Another Isekai Topic Question

[Mihou]

Authors, where do you get inspiration and ideas for your isekai plot. I am literally running out of ideas right now other than a three chapter long dungeon part.

 

[Megar-potato]

I get a majority of my ideas from random thoughts or questions that I think about. Besides not every isekai has to be a basic fantasy world. What if someone was summoned to a world in the midst of the industrial revolution. You could make it dark with child labor, corporate greed, and the repercussions of pollution like black trees, and rampant sickness. That's just my idea though.

 

[NotaNuffian]

Isekai is more on the medieval times to me, with magic and that is about it. So I stick all my thoughts to that and have the MC interract with the people, mostly by murders and death threats as many are narrow-minded insufferable POS.
For inspirations, just go read the works of others then, you can then choose whatever ideas you want to lift off or so.

 

[Moctemma]

I start with the ending, I always need a clear ending to accompany my starting idea. So I thought about a bunch of plots for stories, and think about the possible endings. Previous to this story (I won't destroy the world!), my first one was a comic idea, and I had lots of troubles with the ending, so I never got past the first arc.

Now with my plot almost ready and the ending clear, I created my protagonist and think of a bunch of events I want to happen in my story, I write them on a notebook or in pieces of paper, then I think of the causes that led to them, with that I create a basic world-building, but let it open to change.
I spend months researching battles, importance of ports, kingdom building, etc. An that helped me add events and important ideas (for example, if you use slaves as a work force, and you free them; the economy will collapse), reading other stories also contributed.
I didn't give names to the kingdoms, characters, powers, etc. Those were blank when I started, and I complete them on the go, with this I'm getting fresh ideas about the world-building. Using every new element and how they interact with the rest of the world, I can fill the spaces between the events I had planned, changing the time they take place, or if I'll add them to the story on the go.

I keep making notes as I write, mostly focused on character development, so I never ran out of ideas, I just need to connect them. And everything, except the ending is subject to change.

 

[weakwithwords]

Silly rabbit! Tricks are for kids.

The basic idea of an isekai is that it is another world where everything can be very different and your character will try to adjust to survive or it can be eerily similar but throw your character off upon discovering that those similarities are only superficial.

You can try imagining yourself getting displaced into one of the stories you read as a child. What were you doing before? What did you bring? What are you feeling now? How would you react to sudden events while you are still interdimensionally dazed? After resolving immediate problems and needs, what will your future plans and goals be?

 

[RedPanda]

Inspired... Huh? Well, I let myself inspire through other works. When I read a story I always think had I done the same? (As the MC itself and as the author.)
An excellent example is “10 Years after saying “Leave this to me and go”, I Became a Legend.” because when I start reading the prolog I wished he would become half-demon, but it didn’t happen. Then was my thought, why not write a story myself? And with this did I got my starting plot.
(I would start writing a story with this kind of plot, but I have my hands currently full with my ongoing stories.)

 

[Maizeblu]

My inspiration is random a lot of the time. Sometimes I would ask myself questions like, what would happen if...?

Like with an isekai story idea I've recently thought of, though I haven't started writing it yet. Basically I asked myself, does isekai really have to be from earth to another world? Or can I use two fantasy worlds. So I've sort of built a plot around the idea of someone somehow being teleported from one fantasy world to another.

 

[ForestDweller]

I start with the ending, I always need a clear ending to accompany my starting idea. So I thought about a bunch of plots for stories, and think about the possible endings. Previous to this story (I won't destroy the world!), my first one was a comic idea, and I had lots of troubles with the ending, so I never got past the first arc.

Now with my plot almost ready and the ending clear, I created my protagonist and think of a bunch of events I want to happen in my story, I write them on a notebook or in pieces of paper, then I think of the causes that led to them, with that I create a basic world-building, but let it open to change.
I spend months researching battles, importance of ports, kingdom building, etc. An that helped me add events and important ideas (for example, if you use slaves as a work force, and you free them; the economy will collapse), reading other stories also contributed.
I didn't give names to the kingdoms, characters, powers, etc. Those were blank when I started, and I complete them on the go, with this I'm getting fresh ideas about the world-building. Using every new element and how they interact with the rest of the world, I can fill the spaces between the events I had planned, changing the time they take place, or if I'll add them to the story on the go.

I keep making notes as I write, mostly focused on character development, so I never ran out of ideas, I just need to connect them. And everything, except the ending is subject to change.

I am pretty much like you, only I don't write down anything. I prefer to keep potential plots in my mind, and if I forget it, that just means it's not good enough.

For inspirations, just go read the works of others then, you can then choose whatever ideas you want to lift off or so.

Ha, this pretty much as well.

 

[gaylolis]

i think isekai is a purgatory, when the world goes according to the mc's will, until they satisfy all of their desires before moving on to the next life.

 

[Kldran]

While I can't provide any answers for where my inspiration comes from, I can say this: I've started many isekai stories, and only about 10% of them get past 10 chapters. For most of my stories, I find I run out of ideas after the initial premise is established. I guess I'm saying: Running out of ideas is entirely normal.

 

[LilithFairen]

The problem with a lot of isekai plots is that they revolve entirely around a gimmick to hook the reader, but the writer doesn't have any ideas for a story beyond that gimmick, a story that properly uses and explores that gimmick.

So instead of thinking of "an isekai idea", think of a storyline. Think of a world, the major players in it, their goals and ambitions. Think of what kinds of threats there are, whether it be random encounters, evil emperors back from hell, or politics. What kind of events can happen in that world that might have an impact on many or even everyone in that world?

Now make the protagonist someone from another world for whatever reason.

The premise of Reborn as a Magical Girl Villain was one I've had for some time, but never thought up much beyond the initial gimmick. Then I ended up coming up with more ideas, more characters, and realized how it could work within the trappings of the isekai genre. Once I was certain there was a complete story there, I started writing it.

So tl;dr – Don't just think up a gimmicky premise and start going; explore and flesh out an idea before you start writing it.

 

[ForestDweller]

The problem with a lot of isekai plots is that they revolve entirely around a gimmick to hook the reader, but the writer doesn't have any ideas for a story beyond that gimmick, a story that properly uses and explores that gimmick.

So instead of thinking of "an isekai idea", think of a storyline. Think of a world, the major players in it, their goals and ambitions. Think of what kinds of threats there are, whether it be random encounters, evil emperors back from hell, or politics. What kind of events can happen in that world that might have an impact on many or even everyone in that world?

Now make the protagonist someone from another world for whatever reason.

The premise of Reborn as a Magical Girl Villain was one I've had for some time, but never thought up much beyond the initial gimmick. Then I ended up coming up with more ideas, more characters, and realized how it could work within the trappings of the isekai genre. Once I was certain there was a complete story there, I started writing it.

So tl;dr – Don't just think up a gimmicky premise and start going; explore and flesh out an idea before you start writing it.

Yep, that's pretty much how I made my isekai story. I don't even have a gimmick. Which is troublesome since it doesn't make a unique, attractive title in the slightest.

I can't just spoil the plot or the waifus on the summary either, even though that's most likely where my readers would gain the most enjoyment out of my work. So I'm stuck with the generic isekai intro as my summary.

 

[CupcakeNinja]

Authors, where do you get inspiration and ideas for your isekai plot. I am literally running out of ideas right now other than a three chapter long dungeon part.

I
Sorry if i sound mean when i say this, cuz i dont mean to be, but when i see questions like this I always wonder,"How THE FUCK can you lack inspiration when we literally have thousands of examles of the same fucking thing? Go watch an anime! Read a book! You lazy fucking cunt!"

like there isnt any excise for a lack of inspiration for stories of certain genres, fam. Sorry. Just isnt. You just havent been reading stuff that gets you motivated.

 

[ChronicleCrawler]

Authors, where do you get inspiration and ideas for your isekai plot. I am literally running out of ideas right now other than a three chapter long dungeon part.

The answer to your question is not some hidden secret. You just gotta read & read & read & read & read & read some more. Don't limit yourself to a few genres. I usually surf through high-rating isekai novels in novels updates, royal road, and scribblehub.

Write steadily. Write everything even it doesn't make any sense. I mean, try to understand the process of writing. First draft, second draft, third and final draft. That's only your first draft as of now. Let it go and get wild. It's not bad to use some isekai references from other novels just try making it as original as you could.

 

[GDLiZy]

I
Sorry if i sound mean when i say this, cuz i dont mean to be, but when i see questions like this I always wonder,"How THE FUCK can you lack inspiration when we literally have thousands of examles of the same fucking thing? Go watch an anime! Read a book! You lazy fucking cunt!"

like there isnt any excise for a lack of inspiration for stories of certain genres, fam. Sorry. Just isnt. You just havent been reading stuff that gets you motivated.

Well, those thousands of isekai are the same shits that everyone is bored of, so still no new idea I guess.

Now, the best way is to examine your idea and ask: what are you planning to sell/tell/explore? See the aspects of your idea and explored them in detail with various conflicts and events that further led your story into the ultimate conclusion— the ending that you wanted, or simply the message that you're trying to convey.

 

[CupcakeNinja]

Well, those thousands of isekai are the same shits that everyone is bored of, so still no new idea I guess.

Now, the best way is to examine your idea and ask: what are you planning to sell/tell/explore? See the aspects of your idea and explored them in detail with various conflicts and events that further led your story into the ultimate conclusion— the ending that you wanted, or simply the message that you're trying to convey.

True but there are plenty of good isekais too. Whats the excuse now? Shouldnt be writing an isekai story then.

I mean im assuming the inspiration is in terms of story padding? Like the in between points A and C. The events that maybe arent important but what fill the story. You cant just have big things happening after all. Stories are a gradual progression a lot of the time.

 

[AliceShiki]

Think of how your story will end. It doesn't need to be anything particularly complex or well-detailed, just try thinking of an ending. It doesn't even need to be set in stone, you can change your ending at any point, even when you're writing your final chapter. (I did that in my last novel btw) But still... Think of an ending.

Thought of one? Good. Now start writing, go move your story towards that ending, do whatever comes to your head that will slowly lead you there. Or quickly lead you there, doesn't matter, up to you. Just start moving towards your ending somehow.

And what if you ran out of ideas without reaching your ending you ask? Well... It means it's time to end it, you reached your ending, there is nothing more left to lead there, so just reach it, end it, and start a new story~

 

[GDLiZy]

True but there are plenty of good isekais too. Whats the excuse now? Shouldnt be writing an isekai story then.

I mean im assuming the inspiration is in terms of story padding? Like the in between points A and C. The events that maybe arent important but what fill the story. You cant just have big things happening after all. Stories are a gradual progression a lot of the time.

Good writers made every scene relevant— foreshadowing, character developments— if a scene is merely fillers then it shouldn't be in the book.

That's just my opinion so we'll agree to disagree.

 

[ForestDweller]

Good writers made every scene relevant— foreshadowing, character developments— if a scene is merely fillers then it shouldn't be in the book.

That's just my opinion so we'll agree to disagree.

I kinda agree with you because I'm tired of being treated to an entire chapter of just MC killing mindless monsters.

 

[Mejiro]

how important is it that the story be isekai? There's a load if isekai where the fact the MC is from earth is basically pointless - it's solely there as an excuse for why they know nothing about the world, the entire story would be exactly the same if they were a native, there would just be less infodumps at the beginning. Isekai doesn't have any particularly special plots; work out what story you want to tell, and then ask if that even needs to be isekai, there's nothing wrong with writing a fantasy story where the MC _doesn't_ hop worlds.