/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.4236974]

/lit/, what do you do if the story you desperately want to write seems too cliche?

I've been writing a series of short stories based on a number of character i've imagined, but the next story I want to write based on them seems too trite, and I very badly want to make it good.

It centers on a boy, Travis, who is haunted by vision/spirit/ghost of a girl he doesnt know, but feels strongly attached too. The story wouldnt be sci fi or fantasy, and it would be implied that there really wasnt a ghost there.

I will write this, I wont let the problem of pleasing common expectations stop me from writing the story, but I have this voice in the back of my head doubting if this story would be any good, and if my tastes/experiences are simply too juvenile.

tldr; how do you write a tragedy that isnt trite?

[Anonymous No.4236978]

your idea sounds good, don't worry what other people will think and you can refine your story after you've written it down.

[Anonymous No.4236984]

>>4236978
I get that, I just have this nagging feeling about something that is hard to articulate. I should have thought this more through before posting, but I really wanted to do something about it.

Put it this way. What if (just an if) the message of the story was to persuade the apathetic, the nay-sayers of teenage/angsty/tragic stories, that there was something good and sincere in these stories? What would be a good way to get this across?

[Anonymous No.4236985]

>>4236984
To put it another way, I really want this quote to ring true in the story.

Even with the utterly lost, “to whom life and death are equally jests”, there are matters of which no jest can be made. - Poe

[Anonymous No.4237069]

bump

[Anonymous No.4238542]

Write what you want to read.

The exercise itself will be beneficial. It's OK to practice. Don't discount something that holds your interest enough to keep you at it.

If you are really worried about it being useless then find one literary technique you are unfamiliar with and strive to weave this into the narrative. If you at least do that well then you've got something to show for it and can move on to bigger and better things.

But enough coaching. Just sit down and write the damn thing already and see what happens.

[Anonymous No.4238577]

>>4236984
>At least you're not there.
>spirit holds hand and doesn't protest against nonexistence
make it the only comforting physical contact in the story and you're good. the whole someone really loves you if only you retreat into fantasy game.

[Anonymous No.4238766]

>>4238542
I understand, I've gotten over that bit the last few hours. The problem now is what I want to do with the ghost. See below

>>4238577
Could you explain this? Im not exactly sure what you mean by at least youre not there. Why would the boy be saying this to the ghost?

But thank you, I've realized the main problem I need to figure out is what to do with the ghost. I mean, will it be a she? Will it speak? Frequently? Will others see her? If they do see her, what if they didnt care? If they cant see her, would the boy try to keep it a secret or try to communicate what is going on?

There are a lot of possibilities and im not sure what to do

[Anonymous No.4239557]

bump