Two questions

[Wright]

Firstly, I apologise if this is the wrong forum to post this. I posted it here as it does concern original fiction of mine. If I made a mistake, I meant no offence.

I am working on an story idea of mine that I hope to write as a full length novel someday. I have two question I'd like to ask. They might seem a little odd, but I'd appreciate any feedback.

One of the main characters is a lesbian. In the rough draft I'm writing, she's a singer. Is this all right, or is it too cliche?

Also, can anyone give me a rough idea of what would be all right to write about with this character and what wouldn't be? I don't expect anyone to write for me, just an idea of what people here would like, as I really don't want to offend anyone.

[SJ]

No that doesn't sound cliched.
What's the premise of your story?

[Wright]

Thanks for replying.

Well it's similar to BtVS (although hopefully not too similar). The main difference is that there isn't a 'Chosen One.' Instead there are many 'Chosen Ones'. I haven't decided what to call them yet. The story focuses on a small group of them.

Plus, it isn't just 'demons, vampires, Hellgods etc.' I intend to include plenty of good 'monsters' and mythical beings as well. Show more of a balance.

Basically it's fantasy/action-adventure, but I'm hoping it will have a good 'heart' to it as well.

I realise it probably sounds very similar to BtVS, Charmed etc, but it's still in the early stages.

[SJ]

Your premise sounds good.

[Wright]

Thank you very much. I'm glad that you like it.

[SJ]

Good Luck with your writing.

[Krokador]

A singer in a world of vampires and such? Hehe that sounds like a good second job (after fighting evil).

If I could give you an advice though, it would be the "be careful with the mystical forces" because when you include them in a long story and are not 100% sure what they're up to, you tend to give them lot more place than what they should have, and they might look like they have no particular reason to be around.

My second advice would be: If you want your story to really have a heart, you gotta figure out it's meaning to yourself first. What's the message you want to tell? Does it come from something you've lived through? Is your main character a representation of you at some point in your life (or something you would've wanted to be?). Cuz all that will change the way you write the story, and even if it might give some depth to the feelings you will show, sometimes if it's related to personal experiences, you can lose sight of the story's main goal.

Another question to ask yourself if you're gonna use the demon fighting thing: don't forget to tell how it originated. Was it always there, in a constant fight with the good forces? Or did it just appear out of nowhere to wreak havoc? And I wouldn't call your group the chosen ones. Special powers are cool, but so much overrated. And it's a lot cooler when a bunch of ordinary kids beat the bad guy with just their wits and perseverance than with the help of the flying fireball attack, or the megazordz (ah power rangers memories ).

I don't mean to write your story, I'm just giving my personal opinion and the advices I think will help you.

Oh, and don't worry too much about what's cliche or not. A touch of cheesy can have a good effect too Just go with what you want to make your story out of, and if you really have good ideas the cliche shouldn't show up too much

[Wright]

A singer in a world of vampires and such? Hehe that sounds like a good second job (after fighting evil).

If I could give you an advice though, it would be the "be careful with the mystical forces" because when you include them in a long story and are not 100% sure what they're up to, you tend to give them lot more place than what they should have, and they might look like they have no particular reason to be around.

My second advice would be: If you want your story to really have a heart, you gotta figure out it's meaning to yourself first. What's the message you want to tell? Does it come from something you've lived through? Is your main character a representation of you at some point in your life (or something you would've wanted to be?). Cuz all that will change the way you write the story, and even if it might give some depth to the feelings you will show, sometimes if it's related to personal experiences, you can lose sight of the story's main goal.

Another question to ask yourself if you're gonna use the demon fighting thing: don't forget to tell how it originated. Was it always there, in a constant fight with the good forces? Or did it just appear out of nowhere to wreak havoc? And I wouldn't call your group the chosen ones. Special powers are cool, but so much overrated. And it's a lot cooler when a bunch of ordinary kids beat the bad guy with just their wits and perseverance than with the help of the flying fireball attack, or the megazordz (ah power rangers memories ).

I don't mean to write your story, I'm just giving my personal opinion and the advices I think will help you.

Oh, and don't worry too much about what's cliche or not. A touch of cheesy can have a good effect too Just go with what you want to make your story out of, and if you really have good ideas the cliche shouldn't show up too much

Thank you very much for your advice.

I am quite mindful of the need to have a good sense of how the supernatural 'works' in a story, including how it all began. I haven't quite figured it all out yet, but I'm working on it.

I do see the appeal of "just their wits and perseverance," but special powers can be good as well. For example, I like Superman comics. To me he is no less enjoyable as a character because he is capable of things that others are not. I'll just have to see what feels right for my story and take it from there.

SJ: Thank you for the encouragement.