Search
Nonlinear narratives are a particular favorite of mine. Yes, it's possible to do this, but it can be tricky to set things up so they're not confusing to the reader. But if you have a good reason to...
In addition to Dale's excellent answer, try ending a chapter or a scene break on a phrase or sentence which can be slightly misinterpreted. The example I'm thinking of is from Anne McCaffrey's Mor...
The tenses are changing because there are two sets of past events and two sets of present events. In the first paragraph the action described occurred in the past: the anger was repressed, the yo...
The problem is that the prose in the middle is stage business, and there are only so many times you can interrupt with stage business. I think you have to punctuate the non-dialogue bits as sentenc...
My feeling is that unless the brand name plays a critical part in your story, don't use it. You don't want to risk the wrath of corporate lawyers unless you absolutely must. Why build your entire s...
The main con is fear of corporate lawyers if they think you're portraying them negatively. I am not a lawyer (nor a writer or publisher of fiction), but my impression as a reader is that minor men...
Write it the way you feel it should be written. However, I would then finish the entire trilogy before finding an agent and shopping it to publishers or publishing it yourself. That way you can ei...
I do not know if there is a standard way, but I would write it in whatever way makes it crystal clear when the events are taking place. I'd create distinct sluglines for each alternate universe a...
Why plug it? Have the loophole pointed out or discovered in the epilogue. It can be discovered by the bad guy, or by an innocent who is easily captured/corrupted by the bad guy. Presto: instant seq...
Consequences. That something is possible within a system doesn't mean it's a good idea. You can drive your car 180MPH on public roads (if the speedometer labeling is accurate), but if you do you'...
I think it's important to figure out why you were bored by the mining community setting. Is it because the character made too much of the details without giving the reader a sense of why they were ...
My sense (as a reader, not someone who's published a YA novel) is that you kind of want to liken it to a PG-13 movie. If it's too graphic for a 13-year-old to be watching in a movie theatre, it's p...
Let me give you an answer from a different perspective: not what Young Adults are reading, not what appears in modern YA fiction, but what I was reading as a teenager (12-16), and how it made me fe...
The answer to a question of style will always be, it depends. In the example given, I'd say that the minor action disrupts the dialog, but that's without knowing the context of this excerpt. And th...
Make them a list of sentence fragments. Poetic license. They sound better, and it helps each thought stand distinctly.The run-on is a little exhausting to the ear. The green pieces of paper fol...
Watch the show Leverage. (It's about five criminals who turn Robin Hood, and they spend quite a bit of time breaking into buildings and stealing things.) Watch the entire first season, at least. Ta...
I think a good rule of thumb would be: Up-front, in preparation, the story can characterize one or two major challenges the heist will need to overcome. That's enough to whet the reader's appetite...
Serve the plot. I actually don't mind having a 10:1 ratio if the one scene packs a real punch. I wouldn't arbitrarily make half your scenes the other POV if it doesn't do anything to advance or i...
Different roles call for different styles of writing, and how to phrase an email like this will hinge on whether you're a job seeker, someone who's networking, a recruiter, etc. But the techniques ...
I'm not suggesting migrating the question, and of course this is several years old. But I've noticed in the RPGs.StackExchange they often discuss balancing humor and action, and that may be anothe...
Stage business. B takes a drink. C eats something. B lounges back in his chair, looking thoughtful as he listens. C winks at the serving guy. B rolls his eyes at something the protagonist said, and...
I can think of at least two ways to demonstrate your character's nationality and accent without having to mention it constantly or write the dialogue crazily: 1) There is a difference between acce...
George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, aka Game of Thrones, is the biggest current example. Three dozen? perspectives and counting. Introduces a new world with a huge political social conflic...
Why is it an issue? Don't you know anyone with a black sense of humor? People crack jokes, particularly sarcastic ones, in the darkest of hours. I wouldn't find it problematic, particularly if you'...
If you're concerned about too many accidents, then try to find a way to add some purpose to some of them. 1) It's doubtful that you can find a way for a comet to land in someone's garden delibera...
