User blog comment:Mroddy/Writer's Workshop: Organic Elimination Orders/@comment-4604642-20190115041026/@comment-3350823-20190116042249

I think you bring up a really interesting point, and it's something I've been thinking about recently myself with thinking about new stories. I think it's generally true that the first few early boots are planned.

Yeah, first boots tend to be early fodder, using for being extremely annoying or obviously useless. I've been guilty of doing that myself in older stories. It's how it's done in canon with characters like Ezekiel in WT, Staci, and Leonardo for example. I do think I've been noticing a trend in recent stories trying to subvert this, making the first boot more shocking by eliminating them for a reason besides being annoying and or super weak in the challenge. Often done for a more strategic reason.

Still, a first boot probably won't have a lot or any story regardless. But it can make a more exciting start I think. I think the best think to try and do with a first boot is not make them a super obvious boot from their introduction. Like say, avoid labeling them 'The Annoying Guy' or 'The Failure'; that'll give away their boot and doesn't feel like a useful character (again, coming from someone who has done that before).

I think what's make some of those first boots more interesting or surprising in that trend I mentioned is that they are written like a normal, funny and or even likable character. They get more focus too than some of the usual fodder first boots. They don't necessarily have a story, but they feel like characters who could have a story and I actually liked. I think this is the ideal I'm going to strive for when I start my next fanfic.

The new philosophy I'm trying to go through in the future is trying to not create a character I don't want to write. Like if I have a hypothetical future season, can I bring this character back? Can I write for them again and come up with a story for them someday? Will I enjoy it?

I think second boots and third boots fall into the same problem, if not a bigger one. At least people tend to remember the first boot, but in big casts those others can be forgotten. And while they have more chapters, it's still hard to rush out a story for them in that.

Mroddy did an interesting case with his story Total Drama Tides. He had more than two teams and thought about who would leave first if each team lost, before deciding which one should lose. Some of the other planned first boots ended up going early, while some ended up going all the way to the finals with the OEO.

I know two recent stories where a second or third boot was spared because they ended up being funnier to write for the author and or they came up with a story idea.

As an overplanner, I sometimes instantly create an elimination order and that worries me. But for my own story, I spared an early boot and I'm so glad I did because they ended up being one of my favorites to write for. Another character I spared just for a few more chapters, but felt when did leave it was a more complete story.

My general rule of thumb is it's okay to have an idea of your elimination order, but not being afraid to stray from it or even who you plan on winning. Be flexible enough that if you really like writing for a planned early boot to save them or if it turns out a character you're writing isn't coming out how you planned or isn't as fun, don't be afraid to wrap up their story.

(Sorry to drop this giant comment, it just got my wheels turning and I had to drop my two cents :p)