Posts by Fayth85
Info dumping is putting in too much information that bogs down the story. How much is too much depends on a lot of factors, including writing style and genre and PoV. Example: As was customar...
This is...challenging. You see, it's possible that love changes this ex-antagonist into someone else entirely. But is that the story you're telling? I can't tell you how to get around this, becaus...
Some background. Erotica, as a genre, means that mind-blowing sex is the point of the story. If you take away the sex and the story just isn't interesting, or no longer has a point, then it's eroti...
There are various ways to handle this, depending on how you want the scene to come across. Vague. That is to say, the reader knows they had sex by reasonable inferrence. You end one scene with the...
Uncaring. Harsh. Unforgiving. And a Sci-Fi setting? Well. It depends on what the deal is, but I'll offer some things I'd throw in to really show this world doesn't care for humans. Alien world. T...
They say you shouldn't show gore, if you want it to have an emotional impact. Instead, show a teddy bear, or some other child's toy, sitting abandoned, or placed by a grave. The same can hold true...
It's often a question of perception. Cultural expectations play a crucial role, because if in the culture the woman must kowtow to a man, then it doesn't matter what she does, if it isn't utter sub...
There are plenty of options, but a few factors you should take note of. If this is a Middle Eastern 'setting', that means it's hot and dry, likely desert-like. Even a Caucasian's skin will darken ...
It's hyper-specific to a character. But here are some things I use. Note that the non-verbal cues will hit home harder when coupled with verbal ones. Some will refuse to talk, not trusting their ...
The way I make my characters' dialogue unique to them, is by considering what makes them unique. But that's best explained by examples. So here we go. Female character is nervous, worries about ev...
Welcome to the world of writers. That isn't sarcasm, by the way, that's truth. Let me tell you about my own tale, with a novel (series) called Altar of Warlords. This story has gone through a doze...
Oh boy, this one will have a thousand plausible answers. But I'll do my best to help as I can. There are, of course, a plethora of options, so please do not think this answer is the be-all end-all ...
So how can I avoid a minor character, from whose point of view the story is being told, becoming the protagonist instead of the person whose story I want to tell? Well, you can't. Not really. The ...
My bandaid may not fit your wound, but here it is all the same. When I'm editing, I break it down into sections to make it more palatable for me and my ADHD-having muse. First I work on the plot ...
I wouldn't call this innovative, just borrowing a technique from other walks of life. The Sandwich method. You start with something they like, then something they might like less, then immediately...
There are many ways to do this, and for just as many reasons why this can make perfect sense. Let's start with popular means, and look at the reasons this makes sense. Disclaimer: I don't know...
I think this comes down to how you write. I'm what one might call a method writer, so if I'm not feeling the emotions of my characters, I don't know where they are mentally and emotionally, so I ca...
There are no right answers, though there are conventions that are typically followed. One such convention is the 'pyramid' method. Known as the Characterization Pyramid. (above is image of, du...
No one can really answer that. Because what works for you may not work for me, and that may or may not work for the next one in line. It's personal, and different people need to go about it accordi...
It's a tough question any way you slice it. Let me show you how I've written it all out, put it out there, and had the very people that did those things that hurt me read it without them ever under...
Unless the protagonist is sadistic, a necromancer, or an undertaker down on his/her luck, odds are that face won't be beautiful. Depending on how long this person has been dead, and how they died,...
It's a lot like the others have already said. If you want it to have an impact, you need to state it clearly. One tool ideal for this is repetition, like Secespitus mentioned ("What would my mother...
Let me tell you a story. Go on, pull up a chair and siddown. Atta boy. Now, where was I? Ah, yes. Let me tell you a story. A tale really. Happened to me back when I was a wee liddle thing bu...
First, I have to ask you the most important question: If this is such a dilemma for you, why did you write this villain as a woman? You are literally in control of every aspect, why a woman if you...
Hmm. This depends on your writing style. It could be useful as an exercise to not use those words, but it could also be done without having to 'tell' this is what your PoV character is thinking. E...
