The Naruto Cliche list!(Important for fanfic writers)

[Therahedwig]

I found this on the internet

http://www.livejournal.com/users/aaarikaaa/1239.html#cutid1

This one is sooo true, why am I posting this here?

Because then people here can use it to become better writers.

(If you still want to be a better writer after this, try the plot/character articles on gamingw.com, they're really good)

[YamisuiOnna]

aarikaa is a member of the fanfiction anbu, the site i mentioned in a previous thread where we provide hilarious reviews of bad naruto fanfiction. for those of you who've found stories online containing the cliches mentioned in aarikaa's masterpiece, please feel free to post links to them here so we at the ff-anbu can piss on...erm...roast...erm, i mean provide constructive criticism for them.

while we're on the subject of writing tips, i've got a few to add that can PREVENT writers from backsliding into cliches:

1) If you're going to introduce an OC, never describe your OC YOURSELF. Wait until the OC meets up with the main Naruto characters you're involving in the story and describe the OC through THEIR eyes. Readers quickly lose interest with long-ass descriptions of your character's eyes and hair and outfit if there's no apparent relevance to the story's plot yet. Face it, people: nobody likes it when an OC is more important than the actual characters. Let the NARUTO CHARACTERS decide whether or not the OC is beautiful or strong or crazy-looking.

As a sidenote, I'd like to add that if the Naruto characters who are giving the visual/behavioral assessment of your OC see only his/her positive traits and no flaws whatsoever, little warning bells should be going off in your brain: THIS IS A MARY SUE. Which brings me to my next point...

2) NATURE ABHORS A MARY SUE. I'm not going to provide a litmus test here, but here are some tips to keep yourself from writing a Mary Sue:

Pick personality flaws that are realistic to give your OC. Having a tragic past or being bitchy and assertive are NOT significant flaws. Having a scar on the OC's cheek does NOT count as an appearance flaw...unless you're Dilandau... Some examples of more realistic flaws are:

a) The OC feels insecure about his/her physical/mental weakness and tends toward jealousy of others.
b) The OC cares too much about what others think of him/her and tends to follow the crowd when he/she should speak up.
c) The OC is assertive but tends toward selfishness.

These are just some examples of realistic personality flaws, which make OC's far more palatable. Also, because flaws shape us as much as strengths, if you give them to your OC he/she will appear to have more depth and you can avoid the cardboard cutout cliche. Readers identify more readily with deeper characters.

3) WRITING ACTION/ACTIVITY WITHOUT USING STUPID NO JUTSU'S AND MORE DIALOGUE THAN KICKING/PUNCHING/STABBING.

From reading a lot of peoples' fics and comments, it seems we all struggle with writing good action sequences. Unfortunately, action sequences are practically a must in a fighting show like Naruto. Some tips:
a) Picture the setting in your head where the fight will take place. Make a rough sketch if that helps. Now you know what buildings/trees/objects are near your characters. Picture where the characters are positioned, and keep track of where they are. This way you can have them change positions and use the landscape around them to make things more interesting. (e.g. fighting atop tree branches/roofs; running across water).
b) Write your fight scene all in one sitting. This is hard if you're prone to writers' block, but it helps. If you can keep your flow of concentration uninterrupted, you'll give your fight scene more continuity because you're more aware of WHERE your character is positioned. Position awareness is VITAL to a fight scene. Otherwise we just have two characters standing God knows where and hurling random jutsu's at each other.
c) Keep conversation to a minimum during the fight sequence. I know Naruto is riddled with flashbacks during fight scenes (many of which make me want to claw my eyes out with their repetitiveness), but for a fanfic the action's most important. Inserting flashbacks in a fic the way they do in the show just causes confusion for readers and disrupts the flow of the story. A warning sign that you're writing weak fighting scenes is if the characters are talking more than they're fighting. If you want dialogue in the scene to explain what's going on, have the characters who are watching do the talking. Generally intense fighting makes the dueling characters too out-of-breath to be long-winded.

Wow...this turned out to be a lot longer than I expected. And it's not even a rant. At least, not entirely...

[salodon]

Hey, thanks. smile-big

[Saffi]

I found that really useful Yami..thanks :D

[Kool ka lang]

You should put all the NF cliches in here too.
Like blind itachi, gaible, kwGOD, all the good stuff.

[Therahedwig]

You should put all the NF cliches in here too.
Like blind itachi, gaible, kwGOD, all the good stuff.

No Kool, those are running gags, they are good, cliché tend to be bad...

[Freiza]

Well it would be nice but it's not there.......
but this im guessing was from there
aarikaa is a member of the fanfiction anbu, the site i mentioned in a previous thread where we provide hilarious reviews of bad naruto fanfiction. for those of you who've found stories online containing the cliches mentioned in aarikaa's masterpiece, please feel free to post links to them here so we at the ff-anbu can piss on...erm...roast...erm, i mean provide constructive criticism for them.

while we're on the subject of writing tips, i've got a few to add that can PREVENT writers from backsliding into cliches:

1) If you're going to introduce an OC, never describe your OC YOURSELF. Wait until the OC meets up with the main Naruto characters you're involving in the story and describe the OC through THEIR eyes. Readers quickly lose interest with long-ass descriptions of your character's eyes and hair and outfit if there's no apparent relevance to the story's plot yet. Face it, people: nobody likes it when an OC is more important than the actual characters. Let the NARUTO CHARACTERS decide whether or not the OC is beautiful or strong or crazy-looking.

As a sidenote, I'd like to add that if the Naruto characters who are giving the visual/behavioral assessment of your OC see only his/her positive traits and no flaws whatsoever, little warning bells should be going off in your brain: THIS IS A MARY SUE. Which brings me to my next point...

2) NATURE ABHORS A MARY SUE. I'm not going to provide a litmus test here, but here are some tips to keep yourself from writing a Mary Sue:

Pick personality flaws that are realistic to give your OC. Having a tragic past or being bitchy and assertive are NOT significant flaws. Having a scar on the OC's cheek does NOT count as an appearance flaw...unless you're Dilandau... Some examples of more realistic flaws are:

a) The OC feels insecure about his/her physical/mental weakness and tends toward jealousy of others.
b) The OC cares too much about what others think of him/her and tends to follow the crowd when he/she should speak up.
c) The OC is assertive but tends toward selfishness.

These are just some examples of realistic personality flaws, which make OC's far more palatable. Also, because flaws shape us as much as strengths, if you give them to your OC he/she will appear to have more depth and you can avoid the cardboard cutout cliche. Readers identify more readily with deeper characters.

3) WRITING ACTION/ACTIVITY WITHOUT USING STUPID NO JUTSU'S AND MORE DIALOGUE THAN KICKING/PUNCHING/STABBING.

From reading a lot of peoples' fics and comments, it seems we all struggle with writing good action sequences. Unfortunately, action sequences are practically a must in a fighting show like Naruto. Some tips:
a) Picture the setting in your head where the fight will take place. Make a rough sketch if that helps. Now you know what buildings/trees/objects are near your characters. Picture where the characters are positioned, and keep track of where they are. This way you can have them change positions and use the landscape around them to make things more interesting. (e.g. fighting atop tree branches/roofs; running across water).
b) Write your fight scene all in one sitting. This is hard if you're prone to writers' block, but it helps. If you can keep your flow of concentration uninterrupted, you'll give your fight scene more continuity because you're more aware of WHERE your character is positioned. Position awareness is VITAL to a fight scene. Otherwise we just have two characters standing God knows where and hurling random jutsu's at each other.
c) Keep conversation to a minimum during the fight sequence. I know Naruto is riddled with flashbacks during fight scenes (many of which make me want to claw my eyes out with their repetitiveness), but for a fanfic the action's most important. Inserting flashbacks in a fic the way they do in the show just causes confusion for readers and disrupts the flow of the story. A warning sign that you're writing weak fighting scenes is if the characters are talking more than they're fighting. If you want dialogue in the scene to explain what's going on, have the characters who are watching do the talking. Generally intense fighting makes the dueling characters too out-of-breath to be long-winded.

Wow...this turned out to be a lot longer than I expected. And it's not even a rant. At least, not entirely...
I like the advice, especially the one about keeping fight convos to a minimum. i hate when people have to much talking....*coughDBZcough* but also those that hve none or very little piss me off*coughBleachcough*