qid int64 1 2.78M | question stringlengths 2 66.6k | answers list | date stringlengths 10 10 | metadata list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
64,179 | I think I asked a question that was similar, but this question is different, because the context is completely different. One of the issues is that sometimes you waste 10 panels doing a simple exposition, like when you write a scene for a mission briefing. Could you do a one panel flashback to a scene that was never sh... | [
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"text": "I think it is quite common to do flashback to a time before the start of the story. You really don't need to... | 2023/01/13 | [
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64,189 | I was thinking of making the characters use racial slurs, because there's no way that in a fantasy setting people are progressive and respect people of every group, but I wasn't sure what would be acceptable and what would be unacceptable given the current culture of wide acceptance and zero tolerance for racism.
In S... | [
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"answer_id": 64190,
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"text": "First, the assumption of lack of tolerance among people of different ethnicities was surprisingly varied depending on... | 2023/01/13 | [
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64,200 | I'm nearing the end of my story, and I'm trying to tie it all together. I've read books that are great, but when you come to the ending, it's extremely disappointing because nothing in the ending connects to anything in the earlier story. But in some stories, it all ties together so you think "ohh, that's why they put ... | [
{
"answer_id": 64201,
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"text": "I'm going to disappoint you greatly.\n\nThis is generally something you should have figured out before you even sta... | 2023/01/14 | [
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64,202 | I've heard that a mistake that people often make is that they put 100% of their effort in building a character that they like and based on their own world views and philosophies and then end up writing an antagonist who is weak, one-dimensional and clearly evil.
Is this really a problem? Because you could say that Sau... | [
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"answer_id": 64204,
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"text": "The Lord of the Rings is (IMO) not really ***about*** Sauron; it is a *character* story about people struggling to ... | 2023/01/14 | [
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64,206 | A friend and I are writing a manga, and there is this mc(main character) that is having the speech disorder - she stutters.
---
Writing the question directly to avoid confusion.
Afterwards providing some attempts to clarify both what the question is about & details.
Finally I will add *Background*, and then some *C... | [
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"answer_id": 64208,
"author": "Tau",
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"text": "So if I'm interpreting this correctly, you want to write a character who stutters based off yourself, but want to know h... | 2023/01/15 | [
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64,223 | How can I build a realistic friendship that utilizes emotion? One of the main problems in my writing is characters not seeming to be as emotional or have real seeming connections to family or friends. | [
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"answer_id": 64232,
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"text": "Friendship is a combination of similarities, and differences that create synergy.\n\nWe become friends with those t... | 2023/01/18 | [
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64,225 | I am writing a story with some of Rick Riordan's Peryy Yiwfsan characters in it like, Pedcn, Annabeth, Grover,Leo, Hazel, Piper, Cuson, and much more other characters in his story. I wanted to make a "pretend" story of technically me if I were a half-blood - and I really don't want it to be copyrighted. | [
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"answer_id": 64227,
"author": "Bassem",
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"text": "Usually, good stories give inspiration to the reader. He/she wants to continue the imaginary trip with the story cha... | 2023/01/18 | [
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64,226 | Some say that a paragraph should have (only) one idea (or subject or topic). In that case, what constitutes an idea (or subject or topic)? And how might one verify that a putative paragraph possesses but one idea?
I will put forth two examples, for the purposes of discussion. The first, a one-sentence paragraph [Carro... | [
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"answer_id": 64228,
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"text": "Well, I won't tell you how other writers do it, but I play it by the ear. Every time I want a little pause to be he... | 2023/01/18 | [
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64,240 | I often see mute characters just gesturing and a person who can talk translating the mute person, but I would like to have both my mute and non-mute characters speak with sign languages without wasting a dozen of panels. Is there a way or standard on how to write dialogues from two mute persons in a comic book? What fo... | [
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"text": "Well, I won't tell you how other writers do it, but I play it by the ear. Every time I want a little pause to be he... | 2023/01/19 | [
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64,241 | My fantasy story is about an 18-year old knight who was trained from 5-years old to 18-years old as a knight. He is an expert when it comes to using a two-handed double-edged longsword as a weapon. He is also an expert when it comes to empty-handed martial arts such as ones that involve punching, etc. Currently, he is ... | [
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"text": "Welcome Jumez to the community. It is a good step towards more creative writing that you shared your story and askin... | 2023/01/19 | [
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64,252 | I am currently writing my PhD thesis and found a very helpful illustration of the human brain which is distributed under a CC license. I made some minor changes to the image, but of course I still have to give credit to the original authors of it.
Here is a [link](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dopaminergic_p... | [
{
"answer_id": 64254,
"author": "Laurel",
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"text": "Credit the (user)name you see.\n------------------------------\n\nFrom the [CC Wiki](https://wiki.creativecommons.org... | 2023/01/20 | [
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64,262 | I am currently writing a story for fun and was looking for some advice on a scene. The scene involves two lovers having an exchange that goes something like this:
>
> Character A smiles warmly. "You know, you're really a very kind person."
>
>
>
>
> "Lies\*." Character B immediately responds, voice deadpan. He f... | [
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"text": "Well, if you're looking for a harsh word for lies and don't mind getting into the realm of, well, harsher language ... | 2023/01/21 | [
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64,266 | When your main character is a misogynist or a racist, how do you tell your readers that you don't subscribe to his racist views by merely showing? The only way to kinda do this in my opinion is to make him learn from his mistake and develop him into a non-racist or non-misogynist character, but what if you don't want t... | [
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"answer_id": 64267,
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"text": "The other way is karmic. You control this universe and what happens in it. Including good luck, bad luck.\n\nHave y... | 2023/01/22 | [
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64,270 | I want to write a review of a novel, but I want to ask if there is a time limit for the book about to be reviewed. For example, can a book written in 2000 be reviewed in 2023? | [
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"answer_id": 64271,
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"text": "Of course you can write a review. It's perfectly possible and doable.\n\nBut there's little demand on the market if... | 2023/01/22 | [
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64,273 | How do you make a story as scary as possible? The two things that I've been told is to make the story suspenseful by first making sure your readers know something terrible is going to happen, but not know what exactly is going to happen and when it's going to happen. The second thing is by making sure that the threat o... | [
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"answer_id": 64276,
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"text": "Might be counter intuitive, but make it **hopeful**. Maybe I am a bit of a sadist, but when I watch a movie where ... | 2023/01/23 | [
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64,285 | I am currently writing a story for an RPG I will make. For this RPG, it is supposed to be a sandbox and open-world game. It also gives the player multiple choices and pathways as they play, giving it a lot of replayability.
However, there's a problem I face. For the story, I am trying to give it a strong narrative. It... | [
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"text": "Macj Rtoni and Trey Parker, the inventors of South Park, have some writing advice that may apply here.\n\nThey are ... | 2023/01/23 | [
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64,291 | >
> it states that every scene should (must) change something in your characters' lives. Otherwise, it's a "nonevent" and should be cut.
>
>
>
I got this advice in the past. One of the things I like to do is to introduce a new character by having them engage in small talk with one of the main characters. If I trim... | [
{
"answer_id": 64293,
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"text": "Don't introduce characters through meaningless smalltalk. Introduce them through events that either provide plot-cr... | 2023/01/24 | [
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64,294 | I don't want to get into the details of everything for the sake of time. An upcoming personal essay requires me to talk about how I feel about nature and how I feel as if it has defined me. This would be fine, yet, I'm required to also use an **actual experience** in my life that includes nature so I'm not just saying ... | [
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"text": "Not having experienced something many other people have experienced is also an experience. Angles you could go for:... | 2023/01/24 | [
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64,303 | How do you make a "bad" ending satisfying for the readers? I want to write a story where the protagonist dies without achieving his goals, but I am not sure if it's possible to write such an ending while making it satisfying for the readers. The only way I think I can make it work is by writing a terrible main characte... | [
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"text": "The goals of the protagonist may be different from the goals of the story.\n\nSuppose that all that the protagonist r... | 2023/01/25 | [
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64,315 | Can you ignore your own death flags and spare a character if you changed your mind? I am wondering if ignoring a bunch of death flags you set up for killing a character can backfire if you change your mind as you're about to kill him in the story. Is this a violation of the Chekhov's gun? I am wondering if there's a pu... | [
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"text": "Depending on what kind of story you write it could work as a \"teachable\" moment. Having a character face her or ... | 2023/01/26 | [
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64,317 | Is there a way to write an endless story with the same protagonists without the story feeling like it has overstayed its welcome? I think this isn't possible, especially if you already wrote a story beat for the story. Technically, you can only add fillers within the story since you can't put a story beat after a story... | [
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"text": "Of course, but you can't outline it ahead of time, this would have to some form of \"Discovery Writing\".\n\nAnd it... | 2023/01/26 | [
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64,332 | ***EDIT***: Today was the day of farewell. There were nearly 6-7 performances, and based on the audience' reactions, mine definitely makes in top 2, maybe even best. Most others were copied from internet, and that's why mine was completely different from rest! Thank you all guys. The speech did make the event memorable... | [
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"text": "Hard to tell in general. At the bottom of it all, there's this:\n\nIf you want your speech to be unique in a good w... | 2023/01/27 | [
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64,335 | * Using first label as the full name - first, middle, maiden/birth name. (Margaret Anne Fewxen was born on November...)
* Discuss early achievements by referencing only birth last name - Fewxen. (Fewxen graduated from college...)
* After marriage reference only married last name - Jilloomx. (Jircon married John Jilloom... | [
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"answer_id": 64337,
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"text": "In the absence of a clear and authoritative style guide you wish or need to follow, follow the clear ... | 2023/01/27 | [
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64,344 | Can your character gain crucial knowledge off-screen? Let's say your character is a young adult and doesn't know anything about geopolitics, and then there's a 2 year time skip and he's a ruler with a lot of geopolitical knowledge gained off-screen, and knows exactly the political working of a country. Is it ok to do t... | [
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"author": "Mary",
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"text": "Probably, if you set it up properly. If we know he's going to become a ruler, and be educated for it, it may be wise t... | 2023/01/27 | [
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64,351 | Does it make sense to reset your characters' development in a episodic show like South Park or Family Guy?
I often see that the characters ignore some of the things that happened in previous episodes. Is it a good idea, or is it something that can alienate your viewers? Why is this often done? What are the pros and co... | [
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"answer_id": 64353,
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"text": "It is my opinion that every episode in a long running and episodic series should be considered to happen in a... | 2023/01/28 | [
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64,352 | To make an otherwise long winded story short, I have an uncommon tale of survivorship.
*Context: From child runaway, to kidnapping victim, to an escape ten years, ten months, and 23 days later.*
For the last two years, I’ve had a willingness to talk it through and answer questions people may have, only elusive to spe... | [
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"text": "The book \"Hey, Kiddo\" by Jarrett J. Krosoczka is a good example. Before writing books, he wasn't famous, but his st... | 2023/01/28 | [
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64,364 | In my fantasy epic, the protagonist is a destined chosen one who will defeat the dark lord (at least that is what the sorcerer propaganda says.) About 3/4 into the story, he eventually meets the previous "chosen-one", who is now just a rogue mercenary who beats and kills people for money (or just for enjoyment.) At fir... | [
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"text": "I will gamble with this answer :)\n\nVery easy. Evil actions (sins in general) are very tempting and enjoyable or wh... | 2023/01/30 | [
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64,365 | How do you introduce acronyms in a comic book? For example, CIA means Central Intelligence Agency, but no one will say "Central Intelligence Agency", they will say "CIA". Likewise, the characters when they speak, they will say "CIA" so how do you properly introduce acronyms to imaginary organizations without making you... | [
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"text": "I will gamble with this answer :)\n\nVery easy. Evil actions (sins in general) are very tempting and enjoyable or wh... | 2023/01/30 | [
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64,367 | * This [study](https://www.blog.theteamw.com/2009/12/23/100-things-you-should-know-about-people-19-its-a-myth-that-all-capital-letters-are-inherently-harder-to-read/) show that all caps is not harder to read than lowercase.
Engineers and architects often write in all caps. Does this increase the legibility and visual ... | [
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"text": "When you are writing in a hurry, taking notes during a lecture or presentation, we take several short cuts.\n\nEngi... | 2023/01/30 | [
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64,374 | If I use ChatGPT to generate the initial prose for, say, a 2 paragraph introduction (where I modify and rephrase a little) do I need to cite it or somehow give credit?
This article implies "no"
[World's largest academic publisher says ChatGPT can't be credited as an author](https://www.ghacks.net/2023/01/27/chatgpt-ca... | [
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"text": "> \n> do I need to cite or somehow give credit?\n> \n> \n> \n\nNo, except if your [jurisdiction](https://l... | 2023/01/30 | [
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64,385 | My handwriting is very bad on unruled paper. How can I learn to write straight and nice on blank paper? | [
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"text": "One old trick (I learned it before 1970) was to put a piece of lined paper behind the unlined sheet you're actua... | 2023/01/31 | [
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64,393 | I suffer from “villain shows up out of nowhere syndrome”. My story involves a group of survivors trying to trek through a wasteland and reach a safe zone while my reoccurring main villain continuously attempts (and fails) to stop them due to their hatred of the protagonist.
No matter how I write their appearances, it ... | [
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64,398 | How should you name an imaginary machine? I was thinking of naming a time-machine/transdimensional teleportation machine Proteus, but I am not sure if giving it a generic name like that makes sense. It's because the time machine allows you to travel in time, travel at any location in the present and change dimensions, ... | [
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"text": "I would name it \"Tuurge.\"\n\nJokes aside, it's a fantasy machine. You can name it whatever you want, even if it... | 2023/02/01 | [
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64,404 | If an author of a book is trying to convey that someone exists for a reason, would this mean the individual has "purpose" or "a purpose"? Or are the terms interchangeable? Here are two similar sentences to illustrate:
>
> The young man came to believe that he was a tool with **purpose**.
>
>
> The young man came to... | [
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"text": "\"*A purpose*\" has an emphasis that implies the purpose is specific and bestowed upon by an external party (his ... | 2023/02/01 | [
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64,427 | From the [Wikipedia page on Japanese punctuation:](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_punctuation)
>
> Double quotation marks (二重鉤括弧, nijūkagikakko) are used to mark quotes within quotes: 「...『...』...」 as well as to mark book titles (Japanese does not have italic type, and does not use sloping type for this purpo... | [
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"text": "Think of the opposite situation. If the text would be in Japanese, would you use Japanese formatting for parts of... | 2023/02/02 | [
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64,452 | Should I change the name of fictional companies when they were created after I published my book?
Let's say that one of my company names is "Cetus Industries" and Cetus Industries is responsible of making deadly weapons using artificial intelligence and are terribly immoral in the story. If a company under the same na... | [
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64,453 | Let's take an example. Let's say I have the following foonotes. "Here, the author is making an indirect reference to the expression "(something) fighting" often used in esports."
and then put a footnote on "something fighting" that say: "In a nutshell, ‘Fighting!’ (pronounced as “hwaiting” or “paiting”) is a word of e... | [
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64,456 | In my fantasy world, there are various religions and beliefs. To not get too obsessed with the worldbuilding (it is already pretty thick and heavy,) I was thinking of, in terms of their religions, including gods from real-world cultures. For more details:
* **This Story is not Urban Fantasy!** Forgive the bold, but th... | [
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"text": "It is certainly possible. And it could certainly be quite interesting. There are challenges.\n\nLots of stories ha... | 2023/02/04 | [
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64,464 | One of my main characters is named Lucas. Lucas can turn into a cat. He struggles with controlling this power. He’s also from the bad side of town; his parents are neglectful and eventually disappear entirely, leaving Lucas to take care of his two siblings. He cracks under the pressure and attempts suicide eventually, ... | [
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"text": "I don't know what is too much violence or grimness for a specific publisher to publish. I expect that differe... | 2023/02/05 | [
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64,479 | Is it more challenging to write a good story where the gods are too powerful when they're not the main characters?
I don't think I've ever heard of a good story where the gods are omnipotent and they're the main characters of the story. There's always some restrictions that restrict what they can do in the world the s... | [
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64,489 | I was watching [this review for the new Hijrp Potfeq game](https://youtu.be/F6dZxoob8CY?t=99), and it got me wondering if it might be considered a terrible plot hole when your character has a mysterious, unexplained power.
If you end up using the mysterious, unexplained power trope, do you have to 100% address it as a... | [
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"text": "It depends on who the character is. If it's a main character, it should be explained at one point in time, maybe (for... | 2023/02/08 | [
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64,490 | Right now, I have described the differences between the world the character lives in and the world the character is reading about, but it seems really rushed, like he'd only been reading for a few minutes.
I could write "He read for a few hours before..." but it also seems kind of hurried, if that makes sense.
Thanks... | [
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64,494 | If a person is giving instructions to separate individuals and it's all spoken in quotes, should the spoken words for each new person start a new paragraph or if the commands are connected to a single theme, should they all be together in a single paragraph?
For example, should this be in one paragraph:
Morp realized... | [
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64,496 | I know that the following forms of *to carve* have lately become obsolete, but are they so archaic that I can even not use them in writing (books (not formal documents, indeed)); that is, would any of them not be understood at all?
The forms:
Past simple: carved = corve
Past participle: carved = carven or corven
1. My... | [
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"text": "As a native British English speaker I would understand the first one, but unless the whole story was in old-sty... | 2023/02/08 | [
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64,505 | I've written a dystopian story ~3000 words long. The story stemmed from a dream after having a dystopian unit and reading *The Giver* by Lois Lowry. When I started writing, it just seemed to flow, it took around 2 weeks to finish the first draft. However, I'm aware that the way I started and my laziness led me to not p... | [
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"text": "I am a Discovery writer, I write (successfully) without much *story* planning. Spepfuj Kunw is one of the most famo... | 2023/02/09 | [
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64,511 | I've heard people talk about how they don't like the 'strong female character' story in hero movies because they're written bad, but how is a good strong female character written? | [
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"text": "To start, I'd say do not give an excuse for why she is \"strong\". Don't make her a lesbian as if that explains it ... | 2023/02/09 | [
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64,526 | >
> Use ambiguity to your advantage. Don't be afraid to leave some things
> open to your audience's interpretation. This will allow your audience to bring their
> own experiences and interpretations to the story.
>
>
>
I got this advice when asking how to write a good story, but I am wondering if leaving certain t... | [
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"text": "Some ambiguous endings are very satisfying to the reader. Some are frustrating. Some are both, to different readers.\n... | 2023/02/12 | [
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64,545 | I am in the process of writing a novel made consisting of a series of 'real time' scenes with heavy usage of dialogues and some narration. Some scenes are more heavy on dialogues than others.
Is it possible for a book to have a narration styles that goes like:
>
> A meeting was held in Tom's house. The sky was blue, ... | [
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"text": "Some ambiguous endings are very satisfying to the reader. Some are frustrating. Some are both, to different readers.\n... | 2023/02/14 | [
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64,549 | How can you create a story that incorporates magical or supernatural elements in a way that is subtle and understated, without overwhelming the plot or detracting from the realism of the narrative?
I was thinking about writing a story about people who can alter reality at will, but I thought about it and I thought suc... | [
{
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"text": "This is a popular and well-known subgenre called \"magical realism.\" Books of this type tend to be more liter... | 2023/02/14 | [
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64,555 | I'm writing about a person who writes in their journal like this:
**She wrote, "I went to the store today."**
But I have a feeling it's not correct. Should I use a colon?
**She wrote: "I went to the store today."**
or no quotes, italicized?
**She wrote, *I went to the store today.***
I tried googling this but cou... | [
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"text": "As far as I can find, there isn't a specific style for doing this. Maybe there is some style guide out there that speci... | 2023/02/16 | [
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64,571 | I know what makes dialogue interesting is what characters don't say as much as (or more than) what they do. How do I achieve this with a character who prides herself on 'saying it like it is', and not beating around the bush. If she thinks something, positive or negative, she doesn't see the point in pretending she doe... | [
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"text": "No one tells it like it is.\n\nThe whole concept is a coping mechanism. They have a limited subset of things they ... | 2023/02/18 | [
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64,572 | I'm currently writing a book in which one of the characters talks about using sleeping pills, which he overdoses on at the end. This is a really important conversation because it is the first foreshadowing I'm doing, but it always feels very rushed. This is the scene:
>
> He stretches out and grunts softly.
> 'I don'... | [
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"text": "The conversation is fine generally speaking. Talking MORE about it is going to make it too obvious anyway. Honestly... | 2023/02/18 | [
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64,576 | I have a question similar to [this one](https://writing.stackexchange.com/questions/10771/how-to-write-in-a-very-thick-notebook), with a subtle difference.
I've got quite a nice leather bound notebook. It's about 2 inches thick.
However, I find it very difficult to write on the left hand pages, because there's such a... | [
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"text": "The conversation is fine generally speaking. Talking MORE about it is going to make it too obvious anyway. Honestly... | 2023/02/18 | [
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64,585 | I have never wrote more than a short story in my life yet. That being said, I am planning to complete a novel soon. I feel like I might have too many characters. I have around 28 minus the ones not a part of the group. I feel like focusing on 5 or or so might make for better writing, but my story is more so a mystery/s... | [
{
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"text": "The number of characters isn't, by itself, a good or bad thing. What you need is the ability to write characters t... | 2023/02/19 | [
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64,590 | If yes does this apply to historical deities/gods or only to fictional ones? | [
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"text": "I believe most ancient gods and goddesses fall under the public domain.\n\nMyths don't have a strict \"canon\... | 2023/02/19 | [
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64,592 | When would it make sense to have several beat sheets for several stories happening in parallel? I was thinking of writing a story where there are several stories happening at the same time, and three main characters would have his own beat sheets, would that make any sense, or is it always better to have one beat sheet... | [
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"text": "Whatever you find useful.\n\nBoan sheets are not requirements, but analyzed structures that some writers find useful. ... | 2023/02/20 | [
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64,602 | How do you continuously add characters to a story that originally started with a small cast? Is there a way to do this organically while making sure their presence in the story feels natural and not forced? Is it something that needs to be inside the beat sheet when you plan out the story? Because there are a lot of ch... | [
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"text": "To address your final comment first:\n\n> \n> I don't understand what \"forced\" means and what are the criteria for\n>... | 2023/02/21 | [
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64,604 | In the middle of my epic, the deutertagonist's love interest gets brutally killed off and she is forced to watch. For the third quarter of the story, she is trying to deal with the pain and trauma.
The story continues, but her character changes a lot. Examples:
* At first, when she is rescued and wakes up, she is in ... | [
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"text": "The first rule of story telling is that your character's cannot do **nothing**.\n\nYour character can be depressed ... | 2023/02/21 | [
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64,607 | I'm working on a webcomic in which the main character has amnesia from head trauma. She was an experiment and when escaping she hit her head. She has one sentence of dialogue to the other main character saying that "she's in a hurry" before she passes out, and when she wakes up she realizes that she can't remember anyt... | [
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"text": "Meet cute!\n----------\n\nBuild the chemistry between your 2 main characters. Amnesia or not, establish what mak... | 2023/02/21 | [
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64,609 | I'm considering the idea of the antagonist of getting the protagonist's girl (either temporarily or permanently). Various ideas I'm playing with:
* the antagonist uses non-consensual manipulation to get the girl
* the antagonist uses charm and charisma to get into a consensual relationship with the girl before she kno... | [
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64,619 | Are there other ways to tie a character's name to a mythological character's name without using the same name or anagram?
Sometimes, we just use the same name like Loki, Detective Loki, or an anagram like Detective Kilo, or whatever you want, but what are some subtler ways to achieve the same thing, and could you give... | [
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"text": "Sure, you can rhyme, or just spell it differently. Instead of Loki, use Moki, or Noki, or Loti, or Logi, or Lochee.... | 2023/02/23 | [
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64,620 | When writing stories, I tend to get really caught up in the small interactions and lives of my characters. I explore their state of mind, their relationships, their habits.
However, because of this; a story that by genre convention should be dense with action (read 20+ encounters over a novel) is struggling to get to i... | [
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"text": "It sounds to me like you are caught up in exposition about character building. It is a little like World Building S... | 2023/02/23 | [
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64,631 | My villain is an animal-human chimera who was raised by a human. She will later hate humanity and want it extinct, but I'm unsure what would cause her to want to destroy the entire human race.
She lived with her brothers (also chimeras) and were kept hidden from the world.
What I have so far is that when she was 13 y... | [
{
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"text": "I have an idea maybe you like it or not. You can show various reasons for which your character started h... | 2023/02/24 | [
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64,635 | I’m writing about a certain scene where they find that one of the side characters has been hurt by bullies. I’ve tried to see if carrying bridal style would help, it didn’t help visually. Any suggestions? | [
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"text": "You don't need writing advice, you need to do research. How are people carried, when they have broken a leg? I'm sure w... | 2023/02/24 | [
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64,640 | I was thinking about writing my first book (*Blood on Her Hands*.) There will be a main character who has amnesia. That's a problem for the book because she can't remember her past and anyone in it (parents, siblings, lovers, friends, etc.) She probably shouldn't because she is an ex-assassin who would kill for sport.
... | [
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"text": "The same way you write any other book: Write down what happens to the protagonist.\n\nIf the person forgets things, the... | 2023/02/24 | [
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64,641 | I am just beginning my journey into writing short stories. When I have an idea, I can't get it on paper. Like, that feeling when you have this amazing story idea that you just need to get out, but when you finally get to the notebook, it's gone. This has happened to me way too often. I have dubbed this term "writer's f... | [
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"text": "Yes.\n\nI find that identifying the three key features of the idea allows me to retain it:\n\n1. The main characte... | 2023/02/24 | [
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64,650 | I wrote a story that takes place in the middle of the action, and I am not sure if I started the story too late, because the world is completely different from ours and it would be hard to understand what's happening from the first 3 chapters, so how do you know if you started too late and failed to do important exposi... | [
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"text": "How do you know? You have some major turns in your plot, yes? When the family has to throw our hero out because... | 2023/02/25 | [
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64,652 | I'm a strictly-amateur author. I've written my autobiography.
I don't want to be paid but I feel it has value and would like it preserved online in some fashion for posterity.
How can I go about this? I can't pay anything substantial for the service. | [
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64,656 | I'm writing a story about 5 characters without any recollection of their past and their journey to get their memories back.
I want to reveal their identity at the end of the story and I am struggling on what to name these characters in the meantime. Incidentally, their names are the main plot twist, so I need a placeh... | [
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"text": "What does the point of view character do to keep the others apart? Give nicknames? Think of descriptions? Do that. And... | 2023/02/26 | [
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64,664 | I'm currently writing up a sci-fi universe where humanity is the newbies to the intergalactic community. Because nobody likes stories of extremely slow yet realistic interstellar voyages (with exceptions) I've given humanity ships with FTL capabilities.
How do I balance the system not to make it too overpowered within... | [
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"text": "Be consistent.\n\nWith faster-than-light you already lost me, a physicist.\n\nIf you want to „stick“ somewhat to rea... | 2023/02/27 | [
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64,666 | In a science-fiction story, the speed and ease of transiting from one star system to another should affect how the civilization works. I have read stories where different rooms in a house are in different star systems with instantaneous portals connecting the rooms. I have also read stories in which people commute from... | [
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"text": "The best thing to do would be to compare how differing speeds affected civilizations on earth. The chief effects are, ... | 2023/02/27 | [
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64,673 | In situations where a character is an irredeemable and unrepentant villain (pedophile) but is just a regular everyman character in every other respect (he looks, acts, and speaking in an unremarkable way, doesn't have a dark back story, and there is no in universe attempt to justify his actions as being down to some fo... | [
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"text": "I recall an episode of CSI (couldn't tell you the name of the episode but Alan Tudyk played the character) that focus... | 2023/02/28 | [
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64,680 | So, the viewpoint and main character in my novel is a character who had a very bad beginning. Born as a slave, she was torn from her parents and subjected to many horrors, few of which I elaborate on, before being taken to her latest owner, the daughter of a prominent lord. The daughter is exceedingly kind to everyone,... | [
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"text": "> \n> But before she starts healing, how do I give off the impression that she's pushing others away not because she wa... | 2023/02/28 | [
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64,685 | I am designing a magical world for which I have plenty of ideas but I am worried if they are too much like Hijrp Potfeq.
Please look through this list and tell me which ideas are too much like Hijrp Potfeq, and what I can do with the ones that aren't so I can make them distinguishable, so it doesn't sound like I'm jus... | [
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"text": "Hijrp Potfeq is the copyrighted work of J. K. Rowling, meaning effectively that others are forbidden from passin... | 2023/03/01 | [
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64,686 | When you write a plot that becomes so convoluted that it becomes impossible to resolve without resorting to contrived or unrealistic solutions, how do you write yourself out of a corner?
For example, let's say I wrote a mystery story with too many red herrings. How do you provide a satisfying resolution without feelin... | [
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"text": "Revision.\n\nGo back and decide which red herrings have to go.\n\nSometimes this, in fact, requires inventing new red ... | 2023/03/02 | [
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65,695 | Say you have a person 'Zotn Swoth', If you were to address him formally you would call him 'Zotn Swoth', if you were his friend 'Zotn', in an academic or military environment you would refer to him as 'Swoth, Zotn', but I've also seen instances where just the last name is used and he would simply be called 'Swoth', wha... | [
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"text": "I feel your question is missing one of the most common forms of address: \"Mr Swoth.\" You wouldn't normally address so... | 2023/03/02 | [
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65,704 | Red herrings appear to violate Chekhov's gun, but I've been told that not all red herrings are the same and it seems that some red herrings are OK if they serve some sort of purpose.
How do you ensure that a red herring doesn't violate Chekhov's gun? Can you give me a list of criteria a red herring needs to meet in o... | [
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"text": "Red herrings do serve a purpose: they (ostensibly) make it harder for the reader to identify the true culprit. They ... | 2023/03/04 | [
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65,713 | Why is it bad to exclusively rely on plot twists to create tension? I was told that some novice writers often make that mistake, but I am not sure why it is considered a mistake. Why is that the case? What are other means to create tension other than plot twists in your story? | [
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"text": "Red herrings do serve a purpose: they (ostensibly) make it harder for the reader to identify the true culprit. They ... | 2023/03/05 | [
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65,721 | Is it bad that your characters don't have distinct voices or mannerisms?
I tried to give them some distinct voices and mannerisms, but they sounded too cliched or parodic in that they looked like a caricature we see in Kabuki theatre or a shonen anime. Is there a way to do this a lot more subtly? All my characters are... | [
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"text": "You may be confusing speech patterns such as dialects as being the same as voice. Voice is as much what the cha... | 2023/03/05 | [
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65,733 | How can you prevent your characters from being too predictable? I am wondering how to do that, because if your characters have clear motivations and clear personalities, then it should make them rather predictable, so the only way I can make my characters unpredictable is by making them act out of character or making s... | [
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"text": "Recently I watched <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runaway_Jury>.\n\nFutbh (Gene Hackman) is the predictable bad guy.... | 2023/03/07 | [
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65,737 | After writing the beat sheet, is there any preparatory document you can write before starting to write your story? I just finished writing the beat sheet for a story I wanted to write, but I would like to ensure I don't mess things up while writing it, is there any other document I can write to better structure and pla... | [
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"text": "Recently I watched <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runaway_Jury>.\n\nFutbh (Gene Hackman) is the predictable bad guy.... | 2023/03/08 | [
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65,749 | Sometimes, you write yourself into a corner and the only way to come up with a happy ending is to put a deus ex machina in the end, but the question is whether there's a middle ground and how you can make a deus ex machina more palatable to your audience. For instance, if you decided to foreshadow that deus ex machina ... | [
{
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"text": "Having asked about deus ex machina sometime ago, I believe that it is 'never' a good idea to include any form of deus ... | 2023/03/09 | [
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65,750 | I heard that "the unstoppable force" trope is considered one of the worst tropes you can use, and you should avoid it at all cost, because there are many issues among which are the lack of stakes (outcome is predetermined), lack of character development (character doesn't have to develop), lack of conflict (no one can ... | [
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"text": "An unstoppable force is nothing without direction.\n\nThe conflict of an unstoppable force character isn't against ... | 2023/03/09 | [
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65,756 | How do you quote someone whose native language is not English? Let's assume that the person make several grammatical mistakes, how should you quote them, do you quote them verbatim or do you quote them after fixing the mistakes, or do you put the mistake and put the words that should have been used instead in parenthes... | [
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"text": "In the case where someone is speaking poor English, it's generally advised to quote exactly as spoken with the additi... | 2023/03/09 | [
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65,763 | I am currently writing a story in first person and present tense. I've read a lot about what various people think of this perspective and I've heard many people say they enjoy it when it's done well, but hate it when it isn't. Does anyone have any advice on how I can write this perspective without it being annoying or ... | [
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65,764 | I've been watching a lot of Krzysztof Kieślowski movies lately, especially Decalogue, and I've noticed how adept he is at using visuals to externalise the inner ideas of his characters.
How can I write screenplays that do that? | [
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"text": "It seems to me that you already have your answer: In the same way that Kieślowski does.\n\nYou will need to find visual... | 2023/03/10 | [
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65,777 | Is it possible to create unique voices in your story if all your characters use simple words and sentences in their dialogues?
I believe that simple dialogues may not allow for the same level of creativity and nuance when it comes to crafting distinct character voices. Characters who all speak in the same simple, stra... | [
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"text": "It's possible but more difficult. There are still grammatical structures that could vary. Complete sentences vs. sente... | 2023/03/11 | [
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65,782 | A common mistake in creative writing is to create a villain without a clear motivation for their actions. Every villain should have a reason for their behavior, even if it is not a justifiable one. There is, however, no clear guideline that tells you when it is too late or too early to reveal the motivation of a villai... | [
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"text": "Unfortunately, this entirely depends on what serves the story.\n\nIt is, indeed, perfectly possible to write a good sto... | 2023/03/11 | [
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65,786 | I've been told that you need to create a consistent tone when writing a story, because it shapes how readers perceive the story. Maintaining a consistent tone throughout the story by balancing the needs of the story with the expectations and preferences of your audience ensures a cohesive narrative. Consistency in tone... | [
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"text": "One type of point at which you probably should change tone is after some major event, especially one that massivel... | 2023/03/12 | [
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65,788 | Using a black cat to symbolize bad luck or evil, using a red rose to symbolize love or passion or using a white flag to symbolize surrender are all considered old too simplistic or obvious, so I was wondering if there was a way to use those symbols that lack originality and have become cliched and inject new life into ... | [
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"text": "It all depends *how* you use the symbol.\n\nThere is a reason that a white flag symbolizes surrender. It is because whit... | 2023/03/12 | [
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65,791 | Unreliable narration refers to a narrative that cannot be trusted to give an accurate representation of events, due to the limitations or biases of the narrator. When using an omniscient narrator, I am wondering if it's still possible to make the narration unreliable since the omniscient narrator is all-knowing. Is the... | [
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"text": "First of all, you are talking about *omniscience* (all-knowing), not *omnipotence* (all-powerful).\n\nNow, how do we ma... | 2023/03/12 | [
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65,811 | In a sci-fi setting, I was told it was important to follow scientific principles to some extent. Neglecting these principles can create confusion and disbelief among readers or viewers.
For example, if you're depicting spaceships or advanced technology, I was told it's essential to explain how they function and how th... | [
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"text": "There's always the \"Star Trek\" version. If it makes the drama work, don't sweat it. Just be consistent across you... | 2023/03/14 | [
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65,816 | I’m stalled in writing the second novel in my series because I’m stuck on how to present the antagonist. I have an outline of his character, and know what happens, but I don’t know how to write from his perspective. Interestingly, this may be because I have some of his traits. Let me explain.
My character’s mother die... | [
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"text": "Hmmm. Are you absolutely sure you want to make a ND person your antagonist? Do you have additional representation ... | 2023/03/14 | [
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65,831 | How do you properly plan for a very long story? I was thinking about *One Piece* and the fact it's still ongoing, and I am wondering how the author was able to plan for such a long story. Writing a single beat sheet wouldn't be enough to plan for it, and yet the story has been going on for years without alienating its ... | [
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"text": "Hmmm. Are you absolutely sure you want to make a ND person your antagonist? Do you have additional representation ... | 2023/03/16 | [
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65,832 | I used the name Byron in my book stating it meant strong one. is that copyright infringement? | [
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"text": "Names can not be copyrighted. You can use Lord Byron or any Byron in your story. You need to be conscientious about two... | 2023/03/16 | [
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65,846 | I have a half-animal, half-human hybrid character who gets indoctrinated into a Nazi-like group of other half-animal hybrids who hate humans and want for them to be extinct.
She's a child when this happens and she later becomes the main antagonist who threatens the whole world yada yada.
What I'm asking is if it's wr... | [
{
"answer_id": 65848,
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"selected": true,
"text": "This is where the distinction comes in between a villain and an antagonist. An antagonist is merely someone who oppo... | 2023/03/16 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/65846",
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65,860 | How do you work with a story with an ending that's obvious from the very start?
Let's say you have a story of a kid who wants to become a F1 champion. You know the ending from the very start.
Is that a bad thing? If it's a bad thing, how do you make up for the fact you know very well how it's going to end without sub... | [
{
"answer_id": 65861,
"author": "Zeiss Ikon",
"author_id": 26297,
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"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "When writing to a foregone conclusion, the story is in the *path*, not the destination.\n\nIf I choose to hike t... | 2023/03/18 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/65860",
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65,862 | I was writing a mystery novel about a detective who is investigating a murder case. The detective has a partner, who is a side character in the story. The partner is not given much of a personality or backstory, and only appears in scenes where they are needed to help the detective solve the case. He doesn't have his o... | [
{
"answer_id": 65864,
"author": "Mary",
"author_id": 44281,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/44281",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "The problem with such characters arises when they feel unreal to the readers. In real life, people do not exist who on... | 2023/03/18 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/65862",
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65,868 | As I plan to write a war story, I'm considering issues I should try to avoid.
Few that come to my mind already:
* Glorification of violence, meaning depiction of violence in a positive way, ignoring ethical issues involved and ugly side effects on civilian populations. Engaging but superficial action without reflecti... | [
{
"answer_id": 65873,
"author": "JRE",
"author_id": 40124,
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"pm_score": 5,
"selected": false,
"text": "> \n> Glorification of violence, meaning depiction of violence in a positive way, ignoring ethical issues involved and ... | 2023/03/19 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/65868",
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65,877 | *My apologies for potential errors, I'm not a native English speaker*
Hello. I don't really know, who else I could ask, so I'm putting it here.
First of all, I know, that my writing isn't something groundbreaking and 100% original. I just have to get this off my chest.
I always wanted to write a nice story, which co... | [
{
"answer_id": 65879,
"author": "wetcircuit",
"author_id": 23253,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/23253",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "a story is a gift\n-----------------\n\n**You cannot share a story and keep it to yourself.**\n\nYou have the go... | 2023/03/19 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/65877",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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