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Q&A

Posts tagged storyline

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Q&A How to derive a storyline from a beginning?

I have an idea for the beginning of a story. I have the setting, the protagonist, and the events that set the story in motion, including the inciting incident and the first plot point. I have, in s...

7 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by System‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A What are the acts of a story?

I'm interested in the elements of how a good story is compiled. When in high school, I was exposed to Shakespeare plays where the stories were divided into different acts. While I was reading thr...

5 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Sal‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A How does the 3 act structure fit in a Non Linear story?

I see that the 3 Act structure can be applied over almost any story, from Hamlet to Mulholland Drive, from The Matrix to Rocky. Story structures like 3 Acts, or 4-5 Acts, always feature a Character...

1 answer  ·  posted 7y ago by FraEnrico‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Is Ice/Fire opposition too stereotypical?

I'm writing a story where a secondary story-line (it's about a companion of the main character) is basically about a fire mage and an ice mage. It fits well in the story and the fire/ice elements a...

3 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by System‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Creating a story in which the hero(es) lose

So I am still in the primitive stages of creating my own world and story, if I even do it that is. I am still trying to get a feel for where I want to go with it. The biggest issue would be that,...

3 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by ggiaquin16‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A What if my story seems too similar to a particular movie?

I'm writing a story about fictional beings who have the power of the four elements. Only very few, very rare people posses the power of all four elements while most only have one. My main character...

3 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by M. McGarry‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Can anyone think of books that contain two separate stories or two very different perspectives on the same story being told together? [closed]

I fear that the question sounds vague and confusing, but I can't conjure up the words I need to say exactly what I mean without going into detail. I thought it would be interesting to have two sto...

3 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by Keobooks‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A When should my amnesiac protagonist regain memory?

It is very hard for me to ask this without an overwhelming amount of information on how the plot goes, so this is just a warning of what's ahead... I am writing a fictional story which begins with...

4 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by D. Tunus‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A How linear should I be in writing my story?

This my most serious writing endeavor ever. I've gotten much farther than I've dreamed of getting. So far, I've been chugging along writing everything in the order that I imagine it being written i...

2 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by Keobooks‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Hiding information

I have often noticed this in many books and movies (mostly mysteries) that information is kept hidden from the reader. Like the character goes to some place and returns but what happens in between ...

2 answers  ·  posted 9y ago by Yashbhatt‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Successful stories that don't follow the standard story template?

I'm mulling over a story that doesn't follow the standard story template of: Hero (or anti-hero) Hero has problem (or is problem) Hero fights problem Hero succeeds (or problem succeeds and all th...

1 answer  ·  posted 10y ago by empty‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

Question plot storyline
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Q&A Techniques for creating a bridge between protagonists from different generations

I'm working on a short novel that has two main stories. These stories belong to relatives from different generations, but of the same age. So, although the book spans through 20-30 years, I'm more...

2 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by Yisela‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Will it be accepted, if there is no ''Main Character" stereotype?

There is a character in every story. Special One. It becomes the center of the story. i.e. the Main character. The author takes special care of them. Provides them wise thinking. Good luck. A cha...

4 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Prasad_Joshi‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Which should come first, building my story or building my world?

I’ve always been writing, but never wanted to write something in a world I create. I already know what direction I’ll be taking my fleshed-out characters, but I’m still wondering whether or not I s...

5 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by AnUnnamedAuthor‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A 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 th...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Totumus Maximus‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Still struggling with character desire, positive vs. negative, hooking readers

Apologies for the difficulties I've been having, and leaning for help here. Every step seems to be its own stumbling block. Question: All else being equal, is a positive desire/goal/motivation (of...

3 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by DPT‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Are there tools that can aid an author in writing a branching storyline?

I would like to know whether there are any tools that would help an author write a branching storyline. Usecases may for example be: campaigns for Pen and Paper games visual novels Choose Your O...

4 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Secespitus‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A How much should you "guide" your audience with questions?

When you have your audience go through your work, whether it's written fiction, a movie, a video game or whatever, you want them to ask themselves certain questions, which you want to answer as the...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by noClue‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A How to sort out a confusing storyline?

I started writing my novel and finished the first draft. I sent it to my dad who gave me some pointers so I started a new document to 'flesh it out' But that document has run away with me, and now ...

4 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Jacobite93‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

Question novel storyline
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Q&A How do you escalate a story's plot after killing the Big Bad?

Everyone remembers the Death Star and how it was supposed to be the most potent superweapon in the Star Wars-verse. Then in the Expanded Universe, they needed to add tension to the series since the...

5 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Incognito‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A How do I finish my stories although I have both ideas and titles for them?

Almost every day I come up with new titles and rough ideas for new books to write. I e-mail them to myself, happy and longing to write them down. I have published two books, and I know I can write....

3 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by K.A.‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A How to write a story without conflict, like "My Neighbour Totoro"?

We are used to stories being about conflict. There can be an antagonist, or a hostile environment, or even an internal problem (like depression), but conflict is there. The story arc involves deali...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by Galastel‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A 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...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by robertcday‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Should foreshadowing be close to the main event?

This question is a followup to my earlier question. Continuing the dialog with my one critic, I wrote back that I believed that certain "foreshadowing" was necessary. Then I added something like, ...

3 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Tom Au‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Do I have to show my characters making up after an argument, or can it be implied when we see them on good terms again?

Is it okay to have two characters who had an argument to patch things up offscreen, or do readers explicitly need to see how they made up? None of the two characters in question are the protagonis...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Klara Raškaj‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Foregone conclusion of novel's first part

I'm writing a war sci-fi novel. At the start of the novel, my MC really wants to get into a particular unit, let's call it Space-Marines. His struggle through the training serves to showcase his hi...

5 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Galastel‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A How to manage getting depressed by what my main character goes through?

I'm writing a war (sci-fi) novel. The MC dies in the end. It's not as thoroughly depressing as "All Quiet on the Western Front", but Remarque's work is definitely one source of inspiration. Now, p...

4 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Galastel‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Making a prolonged training montage work

Training montages and arcs are typically viewed as backstory, something that ends in the prologue, or shows up in flashbacks. They show us a piece of information about the world or a character. Th...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by Mephistopheles‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A What is the story structure called when someone doesn't know they have the solution to their problem in hand?

Perhaps the "classic" example is Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. Early in her journey through the land of Oz, she acquires the slippers that she needs to take her back to Kansas. But she doesn't reali...

1 answer  ·  posted 8y ago by Tom Au‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

Question fiction storyline
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Q&A Genre conventions: Which end do readers expect?

I need help with the concept of my story: My protagonists live in a mild dystopia. Think of your own country today ;-) They have the opportunity to kill about 20 persons, which will cause a fundam...

3 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by System‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A On copyright laws and plots

I was pondering a lot on the issue with copyrights on plots. Is having an identical plot infringing someone else's copyrighted work? I am fully aware that the character names are copyrighted and c...

1 answer  ·  posted 12y ago by Pacerier‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Is killing a character to further the plot necessarily a bad thing?

I've heard quite a few complaints about character deaths being used to further the plot. They say it's boring and overdone and mention that there are plenty of other ways to get to the same point w...

3 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by Summer‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Is it a good idea to try to make my readers feel attached to the character's home?

Towards the beginning of my story, my character is forced to leave home. I'm hoping this scene will be rather eventful and emotional and specifically don't want it to be meaningless to the reader (...

1 answer  ·  posted 8y ago by sbras‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

Question ideas storyline
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Q&A How to stay motivated while writing a story, after the initial burst of enthusiasm?

TL;DR: How do you approach to writing? What part of the work do you enjoy the most? And how do you keep the motivation up? I often ask myself if I really like to write. I mean, I have a lot of i...

2 answers  ·  posted 9y ago by Solaire‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Should I write about how the character solved some riddle or let the reader solve it himself

"Reaching an end to his path, Eric found a locked door, the lock was a combination of 4 numbers, and above the doorknob a script explaining the lock : 'finishing four circles, a lost day is found' ...

1 answer  ·  posted 11y ago by SAFAD‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

Question fiction storyline
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Q&A When should one *not* present events in chronological order?

Some stories tell well from beginning to end, all in a neat little line...and some don't. When can a story be improved by using a different order in the telling? Off the top of my head, I'd say...

3 answers  ·  posted 13y ago by HedgeMage‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

Question fiction storyline
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Q&A Is wanting to ask what to write an indication that you need to change your story?

Many writers eventually come to a point in their writing where they don't know what to write. They have a certain status or state of affairs that the narration has reached and another state that th...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by System‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

Question storyline
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Q&A 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 ...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Nsim‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Druid girl learns necromancy [closed]

I have an interesting plot ready, although there are a few missing blocks which I cannot develop. Story: A girl is a daughter of a druid. Druids are humans who live in the forest protecting anima...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by SovereignSun‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Is there a story structure for a non-traditional hero (an extreme introvert)?

I'm trying to write a story of transformation, in which an extremely introverted and non-confrontational person goes through a traumatic experience, and in the finale takes a stand in defense of th...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by user422780‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Innovative Ways to Provide Background Information

Think action movie. Think two heavily-armed men - one chasing the other over rooftops, down through buildings and into the mean streets of a crowded city. Think big guns, explosions and other loud ...

3 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by robertcday‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A What would be the best way to make a vampire story with a bit of romance without it being crappy? [closed]

So I'm trying to write a story about a vampire couple who are on a quest, to become human again, it is set in a medieval style era. It is somewhat of a romance but I don't want it to be too cliche...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by DerpymanMT‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

Question fiction storyline
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Q&A What is the base on which movies writers integrate typical characters into a plot?

After reading the book Of Mice and Men from John Steinbeck, I realised that I saw this typical combination of a small bright guy with a big strong not so bright guy in many movies... Ex: The dalton...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by tom johnes‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

Question storyline
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Q&A How Can You Use "In Medias Res" To Beautify Your Amazing Masterpiece? [closed]

How do you write out the second build up without killing the essence of the masterpiece? What are the advantages and disadvantages of using Medias Res?

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by Phantom‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A How to create this scenario [closed]

The novel I am writing hinges on an orphan boy, who is not evil, but merely frustrated and angry with the world and how it is treating him. I need him to do something or cause something to happen t...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by Miro Nieto‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A How do I mislead readers about a character in a story?

I am writing a story about a war, and there is this particular character whom they are a traitor to their own side. The traitor's identity is to be unknown until the Resolution part of the story in...

3 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by MizukiTan‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

Question storyline
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Q&A Plot and characters conflict too much

My question is if you run into characterization vs. plot conflicts, or unlikeable characters, do you do major changes to your characters to fit the plot or do you make major changes to your pl...

4 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by BugFolk‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Building character trust

My main characters finally met. Officially... They still don't know who the others are, and are from different cultural backgrounds, too different for the others to seem normal. Although they ar...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by shieldedtulip‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Help! My brain is writing several chapters at once!

So, I've been thinking about my story, and suddenly I got inspiration for the continuation of the chapter (I'm not even sure what chapter it should be). So, basically, I ended with progressing 3 ch...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by Vylix‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Should I be concerned with my fiction writing containing accidental prophecies of real world events?

I'm writing a book (only a hobby, but I hope I can publish it one day). I've started writing a while ago and setting was somewhat of a near-future of an alternative reality. In my book, political ...

5 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Alissa‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭