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Lately I have been contemplating whether there is a pattern to the type of stories that I like to read/write. Not in terms of genre but in the “ordinariness” of the characters (average Joes like you or me vs characters who are bestowed all sorts of great powers/destinies/heritages by authors like you and me) and the level of stakes involved (e.g. saving the world vs saving a single family’s livelihood).

As I usually do, I ended up overthinking everything. The result is a sort of framework I have used to understand my thoughts so I decided to share it with you guys.

Basically, depending on how “ordinary” or “extraordinary” the characters and the plot are, there are four different kinds of stories that can be written. Obviously “ordinariness” is subjective (If even the most insignificant background character can use magic in a setting, is magical ability still something that would make a character extraordinary?) and most novels would incorporate more than one of these categories with all their plots and subplots but I think you guys can understand the idea.

#1: Extraordinary people doing extraordinary things
Example: Every superhero/Chosen One/Lost Royal Heir story ever.

#2: Ordinary people doing extraordinary things
Example: A HR manager has to use all his negotiation skills and understanding of human nature to save a group of innocent people who have been taken hostage by crazed gunmen.

#3: Extraordinary people doing ordinary things
Example: A dark lord from a fantasy world gets stuck in our world. Since there is no magic in our dimension and the dark lord has no paper qualifications, he has to get a job at a fast food restaurant to pay the bills.

#4: Ordinary people doing ordinary things
Example: A family moves away from their home country to avoid war. They encounter problems adapting and integrating into the community and experience strains in their relationships as the children grow up under the influence of their new country.

I have read and enjoyed stories that from all four categories. But if I do have to pick one, I would say that I generally like writing stories that fall under #3 best. Mostly because I feel that stories about #1, #2 and #4 are more common and that there is a lot of untapped dramatic and comedic potential in exploring the relatively mundane aspects in the lives of great people (I am not counting all the trashy romances involving royals/nobles/celebrities/rich people in this sentence). But also because I am a little sick of the idea that just because you are writing about kings and queens and sorcerers, the fate of the world/nation/people must hang in the balance (What does a fantasy world look like when it is not on the brink of a war or a revolution? How is magic used in daily life? For example, how would a magical police force solve crimes?).

#1 would be my guilty pleasure when I am in the mood for some wish fulfillment but by now I think the plot, characters and execution must be very special if it is to excite me. I do find some of my writing naturally gravitating to #1 but that might just be because of my chosen genres and the influence of mainstream media on me.

As for #2 and #4… Again, I would say that I can enjoy any story that has excellent plot, characters and execution. But, frankly, unless it is in a different time period or a unique setting which I can be eager to learn about, I personally find it more challenging to find interest in these kinds of stories. I think it is because since there are so many real accounts of ordinary people with both ordinary and extraordinary struggles, there must be something very interesting in the story to convince me to get invested in a fictional one.

So what do you guys think? Which of these types of stories do you tend to write and which do you like reading the best? 😀

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