Activity for Alexandro Chen
| Type | On... | Excerpt | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Question | — |
Is it bad to divert from the topic in a paragraph and continue in the next? Here's an example from my own writing (this is a first draft so there might be errors): > Turn for Kazuo's eyeballs. I take them to the table, but I don't eat them immediately. I look at them looking back at me. Like they always did. When I ate, when I slept, right the second I woke up. A rare sight... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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Is alliteration distracting and not very valuable/interesting for the reader? I tend to use alliteration a lot. This is an example from a story I'm writing: > "Let me get this straight," Aru said, sliding on her dress. She always felt frosty after failed fornication. "You're giving me two thousand yen because you couldn't get it up?" > > "It wasn't suddenly." Aru sipped her ... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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Should I use "could be" or "could have been" in past-tense narration? Examples: Using "could": > I looked at the flyer again, and then back at Mark. Very strange---meeting someone who didn't see me as a weirdo. But could it be true? Could there be a club dedicated to black magic? using "could have": > I looked down at the glass table, an onset of tears stinging my ... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
| Question | — |
What are the drawbacks of writing too much in the active voice? I always hear people say, "Write in the active voice," so I decided to eliminate passive voice from my writing (as much as possible). It made my writing stronger, but I wonder: Does writing too much in the active voice have drawbacks? (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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How does the length/position of action tags affect the dialogue? Example: > "Exactly." John scratched the nape of his neck. It had a faint, purple blotch I hadn't noticed before. Probably sunburn. "Our lives began in the sea, and will probably end on land." > > "Exactly." John scratched the nape of his neck. It had a faint, purple blotch I hadn't noticed before.... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
| Question | — |
Are using adverbs in dialogue/action tags a sign of bad writing? Examples from my own writing: > She smiled kindly. “Maybe I can help you. What are you trying to find?” > > > > "Probably," he said apologetically, as if he were personally responsible for this. "It's the same for everyone, though. And it makes sense: if people could choose to be happy then eve... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
| Question | — |
How to format common words that are made "special"? In my novel, there's something that the characters refer to as "darkness". It symbolizes the bad thoughts of depressed/suicidal people. > A short silence. I imagined Joel nodding his head in the dark. "After an outing, you feel as if something has crept inside you. Something dark and murky, like cru... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
| Question | — |
Is it a good idea to stay away from past progressive in fiction? I never noticed this in my writing until one of my readers pointed it out: > We were driving down the highway in Tom's Toyota 4Runner, dim streetlights passing by, the night city scene fading behind us. > > Awkward way to begin the chapter from a grammatical perspective. Is there a reason you chose... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
Exaggeration vs believability in humor writing Exaggeration is a device in humor. On the other hand, you need to care about believably in writing, especially in fiction writing. For example, I'm writing a story where the main character goes to her university to find out about a weird topic. She is laughed at in class. And later in a lab. After t... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: What makes a bestseller - Writing or Setting? Neither of those. They can certainly make a novel enjoyable. But make it a best-seller...I'm not sure. For instance, I've never heard people say that they want to read a novel because it's set in New York or Paris or Narnia. As for the writing...okay maybe this one is more important. However, the te... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
Main noun: How do you decide where to place it? I'm not very sure if it's called "main noun" (sorry, I didn't pay attention in my grammar class). But anyway, here's an example: > I decided to start my search at the library. Why? Well, it had more reliable information than the Internet -- than a bunch of blogs, tabloids, and news sites. > > The l... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
What to do with cliched metaphors? Example from my own writing: > "Please take care of yourself," she replied. "Health is the most important thing in life, remember that." > > "I know, Mom." I had already lost count of the number of times she had repeated that. "But I don't know, let's say you do your best to stay healthy: jog every... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
Is the following deus-ex-machina? If so, should I remove it? I wrote a novel called Animal Suicide. It's a mix of romance and dark humor. It's about a girl who, after a weird incident, postpones a pill overdose and starts researching about the topic of animal suicide (sorry for repeating this on the site, but it's to make the question clearer). The "universe"... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
I have three dead-end chapters. Should I keep them or remove them? The protagonist in my story decides to research a topic. Naturally, I wanted her to encounter some obstacles first, so I arranged the starting chapters like this: > First frustration \> Second frustration \> Third frustration \> Success (She researches on the Internet and fails, researches in the l... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
"Empty-space" vs "three-dot" scene break What's the difference between the two? I've seen both in the same book. For example in the Bone Clocks by David Mitchell: Space breaks: > He’s clever, I realize. First he makes you grateful. Right. Of course. I do believe it’s time I was off. > > DANDELIONS AND THISTLES grow along the cracked trac... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
How do you decide whether to use the infinitive or -ing version of a verb? Example: > Three months had passed since she started to avoid me. > > Three months had passed since she started avoiding me. Right now, what I do is to search for the phrase with the most results in Google Books (e.g. she started to avoid me vs she started avoiding me). Still, I wonder: is there ... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
Is it OK to omit the following "grammatical rules" in fiction? Okay, I'm not sure if they are "rules" or "grammatical", but here they go: > After a while our necks began to ache, so we sat on the rest chairs behind (us). I liked it here. The air was fresh and there was a low hip roof to shelter us from the wind. > > To give myself something to do, I searched f... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
How do you decide where to place a filler? Examples: > "I've always been interested in marine biology, as far as I can remember. > > " As far as I can remember , I've always been interested in marine biology, > > > > Of course , we can't just set all criminals free. > > We can't just set all criminals free, of course. Maybe a good ru... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
What's the initial small caps rule of this book? I want to use the same initial small cap rule of The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell. But I still can't figure it out. Some examples: > TALKING HEADS’ Fear of Music is on my record player, so I lower the stylus. > > OUTSIDE NATWEST BANK on Milton Road, I run into Brendan. > > ON MONDAY, I’LL get a k... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
Is it OK for a first person narrator to directly state the other character's emotions? Example: > I gasped. Tom swallowed. He was also surprised by the maid's sudden appearance. In this case the narrator is directly talking about Tom's feelings. > I gasped. Tom swallowed. He also seemed surprised by the maid's sudden appearance. This one is more indirect; the narrator is just assum... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
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What makes a piece "lyrical"? I've been thinking about this question for a while. This is my definition of what makes a sentence lyrical: 1. The use of metaphors: > So I walked back to my room and collapsed on the bottom bunk, thinking that if people were rain, I was drizzle and she was hurricane. ― John Green, Looking for Alas... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
Adding the word "that" to maintain symmetry in sentences Example from my own writing: > He wouldn't have guessed (that) there would be someone with diarrhea in the toilet. Or that the ferry's rail would be half his size. Or that the night would become dark, windy and rainy, making it impossible for the ferry's crew to find him in the water." I think the ... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
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Should I write "also known as" in full or as an acronym (aka)? Example: > It was located in the East Coast National Scenic Area, also known as > China's Last Unspoiled Land. Is that how it should be written? Should I put it in quotes? Should I write it in lowercase? (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
How to write a "strong" passage? By strong I mean causing some reaction on the reader (not necessarily goosebumps, maybe just a small wow). I'm having this problem right now. Example (the bolded part): > "He told me about how squirrels collect and store nuts for the winter. Nothing unusual. What's interesting is that sometimes the... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
Should I drop the quotation marks in a chapter that consists mostly on a character telling a story? The structure looks like this: > Chapter 10 > > (...) > > And so Cath began telling me her tale. Which turned out to be grimmer than I'd expected. > > Chapter 11 > > "I've been suffering from migraines ever since high school. I'm not talking about those sissy tickling behind the eyes, but really... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
How can clarity and flow of long sentences be improved? Sometimes it seems desirable to pack a lot of interrelated information into a single sentence, but such sentences can lack clarity or seem tiring. For example, the following sentence seems to leave no space for breath: > John said it was constructed in 1664 during the Dutch occupation in Taiwan by ... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
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Alternating names Example: > The cat was lying on a cat bed, barely visible under the blankets, an IV wrapped around one of her front legs. Judging by the triangular shape of her head, her black nose ears and ears, she seemed to be a Siamese. Not that I was an expert at identifying cats; I only recognized this kind b... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
Placing a "strong" verb before a "weak" verb I'm not very sure if "weak" and "strong" are the right adjectives. Here's an example: > Getting on my knees, I turned to the right. > > Crouching on my knees, I turned to the right. Does the "stronger" verb crouching diminish the strength of turned? Is the first example a better option? (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
Omitting pronouns and possessive adjectives in fiction When is OK to omitting pronouns and possessive adjectives in fiction? Examples: > She called me that weekend while I was cleaning my apartment. > > She called me that weekend while cleaning my apartment. > > > > Once on my bed, I took the box and opened it. > > Once on bed, I took the box and... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
Are the tenses of the following piece correct? I almost drowned in the this ocean of tenses. Anyhow, did I make any mistake? > It was almost two, so I said goodnight to Mom and went back to my room. Once on my bed, I took the gold tooth out of its box and held it up to the ceiling light. My great-great-grandmother had died in her attempt to beco... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
How much repetition is too much repetition? This is a question that'd been bothering me for a while. Here's an example: > My heart racing, I wriggled to the edge of the bed and fumbled for Travis' hand. Just make sure to hold onto it, he'd said, whenever you get the chance. I searched for a few minutes until I finally found it—smooth and warm... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
"Thought" Verbs: A sign of weak writing or a stylistic choice? According to Chuck Palahniuk you should avoid "Thought" verbs as much as you can. These include: knew, thought, realized, believed, etc. However, I've seen many of them in books that I read. And I think they somehow simulate real speech (useful with first-person narrative). Here's an example from my... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
"That's when" vs "That was when." Should I use the former or the latter in a story written in first-person past tense? Example: > My heart started to race, my adrenaline to spike, and that's when the thought hit me: I had to find out. I had to solve this mystery. > > My heart started to race, my adrenaline to spike, and that was w... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
Is it OK to use "I guess" in fiction? Example: > I groaned. Why was I doing this? I guess I was afraid of losing him. Like it or not, he was my only guide right now. Does it sound strange since the tense temporarily changes to the present? (and I guessed sounds even more weird). Is this a common usage in fiction? If not, what's the co... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
Is the following "shortening" allowed in fiction? I know you can write stuff like this: > Head on pillow, I glanced at the clock. > > My mind made up, I went over to the counter. How about following: > And with that he put on the climbing shoes, the harness, and attached himself to the rope. Everything set, he threw the end of the rope down the ... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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Is the following "...noun, adjective..." structure allowed in fiction? > Exhausted, I continued lying on my back. A cloud drifted lazily in the sky, heart-shaped , its curves flawlessly outlined as if drawn with a compass. Or should I write this instead? > Exhausted, I continued lying on my back. A cloud drifted lazily in the sky. Heart-shaped , its curves flawlessly ... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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Is it a good writing practice to keep related elements as close as possible to each other? Here's an example: > Not finding anything useful, I went to check the maple. Four times my size, it was the biggest tree in the yard. I mean, it was. A typhoon tore it down three years ago, and it had stayed like that ever since. > > Not finding anything useful, I went to check the maple. Four time... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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How to tell where to place a parenthetical em dash phrase? Sometimes it's clear to me. But other times I get kind of confused. Example: > After returning the materials back to their shelves, I turned—as were the others—the chair upside down on the table and followed the girl. > > After returning the materials back to their shelves, I turned the chair—as we... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
Is there a coherence problem in my story? So the logic goes like this: the protagonist realized life was meaningless, decided to kill herself—but at the last moment her mom calls to tell her that the dog died (it "accidentally" hung itself on a tree), and after that the protagonist decides to postpone her death because she wants to find out ... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
Should I use letters or digits in the following case? > De-Shi was holding something that looked like a price tag. It had the numbers 024 written on it. > > "Isn't that what cows wear as earrings?" > > "Yeah," De-Shi said, still inspecting the object, a thoughtful expression on his face, "an ear tags." > > I knelt down next to De-Shi. “024. I think i... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
When to use normal caps and small caps in fiction? Sometimes I don't know which one to use. For instance, what kind should I use when referring to the stamping on a t-shirt? > Mark wore a t-shirt that said, SAVE WATER, DRINK BEER. (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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Commas at the beginning of a sentence: should I follow convention or intuition? An example from my own writing (Mother and daughter are burying their deceased dog): > As planned that Friday, Mom and I underwent Choco’s burial at my home in \\ (yes, she kept him in a garbage bag for three days). We dug a hole in the backyard, threw the corpse inside, and shoveled the soil back. ... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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How to format the following dialogue without the parenthesis? So the protagonist's boyfriend committed suicide. He left a suicide note. And now the detective is showing it to the protagonist: > "So I'm the one who made him do it? > > "We read the letter. (Apologies. Standard procedures). Nothing inside suggests that. In fact, Tom didn't leave a reason." How ... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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Should I use ellipses or em dashes to denote pauses in speech? > I flipped open its latch and peered inside. A—gold tooth? > > I flipped open its latch and peered inside. A ... gold tooth? > > > > Was it an elephant? No, elephants didn't frequent beaches. It was—a whale! > > Was it an elephant? No, elephants didn't frequent beaches. It was ... a whale! W... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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Is it necessary to add a.m./p.m. after the time? Examples: > To make sure we had plenty of time to ask questions, we took the first bus to Mrs. Mann's house. By the time we arrived it was 11:00 a.m. Seven hours before the planet apocalypse. > > > > We sat on the lower part of the beach, nestled in the sand, the tide occasionally kissing our f... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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Stories based on news: are they allowed? I just read a story on the news that made me go: Oh my, this would make a great short story. I've never written a story based on a news article before. So I'm wondering, will someone sue me? Am I infringing some copyright law? I'm not planning to write an exact copy, though anyone who reads the stor... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Use past or present tense for lasting fact Your sentences aren't in the present tense. This would be present tense: > The tree is so massive it even withheld the strongest storm. Now, regarding your past-tense sentences: > The tree was so massive it even withheld the strongest storm. (Not lasting fact) > > The tree was so massive it could... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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Improving the flow/rhythm of the following comparison > I smiled and gave her a nod. I was beginning to like her more, plus I realized we had some things in common. Like our attempts of suicide. The difference was striking, of course. Kate’s problem had been physical, whereas mine had been psychological. Kate had been motivated by an excess of sensation... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
Is the following analogy of natural selection effective and clear? I'm writing a scene where one of the characters is explaining the process of natural selection: > “Think of it as a beach full of crab holes of various shapes and sizes, and with little pebbles on the upper part, sculpted over hundreds and hundreds of years by crashing waves. The pebbles are constan... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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When to be specific and when to let context fill in the holes? Some examples: > Half-crouching, I went over to the railing and pointed my flashlight down (to the ground). It was approximately a two-storey fall. Not incredibly high, but high enough to kill a person. > > > > Cath covered her nose (with her hand). “Damn. That stinks." Is the bold text necess... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |