Writing How to Orc?

Silver_Sky

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I don't have anything interesting to add but if your writing about orcs, your required by a nonexistent law to have a 'KUHH KILL ME' female knight in your story.
 

Lloyd

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Smart orc could pretty cool as well I guess, I won't mind reading a story about an orc that's a tad unusual in its den which allows it to slowly overthrow the king and start conquering other races using its wisdom.
A smart orc is cool, the problem comes when people strip away their violent and aggressive nature. Like the golbin king from 'Goblin Slayer' is a great example of a smart monster that still keeps his monstrous nature.
 

CupcakeNinja

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Letting a monkey type your story would be 'creative' as well. That doesn't make it good. Orcs are established fictional creatures with a distinctive set of features which most people associate with them. To give them completely different and contradictory features to what people recognize as orcs is just silly. The idea that x is like y so I'll make x like z in my story, is not anything new, its extremely simplistic subversion of expectations. That doesn't make it creative or interesting.
Meh. None of that even matters really. It's just appearance anyway. They want an orc looking dude? Fine I dont care. They can write orcs to be whatever the fuck they want. No skin off my nose. The story telling itself is what people stay for

Gimmicks will grab attention but the writing will keep it.

Its like a book cover.
A smart orc is cool, the problem comes when people strip away their violent and aggressive nature. Like the golbin king from 'Goblin Slayer' is a great example of a smart monster that still keeps his monstrous nature.
Yeah but thats the difference between that any any human who lives in similar tribalistic societies? Humans are smart. Violent. Agressive.

Orcs and goblins are basically just Mongols back when they were out conquering the world.

It's why I say it's just about appearance. Orcs look cool to people. Aesthetically, they can be the beefiest mother fuckers you've ever seen. They are just...extra. Can physically embody the word aggression. And people like that.
 
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Macrendil-Ysmir

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I don't have anything interesting to add but if your writing about orcs, your required by a nonexistent law to have a 'KUHH KILL ME' female knight in your story.
Absolutely agree with that. Usually a pretty funny (imo) trope
A smart orc is cool, the problem comes when people strip away their violent and aggressive nature. Like the golbin king from 'Goblin Slayer' is a great example of a smart monster that still keeps his monstrous nature.
I agree the Orc-MC would have to retain his Orcish-nature. Which includes a fondness for fighting, destruction and reproduction.
Meh. None of that even matters really. It's just appearance anyway. They want an orc looking dude? Fine I dont care. They can write orcs to be whatever the fuck they want. No skin off my nose. The story telling itself is what people stay for

Gimmicks will grab attention but the writing will keep it.

Its like a book cover.
That's kinda where I got stuck on this. So we've got an Orc and he will do regular Orc stuff, but you can only fit so many segments of "beat human/elf/etc. adventurer" "take control of new tribe/allies" and "raid village" before it gets dull. They're important segments that add to the story, but these should be a means rather than an end for the over-arching story? And while fights are interesting, can't really write a riveting story where its "5Ch fight, 1 aftermath, 1 prelude, 5ch fight -repeat".
 

vzymmer

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How about an Orc female knight that was captured by the evil elves?

Or maybe a sham witch doctor orc who gives fake medicine and treatments but actually gives decent advice to consultations?

Or how about in the land of orcs there was once a farmboy who was chosen by fate to--
You know what? I'mma just summarize, create a fantasy story with nothing but orcs as people. No humans, No elves, No dwarves, and No halflings.



Or if you want an outlandish idea?



How about a magical girl orc?
We already have magical girl musclemen on the loose.

Also give them big tiddies too.
 

CupcakeNinja

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Absolutely agree with that. Usually a pretty funny (imo) trope

I agree the Orc-MC would have to retain his Orcish-nature. Which includes a fondness for fighting, destruction and reproduction.

That's kinda where I got stuck on this. So we've got an Orc and he will do regular Orc stuff, but you can only fit so many segments of "beat human/elf/etc. adventurer" "take control of new tribe/allies" and "raid village" before it gets dull. They're important segments that add to the story, but these should be a means rather than an end for the over-arching story? And while fights are interesting, can't really write a riveting story where its "5Ch fight, 1 aftermath, 1 prelude, 5ch fight -repeat".
Exactly. Shitngets boring after a while. Knkw what? You should base him off of Thor from marvel comics then. Why? Because he is brash. Loves to fight. Is kinda smart. But reckless. Yet he grows. Matures as his time as an Avenger. He learns that tactics are important too, that you cant beat every one with strength alone.

So I say yeah let him adventure. Let him experience all kinds of shit so he grows out of just being a savage warrior.
 

Macrendil-Ysmir

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Exactly. Shitngets boring after a while. Knkw what? You should base him off of Thor from marvel comics then. Why? Because he is brash. Loves to fight. Is kinda smart. But reckless. Yet he grows. Matures as his time as an Avenger. He learns that tactics are important too, that you cant beat every one with strength alone.

So I say yeah let him adventure. Let him experience all kinds of shit so he grows out of just being a savage warrior.
I kinda like that idea. Gathering a decent force with which he attacks, raids and is an all out annoyance until a punitive expedition (elite adventurers or an army) kills off most of his forces, forcing him to actually start thinking properly and build from the ground up again.
Going from mostly-stereotype Orc warleader to an actual tribe&army-building Orc Chief. Which will also allow for him to do things other than fighting.
 

CupcakeNinja

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I kinda like that idea. Gathering a decent force with which he attacks, raids and is an all out annoyance until a punitive expedition (elite adventurers or an army) kills off most of his forces, forcing him to actually start thinking properly and build from the ground up again.
Going from mostly-stereotype Orc warleader to an actual tribe&army-building Orc Chief. Which will also allow for him to do things other than fighting.
Exactly. And obviously he is gonna need some heirs to his growing force...so gotta get to some breeding huehuehue.
Him becoming a father and passing down his knowledge Is also something to do, too. It just might make the story a bit long
 

Mechaphobic

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Blacksmithing, go into your armor and weapons designs, have segments where they acquire new materials and improve them. Go into siege weaponry, they can steal it as apart of pillaging. There is so many fascinating concepts of war! Battering rams are a great example, or siege towers. These were all incredibly simple concepts that can be orc'd up. Maybe fantasy flamethrowers?
 

BenJepheneT

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Letting a monkey type your story would be 'creative' as well. That doesn't make it good. Orcs are established fictional creatures with a distinctive set of features which most people associate with them. To give them completely different and contradictory features to what people recognize as orcs is just silly. The idea that x is like y so I'll make x like z in my story, is not anything new, its extremely simplistic subversion of expectations. That doesn't make it creative or interesting.
reasoning don't mean shit if the results are as clear as day.

you're like a guy trying to make a guide book to hook ups and picking up women. you can make all these logical turns and hypothesis on observations when the simple fact of the matter is ur durr smart orc Grug do Science is an interesting premise enough to hook common readers. who cares if they're established? the fact that they're established characters makes it even better now that the troupe is taken and turned over its fucking head by doing everything its not supposed to do. trying to justify against it is pointless when it's already proven to work.

hell, there's an artist called @baalbuddy on twitter and his entire schtick is horny uncultured elves and tired orcs and he's got a wicked audience looking for that shit. who cares if its unoriginal or simple or silly? it's a troupe with a wellspring of comedic element and opportunities for new story beats that deviate from the usual fantasy troupe.

the pursuit to be serious and adhering to set stereotypes is exactly what caused the stagnation in fantasy titles as of late.

if I'm in the main site and got forced to choose between SERIOUS HEAVY DARK FANTASY and funny haha orc in a labcoat, I'm going for the latter, because I know for a fact that I've read the former twenty times over under better hands and pens.
 

Cipiteca396

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The Iron Teeth: A Goblin's Tale is probably the only greenskin fic I've read, and it seems to fit with most of the recommendations here.

If you want to keep the boring mob orcs, while still having an interesting character, you can use Evolution or have multiple races(goblins, uruk, uruk-hai).
If you want a challenge, you can give adventurers and other enemies a system while denying it to your monster-orcs, making it an underdog story.
Reincarnation is kind of dull. It's mostly there to help the reader synchronize with the MC better or to 'give them grand ideas'. Both can be done in other ways, just like in the Iron Teeth.

Probably the most important thing is that you can't just drop in an orc with a quirk and think that'll get you reads. An interesting story will work out no matter what MC you have, but a boring story will drop interest even if you have a unique character interacting with it. You need to balance the MC's interests with the interests of the world at large if you want a story that isn't one-sided.

You also mentioned gods like they would automatically be enemies. That may be fine, but if you want gods, having an active and noticeable influence from orc gods may also be interesting. If your tribe's shaman regularly gives missions to the MC that help or hinder them, it could add a little more depth.
 
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KoyukiMegumi

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I don't know if anyone has mentioned this, but here I go.~ :blob_aww: It is out of the norm, but sometimes out of the norm is cool too!

How about the MC is a big cuddly fluff orc? He is an outcast from his village, since he isn't like the others who love arguing and fighting. He is also tiny compared to his brethren. This cuddly orc was minding his own business, trying to start up a flower shop until his father comes with the news that a war is coming to their land! With this, he must somehow find the way to survive the event while also keeping his caring heart intact! Or... maybe it shows him how the world is bleak and his sympathy isn't the way to protect his family... Or he goes off into a random rampage as normal orcs do!
 

Macrendil-Ysmir

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The Iron Teeth: A Goblin's Tale is probably the only greenskin fic I've read, and it seems to fit with most of the recommendations here.

If you want to keep the boring mob orcs, while still having an interesting character, you can use Evolution or have multiple races(goblins, uruk, uruk-hai).
If you want a challenge, you can give adventurers and other enemies a system while denying it to your monster-orcs, making it an underdog story.
Reincarnation is kind of dull. It's mostly there to help the reader synchronize with the MC better or to 'give them grand ideas'. Both can be done in other ways, just like in the Iron Teeth.

Probably the most important thing is that you can't just drop in an orc with a quirk and think that'll get you reads. An interesting story will work out no matter what MC you have, but a boring story will drop interest even if you have a unique character interacting with it. You need to balance the MC's interests with the interests of the world at large if you want a story that isn't one-sided.

You also mentioned gods like they would automatically be enemies. That may be fine, but if you want gods, having an active and noticeable influence from orc gods may also be interesting. If your tribe's shaman regularly gives missions to the MC that help or hinder them, it could add a little more depth.
Got Iron Teeth bookmarked as 'To Read Soon' so I should probably move it to 'Reading' to get some ideas. Multiple races/variants of Greenskin/Orc should definitely be a thing as it allows for a lot of non-fighting (?) interactions. And of course Gods, if implemented, need a lot of thought. I like my MC's with a decent advantage, but not straight-out OP. "There is always a bigger fish" also sounds like a good way to stagger events & developments, but not in an endlessly repeating cycle like CN-cultivations do it.

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this, but here I go.~ :blob_aww: It is out of the norm, but sometimes out of the norm is cool too!

How about the MC is a big cuddly fluff orc? He is an outcast from his village, since he isn't like the others who love arguing and fighting. He is also tiny compared to his brethren. This cuddly orc was minding his own business, trying to start up a flower shop until his father comes with the news that a war is coming to their land! With this, he must somehow find the way to survive the event while also keeping his caring heart intact! Or... maybe it shows him how the world is bleak and his sympathy isn't the way to protect his family... Or he goes off into a random rampage as normal orcs do!
While it would be funny to have a fluffy-Orc, I'm personally no good with writing that. Grimdark is much more my style, as of right now.
 

Toomanysorrows

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Letting a monkey type your story would be 'creative' as well. That doesn't make it good. Orcs are established fictional creatures with a distinctive set of features which most people associate with them. To give them completely different and contradictory features to what people recognize as orcs is just silly. The idea that x is like y so I'll make x like z in my story, is not anything new, its extremely simplistic subversion of expectations. That doesn't make it creative or interesting.
Well I mean, by this logic, it's completely right to make orcs not just violent war-machines but give them a culture and things not related to war. After all, that's a well established trait of orcs in the fantasy genre. Just look at world of warcraft, or many of the D&D fan versions of orcs. If OP did that, they'd just be portraying traditional orcs.
 

KoyukiMegumi

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Got Iron Teeth bookmarked as 'To Read Soon' so I should probably move it to 'Reading' to get some ideas. Multiple races/variants of Greenskin/Orc should definitely be a thing as it allows for a lot of non-fighting (?) interactions. And of course Gods, if implemented, need a lot of thought. I like my MC's with a decent advantage, but not straight-out OP. "There is always a bigger fish" also sounds like a good way to stagger events & developments, but not in an endlessly repeating cycle like CN-cultivations do it.


While it would be funny to have a fluffy-Orc, I'm personally no good with writing that. Grimdark is much more my style, as of right now.
he he :blob_melt: Grim and dark stories I love~
A fluffy character could have a grim story plot that just chips down their sanity. Sometimes fall from graces can be dreadful. Just throwing ideas at you to help.:blob_gift: Unless you mean personality-wise, you can't write cuddly characters then never mind. Go for a scary, roaring, revengeful monster that has no regrets for those who get caught under their battle axe! Personally, one that lost it all! Maybe a villain Orc that ends up ruling the world with an iron fist!:blob_hide:
 

Lloyd

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Well I mean, by this logic, it's completely right to make orcs not just violent war-machines but give them a culture and things not related to war. After all, that's a well established trait of orcs in the fantasy genre. Just look at world of warcraft, or many of the D&D fan versions of orcs. If OP did that, they'd just be portraying traditional orcs.
Those are also easily the worst orcs in the fantasy genre. Way to prove my point.
 

Galactus_666

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I've got a huge list of interesting characters/concepts waiting for me to have the time and write a story about them. Currently working on one, but can't resist adding more to the pile.

So now for the topic of this post: ORCS!
I want to prepare for a story with an Orc/Ork/Orruk/Uruk MC. But... what would make a story about him interesting? Obviously he fights a lot. He has a reason to form an army/WAAAGH to enact his vengeance. And of course, in line with generic fantasy & D&D tropes, he'll make his own troops/officers as as Orcs do best (capture people yadayada, Goblin Slayer).

But what other things can he do? Or would "revenge event -> training montage -> first troops -> first raid -> more troops -> Godly attention -> Crusade & counter attack -> victory, Greenskins rule supreme" be enough?

I'd like to hear your thoughts and any additional ideas you have are much appreciated. Thoughts on system/no system? Reincarnation or 'pure' Orc? Let me know!
An idea that I find very interesting is to make a very curious orc but as silly as the others, one who wants to know how things work but to do so he needs someone to explain everything step by step
translated with google translator
 

Lord_Drakonus

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What about this: The orc gets isekai'd into our world and learns how to blend in. The orc can also use magic, but is too weak to use it and needs to train more. Oh and the orc can also make itself look like a normal human, but still keeps its strength. Moreover, some stupid people will mess with the orc and things escalate from there.
 
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