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Q&A Monsters of psychological horror

According to Wikipedia, psychological horror is Psychological horror is a subgenre of horror and psychological fiction that relies on mental, emotional and psychological states to frighten, dis...

0 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Liquid‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question genre technique symbolism monsters horror
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Q&A Incorporating research and background: How much is too much?

The amount of research I'm doing for my novel is staggering. To the point where my spouse says I need to write a companion book (or a blog) just talking about the research! Sometimes I research f...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by Cyn‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question fiction research historical middle-grade historical-fiction
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Q&A Should I include an appendix to reference words of an in-universe language for a fantasy novel?

Context I am currently working on a fantasy novel in which one of the main characters is a nobleman and scholar, studying exotic languages as part of his higher education and translating documents...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Sciborg‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question world-building language fantasy constructed-language appendix
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Q&A How can I write an annoying character without annoying the reader?

My story has a group of five refugees traveling across the kingdom. One of them is preachy and pretty much useless (unused to physical labor, trying to convert the heathens in the group). She's dri...

3 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Evil Sparrow‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question description script character-development dialogue
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Q&A Fictional races and fictional racism

Possibly related questions: Should I add racism in my book's world or have my world have no racism? Is accurate human nature required for good writing, even in fantasy scenarios, or with fictiona...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Liquid‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question genre world-building fantasy theme
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Q&A Should the average length of a chapter depend on the length of the novel?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word_count#In_fiction This Wikipedia page tells you under which classification a fictional work falls under depending on its length, so we have 3 I am most interested...

3 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by repomonster‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question wordcount creative-writing chapters
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Q&A Do I need to get a pen name?

I'm a self-published author, who is going to get a traditional publishing contract. They say it's my choice, but I have a doubt. I have published a thriller novel, two mystery short stories, and a...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by Jade‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question publishing genre pseudonym
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Q&A Should I write a companion book/blog?

As a spinoff to this question: Incorporating research and background: How much is too much? I'm writing a middle-grade fantasy novel with a historical fiction component based in Ancient Egypt. I'm...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Cyn‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question fiction research book blog historical historical-fiction
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Q&A Finishing up someone else's novel

One of my friends passed away about a year ago and left me some manuscripts. A rough draft and without a proper ending. I was wondering if I should finish it and how. Should I take the draft and j...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by repomonster‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question novel copyright
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Q&A What is in scope for criticizing technical writing

I'm not well versed in technical writing. I'm probably not going to be in a position to give anyone feedback for some time, but I would like to know how to approach it when I get there. I would als...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by AGirlHasNoName‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question criticism technical-writing feedback
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Q&A What is a good way to foreshadow that magic is actually very advanced technology?

In a story I'm working on, humanity had sometime in the past reached a very advanced technological level (far higher than ours), but then had a devastating global war, and afterwards technology had...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by celtschk‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question fiction foreshadowing science
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Q&A Knowing when to use pictures over words

When writing about food, be it a cookbook or a food blog, as long as the media supports it, the use of pictures is going to make a difference in the quality of the work. So when I am writing about ...

3 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by AGirlHasNoName‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question planning description script artwork creative-writing food-writing
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Q&A Everyone is beautiful

I've noticed a quirk with the narrator voice of one of the two novels I'm working on. This narrator only describes the beautiful aspects of every character's features. You might think the women are...

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

Question fiction description script narrator
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Q&A How do we succintly describe a boxing match?

I am writing a short story, and the boxing match which comes after 2/3 of the story is likely to exceed the length of the entire story, so how do you cut the action short? Do you describe the match...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by repomonster‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question description script creative-writing
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Q&A Approaches to criticizing short fiction

What is a reasonable scholarly approach to breaking down short pieces of prose? Is it word choice? Is it structure? Is it themes, and how well they are used? Use of symbolism and its efficacy? Mete...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by AGirlHasNoName‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question fiction short-story criticism feedback
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Q&A What are the key elements of a humor story?

I've always loved humor stories, and relish the idea of making one. But the thing I cannot grasp is the key elements of one. Are the key elements the same as a normal story (Problem, Solution, etc....

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by Xilpex‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question plot comedy
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Q&A Publishers that drag their feet

How do you deal with frustration over a publisher's choices? All the stories and art for an anthology are in the publisher's hands—camera ready in digital form—and approved (deadline was 4 months...

0 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Cyn‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question psychology-of-writing publisher
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Q&A How to turn an antagonist into a protagonist? [closed]

In a piece I am writing, I want to turn an antagonist into a protagonist. I know that numerous ways to accomplish this are somewhere out there, but none of the help with a smooth transformation. Is...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by Xilpex‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question character-development antagonist protagonist
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Q&A How to write a puzzle without being too descriptive or vague?

I have recently joined the Puzzling.SE site and I am excited to ask few puzzles there. However, I am stuck, rather confused as to how a puzzle qualifies as good and precise. I want to ensure its cl...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by Karan Desai‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question creative-writing clarity
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Q&A How can I get readers to accept more than 1 "buy" in worldbuilding?

An alternative "Occult Universe" I open my occult detective novel in what is ostensibly a "noir" style, but through worldbuilding I attempt to show that the story is set in an alternate occult uni...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by wetcircuit‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question world-building paranormal stakes
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Q&A Is it bad if I don't like the "best" books in my chosen genre?

(This question is about reading but it pertains to writing as well). I write fantasy, and as a result, I've read a lot of fantasy books that are supposedly the "best," that are beloved by all fant...

7 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by souzan‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question genre fantasy
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Q&A How should tv broadcast dialogue be formatted in a story?

Supposing a character or characters are watching a show on TV (news maybe) how should that be formatted in the text? I've found some explanations on how to format TV broadcasts in a screenplay (in...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by Quentin Engles‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question fiction dialogue quotes
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Q&A British / American language mishmash

English is not my mother tongue. I am completely fluent in English though, and I write my fiction in English. Here's the problem: I live in neither the UK nor the US (nor any other English-speakin...

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

Question language
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Q&A Can my characters interact with my narrator? (and vice versa)

I know that this idea is not totally 'revolutionary' as this type of narration has been used in Breakfast of champions, for example. But, Unlike Vonnegut, I want the 'Narrator talks to the characte...

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

Question technique style characters narrator
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Q&A Story that's too depressing?

(Warning, mention of sexual abuse!!) In the near future where humans have polluted and radiated the Earth so much that animals and plants have been going extinct at alarming rates and humans thems...

10 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by weakdna says reinstate monica‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question plot genre readers creative-writing theme