Your favourite theme - and why?

[chapter1king]

Hi everyone, and it was great reading your responses. I do apologise for the delay, but I am glad to see everyone share their experience, and how writing really can bring a community together!

I mostly like modern time.
Either mix it with magic and gates or let it remain normal. I had tried to write a fantasy set up that circles around a fantasy world and I sadly messed up. I'm in for a challenge once again after deciding to make a story regarding a game which was deeply planned. So yeah..

- Modern time is great to write, there are so many elements which we can play with. In one of my projects I am actually incorporating the Metaverse idea. I found the way we are progressing as a peoples quite fascinating, but you are right, there are many amazing topics we can discuss.

- Messing up - Its true, writing is really, really difficult. It takes effort not just to write something, but also to review, edit, correct and manage your own expectations. I find myself able to write somedays over 10,000 words. Whilst it will take weeks to remotely match that. It ultimately matters the way it makes you feel, I think. If you enjoy it, it brings you inner peace and generally de-stresses you. Then don't let disappointment or failure get in the way. If something goes wrong, just keep at it. Thank you for sharing your insights :)

I don't know what I like yet. Probably modern time without any fantasy elements. Why? Because it's relatively easy to write and serves as a good practice for writing.

- I find that taste tends to change over time, as I grow older I find certain genres unappealing, or even irksome. That being said, there are certain genres that I have come to enjoy or perhaps be even attracted to due to an escape it provides from the real world. Comedy is one example, lol. I never watched the Simpsons or Family guy when young. Now its probably on the side whilst I work. So yeah, taste changes quite a lot over time, so its okay. It takes time to find I suppose?

- If you had the chance to write about a modern setting, what would it be? I think so far my only inkling to a modern setting would be the technological conundrums, and how it affects our everyday life. Everything else, politics, economics and so on hits too close to home for me to write on, hence why I find modern writing actually much more difficult. But hey, thank you for sharing, much appreciated.

Tragedy, mystery, and edgy stuff

"Edgelord69 joined the chat" - I am not a big fan of tragedy, maybe because I never thought of writing something. But I must admit, tragedy and mystery as a theme can be spectacular. Sprinkle a bit of fantasy and you get Dark Souls. I love the lore and stories. There is quite the tragic element there.

Writing: Fantasy, martial arts, character growth, politics.

Reading: Fantasy, action, family, creative high magic.

- I wholeheartedly agree with you on this one. I love fantasy writing, character growth and politics. Martial arts not so much because I know nothing about them, and writing them only seems like a nightmare. That being said, I did read a few manga / wuxia such as The Breaker (korean manwa, what a brilliant piece), Martial World, and some other which name escapes me. Great genre I must admit. Thanks for sharing :)

You would probably like my series then. Its a kingdom builder inspired by the holy roman empire.

- Lloyd your series is great. Thank you for recommending it. I cannot wait where it goes! Good stuff:) Yes, the HRE theme is brilliant, and just love how you implemented few novel ideas never crossed my mind. Great work.

Kingdom builder + army building. Other things doesn't matter long as world and the politics are great.

The reason I prefer this combination is because I prefer battles of Commanders + Army > Heroes.

- I love my army management, kingdom building and world politics. The only problem is the vast scale and complexity that comes along. You can never go in too much depth, and you can never write too little as you risk at alienating your readers. But then where do you draw the line, how much information is enough (how many appendices are even acceptable haha).

- Commanders and army > heroes anyday!!! I don't like the idea that one individual has the power to turn the tides of battle just because of plot armour. I adore series where they display that, the MC is useful, but they alone cannot move mountains. That's my balance I suppose. Thank you for sharing, great idea: )

Themes? Then...
Nordic/viking stuff/imagery, black metal references, wolves and the color blue as main motif(?), pretty boy and beautiful (older) women (harem is optional)

Can't really answer 'why', just a matter of preferences, I guess.

- A nordic theme novel is something that would definitely be interesting to read, I think there's a series called Vinland Saga that's based on that setting. But I agree, wolves, metal, and overall vikings are just badass.

- Harem is not my cup of tea, but that being said its difficult to not create a love interest, and I think its even more difficult to not constantly make a harem (unintentionally). Imagine your MC is the lord of a vast empire, the alliances, concubines etc. That is an indirect harem IMO. But yeha, great theme. Hope you come up with something cool. Would love to read :)

Angst.
Pure, unfiltered angst. I like reading it, although I didn't reach that level at writing it. But I try to learn from the masters.

I feel like we have a connection there

I actually struggle to write feelings (in an excessive way) like I don't think I could properly write a character that is going ballistic and make sense. But you're right, a long way to go and a lot to learn lol.

Delighted to hear we can form a connection, always good to touch base and learn from people :) Thank you for sharing.

I generally like complicated main characters. Although it doesn't reflect in what I write on here I like protagonists that are genuinely flawed people something that can't be hand waved away, usually a result of their up bringing or some catalyst earlier in their life. I'm a strong believer that stories where a protagonist works through these issues make the best stories.

I wholeheartedly agree. Flawed protagonists are more grounded, more relatable. I am not able to connect with characters that whatever they do works the first time flawlessly. Which I think I stopped reading wuxia for. Flaws are what makes characters interesting, and seeing characters work towards improving themselves is what can be considered as character growth.

That being said, writing good characters is very difficult, because you know - consistency, relatability, plot sense etc. I hope one day I will be able to write a remotely decent character lol.

Thank you for sharing!

Easier to say what I don't like: typical Shounen "FUREEEENDOSHIPPUUUUU" Idiots or "Heh, losers. Imma murder you all, just because I'm edgy as fuck" pricks. I also dislike harems. WTF am I even doing on this site???

Anyway, things I like: mind games, even the stupid vs. even more stupid "mind games". Crafting and economics are also pretty interesting to me.

Things I write: Characters that have things I don't have, "heist plotting"(characters brainstorming and joking), the classical hero's journey, idiotic antagonists.

Amen!!!!

Shounen garbage is what I dislike, another reason I stopped watching anime. Two weeks ago I was at a reunion with old mates, and we decided to chill on netflix. As we browsed, Demon slayer showed up on recommended, and since it had been a really long time I watched any anime, I thought what the hell, let try it. Safe to say I never want to watch anime again. The screeching, shouting, sub par insults is just jarring. Maybe I am just getting old. Lol.

I also agree with harem, but I don't think its too big of an issue unless it replaces the story lol.

Crafting an economics is something I absolutely adore, but I think if I were to write anything remotely along those lines, it would turn out to be a research paper rather than a light novel. Therefore its easier to just implement sprinkles here and there.

Nice, I think writing heists is interesting, I was never too good with it so will defo give it a try. Thank you for sharing!

P.S. I try my best not to write anything along the hero's journey (but thats nearly impossible isn't it haha).

I think I like tragedies, military space operas and space battles, and history repeating itself and failing to learn from the past and things of that nature.

SPACE BATTLERS ROCK! I think thats something that always drew me into Star Wars. I know there are other more in depth novellas, but never delved into them due to time restrain.

History repeating itself would be an interesting topic for a modern-setting novel. That's actually a very good idea. It can work with things like economics, climate change or even war. Love it. Thank you for sharing :)

I love writing sex.
And tragedies.
And general pain and suffering on an existential level...

I have never written a sex scene. I don't think I can lol. Its a bit too difficult for me to put it into words.

I do get a Kierkegaard vibe haha. Or perhaps Nietzsche?

How pain and suffering do we talk about though? Would be interested to know. Thanks for sharing!

Never published anything and I haven't even written any "stories" in last few years... just some "world" and "character" building... But...

1. Gender Bender (male to female) main character... while the GB is never much of a focus, the element is always present...

2. "Medieval" Fantasy setting with monsters, demons, swords, magic, lords and ladies, princes and princesses, etc...

3. Little to no "angst" or "tragedies"... while lots of "nasty" Hentai stuff happens... people don't get tortured, killed, etc...

4. And in any case, all the people who run into the "nasty" Hentai trouble, always get to live Happily ever after...

5. MC might be powerless slave, or they might be Super OP and at the top of the world... Maybe try to take over the world or such...
But either way, they too always get to lay down their burdens and be Happy in the end.

1. I think the first GB story I read was Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler) was really interesting. That being said, I was also young and didn't realise it is one at the time.

2. 10/10. Love it. That's my crack lol.

3. Okay, thats interesting. Wouldn't the nasty hentai be considered as a tragedy for the individual that has to suffer? I'd imagine if you get assaulted by Cthulu and live to tell the tale, you would be pretty scarred.

5. Very nice, although super op mcs I find them too shallow most of the time. Maybe I haven't read any good novels, but it usually ends with their plot armour overpowering everything. They saved the city and destroyed the universe kinda vibe.

Thank you for sharing :)

 

[gaylolis]

my favorite theme is surrealism and supernatural / paranormal things.

esp surrealism since i feel my mind is too chaotic to confine the story into the real world, so i prefer to make them dreamlike and nonsensical, otherwise i'd tend to lose interest in my writings fast.

as for supernatural, i enjoy these things a lot, so yea. for me it's kind of the most relatable link between fantasy and reality. even researching it brings me quite a significant benefit, so there's that.

 

[HokuouTenrou]

- A nordic theme novel is something that would definitely be interesting to read, I think there's a series called Vinland Saga that's based on that setting. But I agree, wolves, metal, and overall vikings are just badass.

- Harem is not my cup of tea, but that being said its difficult to not create a love interest, and I think its even more difficult to not constantly make a harem (unintentionally). Imagine your MC is the lord of a vast empire, the alliances, concubines etc. That is an indirect harem IMO. But yeha, great theme. Hope you come up with something cool. Would love to read :)

I do follow and enjoy Vinland Saga. Always looking forward to it each month.
Ironically enough, my actual series is nowhere badass/grim; basically a battle school story set in alternate future with a loose Nordic motif (mainly the protagonist). If I have the actual skill, I'd probably write something more grounded/Dark age/medieval, but it still won't be grim; think of Fire Emblem, or a more idealistic Yggdra Union.

To harem or not to harem. Can't lie, it's tempting to me, but then two of my inspirations still managed to be sexy without harem routes, so that often made me think too.

 

[Nane]

I feel like we have a connection there

I was replying to something Sake Vision said there. Now I feel bad

But we can still have a connection if you enjoy reading angst too...

 

[Jemini]

- I wholeheartedly agree with you on this one. I love fantasy writing, character growth and politics. Martial arts not so much because I know nothing about them, and writing them only seems like a nightmare. That being said, I did read a few manga / wuxia such as The Breaker (korean manwa, what a brilliant piece), Martial World, and some other which name escapes me. Great genre I must admit. Thanks for sharing :)

I've actually been involved in various martial arts since I was 7 years old. Although, I feel like it is only fairly recently that I've been learning anything real and practical. It's not like the earlier stuff was wasted years or anything, it's more like those early years were building up conditioning and balance while it's now that I'm an adult and able to seek out the real serious stuff that I'm actually learning real combat arts.

I enjoy writing martial arts because it is such an integral part of who I am as a person. However, I have to tell you, writing martial arts is hard even for someone who really knows their stuff. Although, in my case the challenge is more along the lines of properly portraying the move I am having the character perform. Most of the moves have actual names, but those names vary from one style to another and tend to not even be understood by students of a different school, let alone people with no background in the martial arts what so ever. So, naming the move is not an option. Instead, I have to describe it, and that can get complicated fast in an intense fight scene.

The route I largely go instead is to write it with a pace similar to the old black-and-white Samurai movies like Yojimbo and the 7 Samurai. Incredibly slow paced, the character is understood to know martial arts, but the actual fighting is sparse and often over quickly. Most of it is the psychological game as the protagonist squares off and postures against the villains and/or idiots they have to deal with. Mostly though, it becomes a character piece often with a heavy dose of politics in the mix. There might be 3 or so fights per 80,000 words (the typical length of a book), and all of those fights tend to end within 500 words or less if you count from the first attack to the last. (Often trending on the low end, around 50-100 words.)

 

[Feinerine]

I love to worldbuild and generally write fluffy romance scenes!

 

[SilvCrimBlac]

Hi everyone,

I was curious at what do people generally like writing about?

As a history fan, I always felt fascinated by how cities function, socially and economically - and of course let's not forget warfare! Mix that bad boy with fantasy and voila!

But yeah, would be interested to hear what you enjoy most.

An example for me would be: Antiquity - late medieval (I love specifically Greek / Eastern European / East Asian lore)

I like designing cities, army compositions and figuring out how to write decent scenes around that.

Hope this is fun :)

History buff here. Also attended uni for 6 years double-majoring in History and English.

I have 3 main preferred timelines interests:

The first is Mainland Europe 400 A.D. to 900 A.D.. Basically late Western Rome and then the lengthy period of the Barbarian Kingdoms and their gradual crystallization into what they eventually became in the High Middle Ages...scholars would normally just call this period Late Antiquity or Early Middle Ages depending on who you ask.

The second is Sub-Roman Britain or Post Roman Britain 400 A.D. to 600 A.D., more or less. I lose interest once the Saxons finally gain the upper hand over the original locals, the Welsh, or as they were called originally the Britons.

The third is China: This one is a bit hard to answer. I basically spend most of my time studying specific dynasties, but I guess the general and broadest/simplest answer would be Late-Han Dynasty to Early Tang Dynasty. So....180's A.D. to 620's A.D.?

 

[Ilikewaterkusa]

Hi everyone,

I was curious at what do people generally like writing about?

As a history fan, I always felt fascinated by how cities function, socially and economically - and of course let's not forget warfare! Mix that bad boy with fantasy and voila!

But yeah, would be interested to hear what you enjoy most.

An example for me would be: Antiquity - late medieval (I love specifically Greek / Eastern European / East Asian lore)

I like designing cities, army compositions and figuring out how to write decent scenes around that.

Hope this is fun :)

The collapse of civilizations, and order due to excessive liberty, which allows degeneracy to spread, flourish, burn stuff down, take over. With the leaders who orchestrated said degeneracy making an imperium of sorts, out of the collapsed power structure. It basically points out that order is needed for liberty.

 

[DarkGodEM]

I do get a Kierkegaard vibe haha. Or perhaps Nietzsche?

Schopenhauer and Nietzsche.

How pain and suffering do we talk about though?

Torture, Murder, Death, betrayal by god, genocide, you name it.

 

[KyoruS]

I'm always a fan of the theme power corruption. How power tends to corrupt people. A nice person when grabs a power can be a different beast/person altogether and abuse his power to do what he wants to do. A fresh graduate who gets into the government, hoping to make the change to make his government or nation to be better for the people, to be less corrupt, somehow changes to become the very thing he swears to destroy and becomes another corrupt high ranking official himself.

The inner-struggle of making sure that the insane power doesn't get over the possessor heads and not let the power consume him.

Oh and don't forget smut harem too. But not just the sexy smut scene but rather the political conflict that happens between the harem members in trying to be his wife or number one. Sure they can try to win his heart of please him the best, but what stops them from using underhand tactics against each other?