Posts by Cyn
To make a supporting character more vital, give her her own arc. How does she grow and change over the course of the story? What does she really think about what the MC is doing? What backstorie...
While I haven't done exactly what you're doing, I've often needed to format two side-by-side sections that are in precise vertical positions. Formatting for two columns does not work well. It's o...
I'm not familiar with every book you list, and of course I haven't read your manuscript. A lot of the themes of novels, and a lot of characters as well, are fairly universal. Or at least common. ...
She would focus on both the familiar and the parts that are out of place. Familiar: * It's an animal (mammal) (4 legs, hairy) * It works in a helper capacity to humans Bizarre: * Its size! This i...
There is no conflict between duty and conscience The man's duty is to neutralize the asset, with minimal loss of life and resources on his side. He would be doing his duty if he killed the asset ...
Tell someone. The act of speaking (or writing) an idea will reinforce its memory. You can tell whoever you happen to be with. Or call someone and leave them a message. Or call yourself and leav...
Get your best work published in the best journal you can manage. The "best" journal will depend completely not just on your field but on your speciality and the school of thought you subscribe to....
People can be intelligent and competent yet still unable to do their job. The military might be underfunded (seems really unlikely but you can set your story up however you like). You might be th...
One example I have uses this trope for the benefit of the creative team. In the TV show Married with Children, the lead actor was pregnant. I've seen all sorts of ways TV has dealt with pregnant ...
Some stories simply need more room to breathe. You might be having so much trouble because your story can't lose 1/3 of the words and still tell its tale. 1500 words is not huge to be begin with....
So much of this depends on your ability as a writer. In the hands of one author, a monster like this could enhance the story, with a different author, it could cause people to throw the book acros...
Introduce TP earlier. If you don't want TP introduced by coming "on stage" as it were, you can have characters refer to her/him. These folks are in a battle. Not only does that tend to bring pe...
Are you citing the French edition? (the original) If so, it's perfectly legitimate to make your own translation. I'm not sure where the English translation is coming from. If it's a duel langua...
Welcome. You do not need to use footnotes in a novel. In fact, they're usually distracting. Sometimes you can do it, but it's pretty unusual. An example of one that worked was really a chapter ...
I would progress with great subtlety. Drop the tiniest of hints here and there but, mostly, let the reader do all the thinking possible. When you've got your draft, send it to people to read. As...
News articles generally put citations in the form of a quote. "The firestorms are challenging, but we don't foresee shutting down electrical service to areas near the uncontained areas at this tim...
Which answer is the one that's going to get you to sit down and write? That's the correct one. It's way too easy to get stuck on process. "I just have to do X, then I can write!" When I finally...
Have the narrator tell the action in that place, not show it. Then show Old Man's reaction. Example: "Nothing gives you the right to do this." Old Man sat back down in his chair, hoping Taylor...
In the book I'm writing, a sibling group among my characters are 1/4 Native American. I first chose the tribe. Since I knew where they lived (a fictional small town outside a real-life larger t...
It's not uncommon for people to start off writing works that are either straight up fan fiction or so strongly "inspired" by someone else's work that they might as well be. And that's okay. What'...
Talk to people about what happens when they get nervous so you have a strong database of ideas. And give every character a different set of reactions. The main character in the novel I'm working ...
If your premise is that she's really good at certain things and awful at others, your opening scene should show both. Without explaining it! Just show. I'd open with a scene of her at her best. ...
I am pretty sure this isn't a proper question for this site, but I will answer. First, it's "I will argue" and not "I will arguing." Second, it's "cause unemployment" or "cause increasing numbe...
Sometimes a predictable plot is not a bad thing. If you choose to go ahead with it, you can still shake things up. Take something like the modern movie Titanic. We already know the boat is going...
The reason to have an agent is to get a publisher. The publisher may or may not do a lot of this marketing but they will take care of the release dates, getting the book into stores, number of cop...
