Blitzen
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Location: falkirk
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Down with originality
I'm trying to brainstorm as many fantasy cliches as I can.
Here goes:
travel through farmland
farmers daughter fancies them
sleep in hay bales
sing for supper
chased by lesser minions of big bad
travel through horrid forest of dhoom
captured by goblins
captured by giant spiders
caught in giant spider webs
travel through steppes
captured by drunken centaurs
icy mountains
These are the locations I'm interested in. I'd like a little help brainstorming cliches. Thank you.
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11/4/2009, 9:23 pm
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David Meadows
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Re: Down with originality
quote:
Blitzen wrote:
travel through horrid forest of dhoom
Horrid forests of dhoom must have a name exactly like that: Dhoom.
See also: bad guys called "Lord Darque" (Dark).
Last edited by David Meadows, 11/5/2009, 11:20 am
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"A good idea will keep you awake during the morning, but a great idea will keep you awake during the night."
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11/5/2009, 11:15 am
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David Meadows
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Re: Down with originality
quote:
Blitzen wrote:
travel through farmland
Helped by kindly farmer.
Kindly farmer sells them out to bad guy because he's weak/greedy/has a grudge.
Saved at last minute by servant/relation of kindly farmer who dislikes what kindly farmer has become.
---
"A good idea will keep you awake during the morning, but a great idea will keep you awake during the night."
Marilyn vos Savant
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11/5/2009, 11:19 am
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Blitzen
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Re: Down with originality
Yes, its a satire/parody, and I plan this conversation.
"The Forest of Dhoom!"
"The Forest of Doom?"
"No, the Forest of Dhoom!"
"That's what I said. The Forest of Doom."
"You're saying Doom. It's Dhoom, with an H."
"They sound exactly alike. How do you know?"
"I just know."
Or something like that. I'm having lots of fun thinking of ways I can wax sarcastic about quests and quest objects and character archetypes.
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11/5/2009, 12:09 pm
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QS2
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Re: Down with originality
Will this be including the stereotypical noble paladins as well? 
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11/5/2009, 12:20 pm
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Blitzen
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Re: Down with originality
Oh, I never thought of them. I have a wizard who is supposed to be all powerful, but does nothing, a tomboy princess, a farmboy mystical hero, and an Amazon warrior. I suppose I have to have a shining Paladin, don't I?
A chain smoking, drink guzzling, girl chasing, foul mouthed paradigm of virtue sounds about right.
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11/5/2009, 12:37 pm
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Loud G
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Re: Down with originality
hehe, sounds like a fun project.
Don't forget that the world is ending
or the Dark One's achilles heel
or the prophesy (gotta have prophesy)
REALLY obscure prophesy
also the magical item that will save the world
you could make it a magical anvil and they have the hardest time carrying it around 
--- Reading: Mistborn
Writing: Eriadhin
"Life is like a book, except it takes longer to get to the climax."
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11/5/2009, 1:54 pm
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Blitzen
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Re: Down with originality
A magic anvil, 
I have a cowardly magic sword that would rather talk than fight. Haven't put much thought into the quest item yet, still brainstorming.
---
Quick! Competition! Vote for your favourite comic scripts
http://forums.millarworld.tv/index.php?showtopic=90564&st=20
It's not clicky, though, sorry
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11/5/2009, 2:30 pm
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David Meadows
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Re: Down with originality
I like the magic anvil idea
Also, why are prophesies so specific in fantasy? "A farm boy will kill the dark lord," etc. That's not a prophesy, that's a sneak peek at the last chapter.
Look at Nostradamus, he knew how to write proper prophecies:
In the day of the molten horse
One from the East
Will put on his shoes
And Mars will fall in the sea.
I mean... HUH? Imagine your wizards arguing over what that means... and when an event happens that kinda sorta fits, it's all "See? That's what it meant! Proof that he was a real prophet!"
---
"A good idea will keep you awake during the morning, but a great idea will keep you awake during the night."
Marilyn vos Savant
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11/5/2009, 3:41 pm
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Blitzen
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Re: Down with originality
You just gave me a crazy idea, we should have a weird prophecy thread where people have to guess the meaning.
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11/5/2009, 3:57 pm
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QS2
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Re: Down with originality
Ahahaha,  that might be fun, yeah.
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11/5/2009, 4:30 pm
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tryingtowrite
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Re: Down with originality
Don't forget the damsel in distress, who gushes over the hero and whines when things are tough. That way the tomboy princess has someone to sneer at as well.
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11/5/2009, 5:15 pm
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dragonlady
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Re: Down with originality
You totally have to read Rough Guide to Fantasyland by Diana Wynne Jones. It is hilariously sarcastic and covers all this stuff.
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11/5/2009, 9:48 pm
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Blitzen
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Re: Down with originality
I bought that years ago, and seem to have lost it. I don't want to have to buy it again. 
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11/5/2009, 10:24 pm
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Reythia
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Re: Down with originality
Oh, and don't forget that in any epic voyage across an entire continent, the hero's party must cross through these land types:
snowy mountains
steamy jungle (usually immediately adjacent to aforementioned snowy mountains, with no interim terrain between)
dark caves
happy forest
open fields
large, fast-moving river (major battle or escape scene required)
swamps/bogs (often part of the Lands of Dhoom)
wasteland (ie: the Lands of Dhoom)
It seems particularly important to have different chapters/fight scenes occur is totally different terrain and climates, regardless of the fact that the locales are only one day's horseback ride apart. Apparently, fantasy writers understand cartography just fine. It's climatology and geology that are the missing parts of their geographic background!
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11/6/2009, 5:04 pm
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QS2
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Re: Down with originality
Well it must be called Fantasy for some reason? 
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11/8/2009, 2:08 am
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