Discussion Is it possible to write good wish fulfillment?

Discussion in 'Novel Discussion' started by Penultimate, May 30, 2017.

  1. Penultimate

    Penultimate Sect Silkpants Prince

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    As I'm sure most of you know, web novels of all languages have often fell into the category of wish fulfillment. Which often have, but not limited to, the protagonist getting some ridiculous cheat, being extremely lucky/contrived coincidences and of course, often having a harem who's women have little to no personality, basically sex dolls. If you read web novels you've probably come across a couple of these novels, perhaps enjoying them for what they are at face value, hating them due to their shallowness and piss poor writing, or ignoring them altogether and continue trying to find novels that fit your interests.

    I've gone through the same thing, but often I would read these stories and think, is it possible for these novels to be good? Often I would come across a novel with a plot can be the whole reason to read the novel due to interest(aka using bait to catch unsuspecting readers) but later drops said plot for base reasons such as going from place to place and powering up while beating up various enemies, basically like a video game except I'm not holding the controller and there are no exciting visuals! And so I would drop the novel and be sad that a series I had high expectations of degraded into something else, or rather pretended it was something more.

    Do you guys think its possible to write a good wish fulfillment novel or does it have to become something more? Have you ever read a good wish fulfillment novel yourself? Should you expect more from these types of novels or think that's all they'll ever be, nothing else and nothing more?
     
  2. mmsupreme

    mmsupreme How do I change my custom title?

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    It is possible but the wish fulfillment shouldn't be as direct as I need this but it is a extremely rare resource 10 chapters there is a dungeon that has said resource. The women shouldn't fall for the mc in a few chapters but should be woven into the story to show actual growth. Sevens show how a harem should be done
     
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  3. Ignus

    Ignus Philosopher of Flames

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    The problem steams from the industry. They are pushing volume, quantity of work to make more profits.
    Good novels takes years to write. These novels are being pumped out a chapter a week.

    So its possible to make amazing novels of these types, but they would be much shorter, and releases would be complete novels with no release scheduels. (Example: Harry Potter 7 books from 1997-2009 = 12 years)
     
    Last edited: May 30, 2017
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  4. MangoGuy

    MangoGuy Rambling Mango

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    Of course!! Any thing can be perfected with the right effort.
     
  5. Wujigege

    Wujigege *Christian*SIMP*Comedian

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    Fish Find a good wish and fulfil it
    Possibly one that hasn't been fulfilled yet
    For example a teenage boy who can fly
     
    Last edited: May 30, 2017
  6. Penultimate

    Penultimate Sect Silkpants Prince

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    Yeah I think being able to keep things simple with these type of novels is probably the best, like you said someone who can fly can give the readers a sense of what its like to fly, like describing how it feels and writing a plot around this ability.
     
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  7. Ko

    Ko "The Corrupted Queen"

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    I believe that as long as you put a lot of effort nothing is impossible. Now go and write it. \o/
     
  8. Green Apple

    Green Apple Actually I'm secretly an orange.

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    I think it doesn't really matter what you wish to have in your story, if you HAVE a story plot or idea with an actual ending (that is connected to the main idea of the story). When authors write "tag bait" novels with popular trends as a basis or when they don't know the ending of their own story, then at some point they would not know what to write about or go in some other direction(and degrage in quality).
    Also take a look at the popular TV series that are being squeezed to the last drop of money. They start good, then usually degrade into sh*t. Just because they don't have a good ending.
     
  9. chencking

    chencking [Daolord Grammar Nazi]

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    Any good novel should have an invested author, which naturally makes it wish-fulfillment in my opinion. Then there's good wishes and crappy wishes, like MGA and ATG. Even the crappy wishes can become a good novel, but it's much less likely than a good wish
     
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  10. polokoi

    polokoi TVPropaganda

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    I don't now if this will answer your question but i consider every novel to be a wish fulfilment, even those with tragedy tag(i mean with real tragedy(they even kind of feel more real to me)). If i read this novel till the end and am like "wow, that was noice" then it should classify into your "good wish fulfilment" category. I even consider mangas as the best material since some are short, when you compare to a 300 chapters series, and I am more likely to stick with it to the end. I consider wish fulfilment to not be like " i wish my life was like that", cuz I definitely wouldn't want to be in a world where everyone kills everyone since i prefer to be a bystender and watch as things happen by themself, but more something to do with my enjoyment. Something more like " i wish this would happen, i wish she/he could be, i wish this will surprise me" or just when I feel that this is the exact same thing I would do/ i would want to happen to me in his situation.
     
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  11. My Pen is Mightier Than Swords

    My Pen is Mightier Than Swords ["Questioning the firmament"]

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    Yes it's is possible, but one of the problems is also the people reading said novel, for example say the author wants to make a long arc that will not only allow the MC to grow,but also the people around him or her, bit the readers feel that this Arc is too long or this Gillian has been alive too long and needs to die. With enough people complaining to the author about this he or she will decide to cut out some parts of the story and may rush production. Not saying that it's all the readers fault sometimes is the author who just want to make the arc longer then it has to be. But do keep in mind that we as a reader have a part in this problem. Also I think it stems from a lack of creativity, such as making a compelling arc about the MC meeting important characters, why make it creative when what worked before still works
     
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  12. MH2

    MH2 [Former Child]

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    If we give the MC all of his wishes but withhold a core wish from the MC and how the MC strives to fulfill it
     
  13. Ignus

    Ignus Philosopher of Flames

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    There are a few really good ones out there. Chronicles of a Primordial War, Pivot of the Sky come to mind.
    Both of these, I could say that each chapter is able to stand alone as a good read. (i.e. Very little filler material)
     
  14. niiiice

    niiiice Well-Known Member

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    Read a novel that has 1k or less chapter(complete) and you'll be less disappointed
     
  15. heads-or-tails

    heads-or-tails Well-Known Member

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    Awwww I thought this was how to write in good irish, this is disappointing
     
  16. Penultimate

    Penultimate Sect Silkpants Prince

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    Well to me when I read novels with certain MCs, such as ones who have their own character and less of a self insert, I do indeed end up wishing certain things would happen but its not the primary reason I read the novel. Its more like... I want to see this character's experiences in this world that the author created, y'know? Its different from wish fulfillment novels that are a bit more blatant, like an isekai novel that doesn't describe the MC's personality or how he's friends with his childhood female friend, she's there to fulfill a wish of a female friend who likes you and the MC serves as a vessel for the reader to experience the isekai the author writes.
     
  17. polokoi

    polokoi TVPropaganda

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    As i said. As long as i like the novel in the end then it's good. Maybe try to read some weastern novels/books. I don't really read them myself but from those I read i can say that some have deeper characters, and they arent even bestsellers, just some ordinary books found in the library.
     
  18. Penultimate

    Penultimate Sect Silkpants Prince

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    Yeah this sounds like a good idea too, perhaps also giving the audience a sense of desire towards the MC's wish can do some good as well.
    Yeah I know that, but what I'm asking is it possible for you to write a novel that's primary focus is to somewhat pander to the reader, maybe like a CYOA book or one of those books that refer to the reader as "you"?
     
  19. Mahou-nii-sama

    Mahou-nii-sama Ultimate Cannon Fodder

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    yeah sure. As long as it is somewhat believable. ( I mean the people in the story you'll make.) Nobody gives a damn about the setting as along as the characters are done right, but vice versa cannot be applied.
     
  20. MaliMi

    MaliMi The Cookie Guardian

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    I think it is possible, but hard. As @Ignus said in his first post on this thread, one of the problems might be the quick releases. Good books usually take more time to write.

    From now on it will just be my assumptions...
    You have a story that you want to write. Now, do you want to write about a wish fulfillment? Usually not. (At least I do not think that for example many chinese xianxia novels are focusing on harem as the main plot.) It is just one aspect of the story and not the main part. The problem is how to incorporate it. Depending on how you do it, it can destroy both the wish and the plot.
    Now, many xianxias have hell of a lot of chapters...
    Even if the author knows how it will end and a general outline of the story, becaus of its length I doubt that all of them have properly thought it through. So they probably write whatever comes to their mind. Furthermore because it is posted regularly, there is a little space to turn back and change some aspects of it. Perhaps the authors do not intend for their wish fulfillments but because of stress, fast releases and being unable to change some facts of the story, there is no other way but to proceed and go with it.
    I am pretty sure that if some author came to his own book for a second time and looked at it as if it was just a general ouline, they might be able to create a way better work.

    So, tell me if I am wrong on something. This was after all, just my assumption. Not 100% sure how it actually works. And yes, I am aware that these last few sentences are degrading the quality of my comment.