What ideas do you want to see more of in novels?

[TsuruI_am_a_bot]

Sure, nothing is (probably) original anymore and ideas can be executed well. BUT there are some ideas and concepts that are typically less used than others when authors write their protagonist(s) or write their story in general.

Select one idea/concept you would want to see more authors deal with in regards to their story and characters.

Also I know Oceania isn’t a country but… I literally cannot think of any stories that take place in that entire area other than Moana lol.

Instant kill stuff
Satisfying instant kill stuff



Deathnote style or "instant death" jp series
or bloody style of : Take a gun shoot enemy in the head (or take xianxia sword and decapitate on the spot)

The only novel that half satisfied my wish of "MC pull out a gun and shoot the enemy dinning in opposite seat"(wishing it for years)
is the "Number 1 swordman" (ranked in uukanshu.cc)
that after listening to the enemy, pulled out his sword to decapitate him.

 

[Verdant]

Less of a country and more of a setting. Even relatively popular Steampunk or Cyberpunk(if we don't include fanfics of the game) are underutilized. What about Dieselpunk? Let's pretend you give me yet another generic isekai with Japanese MC. I will check it out if it is Dieselpunk.

I should have specifically added this option! I actually tried to make my story decopunk (1920s-1940s like Skull Girls or Bioshock) but it didn’t work out lol. I guess extraterrestrial sci-fi is okay enough…
I do agree that WAY TOO many stories take place in Dragon Quest medieval time (bonus points if it’s an isekai with an overpowered protagonist).
I am this close to going in, halting my story for at least a few days, and making it steampunk

 

[SailusGebel]

I should have specifically added this option! I actually tried to make my story decopunk (1920s-1940s like Skull Girls or Bioshock) but it didn’t work out lol. I guess extraterrestrial sci-fi is okay enough…
I do agree that WAY TOO many stories take place in Dragon Quest medieval time (bonus points if it’s an isekai with an overpowered protagonist).

Was Batman the animated series a Noir Deco, or was it Dark Deco? Anyway, I understand that some things are hard to portray properly, like aforementioned Dark Deco. It would look good for visuals, not so much for a written story. But there are still a lot of other cool settings. All the punks, water or underwater, aerial, underground, and so on and so forth.

 

[3guanoff]

Characters that act their age and are 30+ would be incredible. Too many gods, ancients, and reincarnators are as short-sighted and impulsive as a toddler on sugar. I wish I could revive Hemingway.

 

[Keene]

Characters that act their age and are 30+ would be incredible. Too many gods, ancients, and reincarnators are as short-sighted and impulsive as a toddler on sugar. I wish I could revive Hemingway.

There's the common saying that writers can only write characters as intelligent as themselves.

I think that in a similar manner, writers can only write characters as mature as themselves. It is very difficult for a teenager to have the life experience to write a 40 year old in an authentic way.

 

[AutumnPlunkett]

Having more creative power usage, I don't only want to see a sword and/or a full elemental (fire, water, earth, wind) mage as a protagonist, there are other ways of fighting tha are overused but these are the most common and boring powers.

I want to see more creative or gimmicky fighting style, like someone who controls turrets and uses them to attack but just something more creative or just steal (and modify) a fighting system from something but I just want to see a unique way of fighting. Of course this isn't everything when it comes to novel quality but I'm still ready to read a story just because the protagonist practically uses explosive gas ,that novel is a treasure trove of unique fighting styles in general.

Novel 5 confirmed?

RoyalRoad "In My Defense: Turret Mage" it's slow going at first but the MC eventually uses turrets and such as his main weapon. I don't even like sci-fi sorts of stories but this one really wasn't too bad.

More female leads that aren't genderbent/in a romance story. There are precious few stories about women coming into their own, alone, and it'd be nice to see one. I'm drafting one right now, actually.

My story "The Dangerously Cute Dungeon" has a female lead who becomes a dungeon master in a fantasy world after her husband and her are murdered. While there are moments where she reminisces about the past, there are no new romantic leads as she doesn't want to move on from her husband. Despite reader's hopes, he's not getting revived either. She does make friends along the way who help her out, but she also spends a lot of time "alone". I've marked it as tragedy because of the trauma and mental health issues the MC deals with, but it's very much so supposed to be a non-romance fantasy story with a female lead.

I've found myself equally as annoyed by how few stories are out there in the genres I like to read with female leads. Even the ones I do enjoy like "I stole the number one ranker's soul" end up having a romance plot, which is just... Ugh.