Writing something unreasonable, because obsession is taunting me?

Discussion in 'Author Discussions' started by Lazriser, Jan 28, 2019.

  1. Lazriser

    Lazriser Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2016
    Messages:
    8,258
    Likes Received:
    6,254
    Reading List:
    Link
    An idea I can't seem to erase from my mind. My imagination is narrow yet this image keeps haunting me. A fight between prototype characters I've abandoned in the past, due to my lack of writing and passion.

    A question to authors that write action novels, mainly those novels that utilize fighting between characters in the form of martial arts, weaponry, or supernatural means. Do you create action novels for the sake of action or is the action just a means for your characters to complete their objective in their respective stories?

    I have this obsession of always wanting to see two OP characters fight each other with their surroundings casually being destroyed along the fight for death or victory. I'm currently having imaginations of opposing godlike entities fighting to the death, and the outcome leads to a draw where both forces create the multiverse as a byproduct of their powers. The overall situation then starts an eternal war between two factions, both destructive in their paths to domination, yet the former is self-destruction while the latter is destruction itself.

    You can imagine the cliches going on in my mind. Two shape-shifting humanoid monsters; a spiked serpent in deep black and purple, coiling together with a winged serpent in radiant white and gold. The first serpent is humanity consumed by the evil in their hearts while the second serpent is humanity transcending the human by eliminating all evil in their hearts. The dark serpent is pathos; the light serpent is logos. The former magic; the latter science.

    Oops, I got sidetracked. Back to the point, I'm just curious and hoping this might clear some doubts in me. Is it practical or possible to write an action novel for the sake of action? For example, like gradually raising the difficulty for both the protagonist and antagonist with their respective side characters, until the story reaches the finale which is the final battle. Is it worth writing something like this, even though I have no passion or skills in writing?
     
  2. b1w2c3

    b1w2c3 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 11, 2017
    Messages:
    429
    Likes Received:
    251
    Reading List:
    Link
    Your idea kind of reminds me of desolate era
     
  3. Arcadia Blade

    Arcadia Blade ༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽つ You can do it!!

    Joined:
    Feb 11, 2016
    Messages:
    2,945
    Likes Received:
    11,501
    Reading List:
    Link
    Yeah. Mainly on one of my novel, i plainly focus on the action scenes with little to no dialouge and there's even no time for my chars to think their strategies and only do action style movements. If you want to write a pure action novel, you just need to focus on the scenes which both chars fight but do keep in mind that you need to actually write why they are fighting instead of fighting for no reason.
     
  4. Lazriser

    Lazriser Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2016
    Messages:
    8,258
    Likes Received:
    6,254
    Reading List:
    Link
    I don't recall Desolate Era having two forces collide for the sake of it. I won't continue, because spoilers.
    It's not really pure action, but I'm obsess with wanting to write a consistent overpowering finale, between two opposing godlike beings capable of warping realities based on the premise of the story. At the start, the protagonist and antagonists are both villains, but neither actually confront each other until the final arc in their respective stories. The dark one is a weak-to-strong protagonist, who survives in a somewhat cultivation-like world, because of a dimensional war. The light one is also a weak-to-strong protagonist except the world is extremely scientifically advanced, almost like magic. The former fights to survive, but the latter fights to control. Their stories are set in the same universe, with the finale creating a multiverse which is an introduction to newer characters. I already got this *verse of mine, with everything part of the grand scheme of things.
     
  5. Glib

    Glib Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 29, 2018
    Messages:
    152
    Likes Received:
    31
    Reading List:
    Link
    Writing for the sake of action or not doesn't matter. Whether you're writing for wish-fulfillment, pleasure, fun, or for others.

    Why not just do it? Begin writing.

    Whatever comes out of it, you've worked for it. It is yours and yours alone, unless you would like to share it with the world. Like 'Hey, I wrote this story, would you mind reading it?' Whether there'll be anyone reading it or none, somewhere and someone in the world will risk their lives to read it.
     
  6. Exvalkyrie

    Exvalkyrie Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2017
    Messages:
    136
    Likes Received:
    156
    Reading List:
    Link
    Depend, if you make both MC and Antagonist brain dead/muscle brain/typical shounen with no logic, it possible to stall their bout until final battle.
    But, if you give them little brain, it wont possible. Real example would be our world history of war. Both side will spy, hinder, stop any possible chance of their enemy to gain more power. Because reducing enemy power is more viable than passing your current power.
    Lets says they are a nemesis, why you not finish them off when you can do it now, when you ahead him.Every example in novel never questioned that, IRL we would never let any antagonistic faction to gain enough power to be threat, even with any possible reason.
     
  7. Deleted member 155674

    Deleted member 155674 Guest

    Reading List:
    Link
    Write what you want, awesome story short synopsis by the way (y), if you wrote a chapter or some already can you provide me a link?
    ps: if you want it mostly action based, make sure to describe the battle and scene as much as possible
     
  8. Lazriser

    Lazriser Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2016
    Messages:
    8,258
    Likes Received:
    6,254
    Reading List:
    Link
    Half of me wants other people to read it, so they can enjoy it with me. The other half is me being a lazy ass, because I lack the will to write something tedious, yet rather than seeking improvement. I abandon myself in procrastination and self-hate, but their stories are still there. I can't seem to forget them, even if I want to. Yeah, I'm nitpicking too much on myself, because I do enjoy reading novels, especially superpower fights. Sigh. Perhaps I should just write, but my inner voice keeps telling me, this is a waste of time, or I can't write anything worth reading to anyone or myself. If I could write without fear, I wouldn't create this thread.
    My plan is to write two novels, with two opposite SIDES of the overall story-line. The protagonist and antagonist never actually meet until the end, because both are undergoing character growth and development in their respective stories. As to why both never confront each other directly, it's because their stories happen in different galaxies in the same universe. I want the finale to be a war between demons and angels. The demons are magical creatures and angels are automatons.

    The demonic protagonist/antagonist is like your cultivator protagonist, but with wit and intellect. Savage by nature yet terribly pure in emotion. The desolate planet he lives on forces him to become a demonic emperor that eventually devours the literal universe like cancer. The angelic protagonist/antagonist is somewhat like your mad scientist with psychic abilities. Extremely prideful and terribly rational at the cost of ethics. He lives in the lowest areas in the galactic fleet; hating crime and evil so much, his sense of justice is warped. He abhors humans so much, he was willing to abandon his humanity for the sake of purging all what he deems evil.

    Both characters have their own timelines with their own arcs. It's a build up and gradually the scale of battle increases when both finally confront each other, with the victor dominating their universe. Though the plan is to make it a draw, because their stories are prequels to the heroes against dark champions fantasy setting.
     
    Last edited: Jan 28, 2019
  9. Zynros

    Zynros Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 14, 2016
    Messages:
    29
    Likes Received:
    48
    Reading List:
    Link
    Please let us know if you do write this, as I really want to read it now.
     
  10. Exvalkyrie

    Exvalkyrie Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2017
    Messages:
    136
    Likes Received:
    156
    Reading List:
    Link
    Then it throw the uniqueness of two side protag novel, reader NEED to be given a confrontation which they both understanding enemy philosophy, reason to fight, & their view, in which they agree to stay as enemy, because their reason never meet.
    You should know that just fighting something you never understand and
    is not something you could called Final Battle, it just will be passing wind for the winning side, which is frustrating for the reader.
    Edit/Extra: That's why we found many works that included
    1. MC party battle the last boss.
    2. MC party lose.
    3. Some sermon from enemy side.
    4. Sacrifice of a teammate
    5. MC party able to escape.
    6. Re-Questioning their reason to fight and Character Growth.
    7. Confrontation again which will be the REAL Final Battle.
     
    Last edited: Jan 28, 2019
  11. Lazriser

    Lazriser Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2016
    Messages:
    8,258
    Likes Received:
    6,254
    Reading List:
    Link
    I see. It's not worth being called a finale, huh? The entire premise of the story is like a program. The error and virus, with the programmer giving up.

    If writing two novels is frustrating for the readers, then I should start with the something that connects with the antagonist. As you said, the two really don't connect until they at the end, so the both characters should be like L and Light scenario. By that, I mean both notice the other's presence and gradually understand both are a threat to their goals, which solidifies the core concept and initiation as to why both of the must fight at all costs.

    The problem is, which timeline should I write first? The two have vastly different environments, because the magical protagonist is in a ancient fantasy while the scientific protagonist is urban fantasy. This is going to give me headaches for a while. Hmm...
     
    Last edited: Jan 28, 2019
  12. Lazriser

    Lazriser Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2016
    Messages:
    8,258
    Likes Received:
    6,254
    Reading List:
    Link
    This is the formula? Duly noted.
     
  13. Glib

    Glib Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 29, 2018
    Messages:
    152
    Likes Received:
    31
    Reading List:
    Link
    An idea will remain as an idea until you make it real

    JUST. DO. IT.

    ...then see if you'd really want to make this thing put into action. If things didn't seem comfortable and engaging, stop. Do other things that make you happy.

    TRY. Otherwise, you'll never know.
     
  14. GDLiZy

    GDLiZy Wise Deepsea Mermaid

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2017
    Messages:
    2,915
    Likes Received:
    2,801
    Reading List:
    Link
    Don't listen to that cliche thingy called the final battle. There is no formula for such a thing.

    You can actually make the two never met but still let the opponent coming out as the intimidating and terrifying enemy when revealed. You only needed one thing, the impact that the enemy had on the current protagonist. For example, maybe the act of commanding the army of A would slaughter the lover of B. While A was never actually presented in the scene or had any knowledge of B, this would create the tension that would serve as the basic foundation for their confrontation later on.