/lit/ - Literature

How do you make a "child from the modern world finds themselves in a fantasy world" plot work?

The very simplest storyline would be a hero's journey, but the tired old role of chosen one is overdone, so maybe the protagonist is just a background character in the greater struggle/war/peacetime? I always liked the episodic adventures Howard featured in his Conan series, but maybe spin it around cleverness(think fables) in lieu of Conan's strength and tenacity?