Need some advice

Started by Blaziken15 April 22nd, 2011 5:38 AM
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Female
In my dreams.
Seen December 13th, 2016
Posted October 30th, 2011
444 posts
14.3 Years
All I can really advise you to do is to not follow the game’s storyline. Everyone knows the game’s storyline, so what you have to do is either give the story a different plot (as long with the original plot, if you wish), or change the journey itself. Even just making a small change like changing the order of the towns / cities can make people interested. For example, say your journey-fic takes place in Kanto. Instead of starting in Pallet, like a gazillion others, start in places like Celadon instead and have Erika be the first gym leader, and do your plot / journey from there.

But no matter what you choose, I do suggest you make the changes apparent in the first chapter. Important to get people instantly hooked and not think, ‘Just another journey-fic that will never be completed.’
"After being saddled with two ten-year-old brats and being sent out on her long overdue Pokemon journey, she can’t help but wonder… is it worth it?"
Age 36
Seen 17 Hours Ago
Posted 2 Days Ago
Or don't even use a badge-collecting plot for your journey fic. Your original trainer doesn't have to collect badges to go on a journey. All they need to have is a Pokemon, really. So your trainer could just be journeying to be a general battler, a breeder, a watcher, a coordinator, or just someone who wants to travel with Pokemon.

Another piece of advice I can give is make your character interesting. If you have an interesting character, then the readers will stay with your story to learn more about the character.

Really, just remember that there's a lot of different ways to write a Pokemon journey fic. You don't have to follow the basic "get all badges become champion" route.

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New Joisey
Seen February 26th, 2017
Posted June 26th, 2011
3,329 posts
18.7 Years
It can be about a Pokemon Journey, but it must have your own unique spin to it or else things will quickly become dull because in the end, it's been said and done. Originality is key. Make it interesting!

You can have the simplest writing style but the most wonderful ideas and that will draw in readers.

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Misheard Whisper

I also happen to be a model.

Age 28
He/They
Nimbasa Gym
Seen October 3rd, 2022
Posted September 27th, 2022
3,488 posts
14.3 Years
When writing OT fanfiction, I found this guide by our very own Thesis/AC Coda X/Scarlet Weather to be extremely helpful. It lists common tropes and scenarios to avoid, and how to get around your fic appearing formulaic and boring. Plus it's delivered with a good dose of humour, so it's entertaining to read.
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Harassing Bill
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Posted December 8th, 2012
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Besides what other people have said, if you do want to write a badge quest and you do know they can get boring, ask yourself why you think they're boring. Think of it like this. You know there's something wrong with certain fics. Think about the kinds of things that turn you off a fic and try to avoid making the same mistakes. Sometimes, thinking about what you like to read will help you figure out what you should write and what others might like to read too.
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Astinus and Dagzar: Great advice, but I'll add a little more to that. It doesn't have to be a Pokemon Journey about a trainer. There are many occupations a traveling character can can decide to do. There is the obvious trainer path, but there are things like coordinators that were introduced in Generation 3.

I am also trying to write one myself, but at the moment it is on the outline stage. A lot of Pokemon Journey fan fictions I have read (On fanfiction.net and some other forums) now a days are really bad. I personally think that is because of how bland the authors are making their stories, but also that their character doesn't really develop into anything. From beginning to end he/she stays the same. This is my opinion, but I think that making your character have some kind of problem in their personality and develop it would be more interesting. (For example I am making my character annoyingly weak as a person. He's a person who drives people away with his voice and his lack of confidence. But through his journey he'll develop and grow into a stronger person.) Many people might disagree with this advice, but this is what I am suggesting and if you decide to listen to it or not is your decision.

@Misheard Whisper: I will look at the link you just put up. It'll help me along with the fan fiction I am writing.
Age 36
Seen 17 Hours Ago
Posted 2 Days Ago
Astinus and Dagzar: Great advice, but I'll add a little more to that. It doesn't have to be a Pokemon Journey about a trainer. There are many occupations a traveling character can can decide to do. There is the obvious trainer path, but there are things like coordinators that were introduced in Generation 3.
Which I already said:

Or don't even use a badge-collecting plot for your journey fic. Your original trainer doesn't have to collect badges to go on a journey. All they need to have is a Pokemon, really. So your trainer could just be journeying to be a general battler, a breeder, a watcher, a coordinator, or just someone who wants to travel with Pokemon.
It would have been rather odd for me not to mention that characters don't have to be badge-collecting trainers in order to go on a Pokemon journey when my characters don't collect badges and go on multiple Pokemon journeys.

--

Blaziken15, another thing you can do is work on how the characters interact with one another. Don't forget that you aren't just writing one character: the human trainer. You're also writing about their Pokemon team. Remembering that the Pokemon can be important characters on their own, including them in the cast, and having them interact with their trainer aside from simple-minded battle tools could also help. It'll also be a way to make the trainer more interesting, to see how they act towards their Pokemon.

And you can make things different right from the start by having the trainer receive their Pokemon in a way other than "go to lab, see professor once and never again, get Pokemon, leave". You can either have the trainer get their Pokemon in a different way, or even start the story after they get their Pokemon and have a little experience. That way, if you're worried about the beginning of the journey being boring, you can skip it and just reflect on/tell it through back story.

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Bay

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Dani California
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Posted 6 Hours Ago
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17 Years
And you can make things different right from the start by having the trainer receive their Pokemon in a way other than "go to lab, see professor once and never again, get Pokemon, leave". You can either have the trainer get their Pokemon in a different way, or even start the story after they get their Pokemon and have a little experience. That way, if you're worried about the beginning of the journey being boring, you can skip it and just reflect on/tell it through back story.
Agreeing this so much. Rarely I see a trainer fic start off in the middle of the journey, so it would be great if more stories start that way so that the plot comes around early. I can understand if many people worry about not showing the main character's development, but character development can still happen even if the story is of an experienced trainer. A couple trainer fics I'm thinking of doing I'm going to have it start in the middle of the journey.
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Misheard Whisper

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Age 28
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Nimbasa Gym
Seen October 3rd, 2022
Posted September 27th, 2022
3,488 posts
14.3 Years
Starting a journey fic in medias res is something that's not done nearly often enough, so allow me to add my voice to the almost unanimous chorus of support for starting in the middle. I'd read this fic.
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Misheard Whisper

I also happen to be a model.

Age 28
He/They
Nimbasa Gym
Seen October 3rd, 2022
Posted September 27th, 2022
3,488 posts
14.3 Years
Um . . . like we've said. Try starting it in the middle of the action - say, the main character's third Gym Battle. Introduce his Pokemon, get the action going, and explain how he got there later rather than wasting chapters and chapters on stuff we already know from playing the games (ie HERE HAVE A POKEMON AND A POKEDEX AND SOME POKE BALLS AND THIS IS HOW YOU USE THEM AND BOY ISN'T THIS EXCITING AND HEY LOOK A TRAINER THIS IS HOW YOU BATTLE BLAH BLAH)
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