Split (1)

train · 95.7k rows

source stringlengths 620 29.3k	target stringlengths 12 1.24k
How to make a funny and egotistical character that doesn't annoy the audience Oh, this one's a classic. You have a character with an ego so large, it's on the verge of collapsing into an intellectual black hole. You want to make it into a comic relief but instead, end up with an irritating pain in the a*** that ruins t...	We as an audience would will him to use that towering ego of his to believe in himself and save the day. A great example of an egotistical character who the audience warms to is Dr Rodney McKay , who played a short role in Stargate: SG1 and then as one of the lead characters in Stargate: Atlantis.
When does something become "torture porn"? I've heard this term thrown around sometimes in a derisive way (obviously), and usually not just to refer to Saw movies. I don't remember who it was, but I remember someone saying how the movie "Logan" is "dark and depressing, but never truly descends into torture porn", and i...	In brief, torture porn is when a work gives a lot of attention to the torture, describes it in great detail, apparently not so much to show that torture is wrong, but to simultaneously disgust the audience and give them a visceral thrill.
How to refer to a character who doesn't know her name? I am writing a book that begins with the protagonist having amnesia (cliché, I know). At first, I wrote it in the first person jumping from one character to another, however I had to write a whole chapter from that specific character's POV. Third person lets me jum...	If she doesn't know her real name, then she or the other characters should invent some kind of nickname or placeholder name to refer to her as. Depending on your setting and story, Jane Doe (whatever the parallel is in the language you're writing in) is also a possibility, but that would create a distance between the r...
How can I write in a way that makes the book very interesting to read? This is a really weird question, but, for me this matters because English is not my first language. Whenever I read these famous novels, the authors use words which have really deep meanings and which makes the book very interesting to read. So my ...	A writer, according to me, should have a good grip on vocabulary. Whenever you're writing a scene, describe the scene . I would say it's to keep the reader guessing where you are taking them.
What are alternatives to "is that" as in "[something] is that [something]"? I am writing a thesis and I frequently find my self using the phrase 'is that'. For example: "The other feature that has been neglected is that the expert system would ..." I have been told that this is ugly. What are some alternatives? <Q>...	Instead, try an active verb -- don't just say 'this is a problem" but "this thing does something (which is obviously a problem)."
What is a term for groups of stanzas within a poem? Many free verse poems have "sections" or "divisions" within them that may be numbered or set off by a group of three marks. I'm wondering if there's a term for these sections. In some poems, the sections can be read as discrete, autonomous poems themselves. The close...	According to Poetry Express ( https://www.poetryexpress.org/poetry-writing-tips/stanza-breaks ), in free verse poems, stanzas of irregular size can be called "verse paragraphs."
How can I distance myself from an article published under my name, with edits I disagree with? I wrote an article for a university newspaper that summarizes incidents involving racism on campus. After edits, the sentence structure became uniformly long instead of varied, straightforward vocabulary was placed with ten-d...	Just state that the edits changed your work so much that you no longer wish to be credited with it, and ask if they would be willing to replace the digital version of the article with a less heavily edited version, or at least remove your name from it.
How to differentiate narration and thoughts in the first person POV? I am writing a first-person story, and I am having trouble showing the difference between narration and the thoughts of the character. To expand on this: I mean to separate the thought of the character in the moment. Not at the time the narrator is ta...	For first-person past tense, it is easy to make the distinction, by using the appropriate tense: Thoughts the character had back then are past thoughts, and therefore are told in past tense.
Sizing of a chapter and how many should I use? This is basically a follow-up question I asked here: Scene switching and how to do it? I always considered it normal for a chapter to have between 3000 and 5000 words.And people around here thought so too: What is a normal length for a chapter? But the comments I got fr...	The length of the chapters in any given book is entirely dependant on writing style. Ultimately word count shouldn't be the driving force behind chapter length.
Positive Transformation in the Arc of a Story I'm writing a novel about an obsessive character who is bothering the people around him but just will not or cannot accept that a change must come. When is the most effective time (or if not - the normally accepted time) in the arc of a story to forcibly kill off the ego o...	The end of the LAST Act (ACT III in the 3-act structure, ACT IV in Freytag's four act structure, ACT V in Shakespeare's 5 act structure, etc) is the resolution of the story. If there's more conflict for your character after this arc has been addressed, you can have the "transformation" early.
Fiction writing or creative writing? I'd like to take a writing course, and I'm just a little lost on what course to take and need some guidance. Is a creative writing course worth taking before taking a fiction writing course? I have experience with writing, but I've never taken any courses, I've only just written for...	It will depend on what you personally need, but I'd say the teacher and class organization may be more important than the subject.
Do I have to capitalize ESP in sci fi fiction sentences? Some of my fiction sci fi characters are ESP sensitive and the term is used a lot. Capitalized ESP stands out in my sentences like yelling so I am using esp,lower case. Is that acceptable? Will a potential publisher object filing my novel in the trash? <Q> ESP st...	As stated in the other answer, ESP should be in all caps.
Is it possible to learn to write a paragraph? I will explain my question here. Please, help a fellow writer. I am doing a PhD and my supervisor is telling me that I do not know how to write. I have read many books on academic writing, but somehow I cannot make my writing better. I wrote many many pages, but nothing "...	Perhaps one of your advisor's works - take that and pattern (not copy) from it.
How does one go about describing someone doing Naruto like hand symbols? Like how do I describe if someone is doing symbols with their hands like this? I want to describe specific hand formation but that seems like it’ll be a whole paragraph just for one second of saying that his hands are doing a symbol. <Q> I feel li...	You can give the symbols names .
What would you say is the best way to get a self published book popularized without making a blog? I feel like a new blog would be too hard to gain attention to because for me I don’t especially love talking about writing that much even though I love to write so I just wanted to know if they’re were any better ways to ...	Adult fiction authors have a tougher road, but they can do public readings, book-signings and "meet the author Emphasise that you are a local author - people I've tried advertising in print magazines.
Editing tools on the go I've just started editing my novel. For the drafting I had done most of the work on a phone, as I wanted to make the most of the daily commute. This worked well enough and the first rough draft is done. However, I'm finding the same approach just isn't as strong for editing as it's not easy ...	Print your draft, edit it with pen on the go. To add to what others have said: If you choose a tablet: the touchscreen keyboard will be much less ergonomic compared to a real laptop.
What software can I use to synchronize corrections and modifications over similar documents? I'm currently working on a large thesis, from which I derive some smaller publications such as papers. The work is in parallel. Often it happens that I copy some paragraphs from the thesis into a paper. Then I work on the paper...	WinMerge can help you manually merge documents. You might consider using R-Markdown.
'for example' and 'e.g.' in a thesis I'm writing a thesis in English (I'm not a native speaker) and I suddenly wondered: should I use 'for example' or 'e.g.'? should try to completely avoid both? There are no university specific recommendations for it afaik and other thesis in my department differ greatly from eac...	Outside of cases where you must following a specific manual of style, if the writing is formal, it's up to you. "E.g." is an abbreviation for the Latin "exempli gratia", which means "for example".
Should I use a series of shots for this scene? Should I use a series of shots for this? (context- Joe previously raged in his room - knocking things over) INT. JOE’S ROOM Joe stands up the nightstand. Plugs in the lamp. Takes the alarm clock, pauses, decides to set it. Falls into bed. Is that worthy of a series of...	The only time you should specify a series of shots is when the camerawork is essential to telling the story.
Is mild sexualization of minors allowed in writing? Her clothes screamed bohemia, with a prominent cleavage, leather bands running up her arms and nails painted black. In my book there is a romance between two 15-year-olds, and the book is from one of those 15-year-olds' perspective. Here, he describes his romantic i...	What you are describing as mild sexualization is PG or teen is generally stating the content being viewed is suitable for ages 13 and up and is basically dependent on adult guardians’ decision as to whether they personally feel the content may contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, mild sexual...
How to write an online screen name in dialogue? Might be a bit nitpicky - but I really want to get the formatting correct - especially because this is one of the first lines in the script. The screen name is: ArgyleMan29 Like this? JACK:Online I’m ArgyleManTwentyNine. Or JACK:Online I’m Argyle Man Twenty Nine. O...	The general consensus seems to be that simple numbers should be written out, and that longer or awkward numbers (such as phone numbers), or numbers used repeatedly, can remain.
How far I should describe an alien invader character that has similar appearance to human? I'm starting to write a sci-fi story where the alien invaders will have slightly similar looks and anatomy as humans. I mean they are still imaginative characters but I wonder how I can develop those characters? Will I need to ...	There will be differences that are important to telling the alien characters' story and/or the humans' story as it intersects with the aliens and there will be differences that you as the author know exist but that have no bearing on the tale. The short answer is: as far as it makes sense in the story; no more, no less...
Finding My Own Voice It struck me today that one method of becoming a great writer could be to copy the style of one or more published authors. A bit like standing on the shoulders of giants . I was therefore going to ask a question relating to the best way of doing so, but then I came across this: Is it okay to att...	Don't think in the terms of what you write, think in terms of how you think. Every author is special and has his own style.
How do I write a shriek? I'm trying to write a shriek, something like "AHHHHH!" or "AAAAH!". However, I don't really want to use all caps and repeated letters. Does anyone know any other techniques of showing a scream occurred besides what I stated? <Q> Inarticulate speech or sounds is an instance where I tell, I do ...	It can help if it startles somebody that comes bursting into the room to protect her, or she wakes up already screaming, if it echoes off the walls, if it pains her throat, if there is some other consequences of this action. I think you should define what you are writing.
Can I assume readers will root for my protagonist in a man vs. beast story? I am writing a short Sci-Fi story centered entirely on the man vs. beast narrative where the protagonist attempts to escape an unstoppable, bloodthirsty creature for roughly 15 pages. From the first word to the last, there is action galore with...	A good guy escaping a beast is no more interesting than a bad guy escaping a beast unless there is another level of conflict involved. It's essential that you tell us more about the characters or the context in order for us (as readers) to know who to cheer for.
How to hide a character's identity from the audience? My trilogy features two important characters whose identities I wish to keep hidden. The first is the series' deuteragonist, who is heavily implied to be Jeanne d'Arc (yes, THAT Jeanne d'Arc ), who for reasons unknown decided to use her sister's forename and mothe...	When you do tell the audience things you "ignore what's in plain sight", focusing instead on the details that deliberately distract from the secret you want to hide while telling the audience what you don't want them to know. That said, a good way of diverting suspicion is to embrace the similarities: The girl pretends...
How can I make an unrelatable villain more compelling? I have a villain who is more or less a complete monster. She has no goals other than gaining immortality at any cost. Psychopaths like this are sometimes hard to take seriously because most bad guys believe they are doing the right thing. The most compelling villi...	What you need to do is to make your villain interesting, and unpredictable (but not illogical). To be that bent on living forever she must have either strong history that makes that goal worth such dogged pursuit and/or plans for what to do with the time it grants her. The thing that makes people interesting is how wel...
How to pitch TV show with a 'hook' when have a complete bible and treatments? So, I have a TV show I have been writing and will finish soon enough. I have been working on this for a long time, and have written 9 seasons. The type of show is a sitcom. It is based on my lifestory. The 'hook' I refer to is being transgen...	You need to communicate your idea to people who know people in the TV and Film industry.
Advice for a "Gift of Words" So we have a friend, having a milestone birthday, and his wife requested that we provide a gift of words. This friend is about the age of my children, and a creative type person. The trouble is both my wife and I are technical people. We write well enough as we have both been published...	This is supposed to be a gift, so focus on what the recipient would enjoy receiving. So, if you want to write something for them, you need to step out of your own shoes and walk around in theirs for a while. Without knowing what you are technically good at or how your friend's wife expresses her creativity, it's diffic...
How to construct quality long sentences? I want to construct long sentences, for fiction. I do use subordinate conjunctions and coordinate conjunctions, and I also understand different kind of phrases, and grammatical rules. But I still struggle to string the phrases and clauses together in an effective way. Are there...	But if you really want to write long sentences, you should study Proust 's works.
Preventing unintentional reading between the lines I'm a really literal writer. I don't write stuff that makes people "read between the lines." Problem is, people still always read between the lines. This leads to them understanding my writing in a way that wasn't my original intent. For example, I ask a lot of quest...	Bold the exact question you are asking, with "Question" preceding it, and state that your words are to be taken at face value. One can look at their post and ask what simple ways it might be misinterpreted and then correct it to be more clear.
How can I avoid using I repetitively in a resume/about me? My Question How can I avoid using I repetitively in a resume/about me, should it be avoided or is it to be expected in that kind of writing? Are there any substitutes that can be used in place of it, or should the structure of sentences be modified altogether?...	Most résumés seem to solve this issue by creating bullet points and starting each bullet point with the verb.
How to write a good sex scene specifically for erotica? This is unlike the question How to write good erotic scene? , which refers to a sub-plot of a novel in which two characters had sex. There the accepted answer essentially evades any detailed descriptions of the act, by focusing on appearance, or feelings and spec...	Research what works for you, what gets your juices flowing ( so to speak :) ) When I write a sex scene, I steer clear of metaphors and similes and write exactly what is happening. Just tell it like it is.
Do I need to Cite Multiple Quotes From the Same Source Multiple Times (APA)? If I am using multiple quotes from the same source back-to-back, do I need to cite each quote? If it was a paragraph summary, I would just cite the source once as the end of the article, but the issue I'm having is that I have bits of text in...	The method by which you cite something will change based on the style guide you use, but the need to provide a citation remains the same.
Are there any rules to follow about the narrator mixing past and present tense in writing? I'm editing a short story that's been written in the past tense, however at some points I slip up and use a lot of present tense to describe some scenes. Thing is, it's happened often enough that I've started to second-guess myse...	A narrator can mix up past and present tense without issues, especially if the narrator is telling a story now about events that happened in the past, but is giving their thoughts as to what they think now after the events have occurred.
How much agency should main characters have in the plot? I have two main characters. Character A is more prominent than Character B. I've been trying to tease out problems with the story as a whole, and I'm concerned these two characters lack agency. Character A has made several major decisions in the past, setting ...	If you know what the central moral choice of your story is, you should be able to deduce from that what level of agency your characters require to demonstrate the capacity to choose and the inevitability of having to choose. The problem with characters who lack agency is that they don’t drive the story, and characters ...
Would a research team of this size be too small or too big? I'm working on a story that revolves around a research team in a remote setting. They would have supplies so they don't have to leave the area they have to research for about a year. So far, I am planing on the team to be composed of both scientists and people...	If there are twenty-eight , you have variety when you need it, but the reader doesn't expect a full character profile for all twenty-eight of them, and you can have "circles" of interactions. Generally, a group of 10 or less people will be definitely suffering from "cabin fever", and even large groups would not enjoy s...
How does a writer go about consulting experts? I'm writing a story that has a medical condition as a central plot point, and now I have questions to ask a doctor. The problem is, I don't know one. I could make up the details, but I feel like the narrative will suffer for it. It occurs to me that this is not a unique...	Perhaps reach our directly to doctors in the field of practice and introduce yourself as doing research for a book on a topic within the realm of their speciality. There's tons of web forums as well as other sites that draw varying degrees of professionals in different fields.
Can a mystery novel have more than one mystery in it? And does it have to be a "who dunnit" concept? I am writing a novel and it goes something like this: In the first half of the novel, the protagonist knows who is doing the killing, but they are trying to make sense of it as in "how are they doing it?" and "why are t...	So multiple related mysteries certainly have a place in a single piece.
How can I defeat a 'force of nature villain' without killing him? In my story, I have found myself in somewhat of a pickle: Although the hero is more than powerful enough to defeat a villain (which is your typical 'Dark Lord’) I don't think my protagonist is ready to kill a soul just yet (this is not the climax) but th...	If the dark lord is in a weakened state, some secondary character may very well try to end him on its own.
Would this story be classified as Adventure or Religious Fiction? A pious, benevolent, chaste, vegetarian Catholic monk from America in the 21st Century makes a road-trip to the West Coast from the East Coast to preach the Word of God to non-Christians. He travels in a simple, cheap car, and he is accompanied by a coup...	I would simply write the story you want to write (assuming this isn't a hypothetical question) and let other people worry about classifying it after the fact. Based purely on the description you gave, I would lean toward it being religious fiction.
Is my story too similar to an existing published work? This is meant to be a canonical question, to which particular cases can be referred. We've had several particular instances of this question in the past - "is my story too similar to specific story X". The older ones got answered, the newer ones got closed as off-...	If my characters act and respond always the same as the characters of another story, if they find themselves in situations that are the same, if all the story beats are the same, then perhaps I should reconsider what I'm writing. I wouldn’t worry about it. It is a matter of character.
Do I have to keep saying “_____ thought,”after I put italics? Every time a character is thinking something is it necessary to put “_____thought,” if there is italics, so shouldnt they already know that’s what the character was thinking not the narrator speaking? <Q> First, you'd need to establish the convention that yo...	If you're inside the heads of multiple characters, you'd still need to make clear every time who's doing the thinking.
How do you tell the reader that the setting is normal modern day? I am getting some feedback on my writing but one of the questions that come back is that the readers are not sure about the setting. White the story was marked as fantasy, nothing fantastic had happen yet. The chapter describes a messy apartment, drug de...	I'd argue the trick is not to do anything. If they don't know what the setting is by the illustration, by your synopsis, and what is delivered in marketing, you have a major problem in your production of your work.
How do I know, how to limit the details? While writing a novel, which is a drama, how do I manage the amount of trivial details or trivial information, that I want to give to help the readers visualize the scene but given the details have no relevance to the overall plot? For e.g. same paragraph in my novel, I jus...	Ask yourself which information is going to be relevant later, either as a misdirection (a red herring) or actually is required for plot point/foreshadowing.
How to write an introductory dialogue? What are different ways I can write a dialogue where a character is introducing himself to a woman in a professional setting? I don't want to write explicitly like this, "Hello Miss Emily, my name is Dr.Alfred Miller, I am the professor of Physics here at the university." E...	Move the plot forward.
What are various sites to publish erotica? Where could I look, or what could I search for, in order to find sites that allow user based publishing of erotic stories online? The only site I currently know of is literotica.com. I am not trying to advertise for them, this is the one example I know of, it is no more an a...	If you are looking for more sites, simply search for "erotic stories" on your favorite search engine, and you shall find what you are looking for.
What, exactly, is a character study? Critics and writers use the term "character study" a lot, usually to describe works that are especially 'literary' such as The Remains of the Day . Despite its usage, it appears that no one really has a definition of a "character study", and that no one really has a specific set of...	I'm not entirely sure myself, but if I were to wager, it is where the primary conflict and arc of a protagonist is not primarily about the physical quest, the action and the plot, but rather their internal change, their character development.
Is it possible to use the word "it" too much? I'm describing a creature in my story, and I'm worried I'm using the word "it" too much. Is there a substitute I can use for the word? Can I keep using it? Beady eyes look back at him, inky and devoid of any emotion. The creature’s head is small and round, flesh green and...	It is possible to use 'it' too much, though you don't seem to have trouble with this in this instance.
What would a FtM transman's, who was born in 1990, life be like? I am writing a story with a trans character (female to male) set in the 1990's. My main character's parents are supportive from the beginning, but did transpeople have access to hormone injections and the sort of resources they do today back then? If ther...	In the ‘70s hormone injections and assignment surgery were available but extremely rare. He would relate with other young men attempting to masculinize their physique, adopting the behavior and dress of older boys, counting every hair on his lip and chin, and fantasizing about the private lives of celebrities and sport...
How can I make a compelling character unlikable? I know what goes in to making an unlikable character compelling and engaging but I'm not sure I know how to make them unlikable in the first place. In particular how does one show that a main character who is not the POV character can't, not just doesn't but can't, relat...	avoid causing your audience to hate the character, you may turn them off to the book entirely if you make them so undesirable that the reader can't stand to read about them.
Genre: Deghettoising fantasy - is a high concept fantasy advisable, or a pipe dream? A recent idea I had for a novella to write at some point involves exploring a high concept; what would happen if you could replace a dead loved one that parted with you bad terms? I'm expressly using fantasy as a vehicle for this; mak...	If your ambition is to outshine other fantasy novels out now, it may not be the best motivation, but I certainly encourage you to try.
In what order should I name characters? I was wondering if there is a rule or advice in which order to name my characters. For example, if I want to tell that Bob, John and Rob entered the room should I just name them in random order or is there something else I need to consider? I am writing in third person limited...	You are writing in the order that is important in that situation. In such a case you should keep the order in which they were introduced: Bob, John and Rob entered the party. You should not just randomly throw names around. For example, in Harry Potter, it's always "Harry, Ron and Hermione". So, if you have a longuer l...
Writing a song as the hook I am at the free-writing stages of writing my high fantasy novel. I am looking at or experimenting with different methods for hooking the reader and driving their attention towards the rest of my story. I am currently considering the idea using a song as the hook. What can I do as far as form...	What I've found most effective as a reader when an author wishes to convey something important in the lyrics of a song - is to describe the song, it's melody, the performance etc.
What if a concept on my story differs greatly from the common trope? I'm planning of giving a -possibly very unpopular - interpretation to a very loved concept in the genre of my story and I wonder if this could be see as shocking or plain stupid by the average reader. The dilemma regards dragons (in your otherwise cl...	If you're worried about how the readers will take it, I have two suggestions: Build the world as ENTIRELY unique and different, built upon a premise (in your case, "evolution"), filled with other fantastical creatures, some that might be borrowed from other sources or genres, some that you invent yourself, so that the ...
How do I fill time in my story? I am writing a short story, and I have some gaps in time I have to fill. In my story, a girl wants to go to a party later in the day, but there are a few hours in between the events. What could I put into the story so that I'm not just skipping through time? <Q> Skipping through time is ...	You can use the time to point up how bored and/or nervous your protagonist is, but really you're torturing yourself writing boredom in detail Or you could take an event from elsewhere in the story and insert it in the day, if that seems to work.
Software for writing a book similar to Resnick-Halliday Which is the best software to write a book which is similar to Fundamentals of Physics by Resnick and Halliday? I want to self-publish a book (on physics) on Createspace but have no idea regarding the software would be best suitable for the job. <Q> You could u...	LaTeX is primarily a science-writing focussed open-source typesetting tool, and is often included as a plug-in to other tools to ease complex equation layout on specific spreads - Heck with time and patience enough, Apple's Pages or Microsoft's Word or Publisher could handle this task, albeit true that I'd not envy eit...
How do I get reliable information on things I don't know anything about? I'm writing a short story about robots and I wanted them to bleed coolant and thought the colour contrast would look good if it was yellow. I've read from multiple sources that coolant can come in many colours and others is just red and green. How...	If you want to do research without talking to people, your best bet is published books that are supported by research (that is, they reference original sources in the back of the book). If you want to know how robotics work, look up universities that do robotics research and start calling the appropriate departments.
Are characters' internal thoughts written in past or present tense? Is there a general rule for past vs. present tense for a character's internal thoughts? Direct thoughts in present, while indirect thoughts in past? I'm thinking specifically of 1st person here. I heard a loud screech from beyond the gates, then sil...	I would like to say that the thoughts take place in the present, given that they are narrating what is happening around them.
How to stop rushing writing I get caught up a lot in what I'm writing and I'm interested in writing a particular scene, but the scene might be chapters away. I don't like writing it before I write the rest and go back to it later, but I often find myself rushing and writing sloppy. It's probably a more personal issue I...	With me, I try to find a balance between writing 'sloppily' and generally focusing on the scenes I'm interested in and writing in a more focused way.
Does point of view matter drastically? I've looked at a few other questions and answers but nothing that I was really looking for. The point of view is a little confusing at the beginning (and probably) throughout the novel. It starts with one of the characters, but not the main character. It's in third person but foll...	Generally speaking, you want to offer consistency in your style, and erratically switching to a minor characters' POV for one random chapter can appear jarring. So in and of itself, there is nothing wrong with using multiple POVs and switching between them.
Post scriptum in my soft diary I write what happens to me every day as my diary. I don't write them on paper, but I typeset them in a word-processing system (soft diary), so I can simply edit them and add/remove anything at any time . I know the application of post scriptum in letters which contains information that ...	But as a record of your thoughts and experiences, it is probably more useful, for personal archival purposes, to use post scripts than to edit.
Describing a strong sexual attraction (on first sight) I wish to describe strong physical attraction on first sight by a human towards an alien. A Human meets an Alien but the Alien is extremely beautiful (sorry Humans!) and would wipe the floor of the most beautiful Human. What I have written is: They were obviousl...	You therefore need to consider whether the alien is question is extremely attractive to one particular character, or somehow attractive to many characters with different tastes.
What are some examples of an inciting incident that would force a character to go on a quest or adventure? I've noticed that my novel is missing a really strong inciting incident and I can't think of anything strong enough to suffice. The only inciting incidents I'm familiar with seeing in nearly every book is having t...	Our MC for the sake of their friend's well-being or happiness chooses the quest. Restless curiosity can be an inciting event; for men or women. Greed can be an inciting event. If your character has no reason at all to go on the Plot Quest, then you're missing more than an inciting incident - you're missing a functional...
How to avoid becoming frustrated while writing Very often when I start writing something, mainly notes for my work (I'm a researcher) but other times personal thoughts, I feel that my writing speed can't keep up with my stream of consciousness. Just to give an example, I was writing down on my notebook a question that...	The more you write the better you should become at fighting this specific problem. I'd suggest starting a diary, or a dream journal, or perhaps some other form of personal writing that isn't intended for an audience, and that isn't focused around a specific goal. If I felt that 75% of what I wrote seemed perfect, I let...
Can I state a fact in a first person story? If I have a sentence such as this: Footsteps were heard coming down the alley. Can I use that in a first-person story? I don't think it's technically third-person, but it sort of feels like it's coming from an omniscient narrator. I'm trying to avoid using the word "I" a ...	It is correct in english grammar, and it doesn't break the immersion of the POV - unless you are writing with a very strictly subjective point of view, where nothing exists outside the character's perception (for example, if you are writing their thoughts, their stream of consciousness, etc.)
How to research sex for writing? I'm not writing erotica - I'm writing fantasy and sci-fi. But sometimes my characters make love, sometimes in ways I cannot be familiar with. In one story, it's two guys (I'm a girl). In another story, there's a character who uses a wheelchair. How do I research this, so I can get the ...	I would suggest reading multiple sex scenes. Take picture of it, or yourself in it. Besides that, aid your own imagination with props.
How to interpret a language from a non-speaker's perspective? I want to create a believable conversation between a character who speaks Mandarin and English and a character who speaks English but does not speak Mandarin. Basically, the Mandarin speaker is supposed to code-switch, but (s)he forgets and instantly says, "...	In short: Understand the situation and the motivation of the two characters.
When is it okay to say the word “now” in a past tense story? I’ve seen it done in Harry Potter I just don’t understand when its okay to do it, like can I say something like “John walked away from the house and was now walking along the road” or not? When is it acceptable? <Q> Think of "now" as a thumbtack that refers t...	In a past tense story, "now" means "at the moment in question," not at the "present." It is also used to emphasise a statement.
How can I state what is written on a sign? Is it okay to write: "Shop Name", read a sign hanging above the shop. Should I use italics for the shop name or use any other type of formatting? I wasn't sure how to do this. This is for fiction. <Q> In nonfiction, refer to the style guide of the institution, school, or pu...	I believe for fiction writing, though, that either italics or quotation marks are acceptable for signs and written script as read by people within the story. In fiction, pick whatever you like and be consistent about it.
How to write dialogueless flashbacks? In my trilogy, the protagonist and deuteragonist share a mental link, allowing them to communicate with each other telepathically. A side effect of this telepathy is that they enable the duo to observe a series of dialogueless flashbacks that delve into their respective pasts. ...	They are memories shared in a common, telephatic link; you can write them as a series of vivid images - cities, situations and people surfacing in the mind of the protagonist as the memories come. Depending on how abstract and dreamlike you want them to be, some of the flashback may come out like a stream of conscioune...
Repetition of information in my multi-path / multi-play-through game - how to deal with it? I'm working on a story-heavy game with lots of different paths the player can choose from. Many times, players might also have to replay parts of the game in certain ways to see the true ending. As a result, players will inevita...	If a player doesn't want to watch the scene again, well, they have the skip option. You could make the monotony of the repetition part of the point of the game In purely narrative terms, anything that doesn't serve a purpose, shouldn't be there.
Using a fake name for book So I want to use a fake name for my book, not my real name. How do I ensure that editors or agencies don't take advantage of that or play a trick when it comes to the credits of the book? How do I make sure that there are no 'loop holes'? <Q> I don't know how the publisher would take advantag...	Probably the only threat to a pseudonymous author is if they become too popular, or are already famous under another name.
Can the prologue's POV be different from the POV of main story? Let me explain my question: I want to write the prologue of the story with the narrator in first person with the point of view of the protagonist. But the story is already written in a third person narrator...and I have 2 protagonist so its not omniscent....	As others have mentioned, writing a prologue from a different POV than the rest of the story is common enough. If you're writing all the novel in third person, I would also write the prologue in third.
Will my one sentence prologue work? I know most readers don't like prologues, so I've tried to make it as simple as possible. I write the following knowing fully well how weird it’ll make me look. — A.B.G. A.B.G. Is the fictional (undisclosed) author of the novel, which is set in 3rd person. She never shows up...	If you "quote" a fictional character you've created, they should make an appearance in your story. As a prolog, it doesn't work to make the situation clearer.
Do multiple potential love interests dilute tension and diminish drama? My MC is focused on his profession; barely giving his personal life a thought. His last serious romantic relationship with a woman was when he was 22. Time for that later, he believes. Retire at 45 and then look. He has two women who are interest...	I would limit it to three if it were a central plot point, and two as a subplot, since the reader's attention is already distracted by what they need to remember about the main plot.
What do I do if I have no idea how to explain how something looks or even what it is? In my story there is a hill and the hill looks like a stair case with three steps what would you even call each step? (Without saying “step” because that’s not right for the moment he is in). <Q> Even though you know something isn't ...	After such a description, you could simply refer to them as giant steps .
I'm looking for inspiration for spells and potions Is there any books out there that details old spells and potions? <Q> I'd use a TTRPG Rulebook. <S> Hope that helps! <A> Of course, since spells and potions don't exist in this world, all we have are sources from people who believed they existed. <S> For spells, y...	Pathfinder's Core rulebook is found online: Google 'pathfinder core rulebook pdf' Lots to go on there, and if you need more - find the subsequent additions i.e. Ultimate Equipment, Advanced Players Guide, etc. For potions, I'd give a look on historical figures - alchemists.
When should ideas be scrapped? I've been working on plots and different characters for a few months now and I haven't really written anything that might be salvageable down the line. I really like the idea, but I feel as though it may be in inspired by too many different stories and it may fall under plagiarism, despit...	I would say err on the side of finishing, because it's all too easy to always find a reason to give up somewhere along the way . Until then, keep unused ideas some place where you can find them again when you need them.
The Art of creating Subplots What are the ways of creating Subplots in fantasy genre that really catch the reader's attention? Should there be a conflict in the subplots? Please explain. <Q> A subplot is basically another story included inside your main story, one that is simpler and less detailed than your main storyl...	There can be many reasons and ways to deploy subplots, but the two main types of subplot are ones that illuminate the main plot, and ones that interact with the main plot. You introduce your setting, your world, your universe.
How to simulate someone talking with a full mouth? If, for example, someone said : "How are you today?", how would you go about "translating" this into sounding like they were talking with a full-mouth? Like, phonetically. <Q> If you intend to phonetically represent speech with one's mouth full, there's a very easy way...	But, if you are truly set on phonetically spelling mouth-full words then you can write the dialogue and read it out loud while eating and record yourself. Personally, I would approach this like method acting.
Can you frame ritual suicide in a "positive" light? Eons ago, there was a war among gods that came close to destroying humanity and the mortal realm. Gods depend on humanity, and their destruction would inevitably hurt them as well. At the conclusion of this war, a pact was signed among the gods to prevent this catacly...	Or you could look at them the way the story frames them - as a noble ultimate sacrifice, a necessary price paid for saving the world.
How do you make sex magic feel like a natural part of a setting? In this world, witchcraft is practiced openly and is a neccessary function of society. Men cannot use magic directly, but possess much more mana than women. There are some spells that a witch may not have the neccessary amount of mana to perform, or it wo...	To answer your question, sex magic can be more than just reader-bait if you put effort into making it real with positive and negative consequences and allow it to influence the plot. First, make it necessary to perform some spells; they require the energy of two genders joined. You save it from being tacky and cringewo...
Can a book with a lot of action be annoying? I’m writing a book and these first 20 pages are mostly just action so my question is if a book is like mad max fury road, (almost nothing but action) will it be annoying or not be exciting anymore after awhile? <Q> Long fighting scenes are most of the time boring. <S> Ther...	If you give the audience action, you've got to give some reason to care for that action. It will depend on how you introduce your characters.
How to change gears with changing technology? My tablet/notepad recently died. I can't afford a new one. So I basically have to use my phone to write, which I'm not comfortable with. I now have writer's block because I don't enjoy writing on the phone for more than a few sentences. I used Scrivener on my laptop, ...	You could do your on the go writing in notebooks, and then transcribe it at the library. You may be able to find a used tablet for an affordable price.
Is it possible for one to be a good editor but a bad writer or vice versa? If so, how? Intuitively, it would seem like being skilled in one automatically entails being skilled in the other. Why is that not necessarily the case? <Q> I'm talking in a purely theoretical manner: what will I say is not backed up by direct e...	What we call a "good writer" is usually a combination of someone who is good at writing and someone who is good at editing .
A children's book that takes 25 minutes to read out loud - is it too long? I've written a 3rd grade level (8-9 years old) children's book that takes about 25 minutes to read out loud. I read it to a 3rd grade class, with a few posters for illustrations, and it actually seemed to keep their attention. Even the teachers...	So your book is too long for the attention span of most who are read-to (unless broken into chapters), but probably too short for those comfortably reading to themselves.
first point of view and the problem of opinion Is it better for first person POV to be treated in the same way as third person POV meaning that the POV person withholds opinions? (So the reader can form them?) Or is it okay to establish conflict via first person POV opinions? Is that a sloppy method? <Q> You can expose...	Preferably, in first person POV, you're completely transparent with precisely one person's opinions and thoughts; the POV character's.
People like my book, starting halfway through This is kind of an alternate take on my other recent question , as well as the inverse problem to this question . I've been told by more than one beta reader that there's a specific chapter where they went from "meh" on my book to really feeling invested. But that chapt...	Your character might be unlikable to other characters, but for me it would be impossible to get people interested in an MC that they don't like at all.
Can I use the passive voice to avoid referring to myself in a scientific report? I'm writing a report for a piece of University coursework, but I understand that I should avoid referring to myself as "me" or "I". I've seen an example piece in which the author occasionally referred to themselves as "the author", but thi...	It is completely permissible , and in fact encouraged, to use the first person to describe your own actions in APA Style. Passive voice is common for scientific papers so it is recommended to use it. In your case, it depends on what your professor thinks is okay.
Authorship implications of presenting one’s manuscript as an older one in the prologue Umberto Eco, E. T. A. Hoffmann and others have pretended (in the introduction to the story) to have found and edited obscure old manuscripts. In my view this added to the charm of their writings. If I attempt such a thing and do it...	They would need a copy of the "found" manuscript to claim ownership, and such copies don't exist, and you can (I suppose) easily prove authorship of anything you've written. If your work is good - so good that they want to claim it - they will have better chances working with you rather than trying to put up such a sca...
Using the grammatically correct way or the casual way to express the same idea in another language? In casual conversation, it is perfectly fine to end a sentence with a preposition. How many job applications did you apply to? The grammatically correct way is supposed to be: To how many job applications did you ...	In some languages and some situations, some grammatical errors are more acceptable.
Is it okay to use a lot of exclamation marks? I've noticed that I use a lot of exclamation marks when my characters are talking. They appear a lot in action scenes. Is there any rule of thumb when using exclamation marks? <Q> I've been told, by professional teachers of creative writing no less, that the correct numbe...	The exclamation point is a very powerful punctuation and is normally used sparingly. There may be some rules , but in most cases it comes down to taste.
How should I handle writing a story where different portions of the narrative are told from the point of view of several different narrators? My story is told from the perspective of different satellites that are creating a narrative. There are over ten of these narrators. I'm wondering if this might appear confusing f...	As long as the reader knows what's happening, whoever is the narrating voice doesn't matter. In effect, you don't really have 10 separate narrators, you have one narrator in 10 parts, or, in other words, a Greek Chorus .
Switching POV from First to Third I have written a complete book. However, as I was revising, I noticed that what I have in first person does not work entirely. I also noticed that I constantly invade the thoughts of the other character as I look through the eyes of the main character. Is there a way to transition a ...	Sometimes, a scene in a novel has to be rewritten in order to accommodate for the shift.
How to describe a character without dialogue? I have a slave who is not sure if she's allowed to speak at the moment, and I want to introduce her owner. How can I do it without bogging it down with an essay on him? <Q> Have her observe him carefully, perhaps apprehensively. <S> She is terrified that this owner will be ...	You must first commit to only writing what you see the characters doing.
How to introduce multiple outfits in a short amount of time? I have seven main characters, each with a different role and outfit. They get their equipment from one shop, and go adventuring soon after. How do I explain each outfit without making it sound like a fashion lineup? Also, I'll be doing similar things multip...	I would do this the same way you introduce multiple characters: slowly over time and as needed. Also, if you don't want it to be like a fashion line-up, try spacing the descriptions of the outfits throughout the entire chapter, or perhaps have them all come in at different time or little groups.
How young can a "motherly" character be? So, in my novel, I have a mother-type character that's a little young to be a mom (am planning on having her have a child she's planning on saving). So, I wanted to know your opinions on how far I can push the bounds realistically on the "mother" character. <Q> I'd say that the ...	A teenager could be a more consistent, all-around motherly character just by natural inclination.
Is it much costlier to self-publish a 6x9 book than a 5x8 with a POD printer? Does the amount of pages and/or the number of copies printed determine the cost just as much as trim size? I was thinking of using KDP or possibly Advanced Print & Finishing (bestbookprinting.com), which I think does POD as well, not just off...	Print on demand is way cheaper for you but costs a lot more per book. Every printer is different! KDP charges the same price per copy regardless of how many copies you order.
In a first-person web novel, how to make the reader aware of a motivator the POV is unaware of? In my novel, the MC (and POV character) spares an enemy. He spared the enemy because he empathized/identified himself with them, but he was not aware of it. Later on he will understand his feelings and eventually make amends...	Since you're telling the story in first person, and the MC does something without understanding why, you could lampshade it.

Subsets and Splits

No community queries yet

The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.