What are some of the most done to death NGE fanfic ideas?

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What are some of the most done to death NGE fanfic ideas?

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Postby Executive Washington » Fri Apr 11, 2014 10:32 pm

I am an aspiring fanfic writer that wants to get my foot out the door, but I want to know something...

What are the most done to death NGE fanfic ideas ever?

I want to avoid or at least subvert cliches like the plague, so I need to know the most done to death or "dead horse" fanfic ideas.

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Postby Monk Ed » Fri Apr 11, 2014 10:39 pm

There's a funny thing about cliches: They tend to get "overused" because they work. One man's cliche is another's favored style. NGE fandom is full of stories where Shinji or someone else gets to go back in time for another chance, for example, but lots of really popular fics are based on that idea and a whole lot of people don't really mind that it's been done thousands of times.

I don't read much fanfic though so I'm not the best person to be answering this question. :bigeyes: But it's just something I've noticed from reading other people talk about fanfics.
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Postby Clover » Fri Apr 11, 2014 10:44 pm

No peggy sue. Ever.
It's the laziest, dumbest plot you can write.
I don't think the concept could even work in original fiction.

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Postby Gob Hobblin » Fri Apr 11, 2014 10:59 pm

TvTropes.org is always a good place to go to get an idea of what is done way too much (and you will spend way too much time there doing other things...).

Going with what Clover said, Peggy Sues are done in Eva a lot (travel back in time to right what's wrong). Mary Sues/Gary Stus are also present, though not as much as they used to be (introducing a new original character who begins to overshadow the canon characters).

As has the 'Shinji is a badass' story, or something along those lines (not so much a minor tweak, but a major personality revision).

With all that being said, write the story you want to write. Ask someone to beta-read it for you (for edits and critiques) before you post/publish it, and you will save yourself a significant amount of headache and heartache.

If you would like to go get some ideas to start with that are truly original, however, scrolls through the 'From Your Lips to the Authors Ears' post at the top. People are always kicking around story ideas, and some of them are very unique. Some of those ideas are open to whoever wants to grab them (being suggested by people who want a good story but don't have the time or ability to write themselves). If you see one that interests you there, contact the original poster and see if it's okay for you to give the concept a try.

I hope to see you posting stories soon!
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Postby Doublegee » Sat Apr 12, 2014 2:15 pm

Step 1) Put self in Shinji's place
Step 2) not be an indecisive loser
Step 3) Profit

Bonus points if you own a lightsaber or your parents are Fox Mulder and Lara Croft.
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Postby Mr. Tines » Sat Apr 12, 2014 2:28 pm

Most overdone ideas -- "let's make this story of apocalyptic engineering to fix the human condition into a teen romance, with Shinji/my favourite girl in the lead (optional Kensuke/reject girl to taste)".
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Postby ChaddyManPrime » Sat Apr 12, 2014 2:33 pm

View Original PostMr. Tines wrote:Most overdone ideas -- "let's make this story of apocalyptic engineering to fix the human condition into a teen romance, with Shinji/my favourite girl in the lead (optional Kensuke/reject girl to taste)".


Kensuke/Rei 4Eva!
SPOILER: Show
The amount times that's happened scares me
To be fair the teen romance stuff could happen after a few years 3rd Impact and long sessions of therapy.

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Postby Executive Washington » Sat Apr 12, 2014 3:17 pm

View Original PostDoublegee wrote:Step 1) Put self in Shinji's place
Step 2) not be an indecisive loser
Step 3) Profit.


When I first read Neon Exodus Evangelion, I thought that the author wasn't being serious and was in fact a parody fic.

But now, I'm not sure.

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Postby Executive Washington » Sat Apr 12, 2014 3:18 pm

View Original PostChaddyManPrime wrote:Kensuke/Rei 4Eva.


What if Kensuke/Asuka...

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Postby Chuckman » Sat Apr 12, 2014 3:20 pm

There are no bad ideas, only bad writers.
the prophecy is true

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Postby ChaddyManPrime » Sat Apr 12, 2014 3:52 pm

View Original PostExecutive Washington wrote:What if Kensuke/Asuka...


I burn it to the fucking ground that's what :angry!!:

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Postby Guy Nacks » Sat Apr 12, 2014 4:02 pm

Off the top of my head, Shinji being transported back in time to the beginning/middle of the series following the events of EoE.

This one is so infuriatingly common, I don't even bother to read ones that have this plotline anymore.
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Postby Shinoyami65 » Sat Apr 12, 2014 4:53 pm

The 'Shinji as a badass/confident person/not-a-sniveling-wreck' idea seems to recur a lot. For some reason it also seems to be in every bad fic I've read. Maybe there's just something too OOC about it, or just the way writers often try and force masculinity onto Shinji like a blanket of testosterone makes it difficult to reconcile the TV Shinji and Fanfic Shinji.
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Postby Clover » Sat Apr 12, 2014 5:56 pm

View Original PostChuckman wrote:There are no bad ideas, only bad writers.

Bad writers have bad ideas.

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Postby Monk Ed » Sat Apr 12, 2014 6:15 pm

View Original PostMr. Tines wrote:Most overdone ideas -- "let's make this story of apocalyptic engineering to fix the human condition into a teen romance, with Shinji/my favourite girl in the lead (optional Kensuke/reject girl to taste)".

And this goes right back to "One man's cliche is another man's favored formula". :heehee:

(Formula's not the right word. Genre? I think people know what I mean.)
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Postby Chuckman » Sat Apr 12, 2014 6:38 pm

Formula is correct.
the prophecy is true

Statistical fact: Cops will never pull over a man with a huge bong in his car. Why? They fear this man. They know he sees further than they and he will bind them with ancient logics. —Marty Mikalski

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Postby amitakartok » Sat Apr 12, 2014 7:31 pm

View Original PostClover wrote:Bad writers have bad ideas.


Even good writers can have bad ideas and bad writers can have good ideas. It's not universal.
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Postby Executive Washington » Sat Apr 12, 2014 8:46 pm

View Original PostClover wrote:No peggy sue. Ever.
It's the laziest, dumbest plot you can write.


I think the only good fanfic that has this "peggy sue" plot would be Once More with a Feeling. Also, Dazed and Confused on SpaceBattles puts a nice twist on the "peggy sue" thing.

Otherwise, yeah, I can agree with you on that one.

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Postby ElMariachi » Sat Apr 12, 2014 8:52 pm

^
"The Second Try" is very good too IMO.
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Postby ChaddyManPrime » Sat Apr 12, 2014 8:55 pm

View Original PostElMariachi wrote:^
"The Second Try" is very good too IMO.


I personally prefer Mitigation, Unbroken, and Taking Sight.


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