Writing Stack Exchange
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1500 questions
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3 answers

How do you merge two comics panels into one?

I thought about it, and I am wondering if there's a way to put 5 seconds of action in 1 single comic frame, or you need to make 5 frames or 1 for each action. Consider the following fictional excerpt. He smashed his shield against the guard, and…
user36239
11
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11 answers

How do you keep an antagonist as morally grey even after they cause serious harm/conflict?

If all an antagonist did was steal a pie, then they could probably be forgiven after a simple apology. But some antagonists kidnap, murder, conquer whole lands, and routinely hurt the protagonists both physically and mentally. An apology is not…
Nyctophobia457
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Alternatives to raising eyebrows to show surprise

I’m trying to reduce the number of clichés in my manuscript, and I’ve found 11 instances of characters raising their eyebrows. A couple I don’t mind, but it feels like too many. What other actions can be used to indicate “mild surprise”?
echo3
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Is it okay if my fictional country is like a real country?

I fear that my fictional nation may be too similar. It is based on Great Britain, and is in high fantasy, but this is the description: Similarities: It is an archipelago. It is somewhere similar geographically to where England would be. While it is…
Crafter
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4 answers

Who is responsible for copyrighted materials (publisher or writer)?

Imagine that Writer A's book includes copyrighted material created by Creator B, and Creator B sues for copyright infringement. Will Writer A be held liable, or will the book publisher? I think the publisher is officially responsible for this. If…
Googlebot
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11
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7 answers

Coming up with names for species in fiction?

When you are writing a story that is set in a fantasy world (maybe our world with just one made-up element, or a completely different world), what is a good way to come up with names for species that aren't just names of Earth species with minor…
user
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11
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6 answers

Is there any pronoun in English that can include both HE and SHE?

Some languages like Persian do not have gender for pronouns. For example, they use just one pronoun (Ou) to refer to he/she. This makes the language gender-neutral which to me it is more convenient in the modern world in which men and women are…
Amin Kaveh
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11
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4 answers

How can I deal with an overload of writing projects?

I'm formulating a habit where I create too many writing projects. I'll work on a project, and things will go fine, until I have this incredible idea and I start writing on it. This continues overtime until I have an overload of different writing…
Zolani13
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5 answers

Horror. Where to start?

Along with my first fantasy novel, I am starting to delve into horror, and I'm starting to sketch out an outline of a horror story (I have decided no gross-out today). If it helps, the story is about a man who was attacked by a demon. The man begged…
Gregory
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Is being paid by the word/page making American books longer?

I buy quite a lot of literature, mostly of academic nature. One thing I have noticed is that books by American authors always tend to be more explicit and contain more examples, regarding whatever subject. Now, I have heard a rumor that American…
Anders
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How do I write a believable romance subplot?

Sexuality is a large part of who we are as persons and it influences many decisions we make. Sadly, I don't know how to make a romance subplot believable. Are there any good guidelines to creating characters' love-story arcs? Any good articles…
Borgel
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Is calling a character a "lunatic" or "crazy" ableist when it is in reference to their erratic behavior?

I am considering writing a line of dialogue in which character A calls character B (not to their face) "a lunatic". In the context of my story, it is clear that character A has a simplistic understanding of character B, and therefore character A's…
Caroline A
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4 answers

Dealing with annoying quirks: Long names

In the story I am currently writing, the culture has an obsession with unique names for each individual person. For some poor saps, this means ridiculously long, quintuple-hyphenated names. Of course, while normal in this world, it can become a bit…
Weckar E.
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11
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9 answers

How do I handle an unequal romantic pairing in a world with superpowers?

I am writing a story that revolves around a number of characters that have superhuman abilities living amongst normal people, akin to they myriad superhero comics or many urban fantasies out there (e.g., The Mortal Instruments, many shonen manga).…
user2352714
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11 answers

Am I starting my story too late in its timeline?

In my story the MC joins this pseudo-militia. The process for every new person is to sign up, go to training, and then be sorted into teams and wait to be assigned a mission. I have started writing when she is on the way to headquarters to be…
Zariya Stewart
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