know this is fantasy and all, but really?'

Yeah. I know what you mean. Like, one character can't have a huge amount of power without consequences.

Or some physical stunt.

yeessssssss. like no

Watching things like that with my dad and he'll be like, 'They wouldn't be walking away from that' or 'that fall would've killed them' or 'They'd be dead from the blood loss by now'

I personally don't really mind if there are a lot of stereotypical fantasy races (Fairies, elves, orcs, demons, mermaids, etc.), but I absolutely hate when they have the stereotypical characteristics without any reason (ie: noble elves, cute and kind fairies, dumb and always angry orcs…)

• I hate love triangles and the ones where the main female has to be in love with the main male. In my story, the main female is asexual and she and the main males are just really good friend
• The stereotypical fantasy races are also quite annoying. I think it's fine to use these but, like, make them unique, instead of like my elves are just like the 18,000 other writer's
• The lead femme has to hate feminine things, like sewing. We want strong feminine females not just, oh, they're female
• Damsel in distress. Thought we'd see at least one reverse by now
• Gay people written more realistically

In response to the 'CHOSEN ONE' trope, the easiest way to fix this is to make your main character a side character. You can write your story the same way everyone does and have the main character be the one that saves the world through the power of luck and prophecy, or you make your main character the best friend, or the love interest, or the sibling.

If you write the story this way, not only does it kill the cliche, but it also opens up more options. The chosen one can get killed off, because they aren't the main character. The best friend can be jealous and turn into the villain, and you can easily write from the opposing side. The love interest can become fed up with having to be protected all the time and try to learn to protect themselves, in turn making them stronger than the chosen one, because they actually had to work hard to get better.

I totally agree with PenelopeL the best way to really spice up a fantasy book is to have a lot more representation of minorities.

Thanks! I'm sure I can't be the only one who reads a good, well-written book, and loves it, but at the same time: what if you made one of the side characters gay? Would it hurt the plot? There are queer readers out there! (This is a problem for me with realistic fiction also; just one [or two] minor characters! Please!)

I have one main-ish character that's gay and my main character is hinted as asexual.
And, yes, it is fantasy

THANK YOU

I wholehearted agree with you about the queer characters who definitely characters like that in I think every genre except for realistic, not saying it's so much better in realistic. It sort of annoys me and, like, if you don't like it, just don't read it

Yeah! And there are so many more straight books anyway. Shouldn't books have people of all races, genders, and sexualities? Sadly, publishing companies aren't as eager if they think it won't sell, and No oNe rEAdS gAy boOks, RIghT guYS?

I would give my soul do a lot of things for a good gay book. Like, if you don't like it, don't read it. Homophobes are way below what a human should be in intelligence anyway

Sadly, publishing companies aren't as eager if they think it won't sell, and No oNe rEAdS gAy boOks, RIghT guYS?

Probably a lot of publishing houses do this, but isn't true for all of them. I have come across a few in my hunt for publication that mention in their submission guidelines that they're on the lookout for books from a minority or LGBTQI+ perspective.

When people overuse magic. like some magic is cool but when everything revolves around magic and good and evil the story starts to become like every other magic story.

Yeah magic overuse is also quite annoying, because there are like, just so many books like that you sometimes jyst don't want to read it

Most of the tropes in JelloApocalypse's Fire Emblem video:

The king who is super evil but OH NO, he's actually possessed by the DEMON DRAGON EMPEROR KING POPE THING!
The "I may LOOK like a prepubescent child, but I'm actually a 2,000-year-old (magical race), so we can totally have a relationship that will get you thrown in prison in the real world!
The eleventh-hour old man character that is either overpowered or has no real purpose.
The psychopath that is only there to steal, pillage, loot, and kill everyone in his way (and they get away with it!)
"Oh man! I can't believe that my childhood friend has the sword that only the DRAGON WARRIOR can use!"
"Nah, it's only because of the strength I share with my friends!"
The penultimate final boss that you think is actually cool, but they have to die in a dramatic fashion to further the plot (usually with the last words being "…maybe we could have been friends… in another life" dies)
So you like shipping? How about with the old man? He's the only gay option! Pet his face to increase his affinity!
Literally every mook looking like a rock monster, teaching that "killing is okay as long as it's gross people."