Profile Activity Vote Summary All Communities

Activity for Rasdashan‭

Type	On...	Excerpt	Status	Date
Answer	—	A: Describing a person. What needs to be mentioned? I am much like you in my process in that I see my characters’ persona but not their appearance unless it is important. I mention my MC’s height, his eye colour as that has bearing later on and that some regard him as handsome. I did a google search to discover that the eye colour I had chosen restri... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Question	—	Crossing the line between justified force and brutality A beta reader of sorts (cousin) mentioned he thought my MC2 rather brutal in her capture of MC1 - though justified. I have her dupe him into surrendering (believing himself outnumbered and outgunned). Once he does surrender, she does the following: - searches him - disarms him - handcuffs him - bin... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: What are the points to remember when the pet is the narrator and is narrating the story of its owner? I would suggest the main points to bear in mind are the mindset of the species as oppposed to our own. Of course, being human one cannot know the thoughts of animals. Dogs are more of a we species than we are. If the pet is a dog, the humans would be either pack members and leaders or members of oth... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Using substitution ciphers to generate new alphabets in a novel If the purpose of the cipher is encryption, use the substitution cipher. Have some character study it, know it is encrypted and that E is the most commonly used letter in English. Ah, E has been replaced with R. If the message was sent by a spy, it should be hard to understand but it should also be ... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Question	—	How to balance the agendas of co protagonists that periodically conflict? While not mutually exclusive, the goals of my co protagonists do conflict and I need to keep them balanced. MC1 works for the CIA and is being burned. He needs help from someone so he can find out if the burn is sanctioned or just some desk man who dislikes him. MC2 needs to know who the mole is in... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Showing mass murder in a kid's book That is a pickle. The sons of Levi are obeying the words of their prophet, which they believe to be the words of god. They have no choice. I suggest the kids see sudden activity, men and youths grabbing swords and knives, leaving. Your kids hear the angry words of Moses and stay in the tent with th... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Mortal danger in mid-grade literature Double U mentioned fairy tales - some of the most violent tales out there. Earlier versions were very dark and had been altered to make them child appropriate. I think that was a mistake. Bambi (the novel) is full of pain, danger and death. Danger is a part of life, as is death. How characters meet... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Question	—	Would a full service PoD company include a literary agent? I have been communicating with three PoD companies. I was considering the first, it has been in business for years and provides a certain number of copies to the author, the rest are sold from their site. I have since discovered a company that, for a considerable outlay, will do multiple rounds of ... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is it necessary to take writing classes and learn formal fiction structure? Might be helpful, but hardly essential. There were two brothers, both studying cereal chemistry. The elder brother went to Berkley and got the degree, the younger read all of the texts and was self taught. My uncle had the title, but my father had the longer and more varied career, working for the G... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is a lawful good "antagonist" effective? Antagonists are not necessarily bad guys. They prevent your protagonist from achieving her goals. Free yourself of the labels and write your characters true to themselves. What you seem to have in your protagonist is something of an antihero in that she has killed her entire family and anyone else w... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: How does one describe somebody who is bi-racial to someone who is blind? I know one couple - delightful folks with lovely kids; he is an American from Kentucky who was a chemical physicist. He sold cars in my town and I asked him why the career change. He told me he met the love of his life and chose to sell cars rather than travel. His in-laws ran the best Korean restaur... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to write a chaotic neutral protagonist and prevent my readers from thinking they are evil? First, love your character. If you don’t, why should the readers care? Make her more than just this skill she has - make her who she is rather than what she does. I have a hacker character who is a charming neutral, but assists assassins in a professional capacity. Most of what he does is what one m... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Including disabled characters without "inspiration porn" By not making her a victim. One friend I had lived most of her life in a wheelchair, had no motor control and would punch and kick her caregiver until her hands and feet were bound to the chair. People pitied her until they met her. She was a sweet, strong lady who could not be described by the word... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: As a new poet, where can I find help from a professional to judge my work? Go to a local university and speak with a writer in residence or a professor who is well-respected. Take creative writing courses and listen to the feedback. Join a writers group - but remember, being told that your work is far from perfect is the point. Poetry is such an intensely personal and uni... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Finishing up someone else's novel Unless you were given written permission to finish the MSS, leave it as it is. It was probably given to you to read, not rewrite. If you feel compelled to write it, use it to inspire your own work and create something original in his memory. Talk to your friend’s family and ask their advice and per... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is it ok to have many characters who only appear for a few chapters? I have a large assortment of walk on characters who appear briefly. Some of them might return, but most will at best be referred to by another character and just disappear. I find this realistic and reasonable since no one walks through an empty town. For example, let’s say your MC is injured and t... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: How do you get out of your own psychology to write characters? I meet my characters. My MCs, I spend about a week or two imagining them in various situations. When they are fleshed out, I start writing them and see what happens and who they run into. The key to my character is often the name I choose. I changed one character’s name from Claire to Ariel and imag... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Showing friendship between people of different ranks - maintain formality, or drop it? I think it depends on the character of your high born individual and the lower born (though not necessarily common) friend. If the higher ranking character is so used to hearing his title - essentially for as long as he can remember - anything else will seem odd to him. He might choose to tell his f... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to write painful torture scenes without being over-the-top One thing you must decide is why is this torture taking place? Is the tormentor some unbalanced person who loves inflicting pain? Is he a seasoned professional who must extract the truth from the victim and then go home to a more or less normal life? Myself, I chose the second as they can be more de... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: How can I portray body horror and still be sensitive to people with disabilities? Having a villain lop off an arm or leg ought not offend someone who either was born without them or lost them due to accident or combat. Losing limbs is not desirable. I have some disabled friends. One has told me on multiple occasions that he envies me my kidneys. One complaint I hear is people tre... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Question	—	How to make a grieving father less vengeful and see reason? I have a character who, maddened by the suicide of his son, chooses to destroy the company the young man worked for, holding them responsible. He is a successful businessman who told his two children they must make their own way in the world. His daughter takes the challenge and thrives, but the son... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Research on an alternate history novel It would depend on the scenario. I suggest you just write, let the changes to history that you make lead you and the reader to interesting places. The movie Fatherland has an interesting scenario where World War II never happened and JFK was not assassinated. This led to a world with a thriving Germ... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to describe skin colour, if "white" is not the point of reference? I have had many friends from the Middle East and their skin tones ranged from essentially white to soft brown. I found a more telling feature that seemed to set them apart were some slight similarities in facial features. Mention of the MC’s skin tone need not be made. Your character could notice th... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Describing paralyzing fear in the first person It can depend on your character and his experiences. I have been in life threatening situations - never a crashing plane - but multiple car accidents and I believe that my experience in learning to divorce or postpone fear has changed my response. I learned this as I ride horses. When things go side... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: How do I write a MODERN combat/violence scene without being dry? When I am writing an action scene - my Secondary Protag getting shot, for example, I use shorter sentences. It echoes the thought pattern of the characters, implies that everything is happening very quickly and help with tension. I also have my characters feel - a flash of fear they must set aside, ... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Song quote for an 'in memoriam' A few lines is not a problem. What you will want to do is cite the lines. As long as they are properly attributed and not used in a way that could be damaging to the work you should be fine. IANAL (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to introduce a foreign idea to readers Vampires and werewolves are such a staple of folklore that introducing the reader to the fact of their existence can be done in many ways. In Interview with the Vampire a nervous journalist saw something he couldn’t explain and learns about vampires from a world weary vampire. Perhaps your MC colle... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: What is dark humor exactly? Dark humour is more about the situation. The theme can be anything - including death and dismemberment. A soldier in battle could notice a fallen comrade and remark about a poker debt he will never collect. Dark humour can be used as a defence mechanism, distancing a person from tragedy and misery i... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is it time to start closing up my novel? Word count is a useful tool, but to feel compelled to cram an ending in when you are still in full stride with much of the story as yet unrealized is folly. Your story will take as long as it takes and should not end before that. Sometimes, when someone tells me ‘see you when you get here’ I respond... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Not having any white MC's? Don’t worry about it. Race is a very minor consideration when it comes to characters. Focus on character traits, not skin colour. If you offend someone because you do not clearly state that character X is white and therefore they can relate to them, those are the readers who would have complained be... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Writing couples with age difference There is nothing wrong with such a pairing - unless one is fifteen. A cousin of mine had been dating for years and finally found the one. He called me to tell me about her, but was initially embarrassed to mention her age. He finally told me - twenty year difference and they are a perfect match. My... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: What makes a poem a poem? My favourite definition or description of poetry is concentrated prose. Speaking only of verse, it uses fewer words to communicate its ideas than prose would use. > The Moving Finger writes and having writ, moves on. Not all thy piety nor wit shall lure it back to cancel half a line, nor tears wash... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Should I make up my own names for the days of the week/months You are creating a world and a society. Have faith in your choices and create your own names for months if you wish. What reason would your world have for having months named after Roman emperors? You could have your world follow a lunar year as that is more intuitive. New month, new moon. It is yo... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is using too many different metres and rhyming schemes bad? If the reader will struggle to find their flow, you have work to do. Consider Paradise Lost - it flows seamlessly and once you accustom yourself to the Middle English, each line is a delight. When I read it, I pause to savour a line or turn of phrase that shimmers with beauty. I do not pause because ... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Question	—	How best to avoid the appearance of stereotype? I am seriously considering adding a character based on a man I know. This man is very irksome, rather pretentious and refers to himself in the third person. He is flamboyant, opinionated and one thing that is very important to him is his sexual orientation - which he announces to anyone who will lis... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is my story "too diverse"? I think you are fine provided that you do not bludgeon the reader with the sexual orientation of your characters. I do not mind reading about characters that happen to be gay or bisexual as part of who they are, but I do dislike being preached to and told how normal this is. Fine, it is normal for t... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: What is a good way to handle lengthy monologues/lectures in a novel? Philosophy and religion can be beautiful. Khalil Gibran uses strong imagery and beautiful turns of phrase in his Prophet series and the whole thing is a series of conversations. Plato’s Dialogues are a thing of beauty and a joy to read. Remember, it is a conversation. Your character can misunderstan... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Question	—	Character is onscreen for three seconds I have a character Joe who leads the task force hunting my MC. His reputation is known to the MC and he is well aware of how effective he is. Joe is also a good friend of another character, Fred, and it is decided to try and tranquilize him, instead of kill him, out of respect both to his skills and ... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Should we add a character in a story for realistic effect? I would leave it out. There are two kinds of depression; clinical depression for which people ought seek help and depression that is a natural and normal response to bad things happening. My mother died and I did not seek therapy since a therapist could not help with the problem - death. I have a co... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Question	—	How best to have a conversation a character does not overhear? I have a scenario where my main character, who has considerable training and situational awareness has been captured. He has faith that his people will rescue him when the time is right. He learns that his former instructor, who is also a psychiatrist, is coming to see him. Two scenarios occur to hi... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to portray a passively arrogant character? Passive arrogance, as others have mentioned, is about believing they know more than others and more than they really know. They are right and being wrong would be a sign of the coming apocalypse. They also would see things in a fashion to benefit them. No benefit, no interest. I know a guy who likes... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: How do you make characters relatable if they exist in a completely different moral context? It works well when done well. I have a copy of The Mark of the Horse Lord by Rosemary Sutcliff and fondly recall it. It is set in Britain during the Roman occupation. The protagonist is a slave descended of one of the Northern Tribes and his life is very difficult. He is the doppelgänger for a blind... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Question	—	If two characters are blood relations will it seem coincidental? I have a character who is a seasoned CIA agent and is part of the task force that is bringing in my MC. I have another character, a semi retired assassin who was one of my MC’s instructors. I want to make this semi retired assassin the great uncle of the CIA agent but am concerned it might seem too ... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Question	—	Is this attribution clear and sufficient? My characters are well read and some like to recite poetry. My MC is particularly fond of Paradise Lost and is known to quote a few lines here and there. In one scene he is thinking some of the lines and the attribution is in the same paragraph, so I am confident that readers will make the connectio... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Question	—	How to balance male protagonist sensitivity to women My MC is an assassin by trade and has a military background - sniper, Special Ops, etc. He was raised partly by his sister after their parents died in a car accident. He normally listens to her as she is often right and the long habits of a lifetime are very hard to break. He sees his female coworke... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is it ok to temporarily break immersion in a tutorial for a game? Why not? Some games have little messages for the player and, if well done, they add amusement. Sometimes they are even further into the game and an alternate remark by an NPC. (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Question	—	How to balance a character‘s duty versus his conscience I have a character, a secondary antagonist who is following his sense of duty and pursuing a former asset. Said asset is injured, tired and cornered, seriously considering making a stand and going out taking as many of the hunters as possible. The secondary antagonist realizes that the ones they ar... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Creating an incompetent antagonist Talented individuals can be seen as dangerous to totalitarian regimes. Stalin executed many very capable generals and when the crisis came, talented, experienced officers were in short supply and rather nervous. Removing potential threats and rivals could possibly thin out the acknowledged talent wi... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to create a memorable line? The most memorable lines seem organic and natural to both character and situation. There must be a context or it will look and feel out of place - like a motivational poster in the middle of a battlefield. The ‘Live with Honour, Die with Glory’ line could well be the unit motto and uttered as both a... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Question	—	How best to avoid the appearance of Deus Ex Machina with established character? My characters are in a difficult situation that can be somewhat relieved by a colleague. MC is wounded, leading secondary protagonist to take a bullet for him. She is gravely injured, MC takes SP towards safety, leaving a good friend and tertiary protagonist to cover their escape. This escape is re... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago