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As a generality, stories are about people and how their interactions with each other change them. Adding richness to your characters' journey, even if those aspects do not affect their arc, can be...
Always try, at least for yourself, to give motivations to any character for behaving a certain way. Why is A the way he is? Should the reader know this? Here are some ideas for making a change,...
If I understand you correctly you are in A's POV when they have their change of heart, this means you can you can show what's leading them to having this change and make the change consistent with...
In your section (5), when A feels sympathy, it isn't enough to feel sympathy. You have to give A some reason to reject their previous life. Personally, I'd revise this: A is too much in charge. Fo...
Take a look at The Lord of the Rings as an example. Between the tense episode in Moria, that culminated with Gandalf's fall while the other characters escape, and the mounting tension of the Anduin...
The problem isn't offense, the problem is harm Words have power. The more people that your words reach, the more power they have. So it becomes important to consider the harm they can do. Perpet...
No, offend alway. If every artist asked this question art would not exist. You are bound to use cliches and tropes. All cliches and tropes are based on real life stereotypes. All stereotypes are...
These terms are very often used to mean magic, and I've never before encountered anybody discussing the ancient greek etymology. You are totally safe using the modern meanings. In general, words ...
The weight of this choice relies a lot on context. If your novel is in the "real world", or anything closely related enough to share language or dominant cultural traits, you may want to avoid all...
Don't overthink it; readers will generally go along with whatever terms you want to use, as long as you explain it sufficiently, and as long as they aren't wildly out of whack with their expectatio...
The meaning of words is not set in stone. A word that used to mean one thing, can change over time to mean another. A hundred years ago, 'gay' used to mean 'merry'. Now it is no longer used in this...
You are falling victim to the etymological fallacy: the false belief that the original meaning of a word is somehow its one true meaning. If you look up "necromancy" in dictionaries, you find thin...
Actual usage and the original definition of a word may be out of sync (literally). And neither of them is the "real definition" you're referring to. Since you're afraid of creating a disconnect, I...
Use Non-Standard Spelling and/or Diacritics for Non-Standard Meaning If you think your readers come in with preconceived meanings for "pyromancy" and "necromancy" that interfere with your usage, c...
I have never heard of McKee's definition of "beat." I have only heard of and use the filmmaking definition. I have always viewed Event as part of your overall plot structure, and Beat as a granul...
I don't agree with McKee's definition of "Story", like many writers I think this difference between a "beat" and an "event" are contrived. I think the way McKee intends them to be used, "beats" are...
As @ChrisSunami says, most non-fiction books are sold before they are written. Typically you have a synopsis, the Chapters and an outline for each, and for some books, a list of people you plan to...
To answer your question, you should start writing as soon as you have completed your story arc. If you can write how many "chapters" you will write and what will be their content, you can start whe...
I read your question before your examples were edited out, and would like to comment on them a bit, but I won't. It wouldn't be fair to the question as it is now. So, to address your current questi...
There are several options. Others have hit on some really good ones, but here's a few more: One, use short, emotionally-heavy words with (im)proper inflection. Two, you could break the scene dow...
Ask yourself (or inquire) what such a person is experiencing. It could be "I remember shaking, and then the next thing I knew was...", and they know how they felt (hot, exhausted?) and are told ...
As @Galastel mentioned, you don't legally need to change the name, so if all that you are worried about is the legal aspect you're in the clear. However, I must admit that when I saw your title, t...
'Primus' means 'first' in Latin. Just as you cannot copyright the word 'first', you cannot copyright 'primus'. Same goes for 'prime'. Or any other common word. If in some fantasy universe, the enti...
Yes, you can introduce a villain before a crime is committed. You don't need to use any clichés or tropes. The essence of villainy is, in general, selfishness to the point of not caring about the ...
I understand your question as asking: is it possible for the reader to know that a certain character is evil, from that character's introduction, and before that character actually commits any evil...
