Activity for James‭

Type	On...	Excerpt	Status	Date
Edit	Post #21481	Initial revision	—	over 4 years ago
Edit	Post #21367	Initial revision	—	over 4 years ago
Edit	Post #21247	Initial revision	—	over 4 years ago
Edit	Post #21226	Initial revision	—	over 4 years ago
Edit	Post #21221	Initial revision	—	over 4 years ago
Edit	Post #21158	Initial revision	—	over 4 years ago
Edit	Post #11166	Initial revision	—	over 4 years ago
Edit	Post #6691	Initial revision	—	over 4 years ago
Edit	Post #3272	Initial revision	—	over 4 years ago
Answer	—	A: Can a book be written without an antagonist? You cannot have a novel without an antagonist. An antagonist comes in two forms: A physical antagonist: a person with a grudge against your protagonist, who will do whatever it takes to overcome the protagonist e.g. Voldemort, the Joker, Loki. There is also the abstract antagonist: An event or simi... (more)	—	almost 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Killing the protagonist - should it be done? If it works, of course you can do it. It isn't the most common thing that happens in novels, but I've seen it before, although that was in an anime. However, there should be a good reason for killing the protagonist, and it should do something good for the story. If you kill off your protagonist wit... (more)	—	almost 7 years ago
Question	—	How to keep it interesting before the inciting incident? My novel technically has two inciting incidents: One in the first chapter, and another five chapters later. The later incident really kicks off the story. What can I do to make sure that everything that happens before this, the first five chapters, are interesting enough to keep the reader going unti... (more)	—	almost 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Writing a book that appeals to both genders Be careful with stereotypes. While us guys will, for whatever reason, go for the hottest-looking girl around, fictional or not, it may offend most female readers, especially if the stereotypes you apply to the character don't apply to the particular reader (and it rarely will). (more)	—	almost 7 years ago
Question	—	How many metaphors? Some of the best books I read have a heap of metaphors, awesomely describing the characters' surroundings or the characters themselves. My creativity appears to be limited in metaphors. I want to avoid clichés, and I want to invent as many of my own metaphors as possible. But how many metaphors shoul... (more)	—	about 7 years ago
Question	—	What to do with 'blank' chapters? I have a chapter outline for the novel series I'm writing, and I have a few 'blank' chapters where I don't know what to write in them. I need to do something quickly, because I've started writing the first book and I am nearly up to my first blank chapter. How do I come up with ideas to fill these ch... (more)	—	about 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: What do you do to prevent dips during which you're not writing anything? This is more commonly known as 'writer's block', and the solution is simple: Write about something else, on a separate piece of paper (or separate file if you're typing). Write about whatever comes into your mind, until you get your creative juices flowing again. (more)	—	about 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: How many errors per page volume is typically "okay" in a book? Aim for as few errors as possible. Editors and publishers may overlook the very occasional error, but not if they see five a page. Get your manuscript proofread as much as possible before you send it. (more)	—	about 7 years ago
Question	—	What else should I plan? I have started writing a novel. I've done some character questionnaires for my main characters, and I've outlined the plot. I want to do this planning to keep my story from fizzling out, but I don't want to plan too much so that it takes the fun out of actually writing it. Is there anything else I sh... (more)	—	about 7 years ago