Cozy :
Yes. Of course I do.
I feel like the sense of originality in writers' works nowadays is waning.
I say this not just as a user of Wattpad, but of Ficwad as well.
Maybe it's because they've not developed as a writer yet, or perhaps they've simply been influenced by the generic bestsellers. Not just in Fantasy, but also in other genres - Romance, Action, Horror, Satire, it's kind-of broad if you look at it that way.
But that is no excuse to abandon your own writing style just to pursue the path they have once walked.
When they write their story, their idea and goal in mind is clear. They want to write this message, they want to show their readers that this is possible, this was what could have been, this is something that probably happened in another world, another reality.
But these blind sheep who pursue after the stars in the sky... They walk the cobble path built and established by others before them, without really knowing why. And when they reach the end of that cobble path, they think to themselves, 'Hmm. Perhaps I can continue this cobble path myself!'
Don't. All roads end for a reason. They are to remind us that there is beauty in transience. It is because something starts (and ends) that makes the journey meaningful. Knowing that the road ends, and knowing that the walk along the cobble path is what's truly important, that is what separates a writer from a fan-fiction author.
Besides, it's not like you have the skills necessary to make the cobble path of the same quality. I've seen children do continuations of a local drama in Singapore on Wattpad, and it is god awful. Somewhere down the path, the only characters that mattered are the two the fanfic writer wanted to bring together. Everyone else was blotted out of the way, blatantly ignored. If they ever re-occurred, their presence was either for a gag or a justification / means of sorts to bring the two characters closer than the original author intended.
At that point, I wasn't exactly sure whether to cough blood, or to laugh. The fanfiction is pitiable, a mere mesh of the author's desires to a) appeal to the original author (how? Does the original author, a 30 or 40-something old *wo*man use Wattpad?) or b) satisfy their own desires.
I'll admit, I have had people ask me, 'Cozy why do you always write sad stories or tragedies' To which I say, that is my means of telling myself the cold truth of reality. Never hope for the best and always plan for the worst. To remind myself, that this is the cold, lonely road I will walk, without any warmth left in my body.
I don't expect everyone to follow my example. In fact, I hope nobody follows my example. I know how self-destructive my behavior is. I am clearly aware of it, and yet I'm typing this calmly, with a stoic look on my face. Kind of creepy and kind of weird, but this clarity is something else, I tell you. And yet, the fact remains - I never expect things to go my way. It never does - Both in my stories, and in my life.
So, how do we indoctrinate the seed of creativity into the people today such that they may start producing original, innovative content?
Let's start by discussing a hypothetical scenario. Cozy transition go!
*** ***
You are a man tasked with the ordeal of retrieving a very specific treasure from a dragon.
Let's not call this dragon Smaug, shall we? Let us call it... Nogard. Because Cozy's naming sense is incredible in the completely wrong direction.
This is the challenge - You, alone with no other men to bring with you except an observer, are sent to recover a heirloom that belongs to the Talfemic royalty - The king's scepter, a symbol of both leadership and humility which may return the country to peace if brought back.
However, Nogard the dragon had taken it from them and hoarded it for himself. Or... Herself. Yeah, let's go with a female dragon this time. Gotta make it lay dragon eggs and turn up a notch on its hostility towards intruders.
You need to take back the scepter. But how will you do that?
Approaching the dragon carelessly = Getting a blast of flames unto your entirety
Sneaking in at night = Same fate as above if it- Ahem, if she ever catches you
Drugging the animals it eats to put it into torpor = Dragon gets suspicious and patrols the caverns, which makes remaining undetected even harder
Attacking the dragon head-on = Suicide
Approaching the dragon carefully = Some form of negotiation is possible, but what will you exchange the scepter for, your life? You have nothing!
Stealing an egg = Risk of getting caught, and success in this task enrages the dragon who proceeds to set ablaze any village or town she happens to fly by. Sure, you can sneak in and retrieve the scepter while she's out raging, but that defeats the purpose of retrieving the scepter to restore peace, doesn't it?
So how will you reach the scepter?
...
*** ***
I don't know about you, but I'll approach this in a few ways.
1) I snuff the dragon out. Block all the entrances and exits it has, and deprive it of oxygen. This option is not possible if she sleeps in a place with an open roof.
2) I gather the poisonous plants in the area, and start a new habitat in the region to change the ecosystem. When the dragon is starved of resource around her and has to fly out quite far for food, I grab the scepter and go back quick.
3) I mess with the dragon. I grab a bucket of mud every afternoon, and every night the dragon sleeps, I dump mud over her. Over and over, again and again, every single night. For every minute she sleeps in ease, I punish her by preventing her from sleeping. It only works when there's an open area to dump mud from, and it's very dangerous, but it will eventually work, and the dragon flies out for a bath.
I then muddy its eggs, and the dragon has to regulate her eggs' temperature again rapidly. Basically, where she thinks she can take it easy (like a housewife who's finished the chores) I give her MORE chores to do~! Mwa-hahahahahah!! Eventually she'll have to become so tired that she can no longer respond to an intruder, I sneak in and then take the scepter.
4) I go in and brush its teeth clean while it's asleep. I then continue this grooming every night on its teeth, back, wings, tail and pretty much her whole body, and the dragon will eventually notice that I've been coming in every night to clean her up. She won't mind my presence, and I keep this up for about 4 months. Then, on a night she doesn't expect, I take the treasure from her and leave. This only works if I can confirm she pretends to sleep to lower the intruder's guard, though.
There are many ways and solutions to obtain the treasure. In fact, profressing your crime after the deed is done is also a possibility, if you are a person of honor.
*** ***
The point I was trying to make above is that writers are special. When you're a writer, you're not in the backseat. You determine so much more than 'just the story' as a writer. I search online, and see this "Make your own story" story makers and I feel like vomiting.
Like, for the love of- Stop with these horrible flash player story makers and actually let the children write a story, why not?
Think about this - When you read the fight scenes in WoP Quest, do you feel motivated to write something of equal caliber? Do you feel the adrenaline from reading the battle alone, like you're learning from the enemy and you're actually part of the fight instead of being a mere observer?
My goal in WoP Quest, as a standard for those whom will come after me... I wish to make a story that innovates the people behind me to write better, more exciting and mind-bending epic fight scenes.
I hope that these fights will inspire people to become even more creative with their fights, and to actually write a good one that is worth the read. Rather than those B-rated movies where the good guy starts beating up the big bad guy with loads of camera shake, or the lame kind where it's just an RPG to end it all, I hope there can genuinely be a truly well-planned battle to go along with the climax. My fights are kind-of short and though they are intense, they are quite underwhelming because of the length, though.
But fret not; It will change as we go along, as we go deeper. Consider everything you'll see in this route as a warm-up, please; You won't be able to handle the really spicy fights like Ian vs. Pierre, or Jullan vs. Pierre, or Katachi vs Roberia, or Katachi vs. Aozu Makoto, Milos Nidzkova vs. Minami, Katachi vs. Jullan, Milos vs. Lubhera, Katachi vs. Kavnel, Ian vs. Bertund, Roberia vs. maddened Byrh, Sgithilth vs. Kavnel, to name a few of the battles coming up.
If you can't prepare yourself for the extremely heated fights to come, you won't be able to make it all the way; Let alone the ultimate climax in Endus Reignum, Katachi vs. Lubhera. That one... Holy shit. That one will, hopefully, have you screaming at the screen "I KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, HOLY SHIT, KATACHI YOU SUNOVA- HOLY FUCK" and the hype reaches a climax along with the battle.
I hope it's a "I TOTALLY SAW THAT COMING" instead of a "I SHOULD HAVE SEEN THIS COMING". I like intelligent readers, after all, who can play the guessing game along with me. That doesn't mean I discriminate against readers who can't catch up, though. If you can't catch up, then I suppose you have a while to go before you can imagine amazing fight scenes, but to those who've already seen Katachi for who he is...
Well, kudos to those who do at that point.
Also, it should actually be quite easy to guess Katachi's identity. After Deku Up! and Bael Out!, the side series accompanying the main story for Endus Reignum will be... A true history account.
In that true history, the details of the legend from years, decades, even centuries back, you will see the truth of the world that both explains what happened in the world then, and why the third route is possible.
And...
You will be able to identify the legend that started it all.
Yes - I think the side story account will be extremely interesting. You've seen image power, you'll come to see the Arts in Herald, and then you'll see the third element I have in store for you in the third route.
Here's a hint - On my Facebook, I frequent a page commonly associated with the third element.
Happy guessing.
With love,
Cozy
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