Activity for JonStonecash
| Type | On... | Excerpt | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edit | Post #37989 | Initial revision | — | over 4 years ago |
| Edit | Post #37282 | Initial revision | — | over 4 years ago |
| Edit | Post #37211 | Initial revision | — | over 4 years ago |
| Edit | Post #36899 | Initial revision | — | over 4 years ago |
| Edit | Post #36413 | Initial revision | — | over 4 years ago |
| Edit | Post #33865 | Initial revision | — | over 4 years ago |
| Edit | Post #33607 | Initial revision | — | over 4 years ago |
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A: What should come first—characters or plot? In terms of the story, it should not matter. You might start with characters that you want to write about. And then figure out a plot to causes these characters to interact with each other. And then the requirements of the plot cause changes to the characters. And so on, and so on. You might start ... (more) |
— | over 4 years ago |
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A: Is it okay for a chapter's POV to shift as it progresses? Break the chapter into three scenes. Each scene has a POV character. First and last scenes have one POV character. Middle scene has the other POV character. Since the scenes in the chapter will differ only in time, make it clear on the scene transitions that the POV has changed. For example, scene tw... (more) |
— | almost 5 years ago |
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A: Ambiguous sentences: How to tell when they need fixing? As an observation, sentences are typically embedded in paragraphs. If there is an (potential) ambiguity, I might add a reaction sentence to the paragraph, such as, "The sister, Mary, sputtered in shock." Or screeched, yelled, threw a hay-maker, quoted an obscure Latin phrase, or anything else keeping... (more) |
— | almost 5 years ago |
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A: How to keep my ideas organized and respecting a timeline? A metaphor: at the top of the mountain is a well-reasoned exposition of the events of the story along with the reactions of those entities occupying the story; by well reasoned, I mean that the events eventually make sense to the reader by the end of the story. No effects before the causes, no effect... (more) |
— | almost 5 years ago |
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A: Should I "tell" my exposition or give it through dialogue? I, and all of the others who might answer this question, are flying blind without knowing all of the details. Oh, well, I probably would be confused anyway. I too struggle with the show-rather-than-tell guidance. I tend to use dialogue to get the information out there but it can be strained. One of ... (more) |
— | almost 5 years ago |
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A: Write for an audience or find an audience for your writing? The real question is what do you want to accomplish by writing. If it is to make money or gain fame or impress the neighborhood, then you would likely write to engage one or more target audiences. If you write, as I do, to shape your thinking, then the target audience is yourself. If you write for th... (more) |
— | about 5 years ago |
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A: How do I add more details in my story? This is a difficult question to answer. In my mind, it depends upon your goals in writing the story. In technical terms (if one studies the craft books on writing), it depends upon the genre of the story. For example, if this romance is embedded within a thriller, you might want to reduce the level o... (more) |
— | about 5 years ago |