Opinion Rant - Repetitive Plots in Stories

[MegaGoatBabe]

I love to freaking read. However I am a poor College kid and books get expensive, besides I also like giving amateur writers a chance - so, I use Wattpad to read most of the time I even write on there.

But I have got to say. I am sick of the same story over and over again. I love historical fiction romances but every single one is

Girl gets kidnapped/traded
Is to become King/Prince/Jarls Wife/bed slave
She eventually falls in love with him regardless of the awful things he did
But alas there is concubine who is in love with him and tries to ruin their chances together!
Oh no a plot to kill the girl arises!
And they fall in love happily ever after.

It is the same story line with every Werewolf book too.

Don't get me wrong, I love the "they hate each other at first but then fall in love" stories. I just want something new. And it is also frustrating that these stories with the same plot, are often poorly written and fleshed out. It just hurts to see those stories with tens of thousands of reads, while mine has 36.

Anywaaaay rant done!

 

[Hall Kervean]

I'd probably recommend checking other websites out too.

 

[Strawberry]

GIRL, I FEEL YOU!

I see that in vampire stories, modern fantasies, and practically any other supernatural story.

I think they're so popular because it's a cliche that people want to read. I get drawn in with the hopes it'll be different this time, but nope, that same formula finds its way there.

Though, I have to admit, I'd love to read one that initially follows that formula but strays from it. Let the girl be super spunky and hate every living moment being in wherever she was forced to live in. Let her fall in love with the lone servant that showed her kindness. Heck, let the concubine who's trying to get in-between kidnapped girl and king/prince be the love interest of the kidnapped girl! "I'm not trying to sabotage you! You're the one I like!"

I don't know, I do read those repetitive plots that I hate so much, but after I while, I just skim them in hopes I'll see something that'll make me stop and be all "Well that's different, let me actually read this."

There was one I was initially interested in. The girl was mute so adding how she had to use sign language and gestures was an interesting touch before the prince appeared more often. Then the typical plot formula started getting to me and I had to take a break from it.

I'm just glad to know I'm not alone with hating the same plot in every popular story I come across!

 

[CastoffCaptain]

Granted, even Shakespeare stole most of his plots from other people.

 

[DatBoi]

I feel like most things are falling into a stereotype nowadays. It’s just so easy. As someone who is writing a book and trying desperately to avoid cliches, I can tell you that sometimes it happens without you even noticing it.

 

[Idea]

I think DatBoi was a bit onto something there when he mention most things falling into stereotypes. To be honest, I would argue everything that can be done in terms of large structure HAS been done. The only ideas that haven't, from a macro standpoint, been developed at all are those of technology arising today which couldn't have been conceived before and even that is arguable. If stories have repetitive plots it's because there are only so many types of plots that CAN be made, and we humans have this tendency to find patterns.

Which is not to say originality is dead. Simply, you're not gonna find macro originality. If you look at it from a story structure perspective, yes things will always be repetitive. So the innovation will always be found in the details and in the deeper exploration of something which was already explored but taken at a new light.

That said, it's true most aren't chasing for that. Mostly it's the result of the "if it worked it will work again" mentality which forgets the basic economic principle of decreasing utility

 

[rae2nerdy]

I would say maybe varying your sites as well would help. I'm sure there are blogs out there dedicated to new up and coming historical romance authors that you can support. I know for a fact sci-fi and fantasy have them so I would think historical romance would as well.

Also try to mix up your genres a bit. At a certain point you do get a little repetitive if you only read one specific genre. There are simply only so many ways to tell the same basic story.

Try branching out to maybe historical mystery, historical fantasy, or contemporary romance.

Also if your on Wattpad see what else your favorite authors are writing. ( I don't know if they have a follow function on that website but if possible see what the authors themselves are trying to promote )

You can also look at websites that do self-published works. I can't think of any of the top of my head but there are places where people can post e-books of their works for low-cost or free. Amazon has a few as well.

Book blogs might be another thing that can help you with that. Your library might have something similar : books by local authors or something.

 

[Suum]

This is rather rife in just about every media genre and topic. It doesn't help that we continually try to niche genres into such specific concepts that it ultimately becomes different to even tell them apart.

 

[Silver Wolf]

Hm? Well? I see the issue, how about this. We have an infinite amount of options so I'll present a few.

A. Stop using plots so prone to cliches (Fucking Twilight ruins everything.)

B. Spice it up and make it yourself

C. Get rid of the king entirely

D. Suicide Bomb the bad people who thought that repetition was a good idea

E. (my favorite) Focus on the good stories.


I watch more Anime, but I know where this comes from. You have the created to make money things like Isekai Wa Smartphone and Fairytail. Shows/works with little soul or value half the time or overstay their welcome. So...I won't talk about them. I'll talk about how Chivalry of a Failed Knight was a great show to deviate from the normal formula or switch it up.

Regarding Werewolf and Vampire plots, I never do them because I know that the cliches exist too strongly. If I make a vampire/WW character I make them a fully fleshed out character and eliminate some variables like the male being a king, get rid of the dumb love rival, or make the male not a terrible piece of shit. Switch some variables up too, when did we see a male concubine? That would be fun to see. Let the female be lord and the male be the bottom bitch.

If you are conforming to cliches already, by looking for a cliche story then complaining about it, don't do it. Hate each other, but grow to love isn't a bad plot idea and cliches aren't always terrible. It depends on how you use them or spice them up.

Before you look to use a story idea, make it unique and your own. Find ways to screw with the formula you have. For me I have a few ideas from certain genres:

What if the Dark Lord is actually a benevolent person trying to make the world better his own way?

What if the aliens attacked earth because the humans were being assholes?

What if the good intentions of making a peaceful world backfired?

The point of making a good story is not in the answer, but the question. To help me explain this I'll get one of my favorite clips.



Why is this brilliant? The computer basically said what every teacher has been trying to get you to ask since the beginning, especially in math. You can't solve 2-1=1 without knowing what minus means. Sure, you can get the answer, but you won't understand it's significance unless you understand WHY 2 turns into 1. WHY and HOW are the two questions we've been needing to ask.

What people seem to want is WHAT, not WHY or HOW, but WHAT as if they think the answer yields everything. The answer is only part...so...ask why and how so that you can make a fascinating plot for an RP.

 

[Corrosion]

I wrote stories on Wattpad for a while, and let me tell you, it pisses me off to see the same Bad Boy/Mary Sue Nice Girl and werewolf stories that get so many views. I'm talking millions.

I mean, seriously, look at all these.

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It's also safe for me to say that 90% of Wattpad is made up of teenage/young adult girls.

 

[Midnightchan123]

I found a website! Books Online Free - Novels Online - Novel12 I suggest E.E. Knight if you want something with dragons, Katie MacAlister for vampires (they dont have all of her books on here yet) of course, almost all of the discworld novels, the sookie stackhouse books, atleast the first 10 are good (trueblood is based on these books and they blow trueblood out of the water) and if you can find it, the trouble with magic by madeline alt is really great!