Posts by Daniel Cann
At the back. People will notice it if it's at the back, I'm sure they will. Normally, lists of characters are at the back of the book, lists of pronunciations are at the back, and general informati...
I'm thinking about sending what I've written off to get published soon, but I was wondering how much work I'd have to do after the publisher has actually got the contract with me and we're going to...
Understand what an accent mark is There are many kinds of accent marks. For example, the acute accent in French signifies that the 'e' is to be pronounced at the end of a word. This is the most co...
Definition I think a good definition of cheesy is this: Something that is low quality, amateur, but is trying really hard to be good. It's a hard word to define for sure. Avoidance Beta ...
The choice is stylistic. It's almost always your decision, as the author. Do what you feel would be appropriate and convey your meaning well. However, it goes without saying that some publishers m...
A very short question. I'm writing a trilogy. Book 1 was 88,000 words, but book 2 is probably only going to be 75,000 words. That's over 10,000 words less. Should I find a way to make it longe...
Background So I see a lot of questions on the site like this. They're all about deeply explaining worldbuilding and stuff, doing all of that explaining type of thing. Normally, I just skip that. F...
You said it yourself. When the reader cannot concentrate on the story because there are so many adjectives and adverbs, and other details and flourishes. Get other people to read your writing, and ...
The structure and complexity depends how intense and deep you want the story to be. However, when planning you must know the following thing: The ending. For when you start work, the key to wor...
Background I've planned the chapter I'll write tomorrow. It features a bandit ambush! That's so exciting! Wow! The sickly scent of blood, the glistening blades and powerless enemies. They are noth...
Don't listen to them There are very few rules to writing and good writers know how to break them. Someone saying 'don't use as much' is totally wrong. They just are. In your prose, 'as' will be us...
So firstly, printing actual copies of your book to give to beta readers is a really bad idea. It costs loads of money when they could be reading it on the internet. When you are actually submittin...
I remember reading a book called A Monster Calls, which had the same thing going on. The original idea was from Siobhan Dowd, but she died, and the book was completed by Patrick Ness. I would do so...
It would be a good idea to use a structure in your writing. -Topic sentence -Problem -Your opinion -Resoloution When writing a newspaper article you should keep things formal and precise. In n...
I disagree with what's comment. There are certain techniques used in these speeches that help convey meaning. I'm going to use Martin Luther King's I had a dream speech in my answer. What kinds of...
It's entirely stylistic. In certain books neologisms will not be italicized, in others they will be. It's important to stick to it though and not change what you're doing. If you italicize one, be ...
Background To be honest, I really didn't know how to title this question. Anyway, the background. I was sitting around in front of the plan for the second book of my trilogy. Woohoo! I finished th...
No, your sentences are not at all confusing and your English teacher is wrong. I could see the vague reflection of a stressed me breaking into a little grin on the damp window pane, as well as...
My Personal Experience with Copy-Phobia I know exactly what you're talking about. Because I had exactly the same thing. For example, I love the video game Dark Souls 3 very much, and I took it as...
Should I use contractions in my narrative, or only use them in dialogue? I have noticed that in some books, like The Passage by Justin Crownin, contractions are used in the prose. In others, like ...
How should I write a utopia? I think the utopian fiction you're describing would be challenging to write because it lacks climactic points. Its predictable. You describe it as if there is no wob...
When can I go from thwarting, to destroying? For example, say the protagonist was working towards a goal, but towards the end they killed the people they had spent the novel with, as they became s...
What I would do, is give the characters something to look forward to. Give them something to fight for. They need a motivation to keep going, something to comfort them in their time of need. I thin...
Thanks everyone for your answers! After reading them through, I tried some things and found out what helped me settle into the first person. - Rewriting the story in different perspectives After...
