Goodreads Authors/Readers discussion

This Blog Post poses the question of Destiny as a plot device, a topic that authors in this sub-set might want to chime in on.

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

FF McCulligan

I honestly don't find those plot devices interesting anymore. They have been done to death.

ANYTHING (or just about) can work if done right. Now that said, that is a tricky one, and something of a fallback of hack fantasy writers, so I would approach it with caution.

You had better pull a cute one out of the hat, if you want to hold my interest. How about, yes! The young hero discovers his destiny/fate, and it is to be ... a Linux programmer! Oh noes, he rebels against his fate and sets out with sword and shield...

Brenda wrote: "The young hero discovers his destiny/fate, and it is to be ... a Linux programmer! Oh noes, he rebels against his fate and sets out with sword and shield..."

Or he could go work for Microsoft. *ducks and hide*

As far as I'm concerned, the basic "fate/prophecy" plots don't work so well anymore for me, but that's because I've read a lot of books with those (don't trust my GR list: I didn't include the Belgariad and many other novels I read back when I was in middle/high school and university). I don't loathe the idea, but it has to be more complex and/or unexpected for me to be more than "meh" about it.

Make me love the characters and I'll put up with almost anything.

Agreed. I'm not planning on sticking it into a book any time soon. I do believe it has its place, but its always been a pretty big turn off for me. Uh oh. I'm the sort of person that likes to succeed at something in order to prove people wrong. Maybe my next novel will be called Destiny...

Isn't there something to it though that the word Fate seems to mean death? We are all fated to die. Perhaps a theme building more on that would be a more believable hook.

A farmboy learns of his mortality from a mysterious old man... he picks up a sword and shield...

I agree with majority that it is not interesting anymore/is used too much. For example, look at Harry potter and his DESTINY/FATE. I think that if someone wants to go that route, make it full of twists/enigmas to not make it just an ordinary fate/prophecy.

While it may be true that most readers on this forum are a bit bored by the idea, writers should still write what they feel matters to them. Write the story you care about and love and that for whatever reason, you need to tell. Perhaps to write a tale of destiny, is your destiny!

dun dun duuuuun.

The worst of it is "the one" or "the chosen one" No more please!

Vanessa wrote: "The worst of it is "the one" or "the chosen one" No more please!"

I agree with this.

Yes the chosen one.
More like the lame one.

But fix it. If you are the chosen one for cleaning bathtub drains, across the world. this would be different. (Who decrees such things? Why? Wouldn't it be more efficient for lots of people to be ordained for this kind of thing, like plumbers? Suppose there was only One Ordained Plumber in the world, then what?)

On the other hand, I never mind comical twists. (See Troy from Community, destined to be the Ultimate Air-Conditioner Repairer, complete with A/R repairers secret society and rituals.)

I agree with R.A. Create memorable characters with interesting lives/ baggage and I will follow them anywhere.

But I will also agree with most??destiny is a very worn out plot....

He was destined to be nothing special (handyman and weekend biker) until he kissed the demon princess who was masquerading as a stripper at the local biker bar.

As his humdrum daily existence went to hell in a rush, he learned the fates had a plan for him -- he was going to the chapel to marry a sexy demon with curves in all the right places.

Brenda said: Suppose there was only One Ordained Plumber in the world, then what?

"The Chosen Plumber" would be a good humor book.

And the cover would depict one of those rubber plungers.

I did a fantasy romance that uses destiny as a device, but I also included this quote from the young woman's mother.

"Destiny is nothing compared to love." Ilsa Romand