Not only do I appreciate this essay because it's well-written and is a topic deserving of exploration, but because it touches on the inspiration for my current Warrior Wednesdays tale, "Fodder Squad"; the primary protagonists of that tale are all typically 'cannon fodder' in other genre stories.
I'm trying to go in the other direction. A semi-realistic portrayal of mobs. They are rarely 200 on 1, like the fight with Englebert.
If I put two hundred underlings, my heroes have 199 soldiers with them.
In a scene I recently wrote for a book. My MC and his people found a bandit camp of two hundred. Instead of rushing straight in, he sent for allies, which equaled out the bad guys, and then surrounded the camp. Rather than fight, the 200 enemies escaped into caves.
Underlings aren't cheap and they will run out on you, if you treat them like shit.
Thanks for the tag! I enjoyed this a lot. I'm currently writing a fantasy novel where I have exactly this (basically a horde of disposable underlings). These are some good points to think on as I work on it.
Thank you for tagging! I enjoyed reading it. Your analysis of your narrative planning strategy is very interesting. I write chaotically, so I envy you! But it's not true that your writing skill is sorely lacking, you can write well!
Looking forward to more of these from you - I'd especially like to know how you learned to describe the sensory details of scenes.
Regarding underlings, you hit all the key notes. One function I'd add: they serve as a good distraction / scene-change for the hero (or reader). Nothing like a sudden infestation of pesky mooks to make a hero (or reader) forget what was happening the moment before, and to pick up the story pace.
Early on they were a potential threat in large numbers, and then only because Gerulf wasn't willing to start blasting in the middle of a town that was otherwise filled with innocents.
Trouble is, he learns from his mistakes and doesn't repeat them, so when they showed up with even larger swarms, he just exploded them repeatedly.
And then he got an ability that for all intents and purposes is immunity to them, after which even more hilarity followed.
And don't get me started on Mid-Boss.
Looks like Team Thottit's blasting off again!
KEK.
Cue him calmly explaining to a nonplussed official that he didn't consider that fifty-eight triggered NPCs trying to murder him was worth mentioning because a loose cobblestone had a better chance of harming him, and he'd dealt with closer to three orders of magnitude worse on the way there as a side quest.
>You mean to tell me you dealt with that by yourself?
I like the idea for this seriea of posts. Literary tools are important to every writer, and getting a glipse behind the curtain of proven authors is guaranteed to be helpfuk.
On the topic of mooks themselves, I see them as a group that is there to punish the mistakes of a hero. The reason the hero general evades being damaged by the mooks is specifically because they are greater than the average. They stand above others in terms of skill. If it were anyone else in their place, the horde would tear them apart. But, because they are the hero, they are just barely able to avoid the danger the mooks present... unless they make a mistake. When mistakes are made, the hero gets punished.
Either way, great write-up and I look forward to more of these!
Not only do I appreciate this essay because it's well-written and is a topic deserving of exploration, but because it touches on the inspiration for my current Warrior Wednesdays tale, "Fodder Squad"; the primary protagonists of that tale are all typically 'cannon fodder' in other genre stories.
I'm trying to go in the other direction. A semi-realistic portrayal of mobs. They are rarely 200 on 1, like the fight with Englebert.
If I put two hundred underlings, my heroes have 199 soldiers with them.
In a scene I recently wrote for a book. My MC and his people found a bandit camp of two hundred. Instead of rushing straight in, he sent for allies, which equaled out the bad guys, and then surrounded the camp. Rather than fight, the 200 enemies escaped into caves.
Underlings aren't cheap and they will run out on you, if you treat them like shit.
Thanks for the tag! I enjoyed this a lot. I'm currently writing a fantasy novel where I have exactly this (basically a horde of disposable underlings). These are some good points to think on as I work on it.
Nicely done!
Thank you for tagging! I enjoyed reading it. Your analysis of your narrative planning strategy is very interesting. I write chaotically, so I envy you! But it's not true that your writing skill is sorely lacking, you can write well!
Looking forward to more of these from you - I'd especially like to know how you learned to describe the sensory details of scenes.
Regarding underlings, you hit all the key notes. One function I'd add: they serve as a good distraction / scene-change for the hero (or reader). Nothing like a sudden infestation of pesky mooks to make a hero (or reader) forget what was happening the moment before, and to pick up the story pace.
Heh. *laughs in NPCs*
Early on they were a potential threat in large numbers, and then only because Gerulf wasn't willing to start blasting in the middle of a town that was otherwise filled with innocents.
Trouble is, he learns from his mistakes and doesn't repeat them, so when they showed up with even larger swarms, he just exploded them repeatedly.
And then he got an ability that for all intents and purposes is immunity to them, after which even more hilarity followed.
And don't get me started on Mid-Boss.
Looks like Team Thottit's blasting off again!
KEK.
Cue him calmly explaining to a nonplussed official that he didn't consider that fifty-eight triggered NPCs trying to murder him was worth mentioning because a loose cobblestone had a better chance of harming him, and he'd dealt with closer to three orders of magnitude worse on the way there as a side quest.
>You mean to tell me you dealt with that by yourself?
>My wife helped, too.
Will have to take time to read this, but well done, Knight, this is very useful.
I based some of my characters on people and situations I had come across over the years. But it’s so nice to have these tools.
Thank you so much for tagging me 💙🌿💫
I like the idea for this seriea of posts. Literary tools are important to every writer, and getting a glipse behind the curtain of proven authors is guaranteed to be helpfuk.
On the topic of mooks themselves, I see them as a group that is there to punish the mistakes of a hero. The reason the hero general evades being damaged by the mooks is specifically because they are greater than the average. They stand above others in terms of skill. If it were anyone else in their place, the horde would tear them apart. But, because they are the hero, they are just barely able to avoid the danger the mooks present... unless they make a mistake. When mistakes are made, the hero gets punished.
Either way, great write-up and I look forward to more of these!
*Makes notes* Elite Underling, Mid-Boss. Thanks- I always like getting new ideas.
It's more interesting to try and make them actual people than ones that just stand around saying "Yes, boss" all the time.