Miss_Misaki
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2008
- Posts
- 556
I was wondering if I could pick the collective conscious around here for their ideas and opinions on "fish out of water" stories. We all know what they are, even if we don't recognize them by the name - a character falls into another world, plane of existence, etc. through some plot device, and then they have to cope with a number of issues, including (but not limited to) culture shock, trauma from being removed from home, and the quest to return to their prior state. Some good examples from classical literature are A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, by Mark Twain, and The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells, and of course, The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis.
I have several questions regarding these types of stories, as I'm currently writing one of my own - a satirical comedy - and would like some input to chew on while I write. I'll ask the questions first, and post a brief synopsis of my story later if anyone's interested (but before I do, I'd like your advice about doing that, as I feel it's a remarkably good idea coming from someone inadequate like me, and I might try to get it published, lol).
1. As an overall opinion, what do you think of these stories? Are they too cliché? What conceptions (if any) do you have about them that would either compel you to, or dissuade you from reading them?
2. The way I see it, the ending of such stories has a very limited number of possible outcomes. The protagonist can either a) find his way back, never to return, b) find his way back, with the ability to return, c) never find his way back, but decide he's better off for it, or d) never find his way back, and be doomed to suffer for it.
There are positives and negatives to all of the above, as well as many details that can render each potent in its own way. Which one would you say is most/least predictable, if you had to resort to generalization?
3. In my opinion, the plot device used to propel the protagonist into the new world is very important. In the story I'm currently working on, it's not only symbolic, but it's also a recurring concept that takes on various forms throughout the story, even though it isn't apparent to either the characters or the reader all the time. However, plot devices have a way of being too convenient, and a crutch for lazy writers. I know it's really vague of me, but do you have any suggestions on some that you've read yourself and found to be engaging? Believability isn't as important to me as quality of interest, since the very idea of propelling someone into another world often strays into the realm of fantasy, provided the other world isn't just another country on this planet.
In the case of the story examples I posted above, the plot devices used are (in order): a blow to the head (leave it to Twain to use such a comical plot device xD), the time machine itself, and without spoiling too much of the series, a variety of objects and individuals all having some connection to Magic and/or Aslan.
I hope we get some nice, thought-provoking discussion out of this.
This happens to be one of my favorite story genres, so I suppose it's only natural that I try to write my own someday.
I have several questions regarding these types of stories, as I'm currently writing one of my own - a satirical comedy - and would like some input to chew on while I write. I'll ask the questions first, and post a brief synopsis of my story later if anyone's interested (but before I do, I'd like your advice about doing that, as I feel it's a remarkably good idea coming from someone inadequate like me, and I might try to get it published, lol).
1. As an overall opinion, what do you think of these stories? Are they too cliché? What conceptions (if any) do you have about them that would either compel you to, or dissuade you from reading them?
2. The way I see it, the ending of such stories has a very limited number of possible outcomes. The protagonist can either a) find his way back, never to return, b) find his way back, with the ability to return, c) never find his way back, but decide he's better off for it, or d) never find his way back, and be doomed to suffer for it.
There are positives and negatives to all of the above, as well as many details that can render each potent in its own way. Which one would you say is most/least predictable, if you had to resort to generalization?
3. In my opinion, the plot device used to propel the protagonist into the new world is very important. In the story I'm currently working on, it's not only symbolic, but it's also a recurring concept that takes on various forms throughout the story, even though it isn't apparent to either the characters or the reader all the time. However, plot devices have a way of being too convenient, and a crutch for lazy writers. I know it's really vague of me, but do you have any suggestions on some that you've read yourself and found to be engaging? Believability isn't as important to me as quality of interest, since the very idea of propelling someone into another world often strays into the realm of fantasy, provided the other world isn't just another country on this planet.
In the case of the story examples I posted above, the plot devices used are (in order): a blow to the head (leave it to Twain to use such a comical plot device xD), the time machine itself, and without spoiling too much of the series, a variety of objects and individuals all having some connection to Magic and/or Aslan.
I hope we get some nice, thought-provoking discussion out of this.
This happens to be one of my favorite story genres, so I suppose it's only natural that I try to write my own someday.
Sci-fi too. I should have put it in there with a slash, followed by fantasy, as I tend to lump the two together in my head anyway. Years of working in a bookstore did that to me, lol.
