Writing Stack Exchange
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7 answers

How do I write a sexist narrator without coming off as sexist myself?

I'm writing a script for a short movie, but I'm not sure if the introduction sounds clear enough. For context, the narrator is supposed to believe in "old-fashioned" values. Specifically that women are supposed to be polite, quiet, etc. Since I'm…
FMurphy
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How do I keep a villain's menace after they've suffered so many defeats?

I've noticed in many long-running stories that it's common to have a villain who's a genuine menace to the heroes become impossible to take seriously after they've gotten defeated or died so many times. As a writer, I need to address this question.…
Nuada Airgetlám
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How do I quote a graphic novel?

I am writing a paper for a Canadian Literature class, and want to quote portions of one of the graphic novels we studied. Do I quote the written portions as I would any other written work? I am using MLA, so would it be like (Author,Page), like a…
user2879
10
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1 answer

Expositing a lack of racial difference

I have a story set in a fantasy-Africa, in which the protagonist must make her way from her rural home to a coastal city in order to seek medical treatment that will save her life. One beta reader for the story was concerned about potential…
JSBձոգչ
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Paid beta seems to have skipped large portions of my manuscript

I feel terrible for having to lay this out there, but I'm a little frustrated following use of a beta reader service. I received a beta report on time this past weekend, but didn't receive my full manuscript with inline notes until today. The…
user60178
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When should you reveal the motivations of a villain?

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…
user36239
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5 answers

Deciding the setting: real or invented?

I'm preparing some material because I have the intention of writing a book. I'd do this in every type of work, but considering that I'm writing Crime Fiction, this is even more important. I've decided already some things: main characters, victim,…
Alenanno
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In writing biographies how do you reference a change of last name?

Using first label as the full name - first, middle, maiden/birth name. (Margaret Anne Jensen was born on November...) Discuss early achievements by referencing only birth last name - Jensen. (Jensen graduated from college...) After marriage…
Michele Tombari
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5 answers

Is the first draft of a novel usually shorter than the finished work?

I finished the first draft of a novel I'm writing. Right now, it has 17000 words. I've heard that novels these days range from 60,000 to 150,000 words, so I'm a little bit worried (I'm hoping to have 200~300 pages). Is this normal? (I didn't stop…
wyc
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Is there a word that can replace the phrase "said sarcastically"?

Suppose that,during a conversation in a book, one character says something sarcastically. As the author, I want the readers to know that the character was being sarcastic, but I do not want to say the phrase "said sarcastically." An example is…
Mathematician
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Do I need to create fictional places to make things work?

The story I'm writing takes place in the USA. I have a huge problem as my protagonist is crossing states and needs to end up at a place where a lot of things have to come together. Like there need to be parks/woods all around, there needs to be a…
Sharktastic
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How do you come up with superpowers that haven't been overused?

It's hard to be really original during a time where you literally have TV shows and movies every few months, but some clichés seem to be recurring. For example, in a lot of superhero movies, you have: a badass character who can't die and has an…
Kiara Clément-Martin
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6 answers

Is it ok to introduce something in a flashback if you forgot to introduce or foreshadow it before?

Let's say you make your character use a special magic wand to kill his opponent, but you forgot to mention and describe what the wand was, can you do a flashback as soon as your character brandishes the wand or after he uses it? If it's a bad thing…
user36239
10
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4 answers

Can a character death sometimes be unnecessary?

Is there a time where a character's death in a story would be unnecessary? Not the main character, but someone really important to the protagonist like a caretaker/parent to advance the plot? Deaths in fiction are mostly used for motivators like…
AmateurWriter
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How do you cover an F1 race in a comic book?

Let's say you wrote a comic book about F1 racing, how would you cover an entire race? Should you spend 10 volumes to cover a single race, or should you just skip times very often? For example, 3 panels for 30 seconds in lap 3, then 4 panels for 40…
user36239
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