Trying too hard not to copy Tolkien

[CarburetorThompson]

I’ve noticed there is a subset of writers that try their damnedest not to copy the world building of Tolkien, and I think a lot of the time it just makes what they write suck. Almost all of medieval fantasy is based of what Tolkien did, which was extremely innovative for the time. I see authors try a lot to be as innovative as lotr but often it just fails and makes thing weird arbitrarily.

I think it’s most common to see with ‘elves’. If you’ve ever been to the cesspit that is /r/worldbuilding you’ve probably already seen one of those posts like ‘This is what elves are like my world. They are ugly and smelly, and they only live for 3 seconds before dying.’

Do any of you who write fantasy stuff try not use generic troupes that were established by Tolkien? Or are you like me who doesn’t really care at all?

 

[SailusGebel]

I don't care at all.

 

[OatMush]

I generally don't care, but I think a lot of fantasy world building is pretty boring anyway, so mixing it up can be fun. Elves especially I think are pretty dull, they're just humans but better in everyway

 

[RiaCorvidiva]

Too many people care about originality for its own sake. If you aren't going out of your way to deliberately plagiarize, you'll end up with a story and world sufficiently and legally distinct just from how you go about your writing and the small choices you make. Tropes exist for a reason.

 

[BlackKnightX]

Don't care. I like it, I steal it. And make it mine.

 

[Sleds]

I don't care. If I want my elves beautiful, they will be beautifull. If I want something smelly and ugly I can still add a gobelin or two.

 

[HelloHound]

just add a tail

 

[SailusGebel]

Don't care. I like it, I steal it. And make it mine.

 

[CarburetorThompson]

I generally don't care, but I think a lot of fantasy world building is pretty boring anyway, so mixing it up can be fun. Elves especially I think are pretty dull, they're just humans but better in everyway

Yeah I think the problem is when people try to make Tolkien elves their own, they’re just changing Lotr elves to be legally distinct. I think if you wanted to write an original elves you’d have to innovate on the Gaelic & English folklore that Tolkien originally took inspiration from.

 

[Kalliel]

Jokes on you, I don't even know who Tolkien is.

 

[TheEldritchGod]

Jokes on you, I don't even know who Tolkien is.

He's the black kid on South Park

 

[K5Rakitan]

If I've seen it, I've blocked it from my memories.

 

[TheEldritchGod]

I’ve noticed there is a subset of writers that try their damnedest not to copy the world building of Tolkien, and I think a lot of the time it just makes what they write suck. Almost all of medieval fantasy is based of what Tolkien did, which was extremely innovative for the time. I see authors try a lot to be as innovative as lotr but often it just fails and makes thing weird arbitrarily.

I think it’s most common to see with ‘elves’. If you’ve ever been to the cesspit that is /r/worldbuilding you’ve probably already seen one of those posts like ‘This is what elves are like my world. They are ugly and smelly, and they only live for 3 seconds before dying.’

Do any of you who write fantasy stuff try not use generic troupes that were established by Tolkien? Or are you like me who doesn’t really care at all?

Okay...

D&D has: Gold Elves, Silver Elves, Copper Elves, Green Elves, Wood Elves, High Elves, Silvanni Elves, Valley Elves, Dark Elves, Drow Elves, Sun Elves, Moon Elves, Space Elves, Shadow Elves, Fire Elves, Water Elves, Sea Elves, Earth Elves, Air Elves, Ash Elves, and finally, HALF-ELVES.

And that's just off the top of my head.

Dude...
Nothing you come up with will be original. EVER.

BTW, If I start listing the HALF ELVES, which include Half Demon Elves, Half Human Elves, Half Dwarf Elves, Half Dragon elves, etc etc etc...

We'll be here all night.

 

[TheMonotonePuppet]

I’ve noticed there is a subset of writers that try their damnedest not to copy the world building of Tolkien, and I think a lot of the time it just makes what they write suck. Almost all of medieval fantasy is based of what Tolkien did, which was extremely innovative for the time. I see authors try a lot to be as innovative as lotr but often it just fails and makes thing weird arbitrarily.

I think it’s most common to see with ‘elves’. If you’ve ever been to the cesspit that is /r/worldbuilding you’ve probably already seen one of those posts like ‘This is what elves are like my world. They are ugly and smelly, and they only live for 3 seconds before dying.’

Do any of you who write fantasy stuff try not use generic troupes that were established by Tolkien? Or are you like me who doesn’t really care at all?

I have always found that many copy the anime version of Tolkien too much. To me, going out of their way in books to avoid Tolkien-esque tropes in medieval fantasy often leads to unique and novel stories. I don't really frequent /r/worldbuilding or any other solely writing-based forum (which is NOT what ScribbleHub Forums are) though, which might be where the difference in perspective comes from.
I do try my best not to use generic tropes established by Tolkien in my fantasy stuff, in the sense that I do certainly use the tropes, they are just starting points. As a result, they aren't generic. Tolkien had a great idea, and taking influences and making them your own without using them as a indirect bitchin' piece about his works, is deeply enjoyable.
To me, the trope of elves being perfect beings with more power than the measly human is something I took and ran with. In my story "Charisma", they are quite literally perfection personified, being alien in personality and culture because they are literally made of the essence of Perfection. The nature inclination comes from the fact that they are such the epitome of perfection that their flora and fauna have evolved and mutated to do as the elves want. And they are the most flawless beings you will ever meet. While they could have been seen as arrogant, they are genuinely perfect, so it is not arrogance. Normally, you would think perfection is in the eye of the beholder, a relative thing, but if you met the Elves, it is impossible for subjectivity to take place. They are humanoid, with pointed ears, and great beauty, which is normally not everyone's aesthetic. But somehow, as if your mind is warped, or maybe it is genuine, they are objectively perfect. There is more which details how much further I went with this concept, but I think this communicates the gist of it.

Don't care. I like it, I steal it. And make it mine.

@BlackKnightX Exactly! The only way to go!

 

[Shrimp_eater]

Just take tolkien and add cat girls.

 

[QuercusMalus]

It's not so much that I am trying not to copy Tolkien in that regard, it's that I find Elves and Dwarves way overused and just.... Boring. Even the 'edgy' versions in Warhammer and WH40k. I was always more interested in the Ents and the Balrogs, even the Watcher in the Water. I have spent hours going through the DnD and Pathfinder bestiaries. Mythology as well is full of neat, interesting critters. With all the various ideas out there already, why waste page space on the same thing as everyone else?

 

[Dieter]

 

[CupcakeNinja]

I’ve noticed there is a subset of writers that try their damnedest not to copy the world building of Tolkien, and I think a lot of the time it just makes what they write suck. Almost all of medieval fantasy is based of what Tolkien did, which was extremely innovative for the time. I see authors try a lot to be as innovative as lotr but often it just fails and makes thing weird arbitrarily.

I think it’s most common to see with ‘elves’. If you’ve ever been to the cesspit that is /r/worldbuilding you’ve probably already seen one of those posts like ‘This is what elves are like my world. They are ugly and smelly, and they only live for 3 seconds before dying.’

Do any of you who write fantasy stuff try not use generic troupes that were established by Tolkien? Or are you like me who doesn’t really care at all?

thats...literally just subversion of common tropes. A breaking of preconceptions for specific purpose

 

[georgelee5786]

Beyond trying not to outright plagiarize, I don't really avoid it.

 

[J_Chemist]

I do what I want.