Can anyone help me with my story ideas?

[Bee22]

I need some advice and I would greatly appreciate anyones help. I'm currently working on a story that is based on the style of sic fi/fantasy and some horror elements. My use of inspiration for this story is kind of like the plot of a fighting game tournament, ya know.. like in Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, that is what inspired me but I don't want it to be a cliché storyline, (e.i. sponsor of some evil organization wants to hold a tournament, inviting all kinds of fighters, monsters, warriors, etc. Or they must fight to prevent the take over of the demi gods that will rule the world or something like that). I want to avoid that typical storyline. My characters in the story would range from martial artists, to sic fi soldiers, robots, cyber cops, demons, angels, gods, horror monsters, and fantasy creatures.

Anyone have any good ideas how I can drive a plot idea for how all these themed characters would be fighting in a fighting tournament that would be unique? what could be a good excuse for why a tournament would be held with so many mixed character themes? Thank you guys, I'd really appreciate all this help. Any help will do, thanks.

 

[HareBrain]

I can't think how there would be a tournament without some kind of prize. Do you know what that is yet? If not, I think that should probably come first. It could either be something that directly benefits the winner (cash, magic item) or the chance to do something (be the chosen champion against a powerful enemy, try to draw the sword from the stone, etc).

 

[Bee22]

I was thinking some kind of special prize like a sum of money, but I want it to be more than just that. I did want to have some corrupted organization corporate running the tournament but also mix in the fantasy aspect of them working with some demonic fantasy underworld/dimension. Maybe the tournament will help the organization gain some sort of magic? Or like you said the winner gets to be chosen against a powerful enemy and if he/she succeeds then they get to have the powerful enemies weapon or get a magic sword from a stone? Idk what to do

Maybe the winner gets to be part of the organization and win being the head CEO if they beat the powerful enemy from an altered dimension? Maybe it can be some sort of sacrifice?

 

[Cat's Cradle]

What HB said...also, could champions of the various martial disciplines be called together by a powerful government for a tournament to prove the worth of their disciplines? And the winner would be given the prize of providing security for the entire government/country?
Intrigue would follow as they work to perform their new task against unknown foes, and perhaps coalitions of those they've defeated.
In the tournie you could have Lovecraftian monstrosities fighting angels, and cyborgs battling centaurs. But with this scenario, you'd have to come up with some reason these powerful creatures would be willing to serve a government ( or corporation, etc), should they win the tournament. Just bouncing ideas around, best of luck with this, CC

 

[Jo Zebedee]

What about something more existential as a prize? Money can be a boring motivator, as can power. But personal freedom... that can be very powerful. Especially if you've been caught in a trope all your life.*

*In which Jo sums up pretty much every book she has ever written.

 

[Bee22]

What HB said...also, could champions of the various martial disciplines be called together by a powerful government for a tournament to prove the worth of their disciplines? And the winner would be given the prize of providing security for the entire government/country?
Intrigue would follow as they work to perform their new task against unknown foes, and perhaps coalitions of those they've defeated.
In the tournie you could have Lovecraftian monstrosities fighting angels, and cyborgs battling centaurs. But with this scenario, you'd have to come up with some reason these powerful creatures would be willing to serve a government ( or corporation, etc), should they win the tournament. Just bouncing ideas around, best of luck with this, CC

I kind of like that idea if the winner being the one to provide for the government/country but would this be enough excuse for a government /organization to find a reason on how to recruit a head security?

I'm not sure yet how I could tie monsters, angels and cyborgs for a reason to serve as security for a government organization but I'm sure the organization would love to see the competition of these guys battle to he their head security. Maybe some special deal with the underworld?

 

[Bee22]

What about something more existential as a prize? Money can be a boring motivator, as can power. But personal freedom... that can be very powerful. Especially if you've been caught in a trope all your life.*

*In which Jo sums up pretty much every book she has ever written.

You mean like if they fight and the winner gets their freedom? That could work, is that similar to Hunger Games?

 

[Overread]

I think you need a few structural elements to your world.

First up you've got an idea of having a wide selection of beasties, angles, devils, monsters, people, etc... So I think the very first idea you've got to come up with is how all these different individuals are able to be in one place at one time. Furthermore are they one offs or part of small populations or are they representative of whole races of peoples.

Then you've got to link your world setting up; is it a single huge planet with a vast variety of peoples; a world set within a huge interstellar empire; older technology worlds linked via powerful magics that allow people to traverse the vast distances of space. A magical realm forged of many floating worlds linked via powerful gates. An inter-dimensional situation where creatures from different dimensions are pulled in (willingly or unwillingly) to a central single world


I think once you put some world building down and flesh out a few of your more key characters you'll start to find motivations and ways to blend in how they are all brought together and for what purpose might cause them to want to fight against each other. You might even find that whilst the tournament has a single aim, each fighter might have their very own reasoning for why they have specifically come to fight. This variety might well cause further contention and fracturing between the groups.

For example a slave people might send a champion to win the prize of a powerful magical artifact so that they can use it to trade or fight for their freedom; whilst a race that overlords over them might come to secure the trophy so that their slaves remain slaves. Another character might be religious and consider the artifact the work of dark forces and it must be destroyed and never used.
There's 3 characters that now have a reason to compete for a prize whilst at the same time having no reason nor common ground to unite their efforts.


I think once you world build a bit more you'll find a lot of the story starts to pull itself together on its own. Without the world building its hard to suggest reasons and motivations because the potential is too great.




Note if you want some ideas consider reading up on the lore/books/stories of:
League of Legends (and generally any well fleshed out MOBA game franchise)
Tekkan
Soul Calibre
Age of Sigmar

Much of it might just be general ideas and themes, but they might give you some ideas of what has and has not been tried before.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

You mean like if they fight and the winner gets their freedom? That could work, is that similar to Hunger Games?

Yeah - or whatever their definition of personal freedom is.

 

[Graymalkin]

Overread's 4th paragraph. Disparate cultures drawn to the same 'prize' gives you so much scope. Prrhaps some legendary object (comet asteroid nibiru thingy) returns and everyone races to unlock it. Sounds a bit familiar though. Good luck

 

[Overread]

Also note that the prize doesn't have to be the same for each group. There might be a "show" price but also back-handers and personal rewards. The organisers might have a big cup for the winner, but behind the scenes might give the hero the cure to the plague that is killing their people; or not infect their people with the killer plague etc....

Such things can work great for creating a very shadowy situation where other combatants might not know the real purpose of others fighting and competing. Esp if some are from "Nobel" houses (or similar groups ) and thus are truly competing just for the cup and prestige.

You might even have two outwardly competing people actually fighting for the same side in the background. Bribery, corruption, the idea that two can advance far enough that they can dictate teh results of at least the fight(s) where they compete against each other to further one over the other. Gambling and debt and mafias.

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

I need some advice and I would greatly appreciate anyones help. I'm currently working on a story that is based on the style of sic fi/fantasy and some horror elements. My use of inspiration for this story is kind of like the plot of a fighting game tournament, ya know.. like in Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, that is what inspired me but I don't want it to be a cliché storyline, (e.i. sponsor of some evil organization wants to hold a tournament, inviting all kinds of fighters, monsters, warriors, etc. Or they must fight to prevent the take over of the demi gods that will rule the world or something like that). I want to avoid that typical storyline. My characters in the story would range from martial artists, to sic fi soldiers, robots, cyber cops, demons, angels, gods, horror monsters, and fantasy creatures.

Anyone have any good ideas how I can drive a plot idea for how all these themed characters would be fighting in a fighting tournament that would be unique? what could be a good excuse for why a tournament would be held with so many mixed character themes? Thank you guys, I'd really appreciate all this help. Any help will do, thanks.

It seems to me like you're casting your net a bit wide.

with that many character traits you'll have a job keeping all the balls in the air. I suspect you'll find yourself off on trips into the past of these people and the head hoping would be hard to follow.

I would suggest (especially if this is your first attempt at writing) that you decide to pit say the humans agains maybe the cyber cops and the horror monsters and see how it goes from there.

If you find you're able to wrap these together, then you could introduce other types as you go along. A kind of Gullivers travels theme.

 

[Venusian Broon]

So, seeing you have gods lined up in your universe...

How about a organisation who are extremely mysterious, a deep Illuminati, who cannot be directly contacted, but they occasionally post/promote various challenges that need to be cracked, like Cicada 3301. It is rumoured that they hold great secrets and objects of power so arcane that even gods are interested, and to obtain these rewards you must play their game.

The symbol of the organisation represents this great power and is a golden apple. The first challenges after cracking their devious codes will be related to violence and/or martial prowess and harm. Say, for example, you must steal the most precious object of your best friend and send it to an address. Or to provoke the most peaceful person you know to draw a drop of your own blood.

You attempt the first few challenges, without knowing if you have really passed them. If you have, however, they will notice you and then send direct messages, perhaps a small physical calling card, perhaps an e-mail, or (perhaps even a dream?). They start leaving comments. Then messages with a time and place and the line 'Only the winner progresses'. You turn up and find another contender. This will occur a few times and forms the main fighting competition.

Maybe during one of the encounters a 'civilian', a women calling herself Eris (or some name very close to this!), is threatened and you have the option to save her. You do and somehow she becomes intertwined oddly with you. At first she seems quite weak, but later on she seems to show that she knows more and more about this competition and the organisation and reveals herself to be dangerous.

So as you progress more and more detail is revealed - perhaps they are very supernatural and shadowing, or perhaps you do find an actual organisation that exists in a sort of Kafka-esque limbo, small cells of people carrying out orders from higher up persons who have no idea what their actions really accomplish. I can't decide right now

Anyway what happens in the end? Well, Eris turns out to be the key figure (look up your Greek Mythology ) so....perhaps you have to fight her in the end, she is big bad boss. Or perhaps, because of her fundamental nature you must oppose her wishes and not fight. Perhaps there is something of power at the end, but it is useless to try and obtain it, because there will be a constant stream of challengers trying to wrest it off you. Perhaps there is nothing, because Eris just wants discord

"To the most powerful one..."

Anyway, just a quick thought after reading your post.

 

[-K2-]

How about... the regime is incredibly oppressive, corrupt, whatever, and is held together by a single character like an emperor/dictator or some such. That emperor/ess for whatever the reasons is only there having inherited the position over generations... So, there is nothing special about him/her except that, if they perish, it all falls apart/chaos.

The prize offered is X... acclaim, minor wealth, better life whatever. All inconsequential in such a place. However, the symbol of that victory, be it a medal, sash, whatever, is awarded and handed or hung on the victor by the emperor/ess personally, face to face.

K2

 

[Bee22]

Thanks guys! All of you!

@Overread that sounds like a great idea for the freedom fighting plot. Maybe I should have variety of reasons e.i. like one character is fighting for their freedom, another character is fighting to keep control of others freedom, or one is fighting for the glory & fame, while another is doing it religiously to save humanity?

The issue here is me figuring out a way on how supernatural forces like a minotaur, Greek statue, demons, angels, lovecraft creatures, vikings, knights, samurai, chimera, serial killing monster, etc would be entering such a tournament. How could I tie such creatures and ancient warriors to compete for such an organization? Should I make it that the corporate used some ancient artifact to unlock these altered dimensions or tapped into some genetic dna testing from some past world? Does it sound rediculous that such powerful creatures would compete for some corporate organization?

I like the idea of each one fighting gets a different prize according to their back story, whether it's a cure for disease, sum of money to restore their poor lifestyle, etc.

@TheEndIsNigh thanks I really need to make sense of why martial artists, cyber cops, witches, robots and dragons would be competing and fighting each other. What is Gullivers travels theme?

@Venusian Broon I like this a lot! So you're saying that this organization is a mysterious unknown like an illuminate that controls everything? Would it make sense if some secret underworld dimension was working with a human run corporate organization? Could a golden apple symbol seem intimidating enough? I like the idea of Eris too being the big bad boss at the end haha, do you mean revealing herself looking scary or more goddess like?

 

[Bee22]

How about... the regime is incredibly oppressive, corrupt, whatever, and is held together by a single character like an emperor/dictator or some such. That emperor/ess for whatever the reasons is only there having inherited the position over generations... So, there is nothing special about him/her except that, if they perish, it all falls apart/chaos.

The prize offered is X... acclaim, minor wealth, better life whatever. All inconsequential in such a place. However, the symbol of that victory, be it a medal, sash, whatever, is awarded and handed or hung on the victor by the emperor/ess personally, face to face.

K2

So like the emperor/ess is in charge and the winner faces them? That could work too, thanks!

 

[-K2-]

So like the emperor/ess is in charge and the winner faces them? That could work too, thanks!

Well, that is just the least part of the story. Clearly there would be a lot of intrigue as people try and sponsor fighters to assassinate the empress, stop this fighter or that from winning, various odd bets made, approach wild-card combatants, some combatants risking everything to simply help their family rise up a little, whatever.

Check out the movie 'Hero' with Jet Li. That will give you a small sense of the many twists and turns that can play out before hand.

The assassination, or not, the least consequential part.

K2

 

[Bee22]

Ok cool I will check it out! But could something like this take place in the near future combined with advanced technology and high pace social media taking place?

 

[Ihe]

I don't want it to be a cliché storyline, (e.i. sponsor of some evil organization wants to hold a tournament,

I did want to have some corrupted organization corporate running the tournament

Make up your mind!

I was thinking some kind of special prize like a sum of money, but I want it to be more than just that.

Overread's 4th paragraph. Disparate cultures drawn to the same 'prize' gives you so much scope. Prrhaps some legendary object (comet asteroid nibiru thingy) returns and everyone races to unlock it. Sounds a bit familiar though. Good luck

This. The prize needs to be so powerful and transcendental that it would attract even beings from higher planes. Something at the level of "holy smokes! The sun just blinked out!" kinda thing. What does a god or a monster from the 4th dimension care about human money/measly human power? No, the prize needs to be BIG. Once you know the motivation, it is much easier to mould and direct your characters. This in turn can make it easier to build cohesion, maybe a theme or two.

So far you don't have much to work with. A lot of characters you want to show and a loose setting that is, sorry to say, cliche (in movies alone, and that's without counting cartoons/anime/manga/comics/games/other books), but not much else. I firmly believe the actual main plot needs to come from the writer. If you could give us just a small corner to tug at, we could unravel your informed idea into a more usable form. But you need to give us something first to work with. The plot, that's where the rudder of the story is, and you as its captain can't leave it to the likes of us. One needs to understand the plot very intimately, and have a personal investment in it. Yeah, I know, that's too romantic, but a story with a borrowed plot might lack soul. Be warned. With that said, it does sound like something I would read .

 

[Venusian Broon]

@Venusian Broon I like this a lot! So you're saying that this organization is a mysterious unknown like an illuminate that controls everything? Would it make sense if some secret underworld dimension was working with a human run corporate organization? Could a golden apple symbol seem intimidating enough? I like the idea of Eris too being the big bad boss at the end haha, do you mean revealing herself looking scary or more goddess like?[/QUOTE]


Well, everything is up to you! Best to pick what excites you the most, or what you feel makes a great story in your mind.

In reply to your questions:

1) Illuminati. Sort of, I guess, well, not controlling, but more....agents of discord!

2) Yeah. In fact what I was thinking was that 'Eris' who you might think at the start was just some innocent bystander, would eventually become the real mastermind behind it all. And, yes, she could have a whole corporate organisation supporting her doing all the mundane stuff, like sending cards out, or organising the initiation...up to a some sort of 'false' big baddie CEO that the protagonist battles against, because they think this person holds the secrets, but then finds that Eris, who has been beside them all this time, is the real enemy.

(Think of the excellent Ninth Gate film where Johnny Depp's Character always comes across a strange alluring woman who aids him, but...turns out to be something else...)

3) Golden Apple is part of the myth - Originally - Eris, the goddess of Discord throws a golden apple with the words 'To the fairest one' in a party of the Olympic gods, causing a fight and kick-starting the Trojan war....Apple might also resonate with a certain huge tech company, if you want more connection with 'human run corporate organisation' (I think they are evil anyway... )

4) Ending...hey, I just blurted out rough thoughts. Yeah, maybe she could turn into some sort of discordant hell-beast, that needs to be defeated - if you feel like that. Or perhaps, as the goddess of discord, you have to find your inner calm and refuse fighting to defeat her???? Plenty of options, as ever!