Journey fics, are they good, are to people go when they see htem "Oh God, not another journey fic! Write something Original for Gods sake!" Well, I'm thinking of writing one. It won't be like a person going to get a starter and stuff like that. Its different, but it will be a journy fic. Problem is, I'm wondering if people will actually read it. What are your opinions on this?
-
Be sure to join the discussion on our discord at: Discord.gg/serebii
Journey Fics, The Good or The Bad?
- Thread starter ash5550
- Start date
Lily
you were the one.
If it deviates from the norm (i.e. not another Professor Tree fic), then it's already considered adequate. XD
Of course, this depends on what type of journey fic you intend on doing. So as long as there's originality involved/skills in utilizing new ideas, I see no reason why people won't read. There are plenty of popular journey fics out there that fared reasonably well; after all, it's not exactly fair to be biased against all journey type fics. ^_^
Of course, this depends on what type of journey fic you intend on doing. So as long as there's originality involved/skills in utilizing new ideas, I see no reason why people won't read. There are plenty of popular journey fics out there that fared reasonably well; after all, it's not exactly fair to be biased against all journey type fics. ^_^
Arcanine Royale
Well-Known Member
Journey fics are okay
Its just journey fics full of cliches that are bad.
Heck, the only two pieces I've gotten to chapter two on have been journey fics (One of them Now and Forever, Volume One: The Adventure, which can be read at SPPf)
Ideas such as avoiding professors, stereotyped characters (rival *cough*)
Also, twists are always good to have.
One of the best examples of a journey fic is Dragonfree's The Quest for the Legends.
Some journey fics, after they become really good, are hardly even able to be categorized as a journey fic.
Its just journey fics full of cliches that are bad.
Heck, the only two pieces I've gotten to chapter two on have been journey fics (One of them Now and Forever, Volume One: The Adventure, which can be read at SPPf)
Ideas such as avoiding professors, stereotyped characters (rival *cough*)
Also, twists are always good to have.
One of the best examples of a journey fic is Dragonfree's The Quest for the Legends.
Some journey fics, after they become really good, are hardly even able to be categorized as a journey fic.
katiekitten
The Compromise
*sends mental messages to Arcanine, directing him to his fic...* ... *coughs*
Anyway!
Like the before have said, joureny fics are fine as long as they aren't the A typical Cannon cliches, boy/girl gets pokemon and goes on journey to defeat league... *snores* You have journey fics, but add your own sparkle! Take the original tune and give it a twist! (I can keep on creating metaphors if you like. XD)
Anyway!
Like the before have said, joureny fics are fine as long as they aren't the A typical Cannon cliches, boy/girl gets pokemon and goes on journey to defeat league... *snores* You have journey fics, but add your own sparkle! Take the original tune and give it a twist! (I can keep on creating metaphors if you like. XD)
Bay
YEAHHHHHHH
Yeah, better avoid the cliche journey fics. Probably a good journey fic would be something completely different from the usual going to the Pokemon League journey routine. Actually, before I was about to do a journey fic myself but luckily I found some inspiration to do a totally different story.
If you want some inspiration, read "Legacy Continues" by Pokemon Master. The first parts does sound a little cliche but later on the story gets a lot much better. In that story, you get to see different propsectives of different characters.
Nothing more to say then good luck on your journey fic!
;134;~Good night, and good luck~
If you want some inspiration, read "Legacy Continues" by Pokemon Master. The first parts does sound a little cliche but later on the story gets a lot much better. In that story, you get to see different propsectives of different characters.
Nothing more to say then good luck on your journey fic!
;134;~Good night, and good luck~
Blah, blah, blah, clichés are bad. That's the vibe I'm getting from the replies here.
For the record, clichés are NOT your worst enemy when writing...well, just about anything. Sure, there are things that make people think "Man, I really wish this person had done something more original," like the whole "get starter pokémon from Professor <insert tree here>" thing, especially if the main character just happens to be so late that the regular starters have all been taken. Heck, even the main character being late at the beginning can be something of a turn-off.
However, in my experience, most of the time it's not what you write, but rather how you write it. I myself have (rather unintentionally) written out a bunch of clichés for my various fantasy roleplay characters, and yet I'm respected by the whole of all the roleplaying groups I'm in for my overall talent, particularly my characters! In reality, there's really nothing wrong with most of the clichés one tends to find in journeyfics (except the one I've mentioned already; that one's just plain old and makes you look like an anime copier). It's just that they tend to be written very n00bishly and are found in pretty much every n00b journeyfic, and so they generally are associated with bad writing.
Besides, there are a couple of journeyfic clichés that can't really be done creatively, such as the method of acquisition of the main character's starter. Other than the whole "get pokémon from professor" thing, there simply aren't many ways to go about it. Befriending a wild pokémon? Maybe, but that has potential to be just as logic-defying as the other methods, if not more so. ("Leik omg I fund a injred suciune adn tok it too teh pkmn cetenr and it becmae my bestest freind") The other, probably most logical method (especially if you want to avoid professors at all costs or if your MC happens to not live in or near one of the starting towns where professors tend to hang out) would be a "family pet" sort of thing, if you're willing to accept the fact that a number of "pet" pokémon, like Growlithe, Vulpix, or Skitty, are species that every young journeyfic main character seems to have and that such a thing might turn away a few readers. =/
My advice for making a journeyfic: try to put an original twist on it, but don't attempt to create something that strays terribly far from the norm. Write what you know, especially if you're a newbie author. I've seen lots of journeyfics that have a number of typical journeyfic clichés that are really good; at the same time, I've also seen plenty of journeyfics that desperately try to be different but fail where it really counts.
For the record, clichés are NOT your worst enemy when writing...well, just about anything. Sure, there are things that make people think "Man, I really wish this person had done something more original," like the whole "get starter pokémon from Professor <insert tree here>" thing, especially if the main character just happens to be so late that the regular starters have all been taken. Heck, even the main character being late at the beginning can be something of a turn-off.
However, in my experience, most of the time it's not what you write, but rather how you write it. I myself have (rather unintentionally) written out a bunch of clichés for my various fantasy roleplay characters, and yet I'm respected by the whole of all the roleplaying groups I'm in for my overall talent, particularly my characters! In reality, there's really nothing wrong with most of the clichés one tends to find in journeyfics (except the one I've mentioned already; that one's just plain old and makes you look like an anime copier). It's just that they tend to be written very n00bishly and are found in pretty much every n00b journeyfic, and so they generally are associated with bad writing.
Besides, there are a couple of journeyfic clichés that can't really be done creatively, such as the method of acquisition of the main character's starter. Other than the whole "get pokémon from professor" thing, there simply aren't many ways to go about it. Befriending a wild pokémon? Maybe, but that has potential to be just as logic-defying as the other methods, if not more so. ("Leik omg I fund a injred suciune adn tok it too teh pkmn cetenr and it becmae my bestest freind") The other, probably most logical method (especially if you want to avoid professors at all costs or if your MC happens to not live in or near one of the starting towns where professors tend to hang out) would be a "family pet" sort of thing, if you're willing to accept the fact that a number of "pet" pokémon, like Growlithe, Vulpix, or Skitty, are species that every young journeyfic main character seems to have and that such a thing might turn away a few readers. =/
My advice for making a journeyfic: try to put an original twist on it, but don't attempt to create something that strays terribly far from the norm. Write what you know, especially if you're a newbie author. I've seen lots of journeyfics that have a number of typical journeyfic clichés that are really good; at the same time, I've also seen plenty of journeyfics that desperately try to be different but fail where it really counts.
Journey fics can be good, but you need something that makes them unquie in their own way.
Dragonfree's "Quest of the Legends" is a journey fic with orginal characters, an excellant storyline and practically everyone you meet feels as though they've got something to hide (more often then not, they do).
Breezy's "Hoenn League: A Brendan and May Adventure" is from first glance a typical trainer fic due to it following the R/S/E storyline. But she has made it brilliant by making it a fantastic comedy with brilliant characters and villians. And has gottern better since she has made it really dark.
Dragonfree's "Quest of the Legends" is a journey fic with orginal characters, an excellant storyline and practically everyone you meet feels as though they've got something to hide (more often then not, they do).
Breezy's "Hoenn League: A Brendan and May Adventure" is from first glance a typical trainer fic due to it following the R/S/E storyline. But she has made it brilliant by making it a fantastic comedy with brilliant characters and villians. And has gottern better since she has made it really dark.
katiekitten
The Compromise
Yep, the sparkle factor. XD Write a cliche right, and people will see past that. 
Astinus
Well-Known Member
Yes, you can write a good cliché, just as long as you put your own spin on it. Sure, in the beginning, your story might feel clichéd, but just as long as you do better than any newbish story-With the bad grammar, cheesy stereotypes, and uber-strong Pokémon-then you'll be fine.
Do something different to make it your own.
Do something different to make it your own.
I think it depends on a number of factors. First of all, while the standard journey fic formula has been overdone, there are plenty of fics out there which ARE based around someone's Pokemon journey but don't follow the set pattern. For example, I have seen at least one fic where the main character goes on a Pokemon journey for reasons other than "getting the Badges in order to become a Pokemon Master".