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Question: How do they know what to listen to and what to ignore? You should try to find great writers; although, they would technically have to be exceptional teachers too. There are people that c...
Neither of those. They can certainly make a novel enjoyable. But make it a best-seller...I'm not sure. For instance, I've never heard people say that they want to read a novel because it's set in N...
I cannot speak for Portugal, but in Germany, "American" (that is, US American) movies, music and books are considered to be great by default. In media, "American" is a label that signals great ente...
Yes, the narrator can be a secondary character. The beautiful Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller is about the warrior Achilles and his life, but told by his lover Patroclus. The Great Gatsby is...
Copyrights are something that is giving authors sleepless nights for a long time. The reason is simple; the authors know about their manuscripts and what all should be included in the material. But...
Legally, in the US that page is unnecessary. Since April 1 1989 the copyright notice has become obsolete in the US and you no longer need to register your copyright. You automatically own the copy...
"You really don't have to place the character's name first," Larry said. John scratched his head. "You mean the reader can probably understand who is saying what without knocking them ...
Treat advice as a smorgasbord. Pick what works and leave the rest. Make sure you test the advice you get. That way you will know if it works or not. It may sound great in your head, but it's what ...
I have two degrees in Creative Writing (that and $4.50 will get you a latte at Starbucks). For many years, I was in a writing group with several excellent writers, and we had different approaches ...
As others have said, people tend to notice others with common interests, and they tend to go to places where people with common interests are likely to go. Suppose you are really interested in, sa...
Without knowing te specifics of the plot and the character development I have to say I'd find that climax personally disappointing. The whole concept of character development is for them to get wh...
For me, it all comes down to emotional reality, which can have very little to do with the externals of the scene. When I watch a big Hollywood blockbuster where the lone hero takes on an enormous ...
Why should Steve make a stand? His decision must have some kind of effect for him. If it doesn't, he's not living his own life, and his decision will leave him and the reader feel empty. Translate...
To be honest, until a story passes a certain threshold of completeness I don't think it can be determined if it is worthwhile or not. Pretty much every awesome plot can be summarized in a way that ...
A story does not have to have a profound message that will change the life of everyone who reads it for it to be worth writing. There are many things that can make a story worthwhile. Sure, if you...
When there's no one likeable left alive. Or if there is anyone, you just know they're either faking it or doomed. TV Tropes calls it Darkness-Induced Audience Apathy. I lasted until somewhere in ...
I had a poetry teacher who talked about "tired language," referring to clichés like this. Take your original metaphor apart and break it down to the real, concrete, non-representative ideas. Are ...
Creating original similes and metaphors is incredibly difficult. When teaching students I find that similes are easier than metaphors. It is possible to write similes and then convert them to metap...
For advice on the more creative aspect of writing, see Tommy's answer. As for how to start from a structural standpoint: The plot diagram of most stories is well defined, and a version of it can b...
What I do: I start with either a last name or a first name. Which one I start from depends on which one the narrator uses to identify the character, because that is what the reader will read most ...
I would suspect that you may be having a specific problem with storytelling (which is not quite the same thing as writing.) I myself do a lot of worldbuilding for fictional purposes, and your desc...
Personally I avoid picking names based on their "meaning" it's lame and highly unoriginal. Also names don't affect your personality at all, so why would it define your character. What I do is jus...
You seem to be interested in creating a "parallel universe" for your story. That is, a world slightly different from the "real one." In your shoes, I wouldn't sweat the "worldbuilding" part. You w...
Possibly not being writer enough to answer this question, I consider myself mathematician enough to try to give an answer from the mathematical viewpoint. (If this is not a great answer by itself, ...
I agree with most of the points made in other answers here. But I would add this, having come from a conference where numerous, published authors shared their thoughts on this question. First,...
