Activity for Tom Au‭

Type	On...	Excerpt	Status	Date
Answer	—	A: Effective hero journeys that don't kill the villain? "Cinderella" is a story with a heroine and villains, but the villains don't die in the story. That's because while the villains are "bad," they aren't so to the point of killing someone (unlike the witch in the "Wizard of Oz" or the queen in "Snow White.") Therefore, the step- mother and sisters do... (more)	—	almost 5 years ago
Question	—	How do you "develop characters" using an event driven format? For instance, in my high school novel, I have the main characters attend a football game, the Homecoming Dance, the basketball game, other dances, the Prom, etc. Then I have the characters react to, or comment on the occurrences that happen at these events. For instance, at the games, one character ... (more)	—	about 5 years ago
Question	—	In a "Gatsby" type story, how does a narrator relate what he doesn't get to see? "The Great Gatsby" was told from the point of view of Gatsby's neighbor, Nick Carraway by name, with Nick using the first person. Nick gets to see a lot, but not all of Gatsby's dealings. A case in point is Gatsby's early dealings with Dan Cody, his mentor, at age 17. What gives Nick the "right" to r... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Question	—	What is the role of "flashback" in my novel? I start my Revolutionary War novel on August 21, 1780, when "boy meets girl." Specifically, the hero is rescued from British captivity by a bunch of guerrillas. One of these guerrillas takes him home to meet his sister. Shortly after the meeting, I show a flashback to the battle where the hero was w... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Question	—	Should foreshadowing be close to the main event? This question is a followup to my earlier question. Continuing the dialog with my one critic, I wrote back that I believed that certain "foreshadowing" was necessary. Then I added something like, "But I take what I believe to be your main point, which was that Chapter 2 was too early for this materi... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Question	—	How do I make "foreshadowing" more relevant in the early going? Here is the latest version of this question, except that I believe that I have identified a key issue. Someone who read Chapters 1-3 of one of my novels (and then stopped), asked me, "why is there a deluge of seemingly unrelated issues." The answer was that I was "foreshadowing." Everything I put int... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Question	—	How acceptable is "alternate history" in writing (nowadays)? On another site, I wrote a critical review of a book that featured a "King Frederic II" of France who reigned between 1777-1819. I pointed out that this was a particularly unfortunate time to confuse the facts because the actual events of the time were so dramatic and well-known (the overthrow of Lou... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Question	—	Why is young adult romance now being written primarily in the first person? My recollection is that when I started reading romance novels in the 1980s, the majority (perhaps 60%) were written in the third person. This included some "young adult" romances with characters in their early 20s. I stopped reading them until recently. "Nowadays," it seems that the vast majority of... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Creative license to invent a sibling to a historical figure? I would advise against it. In a historical novel, you do not want to "tamper" with history. That is, you do not want to create a character close enough to a historical figure to be able to re-write history. People who are familiar with the actual history of the historical figure might resent this. Th... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: "Real people don't make good fictional characters". Really true? My experience is that "real people" don't make good characters in their original form. Many of my fictitious characters are idealized versions of real ones. They are decidedly better than their originals, and that's what makes them "relatable." In one of my fictitious works, the heroine insults a te... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: How Much Focus to Give a Supporting Character? From the sound of it, you are creating what I call a catalyst character. The dictionary definitions for this term are: > 1. Chemistry. a substance that causes or accelerates a chemical reaction without itself being affected. > 2. something that causes activity between two or more persons or forces... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Question	—	How do I get my readers through the early, "hardship" part of my fiction? A reader of one of my works told me, "It was very interesting, the last two thirds of it anyway." Her fear was that I might lose my readers in the first one-third of the work. The above work was a three act play, with a crisis and hardship in the first act, and characters that were "nothing special.... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is there any chance a medieval princess can join the army? If so, how will she be treated amongst the men? I would take my cue from the (handful of) real women that joined armies. Most of them do it to save their countries, not for fun. She wasn't exactly a "princess," but Joan of Arc was a medieval girl who joined the French army, and (for a time) became its leading general. In real life! The reason th... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Can my character specialize in torture ; but physically be not that strong? Your physically weak character doesn't need to do the "actual" torturing. All she needs to do is to direct her assistants, "stick this instrument in there," and "twist it that way," etc. What she mostly needs is a knowledge of human anatomy, e.g. where the most sensitive nerve endings are, and the be... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Explain character dynamics without giving away too much backstory? I would have a third party explain the situation. This character, M, says, "we can't get L and S on the same webchat because L won't talk to S since the day." Readers will be clued that there is "something wrong" between L and S, and will be waiting to find out what it is. The resulting suspense cou... (more)	—	almost 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Satirical writing: how much can you say about famous athletes? In the U.S., "defamation" basically consists of an alleging (false) claims that can be taken as facts. This does not cover wishes or fantasies. So "I wish I could sleep with Jane Doe" (a famous actress) is not "defamation." (Many men probably do.) But "I slept with Jane Doe" could be defamation (unl... (more)	—	almost 7 years ago
Question	—	Are different levels of character development required for primary as opposed to secondary characters? Primary characters would normally include the protagonist, antagonist, and maybe one or two "fellow travelers" of these. Secondary characters would consist of non-trivial characters that are not primary characters. My understanding is that the primary characters should be developed to the point wher... (more)	—	almost 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Writing for a broad spectrum of readers. How do you engage the elite whilst appealing to the base? You have adopted a complicated, "elite" format, with a surprising "twist" ending to the scene. I'm not sure that you were successful, but you made your point. You had two interlocking themes, the mundane, (that is the pastor's homily), and the "real" one. There's your distinction between the elite a... (more)	—	almost 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: How do I avoid making all my characters speak like me? It seems like you are not a "mean and dark type." Then you have to base those characters on people who are, instead of having them sound like you. One way is to pattern those characters on a friend, or more likely an acquaintance, that fits the bill. Almost everyone knows someone like "Eddie Haskell... (more)	—	almost 7 years ago
Question	—	How far do I need to go to show "fit" between two "dating" characters? In my work, my goal is to show that the hero is a better fit for the heroine, than the two men she married (or agreed to marry) before him. The first husband uses his influence to get the woman a "vice-presidency" in a startup with less authority and remuneration than the other VPs. The second pros... (more)	—	almost 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: How does a new writer keep from getting scooped? To answer your stated question, one can protect one's work by "registering" it with Writers Guild of America for $20 online. But there is a fundamental reason why agents won't steal your work: Because it's too much work and that's not what agents do. Agents can earn a lot of money for doing relativ... (more)	—	almost 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: How can I figure out my main character's overall goal? Put aside the character for a moment, and ask yourself how you want the story to end. Then work backwards to your character. If she is, in fact, your main character, she will have, or develop, a goal that is congruent with the story goal. If you can't do this, maybe you should put your "main charact... (more)	—	about 7 years ago
Question	—	How much character development is necessary beyond what the story line provides? Critics of my screen play tell me that I have done a good job of developing the story, less so in developing the characters. A couple examples follow: The main character is a woman who is the "fifth" partner in an advertising firm, for which there are only four corner offices, none of which is hers.... (more)	—	about 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Stating facts in novel written in the present tense, third person omniscient. Can I use the past tenses or would I risk losing consistency? Writing in the third person present tense, you want to depict "flashback" scenes or other past scenes in the past tense. That's fine. In fact, it clearly separates what was in the past from what's in the present. It's may actually be clearer than the standard format of using "all" past tense. both ... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: How much falling action can follow the climax? You need enough post climax action to resolve the major outstanding issues, and "close the loops." The climax only tells you that the story will end well (or not). You don't want to leave the reader "hanging" regarding other matters. You want to outline how your characters live happily ever after (or... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: How can I Switch Protagonists Between Books? Mark Twain did this with Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. In "Tom Sawyer," Huckleberry Finn was the number two character after Tom. After they discovered $12,000 of gold together (a quarter of a million in today's money), Huck became "equal" to Tom. So it made sense for Huck to have his own novel, w... (more)	—	over 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Would employing the use of philosophical ideas in fiction without citing the sources be considered plagiarism? An "idea" is not copyrightable, only its expression is. "Bad faith" is an idea that is as old as time, that Satre "popularized," but did not invent. What is attributable to him is an exposition of what constitutes "bad faith (say a paragraph or longer). That would be copyrightable. That you would c... (more)	—	almost 8 years ago
Question	—	In character development for a screenplay, is it enough to present only a person's most salient characteristics? In my screenplay, I feature a CEO of an advertising agency who is "pot shaped," shy, tongue-tied and a few other characteristics that make you wonder how he ever became an advertising executive, never mind a CEO. Until the retired founder comments that this "careful and earnest" executive "made no en... (more)	—	almost 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: A protagonist who knows little about the world he born and grew up in until majority (present)? It's understandable that your character doesn't know many things about the world when he leaves his village. That's where he came from after all. But he should know "a lot more" by the end of the story. That's just part of his "journey." If he doesn't, that's when he would look "ignorant," not havi... (more)	—	almost 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to write a story that spans decades Use the first three years for Part I. Part II begins with the notation: Twenty years later... Then use "flashback" scenes in Part II to catch the odd event of note that might have taken place between the two parts. (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Question	—	What is the story structure called when someone doesn't know they have the solution to their problem in hand? Perhaps the "classic" example is Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. Early in her journey through the land of Oz, she acquires the slippers that she needs to take her back to Kansas. But she doesn't realize this until she is told at the very end, which is why she tries "other means" of achieving her goal. ... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to write a homosexual character, whose homosexuality isn't the point of the story? Regarding the "homosexuality," just barely mention it. Maybe show one kissing scene, one love scene or one discussion, just to show who the characters are. Then have them go about their business in the novel as if the above isn't an issue at all. (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: Writing backwards I tend to write my stories "backward." In a 12-chapter novel, I once wrote the first three chapters, then Chapter 12, Chapter 11, Chapter 10, Chapter 9, then chapters 4-8 in some random order. I know how the stories begin, and how I want them to end. The "middle" chapters are the hardest for me to w... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Answer	—	A: My cool character is doing nothing for the plot. How do I deal with him? To take off on Lauren Ipsum's short, but excellent answer, you have three choices: 1) Re-write your current story so that your "cool" character is a key, perhaps main, character whose importance in the overall story matches his importance in individual scenes. 2) Remove the character from this stor... (more)	—	almost 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: My story passes in choppy blocks - how can I fix it? "The openings of my novels seem fine. This may be because they are generally only one scene long. But it may also be because I develop them differently than the rest of the plot." In that case, treat each scene as the "opening" of the rest of the novel. Develop it as you would develop the real openi... (more)	—	almost 9 years ago
Question	—	What is a "reflection character?" How is s/he different from an antagonist? My understanding is that a "reflection character" is someone who acts as a "foil" for the hero(ine). This is someone the main character fights with, or at least interacts with, a lot. How is this person different from an antagonist given that this person fights the hero a lot? Is it because the two ... (more)	—	almost 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: World Building vs Story Writing You seem to be interested in creating a "parallel universe" for your story. That is, a world slightly different from the "real one." In your shoes, I wouldn't sweat the "worldbuilding" part. You want to tell just enough about the alternate world to make your story work, but you don't need to discuss... (more)	—	almost 9 years ago
Question	—	Should "plot" or storyline be the main determinant of what goes into a story? In writing a screenplay, I created a bunch of scenes, with about twice as much material in total as I needed. So the job was to cut things down to size. In so doing, I found that a number of scenes (and not all the ones I expected initially) seemed to fit together, while others didn't. Then the tric... (more)	—	almost 9 years ago
Question	—	Are there times when delayed character development is acceptable in fiction? In my screenplay, I have my female protagonist wear Prada, and perhaps drop other hints of her character, but not act like Miranda Priestly for the first two acts, until she gets a promotion at the end of Act II. In Act III, having arrived, she lets loose her inner Miranda, perhaps surprising the aud... (more)	—	about 9 years ago
Question	—	What exactly is "fair comment?" From what I understand, truth is a defense against a charge of libel. More to the point, I've been told that a statement need not be true if it represents a "fair comment" based on the underlying facts. For instance, suppose there is a person that frequents parties, bars, etc., goes "one on one" wit... (more)	—	about 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: How ordinary must my protagonist be if the book is written from his/her point of view? You practically answered your own question. In these two cases, you should probably use a third party narrator. "very intelligent, like Sherlock Holmes (In the books, Dr. Watson is the point of view) very limited, some say stupid or mentally handicapped, like Hodor from A Song of Ice and Fire" ... (more)	—	about 9 years ago
Question	—	What are the correct terms regarding (this literary) technique? An example comes from a cartoon where there is a woman talking to her boyfriend. There's a "cloud" that comes from her mouth, and the text inside reads: "You're so handsome." But there is another cloud that comes from the top of her head (brain), and the text reads: "Man, does he have bad breath." ... (more)	—	about 9 years ago
Question	—	Does "reversing" characters provide enough of a "disconnect "to defend against a libel suit? Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson were fictional, of course, but Lauren Ipsum has convinced me that if they were real people, a story about a "drug-using detective and his MD sidekick" might expose a writer to a charge of libel. (A story about a detective and sidekick would not be a problem.) Suppose I ... (more)	—	about 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: What does being "heavy handed" mean? And how does one avoid it? The sports term for "heavy handed" is "piling on." In American football, if the runner has been "tackled," there is no need for other defensive players to jump on him. Chris' example, " She had vanquished the evil, greedy, squirrel-kicking lawyer," is a good one, because "She had vanquished the evi... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Question	—	Is sending your characters back to a different century a good way to disguise them? In one of my novels, I took two "contemporary" real life people, and sent them back to the 18th century to fight the American Revolution. (Yours truly is one of them.) My current understanding of the "libel in fiction," as in the Red Hat Club case was that the true "backstory" of the main character ... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Question	—	What is the voice called when the narrator is a secondary character? Stories that are told by an "all seeing" narrator are told in the "third person." Stories that are told by the main character, based on what s/he sees, are told in the "first person." Suppose a story is told by a secondary character who is a friend of the main character. Examples are "The Great Gat... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: Tactician's Viewpoint and Contradictory Characterization Someone with a tactical bent quickly "resolves a problem into its clearest, simplest form" (Conrad Hilton). Someone of the other kind "overthinks." The second person is actually more analytical, but the first person "gets to the point" faster with less "circumlocution. (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Question	—	How likely is the "five consecutive word rule" to detect "random," as opposed to intentional plagiarism? I refer to the old fable that if you set enough monkeys at enough keyboards for a long enough period of time, they will (through random typing), reproduce the "Complete Works of Shakespeare," or any other tome. Is it likely that someone will "copy" someone else's "five consecutive words" through a r... (more)	—	about 11 years ago
Question	—	How is parallel construction viewed in literature? I wrote a "take-off" on a French song using a technique that I believe is called "parallel construction." https://french.stackexchange.com/questions/6041/can-rustique-be-used-as-a-form-of-self-deprecation In English, the original begins, "Me, me I am a man. And you, you are music." My version close... (more)	—	about 11 years ago
Question	—	What exactly is the "five (consecutive) word" plagiarism rule? My understanding is that the toughest standard regarding plagiarism is the "five (consecutive) word" rule, which holds that, if there are five consecutive words identical to someone else's writing, then you are guilty of plagiarism. This does not apply to, say, proper names like "The Loyal Order of ... (more)	—	about 11 years ago