Simple or Complicated Stories?

[ThisAdamGuy]

Do you like the stories you write to be simple and straightforward, or sprawling and complex?

Whenever I start a new story, I always trick myself into thinking it's going to be some kind of Tolkien, Jordan, Sanderson-esque colossus with a massive world, multiple fully fleshed out cultures, and an epic, comprehensive history that goes back thousands of years. I'll even throw myself into the world building for weeks on end, filling in every possible gap I can find. And then the same thing always happens: I realize I either don't have a story to tell in this world, or the worldbuilding has stretched the story I originally wanted to tell so thin it practically doesn't exist anymore. But when I write a simple story about characters doing having an adventure in a world that's only as developed as it needs to be, things usually work out a lot better. That kinda bugs me, because I generally don't like reading those kinds of books. A fantasy book without strong worldbuilding just feels like a bunch of fight scenes happening in a shoebox diorama, and I don't like that I can't meet my own standards.

Okay, minirant over. Which do you guys like writing better?

 

[Santaisblue]

I like simple better, I'm here to kill time, not stress over the tax on griffin eyes in a fake world.

 

[Deleted member 84247]

Simplicity is better. Also, if you try to write something complicated, you will get viewed under a microscope. It's generally not good to be under a microscope because the flaws start becoming more apparent.

 

[HisDivineShadow]

Writing the world as the story unfolds? That’s actually the most natural approach. Just let the world evolve with the characters and plot.

 

[RainyLiquid]

I usually start simple but by the end of an arc I need a white board to keep track of what I have done because my brain is my greatest enemy.

 

[Prince_Azmiran_Myrian]

Things that aren't important to the story should generally be ignored.

Worldbuilding is for people invested in the story, which at the beginning only the author is.
It's like building a sandbox when all you need is an on rails experience. A time sink.

Emotional beats are what matter, not the logical consistency of the worldbuilding (unless thematically relevant).

 

[BearlyAlive]

Simple is best.

But I somehow always end up with a multiversal clusterflak that makes the Kingdom Heart lore look comprehensive... I know that I shouldn't overcomplicate my worldbuilding, but now I have this multi-layered background setting structure overlay that fits pretty much all my stories no matter what bullshit I can think of since I pretty much thought it through in a way that might actually works...

Kinda like how when you open the fridge, can't be bothered to think of a dish, just stir-fry everything, and end up with a meal that actually tastes better than you thought it would.

 

[Cookiez_N_Potionz]

I can relate.

For my first adventure/action novel, I was gonna have the villain be someone the MC thought was nice and a hero. That was the twist, but then I decided to make it simple.

 

[MasterY001]

In all honesty, it comes down to an author's creativity. The more ideas an author has, the more concepts the story will use, ergo the bigger the world. For readers, it's personal preference.

I am someone who loves writing huge, complex worlds but prefers reading simple stories. However, the former requires a really good memory, especially when a timeline is involved, which not everyone might have.

 

[AstreiaNyx]

I enjoy reading something a little out of the box, or a mystery, whether it’s the concept or the prose. That being said, if the beginning makes me squint in confusion, I’ll toss it onto the maybe I’ll read this, maybe I won’t pile.

But regardless of the setting or the ideas, I prefer characters who feel grounded in reality, not stock types with predictable reactions. And writing such characters can be complex in itself, but to the reader, it should feel simple to digest.

I’m not a fan of lore dumps coz I’ll forget the details the moment I click on the next chapter. I read to follow the characters, and I want the lore to unfold through their eyes so I can understand why it matters to them.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

I like to start simple and build up and out from there, ending up with something really complicated. Often, I even start with hooks that I have no clear idea what I plan to do with, they're just there to pull on later and see where they lead.

 

[ThisAdamGuy]

Often, I even start with hooks that I have no clear idea what I plan to do with, they're just there to pull on later and see where they lead

JJ Abrams? Is that you?

 

[Supperset]

As a reader of many genre. It's hard to say whether I prefer simplicity or complexity in stories. For me, it really depends on the author and how they choose to narrate the story. Some of my favorite stories are actually quite complex when I stop to think about them, but they're told in a way that makes everything feel natural and easy to follow.

I guess depends on the story teller.

 

[Tyranomaster]

Currently, I'm writing a complicated story. I would like my next story to be simpler. Unfortunately I don't have the right kind of autism to let me hand wave details, so I'm probably stuck ensuring things all make sense to me.

 

[Valmond]

Simple for marketing purposes. However, complexity can work. My stuff is complicated, but there is definitely a sizable base for it that grows.

 

[Bald-san]

Do you like the stories you write to be simple and straightforward, or sprawling and complex?

Whenever I start a new story, I always trick myself into thinking it's going to be some kind of Tolkien, Jordan, Sanderson-esque colossus with a massive world, multiple fully fleshed out cultures, and an epic, comprehensive history that goes back thousands of years. I'll even throw myself into the world building for weeks on end, filling in every possible gap I can find. And then the same thing always happens: I realize I either don't have a story to tell in this world, or the worldbuilding has stretched the story I originally wanted to tell so thin it practically doesn't exist anymore. But when I write a simple story about characters doing having an adventure in a world that's only as developed as it needs to be, things usually work out a lot better. That kinda bugs me, because I generally don't like reading those kinds of books. A fantasy book without strong worldbuilding just feels like a bunch of fight scenes happening in a shoebox diorama, and I don't like that I can't meet my own standards.

Okay, minirant over. Which do you guys like writing better?

Mine's quite simple, it's just some application of basic Bachelor level physics on a high fantasy world, not to mention there's only one continent and the others have become fillers, so

 

[Garolymar]

The way I've been doing it, is I started with the world building to a point, I answered a lot of the more vague and grand questions of the world I had myself at the beginning, like the gods/races/cultures/maps/mechanics/magic. Then I went to the writing part, the characters and the main story, and then as I went along, and I needed to answer a more pressing question I would go back into world building mode and start thinking about how a race or god or magic actually works so I could explain it better in an upcoming moment. I feel like the ideas come easier when the need for them is more immediate.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

JJ Abrams? Is that you?

Nah, but to some degree, I consider myself a disciple of Chris Claremont (who could probably teach Abrams a few things about unresolved plot threads)...

 

[WhaleSprite]

I think starting simpler is better. You can always expand your world as you go or later in the story, but, generally, I'm reading a book for the characters and the plot and not the world building. Oh course world building should be used as a tool to make your world in your story make sense, but it shouldn't be the driving force in your story. People usually will only start showing interest in the world building part of the story after the story or characters have already grabbed their interest, so they start looking into more details.

Idk for other people, but for me I don't get interested in the world building aspect unless I'm already emotionally invested. If a story starts off just talking about the land, rules, and lore, it makes me lose interest. But I have ADHD so my brain will turn off if there isn't an immediate emotional pull the first chapter or couple chapters.

So either expand on that stuff later in your story or weave it in your story through your characters without info dumping.

Of course take what I say with a grain of salt. I'm just explaining my own thought process as a reader.

 

[HisDivineShadow]

Currently, I'm writing a complicated story. I would like my next story to be simpler. Unfortunately I don't have the right kind of autism to let me hand wave details, so I'm probably stuck ensuring things all make sense to me.

It’s enough just to have a spectrum.
?
I made a Google Sheets lore doc, but only after writing the first 15 chapters. Just because I’m a control freak. So I put together this whole spreadsheet.
And I haven’t looked at it once.
Everything lives in my head.