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In addition to Lauren's excellent points, I would refer you to this question: "The flux capacitor--it's what makes time travel possible." When to keep world-building explanations short. Whether you...
There are examples of separate stories connected thematically. I think the question is, when is such a work a collection of independent stories on the same theme and when is it a single novel. One...
It has become fashionable in recent years to base the appeal of a novel on personal identification with the protagonist. That is, enjoyment of the novel is supposed to consist in a personal aspirat...
This is generally inadvisable (which is not to say that it is not done sometimes). The reason it is inadvisable is that every artform has its palette, its set of devices and conventions by which it...
I never use flashback, I always use a frame, so obviously I think that works better. There are several ways to use a frame; as a report to a superior, a story to a friend or lover, explaining some...
If your books are not standalone, a "previously on..." intro is probably a good idea. You want just enough information to orient the reader without spoiling or rehashing the previous book(s). Al...
What you are experiencing is the natural rhythm of human productivity. There are even techniques designed to help you optimize the use of this rhythm. One is called the Pomodoro technique in which ...
You are not writing a history, where you are obliged to fill in the details of all the day, months, and years that pass. You are writing a story. You are obliged to write only those incidents that ...
Disclaimer: I've had an idea on how to resolve my problem, but if you have a better idea, please post it. You have a few options: Remove the scene - Might work, but will remove the other infor...
To paraphrase your question slightly, "How do your lie to the reader?" Answer: you probably shouldn't. Once the reader distrusts you, it becomes impossible to achieve any effect at all. What you...
I haven't read your samples because we don't do critiques. But there is a general question here that may be of use to other people. If you have too many flashbacks, it it probably a structural pr...
I think its a good idea, and it makes sense. Say a man is aware during an evil possession, and he sees the demon intentionally in front of a mirror, using his body to rape and torture the wife he l...
If you don't think Pride and Prejudice has cult status, you are looking in the wrong place. It's cultists are called Janeites. And I think you may be overestimating the staying power of Star Wars ...
I think your revised question reveals a confusion of two different things. There are works with strong and enduring followings, and there are works that inspire roleplaying. There may be some inter...
I would suggest that there is a very simple rule of thumb here: if it is revelatory of character, it is a story. If it is revelatory of ideas, it is a philosophical essay in disguise. We debate p...
One of the things that seems like a good idea to many beginning writers is trying to deceive the reader in some way or another. There is one problem with this idea: readers don't like it. And why...
The heart of a story is neither physical conflict nor emotional conflict, it is moral conflict. That is to say, it is about the character being made to face a choice about values. Does pride and pr...
First, the KJV is most definitely not in Old English, a tongue that had not been spoken for centuries when the KJV translation was done. It is written in modern literary English. Modern English has...
I would use the case which is in the application, to make it easier for the reader to match apples to apples. You might even add quote marks and other formatting for additional clarity: Figure ...
The simple answer to this is that this stuff works when it is revelatory, when it shows the reader something they care about, when it draws them in. That is not about quantity, it is about aptness....
There is one key fear that all young men share, and most older men, if we are honest: The fear of appearing weak. Men have an instinctive need to project strength, and will find any way they can to...
I will recommend you begin with a book, non-fiction popularized science, "Is There Anything Good About Men? [How cultures flourish by exploiting men]" by Roy F. Baumeister, the Eppes Eminent Profes...
People clearly differ in the amount and type of planning they do. But I think it is important to bear in mind that in the end a novel is an expression of a vision. Its function is to create a vivid...
Suspense is called suspense for a reason, you suspend aspects of the story that are revealed later. No, that is not why suspense is called suspense. Suspense is a story that is suspenseful in...
You needn't make that decision until you get an agent. You're quite right to identify this as a thorny situation, with strong considerations in both directions (and maybe additional options beside...
