Hi guys! Ringdom launched Escaping Suspense/Thriller Writing Contest I on Sep 28. A total of 18 competitors will be awarded, with a total of $23100 cash prize. And the first-place winner will take home $6000! The contest includes 3 themes. Participants can pick one of them to develop stories. We’ve published a detailed guide on the 1st theme, Battle Royale. Now, let’s move on to the next, Fatal Exploration.
1. What is Fatal Exploration?
In short, in novels with a Fatal Exploration theme, the protagonist searches for treasures or explores ancient myths while surviving multiple dangerous situations. For example, in The Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, the protagonist aims to find Holy Grail that can heal all wounds.
And mysterious ruins are normally where stories of such theme take place.
When it comes to web novels, everything is possible. Some supernatural concepts may derive from ruins, such as Skull Island, where King Kong was located, or Jurassic Park, where the dinosaurs lived.
The place where stories happen is not limited to remains left by ancient humans. They could also be left by prehistoric creatures, legendary demons, or even gods. The only thing is that there must be strong motives driving the protagonist to further explore, such as treasures that can shake the world.
2. How to set the protagonist’s goal in a Fatal Exploration story?
The goal of the protagonist can be varied, the most common of which is to find treasures. For example, the protagonist in the movie Lara Croft: Tomb Raider wants the Triangle of Light to control time.
All in all, you only need a good reason to put the protagonist on a thrilling adventure. You can even have your protagonist accidentally travel into a game full of jungle-based beasts and evil forces. Like in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, the protagonist struggles to return to the real world. Just use your imagination boldly!
3. How to locate the adventure places?
Why not refer to the famous ruins in reality, such as the Temple of Artemis and the Tomb of Mausolus?
And to spice things up, you can add supernatural elements to your Fatal Exploration story, setting treasures and dangers with mysterious events.
For example, the most attractive treasure in Jungle Cruise is the tree that can heal everything, whereas the most deadly danger in The Mummy is definitely the legendary monster mummy.
Similarly, vampire palaces with secrets of immortality and dragon tombs with rare treasures are also good ideas.
4. How to set the characters?
In general, characters should be based on specific stories. In Jumanji and Indiana Jones, the protagonist’s personality, identity, background, and other settings are closely connected with the plot development.
In Jumanji, the protagonists, several students who are playing video games, travel into a game world. In Indiana Jones, the protagonist is an archaeologist commissioned by the US government to find the Ark of the Covenant to fight against the Nazis. The logics of character actions and plot development match each other.
Can you visualize four students suddenly taking a mission from the government to fight against the Nazis while Indiana Jones travels to a game world when playing video games?
If your story is developed based on history-related events, like ancient myths, treasures, etc., maybe you can set the protagonist as a historian.
If your story is developed based on occultism, mythical creatures, demons, etc., maybe you want to write the protagonist as an exorcist or a priest. A bounty hunter is also a good choice.
As the protagonist of the story, they may be skilled in one aspect but may need help from others in other factors. Then, it’s time for supporting characters to play a role. To stir up your audiences’ desire, a good idea would be to have characters skilled in different areas and present different personalities.
So that’s what we have today! The rest guide on the Fatal Exploration theme will be posted next.
What we talked about above is just a hint for you. Hope it could bring you more inspiration!
In the web fiction world, there’s no restriction on characters’ abilities. Superpower, magic, witchcraft, or whatever you have in mind… Let your imagination flow!
(By Alan & Chris)
This article is also posted on Ringdom Writing Guide. Add this book to your library so you will not miss any updates!
For PC, you can click here to view;
For mobile devices, you can tap here to view.
For other writing tips, feel free to check the articles below:
Escaping Suspense/Thriller Writing Contest Theme 1: Battle Royale:
What genres are the main focuses of Ringdom: