Samurai Equine

The world of fiction is filled with so many tropes, you could make a game out of spotting them all. It's nearly impossible to write something genuinely new without someone pointing out that it's been done before. But just because something has been done before doesn't mean that it's bad or not worth doing.

I use to believe that the last thing you want is for a story to be predictable. I was half right.
Many stories are predictable, but many manage to be a fun or enjoyable time despite this. Many stories manage to draw in an audience and achieve what they were aiming for all along. The only time predictable is bad is when your story has nothing of value. Don't let your audience walk away feeling like they wasted their time. Even if you're going to make a story predictable, go ahead and make the absolute most of it. If the story is good enough, people will eventually stop pointing at what's been done and they'll just allow themselves to enjoy the experience instead.

Likewise, don't change a story just to avoid being predictable, not unless you are willing to follow through. Some people can make changes to their story seamlessly while still maintaining some good story-telling integrity. If that's what you want to do, go ahead. However, don't change any big reveals or twists at the cost of ruining your whole story. I know some people don't want to write something predictable, but you can't write while fighting against audience's expectations, especially if your entire story has been leading up to specific ending. That's a losing battle. If you have a masterpiece, a story you want to tell, then stick to it. It's okay if it eventually becomes predictable. It won't matter if people are having fun regardless, and I promise you there will still be people who don't see the big twist/reveal coming regardless. Every piece of fiction, no matter how derivative or inspired, is still someone's first experience with that kind of fiction.

Like I mentioned, there are many tropes that are done to death, even ones you are unaware of. Everything is predictable if you think about it enough. But don't fight against predictability. Sometimes tropes repeat because people like them. Don't fix what isn't broken. Stick to what you know and just make the absolute best story you possibly can. If your last piece of fiction wasn't that great, then challenge yourself to make something even better next time. Hone your craft and reach for the stars. As many can tell you, it's not the destination, it's the journey.

Yeah, that lesson is an old and predictable one, but it's still true.