Forum: Story Discussion and Feedback

What's next? You gonna accuse authors of plagiarism because their stories have human protagonists that go to school?

No, because they're using ALL THE SAME LETTERS! (though not necessarily in the same order)

so did you, just there, shit me too, hey everyone here are using the same letters,

According to your version of what constitutes plagiarism there is more in every story where a alien abducts a man just when they die, give them a new body with a bigger dick and send them back to the stone age with all the weapons they want and get a harem.

Aww man! I just finished 279 000 words where this is the EXACT plot. Admittedly 270 000 words of that was just the inventory the MC requested, in excruciating detail with complete model number references and overly defensive justifications for each item. But still!

*sigh*

Into the Bin it goes.

I am sure it would have been great! Especially the inventory!

The 1986 movie Troll had a young Harry Potter enlisting the help of a witch to restore his sister who has been possessed by a troll. The troll has turned the people in Potters apartment building into mythical beings.

Rowling is obviously a plagiarist and needs to be canceled!

There was a guy - I think it was a guy - who apparently had written a t used the term "muggle" for non magical people before Rowling wrote Harry Potter. He sued but if I recall, there was no evidence Rowling had ever seen his story.

It's weird how different people can come up with very similar ideas, but I suppose it's because there are billions of us now and worldwide communication has never been better. Back in the day, maybe someone in China wrote plays just like Shakespeare but the two writers never learned of each other's existence so no one cared. Except the Chinese audience members wondering "Where the fuck is Denmark?"

I read your link and Have a personal opinion problem with the title. The title says that there are 'six plots'. The article says that there are six story arcs and goes to list them having to do with rise and/or fall in the various combinations. To me, this is how the story is structured, not plot. Please show me where I am incorrect. Thanks

The difference between plot and story is complicated and not easily defined. It's certainly not something I would expect the average person to be aware of.

The article in question is a fluff piece in the Daily Mail, not a doctoral thesis in Literary Criticism.

A good example of this lack of academic discipline is when the article refers to "fictional works taken from the Project Gutenberg". The original study obviously did not take "fictional works" from anywhere, it took real works of fiction. Fictional books do not exist.

Technically, what the article is talking about is neither plot nor story, but rather the emotional arcs used to drive plot. This term is used (but not explained well) further down in the article.

Given that the author of the piece is the Daily Mail's Deputy Science and Technology Editor and the article is about a literary study, frankly I'm a little surprised that there aren't more errors.

Fictional books do not exist

I beg to differ - the grimoir in the library of the Unseen University (Terry Pratchett's Diskworld), that had to be chained to the lectern lest it snacked on unwary students, is an example of a fictional book mentioned in a work of fiction.

But, but that book which snacks on unwary students does not actually exist. It is fictional.

I have just read the Liza Devereaux story and - to my mind - it had more in common with Lumpy's https://storiesonline.net/series/1604/country-roads than with rlfj's "A Fresh Start". Obviously the "talented musician" part was replaced by the do-over theme. One part of the Devereaux story which required considerable suspension of belief was that the MC - 5 days into a "get fit and build up muscle" regimen - was capable of taking down a Marine unarmed combat expert twice his size.

the MC - 5 days into a "get fit and build up muscle" regimen - was capable of taking down a Marine unarmed combat expert twice his size.

Relative size ls not really an issue, depending on the situation.

Five days of 'get fit' versus a trained opponent, on the mat... No contest.

Five days of 'get fit' versus a trained opponent caught by surprise, possible.

Basically there is a huge difference between a bout in the gym/dojo, as opposed to a surprise attack intended to maim/disable.

How this applies in the story I have no idea, I've not read it.

However, I have taken part in self defence classes that required street clothes and real surroundings. The 'bad guys and girls' playing the mugger/rapist had protection and a lot of skill. Not a class I'd want to attended regularly, but absolutely taught us how to act in a real life attack.

No "surprise" involved. The Marine unarmed-combat specialist was specifically there to test the MC's abilities, after the MC had inflicted life-changing injuries on "3 bigger bullies" without suffering as much as a scratch himself.
The MC had - of course - been a Navy Seal in his previous life.

The MC had - of course - been a Navy Seal in his previous life.

Of course.

A recently declassified survey revealed that in 2011 Seal Team Six had in excess of 36,000 active members.

Classifying those who are dead as "active" would be a rather Soviet thing to do.

Or a republican voters list.

You spelled Chicago wrong.