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Posts by Chris Sunami‭

184 posts
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Q&A How do I know if a concept is sexist or not?

Assuming you aren't a woman yourself, I would suggest talking this idea through with several women to see how it strikes them. It can be difficult to see through the eyes of a group you don't belo...

posted 6y ago by Chris Sunami‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Respecting classic dramatic structure in a documentary

As @Galastel has already noted, the standard documentary approach is to film everything, and then to craft a story only at the end, and through the editing process. This is because the story you m...

posted 6y ago by Chris Sunami‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Translating worldbuilding into an interesting opening

Worldbuilding gives you the setting in which to tell a story. It is not the story itself. As a writer you need to wear many different hats. Architect is one hat, and editor is another, but the o...

posted 6y ago by Chris Sunami‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A What should I do if I can't properly formulate the personality of one of my characters in my novel?

Perhaps this character "wants" to be someone quite different than you are trying to make her be. It sounds like she's making a mystery of herself. Perhaps this means she isn't who she claims to b...

posted 6y ago by Chris Sunami‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Given how much self-promotion modern writers need to do, are Query Letters still worth writing?

Self-publishing is viable for all and only the people who are willing and able to personally sell every copy of their own book (or eBook). It's great for public speakers, relentless self-promoters...

posted 6y ago by Chris Sunami‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Characterisation: What lines can an antihero cross while retaining reader sympathy?

The breaking point will be different for different readers, because it all comes down to what we can learn from the character. If we can genuinely put ourselves in the character's place, we'll hav...

posted 6y ago by Chris Sunami‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Series: How can I get my reader to not expect any one genre?

It's hard to build a recognizable identity while genre-hopping. The more successful you are with any one style or genre, the more both readers and publishers are going to demand more of the same. ...

posted 6y ago by Chris Sunami‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A How long can a fantasy novel stay in metaphorical Kansas?

I've read books written the way yours is currently set up, and I agree with your beta readers --some foreshadowing would help. However, I think you could afford to be fairly subtle about it. Th...

posted 6y ago by Chris Sunami‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Anticlimactic ending as a surprise after climax?

In order for your last ending to feel worthwhile, it needs to complete some important part of the protagonist's story arc left unfinished at the big battle. The Wizard of Oz has an anticlimatic se...

posted 6y ago by Chris Sunami‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Are there any general rules or guidelines for using newly coined word(s) or neologism?

Shakespeare, who may not have coined all the words he's credited with, but who certainly popularized a lot of neologisms, tended to recapitulate or paraphrase a possibly unfamiliar word in the same...

posted 6y ago by Chris Sunami‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Of plottwists and endings

I think you've hit on the key in your question: All secondary story arcs need to reach a satisfying conclusion prior to the twist. This is because what we seek at the end of a story is emotional ...

posted 6y ago by Chris Sunami‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Can ‘Stupid’ Characters Make Plot Narratives Memorable?

There's a truism, origin unknown, to the effect that "bad decisions make good stories." If everyone makes great choices all the time, it doesn't lead to much in the way of drama or suspense. On t...

posted 6y ago by Chris Sunami‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A How many characters are too many?

As a reader, I very much dislike large casts of characters, I lose patience and the ability to tell them apart quite quickly. However, a lot of it depends on how they are deployed. If your main c...

posted 6y ago by Chris Sunami‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A How to write a PG13 Succubus character?

A succubus is not the embodiment of sexuality, but the embodiment of the fear of sexuality. So it is highly relevant to an age group where sexuality is often viewed with a mixture of fear, disgust...

posted 6y ago by Chris Sunami‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A How to write a good sex scene specifically for erotica?

In my opinion, erotic writing is more about frustration than fulfillment, even in an explicit context. Once you give the reader exactly what they want, you've spent your load, so to speak. So you...

posted 6y ago by Chris Sunami‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Occupational Hazards to being a Full-Time Writer

Loneliness: Writing is primarily a solitary activity. Many software developers are introverts already, so lots of solitude and isolation may not bother you, but for me, as a social person, it's ...

posted 6y ago by Chris Sunami‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Too Many Goals?

Not unsimilar to myself, my protagonist potentially has too many goals. He's isn't a likeable character (which is how I intended him) so to keep reader interest, I would like them to become invest...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Chris Sunami‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Avoiding Slang whilst Writing

You need to recognize this is a tool in your toolbox as a writer. It isn't "wrong" to do it, it just has a specific effect and impact that you may or may not want: Use of slang, in general, estab...

posted 6y ago by Chris Sunami‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Transitioning from novel writing to screenwriting?

To transition to screenwriter from a novelist you need to: Master screenplay format, which is very strict and standardized Learn to approach writing as a collaboration, not a solo activity. ...

posted 6y ago by Chris Sunami‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Is it ok to reference something modern to give the reader a better idea of what something looks like if the book is set in the Middle Ages?

If you do this, it will have a very specific effect --it will create distance between the narrator and the setting, which will tend to remind the reader of the artificiality of the writing. You ma...

posted 6y ago by Chris Sunami‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Breaking up a talky piece of writing

Dialogue is my favorite thing to write. I tend to use a lot of dialogue in my writing, which sometimes results in long, talky passages -- a bit similar to this question about breaking up exposition...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Chris Sunami‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A The psychology of starting a piece of writing

Every writer must wear two hats, writer and editor. All cases of writer's block, no matter at what part of the process they occur, are because your internal editor is overriding your internal writ...

posted 6y ago by Chris Sunami‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A How can I distance myself from an article published under my name, with edits I disagree with?

This is probably a not uncommon problem for less professional publications, where editorial norms may not be as well-understood. That's not to say that ALL college publications are less profession...

posted 6y ago by Chris Sunami‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Basic fails to look out for when writing the drama: What can we learn from soap operas

Soap opera scribes are not bad writers, they are writers whose (often considerable) craft is turned against the aims of more substantive writing. The defining characteristic of soap operatic writi...

posted 6y ago by Chris Sunami‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A What is the "Proposal" Part of a Query Letter?

Query letters and book proposals are two related, but distinctly different tools for selling your book. A query letter is a brief "hooky" one-page document that is often sent as a "cold-call," mea...

posted 6y ago by Chris Sunami‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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