Search
From what you write, I feel that you have a very good idea of who your characters are but struggle to "sum them up". In addition to Mark's excellent ideas, here's a technique I've recently tested o...
I'd say yes. It may vary depending on your style and situation - but in the given example it's quite clear, imho, that what you called filter should be omitted. A good rule could probably be: unl...
The most unobtrusive method is often the best. Many organizations and style manuals suggest using the full term on first reference, and then using the abbreviation on subsequent references. "The B...
While I agree that most of these things cannot be expected out of a first draft (instead being the valuable fruits of the revision process), reading problematic sentences aloud should be a useful t...
Although the Olympians had some super-powers, and were immortal, the Greeks considered them to be just like people in their emotional make-up. They fell in love (with humans), got horny, made mista...
I did some googling and found a couple of publishers that are into that sort of thing. I'd just send them a query letter and see what happens. You could always just self publish on Amazon and see h...
To answer any "where should I pitch" question, you should ask yourself the following questions: Who would want to read this? What is its market niche, and how big is it?. What are the other nota...
Things that are good are things which you liked, and elements which achieved what the writer was going for. Funny bits: anything which makes you laugh (which is clearly supposed to) Nice turns of...
I have worked with NYTimes Best Sellers. I know many authors. If the writer is bored so will be the reader. You cannot market your book to fame. It doesn't work. What you have to do is create somet...
The three-act or five-act structure can still exist even if the elements are not shown in order. It's the effect on the audience which is changed. In the case of Memento, you see the end first, an...
Yes, I'd pretty much go with your ear. I could explain the technicalities of cadence and pacing but it's pretty much like dancing - if you think about too much while your doing do it . . . it's rar...
It is a bit stereotypical, but for good reason. The two are opposing forces. I don't mean in the sense of physical frozen water and whatever the hell fire is, but in the sense of endothermic (absor...
"Then" is not really required in the examples you show. "Then" is only really required when the previous sentence or clause indicates further actions or items. "First, the Earth cooled, then the d...
I think fire and ice can be two fundamental magic forces in your story if you frame it as powers of increasing and decreasing temperature, powers of giving energy to and taking energy from particle...
As the other answers have noted, you can rewrite the sentences to remove the need for "then" (or possibly just omit it without any rewriting at all). However, there are also a few synonyms you can ...
Two examples spring to mind, neither exactly your situation: Christopher Tolkien did work on his father's oeuvre, but that's more curation than editing. He did cobble together The Children of Húri...
Firstly, you don't say what type of editor you are. Different editors perform different functions. Before continuing with my answer I must admit to my own bias. Based on experience: independent ed...
Yes, you may use prominent people in history pretty much any way you choose. Obviously libel laws apply. Generally you cannot libel the dead, however some US states permit lawsuits where the descen...
I'll go right ahead and declare that you're far too versed in 'writing theory' than the practise of writing itself. All the writing techniques being questioned are related. Once you understand tha...
It's okay to have a world without ever writing a story set in it. Nobody is telling you that you have to do anything with your world; sometimes it's fun to just imagine. That's perfectly fine. If ...
Yes, you can develop secondary characters, and should to the extent your narrative has room. While they are multi-volume arcs, David & Leigh Eddings's Belgariad and Malloreon series are good ...
You use the full narrative pallet that the novel form makes available to you. Different emotions manifest themselves in different ways. Some are very overt, some and entirely hidden from external v...
Best writing advice I ever got was a mix of advice from both a published author as well as my husband; write at random. Write whatever scene from your story pops into your head, beginning, middle, ...
You basically have two options: Write the first draft, edit, edit, edit Outline, write the first draft, edit, edit, edit (but possibly a bit less editing than in 1). And, as Lauren Ipsum alread...
Callie here. I appreciate your feedback that I had never thought about. I'm a member of All Poetry. I have been all three levels, free, silver, and gold. I usually get silver. Free you can publ...
