User blog comment:Dodge Russler/New Idea: John the Cutter/@comment-25052433-20171123000431

So, from this description it sounds like you're going for the traditional "Blank" the Killer OC build. My advice here would be to avoid that trope, as such stories typically fall under the "Jeff Formula" and are deleted. Now, I don't want to discourage you from writing, so let me give you some pointers that hopefully will allow you to create what you want to create without wasting your time trying to post something here that will likely be removed. Based off of your description in the blog, I'll go line by line so to speak and try to steer you out of our dreaded "cliche" zone.

1) John the Cutter. That name alone is bound to buy you a fast pass to the deletion category. While I understand that the character takes his identity from Jack the Ripper, here in the Creepypasta world, most people are going to see him as just a Jeff the Killer copy. I would avoid giving him any such title and just let him be John, a guy who happens to like to cut people. Let his character define his identity, don't let his identity define his character.

2) John is a genius. Now, anyone who's watched Dexter probably knows how cool the super smart villain character can be. However, creating a character that is over powered is a quick way to turn off the reader. Flaws and vulnerabilities tend to assist the reader in relating to the character, and having John presented as the ultimate mind master will likely bore the reader long before it will entice them. If you're willing to take the time to develop a backstory as to how and why he can do what he can, it could potentially work, as fans were quite fond of characters like Hannibal Lecter, but keep in mind the level of development that went into his character.

3) Numbness to pain and immunity to death? At this point John is walking the line between supernatural killer (like Freddy, Jason or Chucky) and brilliant psychopath, like Lecter or Dexter. Either are a stretch in the written word, as stories require the reader to buy in to the plot far more than television does, since books cannot distract the reader with bright lights, explosions or other special effects. If he cannot feel pain, is potentially invincible and can outsmart people, than what is the real story? You lose the ability to create a gripping plot, because there is no real contrast. Without the ability to fail, the reader would have no reason to buy into this character. He'd essentially be a god walking around smiting people, which brings us to the last paragraph.

4) Whenever you walk essentially anywhere... he sees you. How? Is he supernatural? How would anyone possibly be able to pull that off?

With all of that said, you're essentially proposing a story about a god that hates humans and kills them for fun. Without the ability for the main character to lose, you have very little plot and wind up simply describing events that would all have the same result. John would kill someone and then move on to the next.

So, what would I suggest you try? Well, first off, if you are really sold on this idea, then go for it, but not on this site. This type of character would likely be a poor fit here, as the idea has been done a million times. Deviantart, Wattpad or any of the other creepypasta themed wikia sites would be a great place to post this. And honestly, you should go for it if that is what you want to write. Maybe posting this will inspire you towards different concepts that could work here.

If you do wish to write on this site and still tell this story, here are a few quick pointers:

Read the Quality Standards and Rules first and foremost. Make sure that you have a grasp of what is and isn't currently accepted. If you're not sure, reach out to myself or anyone else on the admin team and we'll happily assist. Next, read the list of blacklisted subjects and categories. If you think your story might fall into those, reach out and we'll clear it up.

As far as my advice on your plot idea. I'd suggest removing the "the Cutter" part from the character. If the police dub him that in your story, that's different, but I wouldn't have him come up with that name himself. Build his backstory and make sure there are reasons for things. Why does he hate humanity so much? What caused this? What are his end goals? How does he conduct himself when he's just going through the day to day and not killing? How does he pay his bills?

I would suggest ditching all of the super powers. It's okay for him to be, say, a former Navy Seal who knows how to fight and operate guns, sure, because that makes sense. It's okay for him to be highly intelligent and manipulative, because there are many people like that. However, I wouldn't make him the ultimate killing machine, as I've explained above. As far as being immune to pain and death, I'd toss both of those out the window.

So, that's my thoughts on John the Cutter. I'm not trying to rain on your parade of dampen your motivation, I just want to set you up for success. As I said, you're more than free to test drive this story on various literature sites that don't have as strict QS as we do, and I fully encourage you to do so, but from what I've read in your blog, this character won't be a good fit here. Once you feel like you have a finished product that does fit into this sites rules, I highly suggest using the Writer's Workshop, or reaching out to an admin or experienced user. Email them your story or put it up on Pastebin with a link provided, and once again, we'll be happy to look at what you've got before you actually publish it here. I hope this has been helpful. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns about anything stated here. As always, best of luck with your writing.