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+1 @Kris: ACTUALLY, it appears "Grok" is a middle ages version of "Greek" referring to the Greek Language. https://www.google.com/search?q=%22grok%22&tbm=bks&tbs=cdr:1,cdmin:1680,cdmax:169...
Disclaimer: I am no lawyer or otherwise law expert, all the following is to the best of my knowledge and does not constitute legal advise; when in doubt, as a lawyer. There are several things to c...
A strong character has two elements: Its motivation, as revealed through its choices, and Its personality, as revealed through its dialogue and body language. So let's talk about how those appl...
Showing physical reactions to things works for immediate reactions. But stories are not built on immediate reactions. They are built on the long term desires and goals of the characters. It is hard...
We often use the word "sympathise" to mean agree with or approve of. But that is not what it means (or not what it should mean) when we are talking about the reader sympathizing with a character in...
In general, the answer is no. There is no way to ensure that you will not be successfully sued for the theft of somebody else's intellectual property, violating copyright, and have to pay not only ...
You're using too many beats, especially in your second example. You don't need to describe every minute change of tone while a character is speaking. It breaks up the flow too much. There's absolut...
It depends on who said "Move!". If it is the person sidestepping, then no. But then you should have written "Move!" I said, and immediately sidestepped him. if the person sidestepping is respondin...
... it does not make much sense to structure a mystery novel with alternating sequences of scenes and sequels which is composed of MRUs. I agree, I dislike this formulaic MRU theory, I don't t...
Yes, a citizen can investigate a murder. They don't have the tools of the police or courts, for example they can't force a store to release security tapes, or reveal employee records. But if they...
Writing within an established universe may be fine, especially for drafting. If you start out with some borrowed characters or concepts, that makes it easier to do the parts YOU want to do uniquel...
Yes, it is a cliché and yes you should probably avoid it. Even if you think it has happened in real life. In a way, it is implausible if they are BEST friends, that implies they have known each ot...
I agree with Klara. The strategy I often use is to devise a character that has both a superpower AND a significant weakness, and devise a plot in which her superpower is of very limited help, and t...
It doesn't hurt to have other characters react to him, the potential problem I see here is in repeatedly showing the same reaction, which is likely. Confusion, a sense Hadden is a rude jerk, etc. T...
Every writer should understand the Hero's Journey. Not everyone agrees on whether it describes the archetype of all stories or just a particular genre of stories, but either way it provides a lot o...
[This answer addresses the storytelling part of the question, not the webcomics-drawing part.] I've found Brandon Sanderson to be an excellent teacher. He focuses on: 1) "mainstream commercial ...
A lot of factors collide to make a book a bestseller. It's not just the writing - there's also how original the concept is, and how much it speaks to the audience, the right place, the right time, ...
I think you need to make a distinction between horror, which runs largely on anticipation (like every other genre) and splatter porn (which relies on the perverse titillation that some people feel ...
I suspect your problem is a lack of story. Sex can be central to your story, but what stories are about is generally a problem the protagonist is compelled (or feels compelled) to solve. None of t...
The whole -y suffictive ending always bothered me. Reading -y endings I feel listlessly interested ): That’s my experience. Thank you for the question. I like the second one. It’s an opinion, b...
There is a distinct use of "this one" in English which is a matter of usage rather than grammar. It is used by one person to refer to another person (often, though not always, an inferior), who has...
If what you seek is a measure of anonymity, but not to actually hide who you are, you can use your first name and initial. You can be Lois L. or Clark K. Even if your name is highly unique, it is v...
There are multiple ways to approach a character's emotions, each of which may be appropriate in context. First, you can simply name the emotion. This is appropriate when their emotion is incident...
The main aspect is tension. Read up on the Three Act Structure, or Save The Cat, which similarly shows the structure of screenplays. You have to introduce characters and their "normal world". Eve...
If your book is fiction, it must be finished before an agent or editor will consider it. They are not going to invest any time or effort in an unfinished project by an unknown and unproven writer. ...
