John Smithers‭

You can work together at the same document with tools like Google docs, but that maybe gets a little bit messy over time if you want to track all the changes. To make the changes visible (I'm not ...

posted 14y ago by John Smithers‭  ·  last activity 7y ago by System‭

Most important part is, reducing the story to the core plot. Some say you should only need three pages to summarize your story, some say one page should be enough. But if you can reduce its core to...

posted 16y ago by John Smithers‭  ·  last activity 7y ago by System‭

So Sméagol, Gandalf and Bilbo Baggins do not sound silly? Honestly, don't care too much, if they sound silly or not. First, you can change them, second, I've read some great stories with very sill...

posted 16y ago by John Smithers‭  ·  last activity 7y ago by System‭

Just be aware, why flashbacks are considered bad: Many people cannot follow them. Take as example the movie Pulp Fiction. There is a character which is shot during the movie (I do not want to spoi...

posted 16y ago by John Smithers‭  ·  last activity 7y ago by System‭

From my own experience to discover a black sheep: If you've found and agent, google him. Google harder! If you think, he is reputable, change your keywords and google again! No, not kidding. I ...

posted 16y ago by John Smithers‭  ·  last activity 7y ago by System‭

Two tips for submissions (no matter how short the story is): Write just a letter/email and ask for permission to send them your story. In this letter (like in every cover letter) you should descr...

posted 16y ago by John Smithers‭  ·  last activity 7y ago by System‭

Imagine the situation: You pedal uphill, your muscles are aching, your face is a grimace of pain. There is resistance (called gravity) which does not want that you reach the top of the hill. Where...

posted 15y ago by John Smithers‭  ·  last activity 7y ago by System‭

After reading the questions, I have one question: Are you serious? You want to sell cars, but you have no clue about the different brands, the different models, which series is very often in the ga...

posted 15y ago by John Smithers‭  ·  last activity 7y ago by System‭

I've seen novels with illustrations. But I wouldn't care too much about it, because I'm sure your publisher will tell you, if he thinks it is a good idea. If you want to self-publish, I would incl...

posted 15y ago by John Smithers‭  ·  last activity 7y ago by System‭

If all your stories started at chapter one and ended in the middle, then try writing the last chapter first. Then the chapter before the last. You also can jump to the first chapter in between. Fro...

posted 15y ago by John Smithers‭  ·  last activity 7y ago by System‭

Easy answer: You need to practice writing. Complex answer: You can try for decades to carve wood and assemble it to a table; if you are doing it wrong all the time, you'll never become a carpenter...

posted 15y ago by John Smithers‭  ·  last activity 7y ago by System‭

As little as it is recognizably fantasy for the editor. Ok, just kidding. First you have to be aware of the fact that the "not strong enough fantasy element" wasn't the real reason why the editor ...

posted 15y ago by John Smithers‭  ·  last activity 7y ago by System‭

From your question I assume that the player knows the term "MP", i.e. it’s not for internal use only. Storm my brain: Out of MP for this task Needz more MP!!!1! X: insufficient MP to use [name ...

posted 15y ago by John Smithers‭  ·  last activity 7y ago by System‭

I think JSBᾶngs’s last paragraph nailed it, but to add to the confusion let me show a German perspective: People in the whole world "love" German for its ability to construct long names. A vanity ...

posted 15y ago by John Smithers‭  ·  last activity 7y ago by System‭

I had to laugh when I read the header of your question. We try to encourage people jumping into NaNoWriMo and just write, and with that we unsettle people who are already well prepared. One Monkey...

posted 15y ago by John Smithers‭  ·  last activity 7y ago by System‭