Review Detail of savetheprincess in Otherworldly
Review detail
(this review is based on ch. 15, but since that's all for now, i decided to share my thoughts about the world, the characters and the writing style in general.) While the premise and even the world itself so far are pretty generic, with the only exception being the MC's occupation as a nurse / field medic type of thing, it is implemented beautifully through superb writing and very human character designs. Or worded differently : it manages to avoid nearly all the pitfalls most novels of this genre are usually falling into. The main character isn't a horny teenager that somehow manages to get really strong right from the get go, he's not dark and brooding, not looking for revenge. Neither he nor the people around him are one-dimensional, everyone has different sides to them, and most importantly, everyone tries to understand each other in a very relatable, and very realistic kind of way. Therefore i am really looking forward to more chapters, hoping to have found a nice, human and relatable story set in another world, instead of the usual clichés everyone in this genre has come to expect.
Otherworldly
MC_Dakki
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I don't think clichés itself are making those novels more popular, but there is something in those clichés that some people want to see. One of those things is a strong main character, for example. Fantasy in general can be used for a variety of things, it is one of the most flexible genres, so to speak. While Lord of the Rings can throw the reader into a world full of fear and hardships to overcome it, there is also no other genre so frequently used for escape and power fantasies. Which leads us to the point of strong main characters, who are there to deal with those worlds full of fear. The point of power fantasies tho, isn't to feel the same amount of fear everyone in middle earth is experiencing, right ? That's why most of the big novels have ridiculously overpowered main characters, which in turn, decreases the general ******* by a lot. Up to a point where i sometimes can't find any, i might add. Like everything else in life, its a question of balance. Your main character isn't supposed to let all obvious opportunities pass him by and basically forfeit the land to the evil demon lord, but as i said, making it all too easy for him kills any kind of *******. And the amount of fear and ******* people want to see varies, of course. Still what the novels at the top are doing seems to work, measured by views and imaginary stones we use to show our appreciation for novels here, right ? Does that mean you should try to do something similar, catering to the bigger audience, so to speak ? Not an easy question, and i don't think you can draw a line anywhere as to where to optimal balance between catering to an audience and realizing your own creative vision is. As a rule of thumb tho, i would always rather follow your own agenda, since it is simply more reliable and more easy to draw conclusions from. Which means, if you're still trying to learn the trade, stick to your own stuff. You don't need to write the next big hit right away. Do it to improve your craft, that's better for the long run. hope my lengthy reply didn't scare you. It's just that i have rather strong opinions about power fantasies and clichés in novels, since i have had more than my share of them. (Hope my lengthy reply didn't scare you.) probably should have cut some stuff out, but oh well.
MC_Dakki:Thank you for the review! That was very well-said. I do take great efforts to avoid clichés and pitfalls, but I think they boost popularity as well (if we base it off the most popular novels on this site).
... why is are words like ten_sion being censored ? O_O also, i can't seem edit my comment, so sorry for writing two times that my reply is too long.
savetheprincess:I don't think clichés itself are making those novels more popular, but there is something in those clichés that some people want to see. One of those things is a strong main character, for example. Fantasy in general can be used for a variety of things, it is one of the most flexible genres, so to speak. While Lord of the Rings can throw the reader into a world full of fear and hardships to overcome it, there is also no other genre so frequently used for escape and power fantasies. Which leads us to the point of strong main characters, who are there to deal with those worlds full of fear. The point of power fantasies tho, isn't to feel the same amount of fear everyone in middle earth is experiencing, right ? That's why most of the big novels have ridiculously overpowered main characters, which in turn, decreases the general ******* by a lot. Up to a point where i sometimes can't find any, i might add. Like everything else in life, its a question of balance. Your main character isn't supposed to let all obvious opportunities pass him by and basically forfeit the land to the evil demon lord, but as i said, making it all too easy for him kills any kind of *******. And the amount of fear and ******* people want to see varies, of course. Still what the novels at the top are doing seems to work, measured by views and imaginary stones we use to show our appreciation for novels here, right ? Does that mean you should try to do something similar, catering to the bigger audience, so to speak ? Not an easy question, and i don't think you can draw a line anywhere as to where to optimal balance between catering to an audience and realizing your own creative vision is. As a rule of thumb tho, i would always rather follow your own agenda, since it is simply more reliable and more easy to draw conclusions from. Which means, if you're still trying to learn the trade, stick to your own stuff. You don't need to write the next big hit right away. Do it to improve your craft, that's better for the long run. hope my lengthy reply didn't scare you. It's just that i have rather strong opinions about power fantasies and clichés in novels, since i have had more than my share of them. (Hope my lengthy reply didn't scare you.) probably should have cut some stuff out, but oh well.
I agree to an extent regarding the tropes and what makes a novel popular. I remember when I took a writing course, one of the first questions they asked was to determine if you are writing for money or for hobby. No matter what genre or setting you write your novel in, it will always be affected if you want free reign over it, or if you are looking for a wider fan base. I also agree about overpowered MCs that can't seem to fail. I've dropped so many novels (and wasted so much time) simply because I can already tell that everyone lives and the ending is a happy one. This is why I've taken so much time developing characters and creating their personalities. I don't want characters that are simply horny or are there just to provide comic relief. For this novel I am simply writing an idea I've had for years, while adding to my beat sheet along the way. It's a very interesting experience from someone who has only written short stories here and there. I don't mind the lengthy reply, in fact I do welcome it. I simply needed a cup of warm coffee before I can answer with sense. Thanks!
savetheprincess:I don't think clichés itself are making those novels more popular, but there is something in those clichés that some people want to see. One of those things is a strong main character, for example. Fantasy in general can be used for a variety of things, it is one of the most flexible genres, so to speak. While Lord of the Rings can throw the reader into a world full of fear and hardships to overcome it, there is also no other genre so frequently used for escape and power fantasies. Which leads us to the point of strong main characters, who are there to deal with those worlds full of fear. The point of power fantasies tho, isn't to feel the same amount of fear everyone in middle earth is experiencing, right ? That's why most of the big novels have ridiculously overpowered main characters, which in turn, decreases the general ******* by a lot. Up to a point where i sometimes can't find any, i might add. Like everything else in life, its a question of balance. Your main character isn't supposed to let all obvious opportunities pass him by and basically forfeit the land to the evil demon lord, but as i said, making it all too easy for him kills any kind of *******. And the amount of fear and ******* people want to see varies, of course. Still what the novels at the top are doing seems to work, measured by views and imaginary stones we use to show our appreciation for novels here, right ? Does that mean you should try to do something similar, catering to the bigger audience, so to speak ? Not an easy question, and i don't think you can draw a line anywhere as to where to optimal balance between catering to an audience and realizing your own creative vision is. As a rule of thumb tho, i would always rather follow your own agenda, since it is simply more reliable and more easy to draw conclusions from. Which means, if you're still trying to learn the trade, stick to your own stuff. You don't need to write the next big hit right away. Do it to improve your craft, that's better for the long run. hope my lengthy reply didn't scare you. It's just that i have rather strong opinions about power fantasies and clichés in novels, since i have had more than my share of them. (Hope my lengthy reply didn't scare you.) probably should have cut some stuff out, but oh well.