Unique concept vs Proper storytelling: Which one is more important?

[pterodami]

I think that the storytelling is very important. You can choose a very common concept but talk about it from different angles to make something original.
You can tell the same story from the hero's point of view, from the villain's one, from the sidekick's one... you can focus on the environment instead of focusing on the characters...
The same thing happen, but the story is different in each case.

[beta1042]

definitely story telling.

If you don't know what you're doing, it doesn't matter how awesome or unique the story is. It's always about execution.

[Stardust-clearwater]

Execution definitely. Story ideas are like pennies. Everyone has at least a few dozen . Executing a good story however is much harder.

[Freemints30]

To me a unique is simply a bonus if the story itself is great already. I have seen generic story concepts with a bland story(Astrick wars I prefer calling it the Ass wars), however what hurts me more is a cool concept with a bland story( The purge remember that movie).

My hero academia is pretty much Sky high, a concept you all probably seen so many times. However it focuses on the concept and try to make a story with good basics of story telling (likable characters, threatening antagonist, and enough world building to get the audience to be invested). If you have that you're golden

However if you have a unique concept I will award son extra points (which is why soul eater is still my favorite shonen despite it's rather lackluster ending in both versions)

[Luminosophy]

I would say proper storytelling is always going to win. You could have the most stereotypical concept on the planet but it won't even seem like it because the author knows how to make it interesting. Not going to lie I often feel let down by a lot of stories that try to aim for unique concepts. While they have a LOT of potential the author ends up killing it on the first few pages by either giving away the whole story through narration or just exposition dumps from the characters. It's fine to have adventurous ambitions but me as a reader.... well I'm just going to default to whoever executes it better. : T

[LordSeriphus]

SAO had so much hype from some of my friends. V and I watched it and it was really dumb. It wasn't the worst thing ever. But all the hype shot a bullet through it. I really don't like it.

[hjfsdh2222]

Proper storytelling wins.

However, I would say good storytelling rather than proper. Proper makes it sound like your taking it carbon copy from the book of proper storytelling rather than just having good natural sense about it.

Also there are always ways to make things more unique. For me personally, I never start with something unique. I make it something unique. And the #1 compliment I get is that my comic is unique

[YangKoete]

Proper storytelling hands down.

I don't care how unique the concept is, I want to be captivated with the characters, world and story altogether in one beautiful setting and plot.

So long as it's done well, I'll read it if it strikes my fancy.

[ramiek]

I also agree with everyone here, Story telling is the most important thing, simply because this is how you convey your idea to the reader. Moreover I think that if you have a basic idea that is written well you can start playing with it and see where you get your unique angle.

Some people told you that already, but try to play the "what if" game, on certain parts or certain characters, and see where it leads you. you might be surprised - just keep an open mind and be ready to kill your darlings (as in - maybe find a what if you like so much it would change the whole story or big parts of it)

[LordSeriphus]

OH SHIT! I just remembered a quote from the "Writing Excuses" podcasts. (They're great, if you don't know them. I'll post a link.) I remembered it while reading @JakiraJurosawa's comment.

It's "Blend the Familiar and the Original" or "Use a Mundane Idea and an Extraorinary Idea."

That's what will keep readers engaged and give your story what it needs for readers to remember it. ^.^

[Im_moron]

it doesn't have anything to do with hype, it had some good merits for the whole concept and first episode.

but what broke it for me was just, a lot of the logic, like, the logic hurts me sometimes, hurts bad...

[LordSeriphus]

Well, it's just not good. There's a lot of things in it's existence that bug me. The hype beforehand just made it worse. I don't know where the hype for it comes from.

[Im_moron]

it really did have a very strong first episode, laying down it's "unique concept" and "premise", which to be absolutly honest is a pretty fricking sick twist on virtual reality at the time.

but as the show just straight up displays, not enough merit to call it "good", especially with the really bad writing, plot holes and inconsistencies with some stuff.

[miramiee]

Aaah seeing the overwhelming amount of people choosing good storytelling over a unique concept makes me feel a lot better about what I'm writing lol. Thank you all for your inputs!

This is just an extra question about this topic, though--- Is there any circumstance where a unique concept trumps proper storytelling at all? Or can you seriously get away with just good storytelling/bad concept?

[LordSeriphus]

I never finished it. It had poor characters, as well. Especially the main character. On top of that the dual wielding being a character's great ability was really a throw off. I would think a great fantasy game world like that would've allowed people to dual wield pretty easily.

Even a main character change could've been a choice to help the show around. I'd rather have watched the show from the perspective of the side character who was around in the first episode, instead of the main lead.

And the sadistic characters weren't shocking or interesting at all, which really throws off sadistic characters. They were just kinda there to be the evil group that kills people. But without background or depth, they didn't really seem important, either.
Even having a character who goes through a huge psychological struggle, joins this group, then faces himself and decides to either change people in the group or run from them to get out of the game, or something could've made a better story.

But it boils down to the topic we're in. Great concept, especially for it's time. Extremely poor story telling elements, all the way past the writing, and right down to the characters. The base concept was the only good thing about SAO. But if a story doesn't work, it doesn't work. The author should be bale and willing to identify and change many things, if the need arises to make the story work naturally and still be captivating. This wasn't SAO at all for me. The writer missed the mark of a good story.

But, hey, it is wildly successful. So maybe I'm doing something wrong myself, or I just don't know these things. If you're trying to hit that specific niche of the community, maybe you can disregard all advice here and do the exact opposite, complete with unreasonable murder, and ecchi to pull those pesky plotholes together.

[LordSeriphus]

I'm going to say that I've read stuff with poor writing and great concepts that I've really, really enjoyed. But the storytelling elements were still there. That will hit a level on a reader to reader basis of whether they'll stick with your poor writing or not. But this can easily be refined and honed, so I still think the author should work at it as they go so that their story can still be written and their writing can get better.

Other than that, I haven't seen anything I can recall that had a great enough concept to kick away poor storytelling.
But you can also get away with good storytelling/good concept.

This makes me worry about my own work. I think I'm doing well with the storytelling. But I don't know how many people would find it enjoyable because I don't do genre fiction. I'm working toward literary fiction. But in literary fiction, you can break away from the common trope rules and buckle down more on the characters themselves, rather than having a fast-paced story. Downfall is, you're prose has to be fantastic if you want to do literary writing. But, nonetheless, there's a category for those delinquents that don't like rules and limitations. However, storytelling and writing knowledge still apply to literary works.

[AVXP]

This is just an extra question about this topic, though--- Is there any circumstance where a unique concept trumps proper storytelling at all?

Yes and no. Atmosphere and abstract fall under concept and you can dispense with ANY kind of cohesive story and still make a classic. One example would be 2001 A Space Odyssey. No one knew what that movie was about when it came out. Only years later- did the part about meeting alien probes get widespread exposure. For most people it was just well done sci-fi and there was no story to sink into.

The true test is- if you can answer simply- what a movie/book or story is about. When you struggle to explain it, you'll realize you're there for the concept/look/feel/atmosphere and not the story. And there's lots of properties- that when you read the official spiel of what it's about - you disagree and say "No, that's not what that's about!"

You summary is not what happens, but what what happens means.

[SleepingPoppy]

Or can you seriously get away with just good storytelling/bad concept?

I'd say look at concept and storytelling as on a spectrum. 0-10 if you like. Generally you get a higher score the higher both are, but you can have a okay story with a good concept thats still compelling, or a really well told story with a basic concept that just charms your pants off.

Now, if the concept is bad it's going to be harder for good writing to cover for that, because the two are linked. If the concept is the idea, the storytelling is the communication of that idea. If the idea is bad, you're communicating a bad idea. You're getting into murky territory. (which isn't the same as a flawed concept, because an idea can be flawed and still have merits!)

Is there any circumstance where a unique concept trumps proper storytelling at all?

Maybe abstract, nonlinear, and generally art-housey type works come closer to this. These tend to be works that are dominated by concept and not necessarily about conveying a cohesive story. At least, not in a conventional sense.

However it still takes skill to communicate ideas, and I maintain that storytelling could be translated to the communication of your concept. Which is just to say the two are inherently linked.

(sorry if I said anything the repeats or over laps with what others have said, I originally read replies a while ago, and just happened to have a though when the board popped back up! lol )

[ratscout]

Honestly, I would rather have a great concept with mediocre writing than a story with amazing writing with a bland concept, but that's just me. An example would be Harry Potter. It has fine writing, but it's about the most bland and cliche story to ever been told in my eyes XD. I kind of like to think of it as a fashion show; would you rather have a completely out there, hideous, and memorable dress or would you rather have a snooze fest of a dress that you'll never remember?

[LordSeriphus]

I honestly couldn't get into the books. I can watch the movies when I want to see that specific atmosphere and aesthetic on screen. But its story isn't the best. And its a children's series. I can enjoy a kids movie once in a while. But I don't think I could sit down and read a children's book and get super into it. xD