themod444 asked:
Do you ever find yourself a little too influenced by the more recent things you've watched/played/read when you're writing or just thinking ideas? Would you have any tips for avoiding that when it comes to planning or writing stuff?
Oh yes, this can happen to me, too. And I don't necessarily think that it's a bad thing - as long as you don't copy it exactly, of course. It's ok to take inspiration from other works such as books and film, such as taking the plot line and giving it a unique twist or imagining what your what your characters will/might do if in a similar situation. It can be a fun writing exercise or experience.
If you are being influenced by other works, I think it's necessary to take that detached/subjective approached I mentioned in another ask. Jot down what you liked about that scene/series/book/game and what you didn't like. Break it down into small components and just study them for a moment. Can you change anything? Can you improve anything? Why did this scene influence you? Can you find that same influence/inspiration in another way?
For me personality, this has never been a real issue. There is more than one way to write a particular scene or story idea. I like coming up with ideas to make clichés/tropes different. Sometimes all it takes is a different setting, an extra character. Hell, smoosh two completely different clichés together and see what happens. Everything you brainstorm or think off won't end up in a story or even in the final draft. But if you write them down and move beyond them, you allow for more thoughts and ideas to accumulate in your head.
I say this all the time, but writing it all down is very important. You'll thank me later.
Brainstorming may seem tedious or something only overly perky business managers would force their staff to suffer through, but really it works. You don't need a whiteboard to do it, but you can if it helps. Heck, decorate a wall in your room with sticky notes if that helps!
And I hope that helps and answers your question ^^
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Etrian Odyssey Q&A Edition
FanfictionIn this book are the questions/asks I have received regarding my Etrian Odyssey stories or Etrian Odyssey games in general. These questions are from Tumblr, but I figured I document them here, too. They've been copy-pasted over here, so the response...
