Search
Q: Do we write down problems that we address using the scientific method? A: Yes. We dump all this information on static media all the time, both for our benefit and for the benefit of others. We ...
In my exploration of story structure, I have encountered some conflicting advice. In some instances, it has been suggested that the midpoint of a story represents the moment that the protagonist s...
For me, the midpoint is indeed when I shift from a reactive phase to a proactive phase, but I still need a scene, a dramatic event, that triggers this change of perspective for the MC (Main Charact...
For example, while writing an erotic scene, is it important for the author to feel the same way as they expect the readers to feel when describing the scene? For some subjective feelings or em...
I'd say you have a start. The trick is done before the conversation ever starts, at least for one of the characters. I'll presume "strong feelings" is a euphemism for love or friendship. Also I a...
I've been reading a lot of books about plot and character arcs. Most structures—and I believe this is generally good and true—require that the character come back from their journeys changed, usual...
Go ahead and copy his style. Murakami is a brilliant writer who draws heavily on other writers (as does every writer, whether they realize it or not). Honestly, if you can manage to write so well...
I think this is an opinion piece, but IMO the protagonist is a hero, and the scientist is a villain, and the ending is a mixed bag. For starters, anybody trying to coerce everybody against their w...
The bare minimum is not the backstory The bare minimum that you need to show is not the backstory, but whether the MC is convinced about Matt's good character. For instance, Arthur Conan Doyle do...
I will disagree with everyone! The best way to improve as a writer is to analyze how writers you really like, of books you really like, accomplished what they did. Don't just read them, that quic...
This is how Tolkien solves a similar problem in The Lord of the Rings: ENT. When Spring unfolds the beechen leaf, and sap is in the bough; When light is on the wild-wood stream, and wind is...
Can a fight scene, component-wise, be too complex and complicated? In general I don't think so. If by "component-wise" you mean the motivations and back-stories of the people fighting it, the on...
I separate my narrator from my main character's voice. I do not write in first person, I write in 3rd person limited, with a deep POV. (Deep 3PL). Meaning, for those unfamiliar, my narrator knows t...
I have frequently made use of a systematic approach to story writing and structuring that can be scaled reasonably well against a few writing styles. I've found that applying the concept has made t...
When I was in high school, a friend and I wandered together downtown and came across a psychic's booth. Out of curiosity, we stepped inside. We were both writers, she told us. My friend wro...
One of the most common pieces of writing advice I hear is that you should write frequently and often. Writing regular entries in a diary should fit this criteria, but I'm hesistant to call my years...
+1 Galastel, Your style is literally like your voice, instantly recognizable as "you" but nearly impossible to convey to somebody else in words. It is how you, with your thought processes and train...
You start by starting. There is no other way. As to how to organize it, I like JK Rowling's approach. She broke her series down into 7 books (1 for each year at the magic school). She mappe...
If you do this, lean into it Skipping a scene in an otherwise continuous story will always be jarring. The last thing readers want to feel is "this doesn't make any sense". You want your story to ...
Note: This question deals exclusively with personal stakes (what the character could lose). It does not deal with public stakes (what the world of the novel could lose). In my mind, there are t...
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...
Picking an Alias, also for Picking a Character Name One approach is to use a common name as your alias. This doesn't have to be Smith or Jones, Here is a list of the Most Common Surnames in North ...
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...
I'm going to say that it depends. It depends on the message an author wants to transmit and how they write it. Let's say I'm writing a romance. X starts out single and looking for their soulmate a...
After reading the edits and clarifications and other answers, my suggestion is that you approach this in a similar way to publishing a book in general. Offer royalties on sales of the book plus an...
