• Welcome to Skyrim Forums! Register now to participate using the 'Sign Up' button on the right. You may now register with your Facebook or Steam account!
  • Hey there, thanks for visiting our fan fiction section. You should only write stories that aren't related to your character's encounters, if you wish to write a story about your character please post an entry in your blog.

    Before reading or writing a story, please make sure to read this thread. Thanks, Guest, and we hope you enjoy this section.

Finnsson

Prince of Denmark
I’ve been working on a story for some time now, and as it progresses, my problems seem to grow like bamboo in a time lapse video.

I’ve written out the general direction the story should go in. It takes place two centuries after the events of TES V, and I believe this is where the main problem occurs. I’ve drafted two chapters so far to start things rolling along, and since nearly every character is original and political landscapes have changed dramatically, I find that it sometimes reads like a tale that just so happens to take place in Skyrim rather than a tale about Skyrim.

These changes concern me. Will the reader suffer from ignorance brought on by the writer's vast knowledge of the world and their lack thereof? And as entertaining as elaborate schemes and fresh political intrigues are, how entertaining are they when written by a casual writer? This unintentionally huge mountain of information seems as if it would be better suited for an original story (not professional, original).

Truly, it could go in one of two ways. I could keep the current setting along with any other changes time has ushered in, or I can fall back two-hundred years and place the same circumstances in a setting familiar to everyone, therefore drastically reducing the amount of “new lore” to be absorbed. The former has been extremely fun to write, but I do worry that it will be too much of a hassle to attempt to read, as it’s meant to be a harmless fanfiction, not a full-fledged novel crammed with drab lessons in history. And as easy as it would be to tweak the story to fit the latter, I don’t think it would be as much fun to write. For example, if I did change things, I would have to scrap one of my characters, her unique persona and background, and replace her with Elisif. I find Elisif dull.

Any words of advice, guidance, or wisdom are much appreciated. I’m eager to share my story, but just wanted to clear things up before trying to force a load of empty fanfiction calories down your throats. Many thanks in advance.
 

Abraxas

Nightblade
I can understand your worries about readers not being able to connect with the characters and lore that you have already established in your mind; I think that that could end up being the case. I say this because, like you hinted at, new lore and historical figures would seem better suited for a larger novel. In fact, I believe that we fans should leave new lore and major characters (like kings and guilds) to the folks working with and at Bethesda. Otherwise, we are taking on the role of the masterminds that have created the Elder Scrolls lore and I don't think most of us, humbly, are up to that task. When the next Elder Scrolls comes out, I am sure there will be a mass of great new lore and characters for us to sink our teeth into.

With all of that said, I think you sound like you have the potential to write a great Elder Scrolls story, so I would just recommend choosing a different time in Elder Scrolls history for your setting, but definitely add your own characters and plots. It could be within current Tamriel or Tamriel's past. You might be able to work with the past more because there are some shady and unclear events that you could possibly expand on with your own twist (check http://uesp.net/wiki/Main_Page for info, which I'm sure you already know about). You could even create major events that may have "just not been recorded previously".

This way, your readers will feel comfortable with the setting and therefore become more intrigued by your story. New lore could be unappealing to many fan fiction readers because it may not feel like the same Elder Scrolls they know and love. If your set on a new setting with new lore though, go for it! I'm sure there will be some readers who would find that interesting ( I would read it), but sticking to lore already established should bring in a larger crowd and also just make your overall writing easier.

Hope I helped! Whatever you choose, I'm sure it will be awesome because any Elder Scrolls story is awesome to me.
 

The OP3RaT0R

Call me Op. Or Smooth.
I'd suggest the former option, since a) that's the one YOU seem to enjoy most, and b) there are plenty of fan-fics that take place in Skyrim around 4E 201, something new would be a nice change, and c) it makes good sense for you to keep a good character over a dull one. As long as you present it in an easy-to-digest way, new lore should be no problem for readers; plus, it is a fan FICTION, after all. Good luck! :)
 

Finnsson

Prince of Denmark
Valid points indeed. I'm now seeing opportunity with a contemporary Skyrim story as well; certain characters and specific plot points would be gained where others are lost, and it would make focusing on the circumstances at hand easier since I wouldn't be exhausting energy molding a world all my own. So it's a sort of win-win-win/lose-win-lose situation, if that makes any sense. I guess the prudent thing to do at this point would be to take my time, go over every aspect of each story and make a choice that seems right for me. No rushing!

Thank you for the input. I hope to compose a worthy tale. :D
 

Recent chat visitors

Latest posts

Top