‘Extra’ or ‘Regressor’?

[WaterFish]

I got two ideas to start my novel but I’m unsure whether to go with ‘Reader who knows the future’ or ‘Regressor who wants to save someone’. The second seems more cliché than the first one, so I’m unsure which one to go by.

I liked Omniscient Reader, but I’m pretty sure the story can be written even without by past life memories. This is more Urban Fantasy in nature and a world with super-powered people.

My indecisive mind can’t decide…

From what I know, the draw of ‘Readers turning into Extras’ is being able to interact with already established story relationships and tropes. The type where every important person has a ‘role’.

— ‘Trash of the Count Family’ turns the reader into a sub-villain that’s destroyed early on.

— ‘I Became The Hero Who Banished The Protagonist’ is the more interesting take where the reader becomes a hero, but not the protagonist of the story. The future is known but can’t be manipulated fully.

— ‘The Novels Extra’ is meta in the way that the fourth wall is a thing like in Omniscient Reader but not as important as in the latter. I liked the possessed body’s backstory thing a whole lot.

Regressors (time travellers) are a lot more variable depending on the type of regression they had.
— ‘The Second Coming Of Gluttony’ tried to do simply regressing the ‘feelings’ early on until the memories were necessary.
— ‘A Returners Magic Should Be Special’ (which now has an Anime announced) is more straightforward, but has a lot of depth. Future memories are useful but not the end all be all.

Honestly, I’m sure someone will say to mix the two tropes.,. That’s fair, as I am thinking of emulating ‘I Became the Hero Who Banished the Protagonist’ but without the reader Extra aspect.

Or the high fantasy world.

Just thought posting a poll would be useful in finding extra information and seeing preferences.

I’d love to hear the reasoning for whatever choice is made.

 

[Theirl]

isn't it the new trend to put both in the same story? i read a lot of korean extra possession stories and some of them has a side character that is an regressor and they use the misunderstanding as plot point since the regressor get confused why the extra is acting up

 

[Tempokai]

ChatGPT:

Spoiler

Once upon a time, in the land of indecisiveness, there existed a troubled writer seeking guidance for their novel. Torn between two intriguing ideas, the writer turned to an online forum for assistance. Little did they know, a sardonic narrator was lurking in the shadows, ready to weave a tale of both humor and insight.

As the writer poured out their indecisive thoughts, the sardonic narrator chuckled softly. Ah, the perils of creative dilemmas. With a mischievous glint in their eye, the narrator decided to answer the forum member's post in a most peculiar way.

"Dear lost writer, your struggle is not uncommon," the sardonic narrator began. "Choosing between two ideas is like navigating a labyrinth of possibilities, each path filled with its own pitfalls and triumphs. But fear not, for I shall embark on this journey with you and provide some guidance, albeit in my own snarky way."

The sardonic narrator cleared their throat and continued, "Let us first explore the realm of the 'Reader who knows the future.' Ah, the allure of foreknowledge, the power to witness events before they unfold. While the idea may seem tempting, one must tread carefully. Do not underestimate the challenge of crafting a story where the reader's knowledge doesn't become a convenient plot device. The key here lies in creating tension and conflict despite the foreseen future. Will the reader be able to change their destiny or succumb to the inevitability of their knowledge?"

"Now, let us venture into the realm of the 'Regressor who wants to save someone.' Ah, time travel, a concept as old as storytelling itself. Yet, it remains a potent tool if used wisely. The pitfalls of clichés and predictability await those who dare to delve into this realm. But fear not, dear writer, for originality lies in the subtleties. How can you breathe new life into the concept of regression? Can you surprise your readers with unexpected twists and turns? And most importantly, what sacrifices will the regressor have to make in their quest to save another?"

The sardonic narrator paused for effect, relishing in the writer's anticipation. "Now, dear writer, instead of choosing between the two, consider blending their essences like a mad scientist in their laboratory. Mix the intrigue of the 'Reader who knows the future' with the depths of the 'Regressor who wants to save someone.' Build a world where knowledge of the future becomes a double-edged sword for the regressor. Embrace the challenge of crafting a story that dances between the lines of fate and free will. Who knows, perhaps this fusion will yield a narrative that is as unique as it is captivating?"

With a final flourish, the sardonic narrator concluded, "Ultimately, the choice is yours, dear writer. Embrace the tropes that inspire you, but don't be afraid to defy them. The magic lies in your ability to breathe life into your characters, to create a world that resonates with your readers. So, go forth, armed with pen and imagination, and may your novel be a masterpiece that defies even the sardonic narrator's expectations."

I agree with AI here. I put those two ideas in the same level, because essentially the MCs at the start have the same cheat - "knowledge", and they use it to do whatever.
About the high fantasy or urban fantasy, it's your choice.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

Both are equally cliche so flip a coin.

 

[LilRora]

Frankly, I don't like either option. If I had to settle on one, I would choose a regressor, but that's my personal preference.

The Reader turning into an Extra thing is something you should be careful with, because I've seen way too many stories when he becomes way too powerful way too fast for the reason "because he read a book". Which generally doesn't make sense, because it's like giving someone a book on smithing and expecting them to be an expert blacksmith after some practice. That can happen if you give him a good reason to, but transmigration is a trope you can easily fuck up by forgetting some small details like that when you want your mc to be powerful.

I'd say it should be used if you want your mc to be weak and manipulative, but that's even harder to write well.

The Regressor option is better in my opinion, because it's not that limiting. You can do virtually everything with a regressor, unlike with a reader that should still be a reader even after transmigration, just one that's acclimating to the new world. A reader generally won't become a murderer, or a swordmaster, or anything that requires either extreme mindsets, a hell lot of training, or a long time to get used to. A regressor, though, can be all of these things, and generally becomes OP fairly quickly. Or at least gains strength at a much faster rate than any ordinary person.

This is in my opinion the main thing you should decide on - who your mc is supposed to be. Depending on that, you'll naturally fall towards one of those options.

And, granted, you can do whatever you want (I've read a story where the transmigrated person ends up spending a few thousands of years in hell, which would change things up from the "weak reader who's getting used to the new world"), but it's often best to go for the simplest solutions.

 

[TheEldritchGod]

Why not both?

He's someone who read the story, abused the story for personal gain, fucked up the planet, then became a regressor to get it right.

 

[ACertainPassingUser]

Regressor means MC is desperate person

Transmigrator Extra means MC is newcomer with lack of experience

****​

I'm sorry to say, but Regressor have more advantages compared to Transmigrator, unless the transmigrator is OP Gary Stu/MarySue wishfullfilment MC.


Regressor MC didn't need to learn much about worldbuilding, they live there as long as they have been. They're reliving their old memories and can act very fast and fluidly interact with the world around them.

Regressor MC is very FAST-MOVING, they have the best acceleration to build momentum and move the plot, as they already know what to do right now. No need to relearn the world, just get relevant info and move to the destination.

On the other side,
Transmigrator Extra means that MC only knows the world and future from reading at best, but no actual experience living in the world itself.

Wven with Extra's memory and the wiki level knowledge, combined with the hidden and secret knowledge that charactes may never knew, getting transported into another place is always shocking and surprising.

You down get to visit Foreign country for the first time and just explore the street just from reading Wikipedia and encyclopedia of Azerbaijan. You have to ask tour guide and locals

It takes lots of time of checking the surrounding before Transmigrator extra MC could understood where they're, the circumstances surrounding them, and what they're currently doing, plus what to do forward.

There's so much unknown for Transmigrator MC as they're just another person trying to explore Mariana Trench with just reading about them in Wikipedia and YouTube.

 

[Kenjona]

 

[BearlyAlive]

Why not somebody important regressing into the body of someone unimportant while his original timeline "self" is still around?

Works especially well if the original MC is some kind of tragic hero that had some hand in making the situation go SNAFU. Like MC released some evil whatchamacallit during his youth by mistake, evil thing does evil, MC tries to stop it but fails a bit hard, and MC regresses. Only to wake up in the body of a literal nobody while his "original" "self" is still around waiting for his chance to eff everything up by mistake, or something.

Or go the smut route where the MC of this timeline is now of different sex, so regressed MC can loot this version of himself for extra fetish points

 

[Theirl]

Why not somebody important regressing into the body of someone unimportant while his original timeline "self" is still around?

Works especially well if the original MC is some kind of tragic hero that had some hand in making the situation go SNAFU. Like MC released some evil whatchamacallit during his youth by mistake, evil thing does evil, MC tries to stop it but fails a bit hard, and MC regresses. Only to wake up in the body of a literal nobody while his "original" "self" is still around waiting for his chance to eff everything up by mistake, or something.

Or go the smut route where the MC of this timeline is now of different sex, so regressed MC can loot this version of himself for extra fetish points

i read a chinese novel that had the same plot and the way the mc cringe about how edgy his old self was made me laugh

 

[Deleted member 113259]

I hate both.
Extra - ends up being more broken than the protagonist. (Why not just reincarnate as the protagonist?)
Regressor - time travel . "I have to do it right this time." (Do it right the FIRST TIME!)