Need suggestions for a tragic story in a historical setting

Discussion in 'Author Discussions' started by Tafyunn, Sep 14, 2022.

  1. Tafyunn

    Tafyunn Gimme your recommendatio- *yawns*

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    I need it for a language class lol. We were told to write whatever story we want but other than the above I don't really feel like writing anything else. The concept I'm going for is the classic "their love can't come true because they're standing on opposite sides or of different classes" because I think it'd be the story easiest to make something out of? If not that maybe a rebellion or something. I wanna put in effort but at the same time I don't really wanna put in too much effort because I don't think this should be worth that much of my time since I have like 5 other subjects I have to do thats due in Monday.

    *sigh* procrastination strikes again
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  2. Evilseniorbro

    Evilseniorbro Well-Known Member

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    Could do a classic rebel leader falls in love with the princess of the kingdom he's rebelling against. What will they choose or will both of then end up dead or perhaps one willingly gives themselves up to save the other
     
  3. Meap

    Meap Well-Known Member

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    Copy and paste the tragic story of Romeo and Juliet or the more ancient greek version whose name I can't remember.

    Adjust some settings for your chosen time period and you have your tragic love story.

    The reason why they can't be together? She/He was promised to another man/woman and thus their "true" love can't blossom.
     
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  4. PotatoZero

    PotatoZero Well-known Potato

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    A meets B. They get friendly. A did something unforgivable (to B's standard) over a misunderstanding. The misunderstanding gets resolved, but they still need to kill each other because they can't go back.
     
  5. livorino

    livorino Well-Known Member

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    A Story about a sleeping cat on a keyboard slowly dying while the owner tries everything to save it.
     
  6. Blossom_Honey

    Blossom_Honey Well-Known Member

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    Maybe knight x enemy queen? I saw someone do a knight x dragon but in the end the knight ended up killing her because he couldn't accept her human killing nature.

    Maybe you could do it like the guy accepts his fate and tries to find an opening to kill her, but overtime, he finds he's treated a lot better under her care so he decides to change his mind about her or whatever.

    Or it could be more along horror lines where she brainwashes him I guess...
     
    Last edited: Sep 14, 2022
  7. hypersniper159

    hypersniper159 Creator of NuF’s 7th Enigma

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    Check out the play “The Purple Hairpin” it’s exactly that. A man becomes an official but that means he has to leave his wife, who he loves dearly (it’s half the play) and it’s a summons from the king. It’s a Chinese opera so you might not like it. The main problem people have with it is the Chinese singing which immature people call screeching so just listen on mute if you don’t like it.
     
  8. LurkerIsBack

    LurkerIsBack Well-Known Member

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    How about a maid and butler? You can go with them both from different side. Rival noble families.
    They meet during a negotiation between both families.
    If you go with head maid and head butler setting you can say that both are quite knowledgeable and seeing each other doing their works perfectly with perfect etiquette, they start to show respect and admiration for each other. A story where both leads don't need to communicated verbally but through gestures.
    For the ending you can go with the negotiation is over and both families parted way and never meet again. Or both families are executed for treason and both leads are executed together along with their masters.
    With the treason ending you can say that both leads are in a way together at the end (so a happy ending) but the conclusion is still a tragic ending. If you are skilled you can try to use this opportunity to make both characters said their true feelings (like in the whole story this is the only moment both can say what they want without backlash since they are gonna get executed anyway) and move the readers.

    Well i think it may hard to write unless you get inspiration. Wish you good luck!

    PS : Btw, are the supernatural elements allowed? How long is the story you need to write?
     
    Last edited: Sep 14, 2022
  9. S4TY4

    S4TY4 Well-Known Member

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    Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet or just Google for famous Greek tragedy stories
     
  10. Tafyunn

    Tafyunn Gimme your recommendatio- *yawns*

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    It is quite a classic good one :blob_coffee:

    Hmm not really a fan of "ok so I know I promised you my love but now I love this other person but also I still wanna be w u bc if I dont I'd be called scum bc I already promised but at the same time I still love other person so i wont give you any love and I'll show off my discontent and sadness so much that it will physically emotionally and spiritually bother you so you'd either have no choice but to either let me go or do harm to other person i love which will lead me to elope with other person who also did the same or take revenge by kms". Still might take something from it though. :hmm:

    Basically dying because they're too dum and didn't communicate properly aiii :sweating_profusely:

    Nyooo ::blobcatsad::

    Oooooh fsr it reminded me of the classic Snow Queen lol. Good one too :blobokhand:

    You mean peking opera? I love those where can I watch it? :aww:

    a- aaaaaaaaa
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    you hit the mark :blobcat_hyper:

    I already have a plot in mind thanks to you all!! I'm gonna incorporate all of you guys' suggestions thanks!!! Also might translate it into english and post it when I'm done if ya'll wanna see it?:blobphone:


    Me after reading you guys' suggestions:

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    Last edited: Sep 15, 2022
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  11. hypersniper159

    hypersniper159 Creator of NuF’s 7th Enigma

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    enjoy,
    I rewatched it. I was wrong who sent the decree, it was the general, which is an imperial decree.
    i cant believe you dont know it, its a classic, do you know of the drunken concubine? i really love it! This one is a super high quality video. there is also this one which is also tragic, theres a translation in the comments


    Here it is:
    Meet each other, pass by Stop for a moment, some doubts Melodious and clear, white as yesterday Just like you and me Pasting the past Turning around, last night, fireworks Worship the heavens and the earth Thank you, Heaven, give you a piece of my heart. Look at the audience are guests Listening to the noise is a congratulatory Worship the heavens and the earth Xie Cangtian, give you a piece of my heart Life and death

    Its a story of a gay couple that were not allowed to officially marry

    Also please translate once your done, im curious how it will turn out.
     
    Last edited: Sep 15, 2022
  12. Tafyunn

    Tafyunn Gimme your recommendatio- *yawns*

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    I loved the Drunken Concubine too! Its not the first Peking opera I saw but definitely one of my favourites! :blobphone: I'll definitely check these out, now I realize I'm still pretty behind :blobupset:

    Alr I will! :blobhighfive:
     
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  13. PotatoZero

    PotatoZero Well-known Potato

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    Ehh, you can make reasons. Military secret, state secret, sect secret, etc. Just give them position of power, that could also be the reason why they can't just make up and hug each other.
     
  14. Darius Drake

    Darius Drake A poster of verbose posts

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    The common method people do this is "Our parents setup an arranged marriage, but I/neither of us want to go through with it". You can even have the arranged marriage be between two people who don't meet before the wedding.

    And the only reason I'm not giving suggestions is because you have set up a plot in mind already.
     
  15. Tafyunn

    Tafyunn Gimme your recommendatio- *yawns*

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    Oh no probs you guys still can if you have some ideas you wanna let out lol, I actually have another story I have to write-- for Eng this time, its a major paper but its not due until the end of October so it completely got thrown into the back of my mind haha

    Oh yeahhh why didn't I think of that :blobfearful:
     
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  16. Darius Drake

    Darius Drake A poster of verbose posts

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    Well, if you're willing to write the same general plot, but with enough thematic differences that it's not considered the same story...

    In a society where eugenics is utilised to determine one's profession, and one is expected to marry into that same profession in order to strengthen their decedent's inheritable traits in that field, two people meet for reasonable reasons (eg. exercise, hobby, or their fields of work interact, such as a Structural Engineer and a Construction Manager, or a Medical Professional and Anyone) and fall for each other. If they both of them are actually both eugenically preferable and actually happily skilled in their field, it would also allow for conflict arising from outside sources due to individual's in their profession's eugenically AND trying to get to them for their money.

    - Person A (now "A") meets Person B (now "B" and, after shenanigans, A & B can't get each other out of their head. Person C (now "C") wants to get with A due to financial benefits, while Person D (now "D") wants AND expects to get with B due to the cultural eugenics preferences suggesting that they would have biologically optimal children for their eugenically determined profession. A & B meet again, agree to go on a date, and start running into problems. Not from C or D, yet, but just from doing something simple like going to get dinner together at a restaurant that requires a reservation trying to separate them (could come up with an coincidental excuse, such as they booked the same night that a Singles Meet Party was going, and separated them into their "preferred group" ignoring or having cancelled their booking due to the Singles Meeting Party Event. The Singles Meet Party could also be how C is introduced, while D has already been introduced while B was pining over A, and is known to be chasing B). Add in C being annoying to A and causing issues for B, D being annoying to B and causing issues for A, and minor side characters treating A & B well until they discover that they're crossing the social "optimise the eugenics of your children for your profession" line and start either pressuring them to break up or treating them like they have some disease and potentially either disappearing from the plot, or only being included as a character that is known to talk behind their backs about A & B's relationship.

    Extra points if their relationship is all fine legally, and the eugenics thing is completely a social construct formed after people could discover what profession they were inherently best suited for in early childhood, and everybody who both pays attention in school history class and bothers to remember it (primarily those who study or teach history class) knows this.
     
  17. Xian Piete

    Xian Piete Author of many mediocre stories

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    Google Long Looooooong man. The greatest love story of all time.