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1500 questions
22
votes
5 answers
How to write cleanly even if my character uses expletive language?
I'm writing a story that I'd like younger readers to pick up. I and they know and understand that some situations are far better expressed with one f-word than a thousand milder ones. I'm keeping my narrative clean, but when I write the dialogue, I…
iamtowrite
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22
votes
7 answers
How to tell readers your story is a re-imagination of a popular story?
If for example, I were to rewrite a story heavily inspired by Romeo and Juliet, but placed it in a complete different setting. Do you have to say it? Also, do you mention it in the title that's it's a reimagining, or would you put it in the preface.…
user36239
22
votes
6 answers
How soon is too soon for a redemption arc?
My character, Day, is the son of a dictator and the director of state-sanctioned and sponsored torture of mutated humans, one of whom is my MC. He killed his own sister to prove to his father that he was worthy of his government position.
After…
user34214
22
votes
11 answers
How to describe skin colour, if "white" is not the point of reference?
A character looks at another character, skin colour creates certain associations. A character looks at himself, and associations would be shaped by society, and by what is "normal" in that society. What we refer to as "black", for example covers a…
Galastel supports GoFundMonica
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22
votes
12 answers
How to explain the main plot with science based concepts, without the non-sci-fi fans getting bored?
Let me explain: I'm writing a game where the Earth gets a massive biological attack from an alien race in the close future, and only a small part of the planet's life survived (few dozens of humans and animals).
The explanations for those events are…
Guilherme
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22
votes
8 answers
How should a big universe be introduced without being boring?
If I have a big universe that I need to set up, with lots of characters, lots of locations, magic rules, technology, government rules, is it okay to introduce and explain all of this at the beginning? How much of can be introduced at the beginning…
SomeBeginner
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22
votes
12 answers
How can I make a character who isn't a jerk seem like one?
I have an MC who, because of certain circumstances, everyone sees him as harsh and cruel at first. As they get to know him through the first few chapters, they eventually see he's nicer than they thought. How do I describe that in a novel? (If you…
Kale Slade
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22
votes
7 answers
Is head-hopping always bad?
The general consensus nowadays seems to be that being in the head of more than one character is bad. We should be "on the shoulders" or "in the head" of one character, and one character only, if not throughout the novel, then at least throughout a…
Galastel supports GoFundMonica
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votes
6 answers
How advisable is it to end a love story on a downer?
For example, it doesn't end with the leads getting together; rather, one of them dies or the relationship is left ambiguous. I know that taking this approach would be bad if the genre I was aiming for was 'romance', but what if the love story is…
Jack Rabbit
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22
votes
8 answers
Occupational Hazards to being a Full-Time Writer
Every now and again I think to myself how nice it would be to give up my staid life as a Software Developer and start an exciting new career as a Novelist.
But then I think to myself that there are surely drawbacks to that path and that I shouldn't…
robertcday
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22
votes
7 answers
Can you have too many story arcs running at the same time?
I've written about 15k words of my story now and the plot is developing nicely.
Perhaps a bit too nicely.
I have about a dozen of named characters which all have something interesting to do in the next part of the story. They will separately add…
Totumus Maximus
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22
votes
8 answers
How to get readers to care about a dead character?
My story happens as a result of one of the main characters getting murdered. I'm wondering how to get readers to care about someone who's not even in the story (as far as the readers know anyway) or at least sympathize with the other main character…
Touchebag
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22
votes
9 answers
How can I improve my sentence construction or flow in general writing?
Can anyone suggest resources or techniques I can use to improve my sentence construction when writing? I am a native English speaker and fairly well educated, but confess I didn't pay much attention in English class at school, something that's…
Will Appleby
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22
votes
11 answers
How to derive a first sentence from a story?
There is much advice out there on "how to write a killer opening line". Usually these blog posts or how-to-write book chapters list examples of first sentences from recognized masterworks or group them into categories such as:
A statement of…
user29032
22
votes
8 answers
How can I make a "meeting in VR" less dumb?
I've written myself into a sci-fi cliche which I have never seen done well: two characters meet in virtual reality.
The gist of my scene is one character has been in a pseudocoma, more aware of her surroundings than anyone knew. Another character…
wetcircuit
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