10 Tired Plotlines We SFFH Editors Don't Want To See
Save yourself the time and trouble of sending as a tale that possesses one of these weak plotlines. We've already published out fill of these and would only consider publishing another if it were truly unique.
- Humans or the main character becomes part of an Alien zoo exhibit.
- Earth and/or humans are slotted for destruction for the benefit of other beings within the universe.
- Psycho-killers on the rampage.
- Disgruntled family member or ex-lover turning cannibal and serving up the person who spurned, angered or abused them.
- Talking woodland, farm or domestic animals as main characters; or were the twist at the end of the story is that the main character is revealed to be a pet or animal.
- A character uses time travel to right a wrong or to save a loved one only to discover they’ve created an worse problem when they return to the present.
- The twist at the end of the tale is that the time travel journey produced a loop effect and the character must endure this fate over and over.
- The main character is a werewolf or vampire on the prowl.
- 9. The main character attempts but fails to effect things in their life only to find, by the story’s end , that they are a ghost.
- The first-person narrator dies at the end of the tale, leaving us to wonder who is doing the telling.
So what do you do if one of your own stories contains such a plotline? You rework the tale, giving it a unique twist. You submit it to a critique group for suggestions. But you best not send it to us!
