Writing Tips and Reviews

A Fantasy Based on Reality

I like to use my life as a base for my work, the struggles I've faced or the people I've met creep into my writing. A situation could lead me to create a world similar to that of Cells at Work or Psycho-Pass, where people are given a role and if they don't fit the mold, they're brutally killed. Sometimes people can act like the world revolves around them and others should only listen to them, then I make a character who is a ruler that uses their power to control the people. Anything can happen in real life and incorporating that into fantasy is easy.

When you let your mind go free and interpret the situation, you can write almost anything. A world set in the darkness led by a ruler who not only defines what others should be but also decides who lives and dies, or a world where the rules bend to fit one person. A character who tells lies to spread chaos, or a character who is unfairly punished to erase the crimes of others. All can be based on real life.

But what about the positive aspects of life? A friend who stands by your side could be the second protagonist, or you could turn a pet into a familiar or protagonist.

Writing can be used to vent frustrations or be a fun interpretation of events. No matter what it is, real-life can be used as a base for your writing. Even if the product is similar to Cells at Work or Psycho-Pass.

But you shouldn't cross a certain line. Chris Chan and Greg are examples of going too far. They write in how they're victims in an unfair world and the people around them are either pure good or pure evil. Simple mall cops doing their job are portrayed as evil villains while Chris is a pure hearted hero trying to save the world from them. It's fine to make a character based on someone in real life but also have them as the villain if they hurt you. But you shouldn't be spending all your time demonizing them and sugarcoating the evil you do.

That's how we end up with Mary Sues.

This is why I prefer to take aspects of a person and integrate them into a character instead of basing the entire character off them. If someone lies about a situation to demonize another person, I can add that to a character but I can also add more. Giving a reason they lie and an arc that sees them change into a better person or be struck in their ways.