: Re: Avoiding cliches when writing gods When writing fictional polytheisms, it's tempting to draw inspiration from the existing ones. In ancient religions (I'm mainly thinking of the Greek/Latin, Egyptian

There are many ways to avoid the tropes. Mainly, think of dimensions outside the assumptions that the tropes embed.

Classic pantheons are sometimes...

anthropomorphic in shape. Yours might not be.
anthropomorphic in mindset (they have similar lives or concerns to humans - war, sex, live, conspiracy, individuality, ambition, jealousy). Yours might not be.
anthropomorphic in culture (they have a culture, and its not too far away from human culture only on a larger scale).
Anthropomorphic in wishes (they want the kinds of things people might want, if they have power - they want worship, fealty, rules they set to be followed, love, adoration, belief, trust, faith even if evidence is lacking, control over reward/punishment)

In a classic set of gods, some want to parent, some want to dominate, some want power and adulation, some want to help, some are indifferent. They share very human characteristics

Stepping outside these, you could ask yourself, what gods might not be designed in these molds.

Maybe the gods control the universe, in a different way (a God of Time, God of Quantum Outcomes, God of Causality)?
Maybe the gods have some different connection with life, or with people (are humans, or human minds, a pupal/larval stage of gods?)
Maybe the gods are seeking some quality that humans have (is the universe a simple art/aesthetic endeavour)?
Maybe gods are not individualistic - they have a hive mind, or are one being that divides itself for ease when needed?
Maybe gods don't have human-style emotions (what do they have then?)
Maybe the gods are seeking their own survival, perhaps against a loss of entropy, and the more order and structure that they can create, the longer the universe's lifetime hence their own survival, is guaranteed.

You get the idea. Imagine "what if" the tropes aren't true. Then build your own alternative.

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: Would this character be classified as an antivillain, antihero, or something else entirely? From an analysis standpoint, I'm trying to determine what classification the antagonist and protagonist

: Re: Avoiding cliches when writing gods When writing fictional polytheisms, it's tempting to draw inspiration from the existing ones. In ancient religions (I'm mainly thinking of the Greek/Latin, Egyptian

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: How to write a vulnerable moment without it seeming cliche or mushy? So, I have a kinda loudmouthed character who's always the first to fight and first to go on the offensive (This is a fantasy,

: How crucial is a waifu game storyline? So, with the recent craze in waifu games, I've decided to try my hand at making one. I have a semi-intricate plot with twists, and some events planned

: Real names Real human names with counterintuitive pronunciation should be used for artistic integrity if nothing else. However, as a children's writer, educating children is your job, too. Provide

: Would this character be classified as an antivillain, antihero, or something else entirely? From an analysis standpoint, I'm trying to determine what classification the antagonist and protagonist

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