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Yes, there are distinct differences between pre-school-age, Middle Grade, and Young Adult fiction. If you look at how children develop from infancy to adulthood, certain ages are distinguished by ...
To learn punctuation and capitalization, get your hands on a style guide appropriate for your language (or region or company). I have the Chicago Manual of Style and the AP Manual. Also, read a lot...
There are two types of LGB (and to a much lesser extent, T) characters in stories, be it books, movies or otherwise. One kind where their sexuality is the primary defining character aspect. These ...
I admit I haven't thought much about this, as a discovery writer. However, I am following a character (or some) and I don't really have "odd things" happening. There are clear things happening the...
I think it is a mistake to think of your story as a set of reveals. A story has a shape and the reader remains interested if they sense that the story is making progress. Tension is not created by ...
Yes, this is commonly called "Alternate History" To cite from Wikipedia: Alternate history or alternative history (Commonwealth English), sometimes abbreviated as AH, is a genre of fiction con...
There are "odd things", and there are "mysteries". Mysteries are supposed to get the audience on the hook, and get explained at some point later. Odd things just happen without explanation, and cha...
You're looking for a random story generator There are lots of those on the internet. The first one I found Plot Generator. It gave me quite a few prompts that weren't child-suitable, but I hit g...
I'm also going to agree with the third suggestion. The idea of a pronunciation guide is a good one, and you could do as others have done and make it part of the dialogue (for example "My name's Sha...
Not receiving feedback from publishers, or receiving a rejection, does not tell you anything about the quality of your work at all. Publishers reject good books because they don't fit their catalog...
I love critique groups. I have belonged to a number of them. I have good friends I met because of them. But if you are concerned about your storytelling, it is vital to realize what they can and ca...
Depending on how you ask, between one and ten percent of the population of Europe and about five percent of the US population identify as LGBT. About two thirds of them come out beyond their family...
He can be admirable yet remain 'unlikeable' for the manner in which he deals with the challenges which you create for him, ie holding the moral high ground, exhibiting a sense of humour. You could ...
Few people are entirely unlikeable or worthy of rooting for in any sense. If your character didn't have anything good about them then he would not become a better person by the end of the story. Th...
To make money as a freelance writer you have to have expertise in something other than writing. Anybody who tells you otherwise is blowing smoke. That can be expertise in addressing a particular a...
LGB characters: Just treat them like any other character. Gay people are normal enough in modern western society that you will probably do a reasonable job if you want to. T characters: Best av...
If it doesn't propel the story, there is no need to even mention it. For example, I've heard an interpretation of Sam and Frodo (from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings) as being a bit of a gay ...
If your story focuses on several characters and Alex is not the main character, then yes, this is misleading. Maybe instead you could briefly introduce the main characters of the cast (with 1-2 sen...
First Person means that you are stuck with that one person and its look on the world. This can mean a lot more intimacy, especially in situations that show the emotions of this one person. But a go...
Which language do the French use when they search programming related information on the web? My mother tongue is German, but when I search information on the web on topics that aren't specific to...
There are no right answers, though there are conventions that are typically followed. One such convention is the 'pyramid' method. Known as the Characterization Pyramid. (above is image of, du...
You say that this supporting character has little "screen time" but that they are a major motivator in the mind of your primary character. You also say that this character is the cause of a lot of...
From the sound of it, you are creating what I call a catalyst character. The dictionary definitions for this term are: 1. Chemistry. a substance that causes or accelerates a chemical reaction...
An important thing is to not overcorrect in the other direction with "said bookisms" lists of verbs that can be used instead of "said", like "exclaimed", "emoted", "sighed", "rumbled", "hissed...
Ah, I also had this sort of problem, back when I first started writing. It's only natural, especially if English is not your native language. Thankfully, it's not so hard to get past this, after r...
