Activity for Thomas Myronâ€
| Type | On... | Excerpt | Status | Date |
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A: Gerund Overkill Grammar Side-Rant (Ignore at will) First off, none of the words you have in bold are gerunds. A gerund is a verb form used as a noun. Examples would be: > Hunting is a sport. > > We love sailing. Answer: As far as overdoing it goes, your paragraph sounds fine to me. However, looking at one para... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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How can I tell if a novel idea is made for a series or a stand-alone? If I have an idea for a novel (consisting, let's say, of a premise and a vague idea of characters), how can I tell if the idea will turn into a series or a stand-alone? I don't want to start development on what I assume will be a stand-alone novel, only to find out half way through that it would actu... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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Can I use the same message over a series of novels? This question is slightly less straightforward than the title implies, and requires a little explanation. Firstly, I am an entirely self-taught writer. Because of this, my methods are probably a bit different than 'the norm' (if there even is such a standard). For example, I believe that the message... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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How to avoid the 'magic explanation' info dump in Fantasy novels In the second book of his Inheritence Cycle, Christopher Paolini makes the grievous error of landing his main character in the middle of a serene woodland where he must sit and talk with an old elf for many seemingly unending days. It isn't a true info dump - there are emotions and even some action -... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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A: Building empathy with a character and interest in a story It sounds like you are missing two major parts of story development: Character and Stakes. These two topics could fill two small books, so I'll try to give you the run-down below. The purpose of Character Development is to get the reader to care about the protagonist. If the reader doesn't care abou... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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Why is having too many symbols a bad idea? I'm writing a speech on using symbols, and I've just made the statement that you should generally stick with one, maybe two, symbols that span the story (smaller symbols that arise and fade quickly don't apply to this limit so much). I now have to back my statement up. I know why you don't want too ... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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A: Handling a small detail the POV character would not notice The trick here is to bend the rules without breaking them. Including something that the PoV character doesn't know about is technically 'breaking the rules.' But when writing, you have to remember that reader experience trumps all. As long as it doesn't jar the flow, you can get away with something s... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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Can Extensive Outlining Take the Place of the First Draft? Background: I've been writing fan fiction for five years now. I began when I didn't have a clue what I was doing, so my methods have evolved during those years. By now I have a solid process that I follow, and I feel I have a good grasp on what I'm doing. There is one small detail that has been both... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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My Conflict Doesn't End at the Climax. What can I do? I am currently writing a short book. I've neared the end of the plot, but now I'm seeing a problem: my conflict isn't ending at the climax. The climax should always be the point where all of the problems (inner and outer) come to a head and are then resolved. This is where novels should in theory en... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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A: What are potential pitfalls for a young writer? Not only will the potential pitfalls largely vary from person to person (not to mention what different people think they are), but they are innumerable, and in a variety of fields. When you are an experienced writer, you will look back at what you write now, and cringe regardless of what you do. Why?... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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A: How to describe pain in first person? Welcome to the site, Bruce! In this case, describing pain in the first is no different than doing it in the third person. The only difference would be that you would use 'I' rather than third person pronouns. Therefore, what it looks like you're really after is how to describe pain in general. As f... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
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A: How would I keep using past tense with resulting actions Writer Preference Both ways are correct. In your first example, 'smashing it like an egg' is a dependent clause. The second line converts it to a compound verb and an adverb clause. In your second example, both versions use the conjunction 'and' to join two independent clauses. In cases like these... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
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A: Writing productivity trackers Excel, absolutely. You might not want to consider this, but give it a shot. Here are the things it could do for you: 1. Word Count. It has this one in the bag. Simply write for a session and count the words. If you're using MS Word, just highlight the words. It will tell you the word count down on... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
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How can you write during a full work day? As provided in this excellent answer by @what, there is a certain 'creative time,' for writing, when you can write the best. I've been aware of this for awhile, though I never really saw it for what it was until recently. Unfortunately (and I doubt that I'm alone), my creative time is taken up with ... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
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A: When not to use commas before dialogue (and capitals) I think I see what your problem is. According to my handy grammar handbook: > The exact words of a speaker should be set off from the rest of the sentence by using a comma, a question mark, or an exclamation point. > > Note: If the quotation is a grammatical part of the writer's sentence, the quota... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
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How can I convey something without going into details? I am considering writing a novel in which society has fallen into a perverse pit of debauchery. This is necessary to the novel, but it also presents some problems. I want the reader to know just how bad things are, but at the same time, I want to avoid writing about them. I don't want to simply say,... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
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A: seeking a humorous example of long winded paragraph one sentence long Humorous single paragraph sentence? The original Winnie the Pooh provides such a thing here. I'm sure there are plenty of other examples as well, but this is the only one that presented itself to me. (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
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A: Is it a good idea to try to make my readers feel attached to the character's home? > Is it a good idea to try and make my readers feel attached to the character's home in order to increase the emotion of the moment? This depends on the story. Why do you want to increase the emotion of this moment? Are these emotions something important to the story, something that drives the plot ... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
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A: How to make horror events more interesting in daytime Your goal with any tale of horror is to inspire just that in your readers: horror. In order for them to feel it though, the people they care about - the protagonist and main characters - must also experience that horror. Are your events frightening to your protagonist, regardless of when they occur?... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
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A: Using colons and semi-colons in dialogue Is using colons and/or semicolons in dialogue awkward? No. Using them is fine. To me at least, every one of the above quotes looks perfectly natural. I agree that trying to find another way to write them would be difficult, and in some cases, may even harm the flow of writing by using something unnat... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
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A: Dialogue identifying the character that is currently speaking Which form you use is entirely writer preference. Neither 'said James' nor 'James said' is wrong. They are both grammatically correct, along with various other similar dialogue tags. Which one you use is determined by how you write, and especially what sounds better in the context of what you are wr... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
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A: What is an alternative for "the size of a pack of cigarettes"? Pack of Playing Cards? Some might associate this with Poker and Casinos, but it would receive a lot less heat than a pack of cigarettes I believe. Really though, all you need to do is think of things that fit in your hand. If nothing's coming to you, take a break. Whenever you find yourself holding... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
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How Can You Include Public Stakes in a Character Novel? In Donald Maass's book Writing the Breakout Novel, he talks about stakes. He goes over how a breakout novel needs two kinds: personal stakes - what the hero could lose - and public stakes - what the world of the novel could lose. Together, they make a powerful combination. I've found this to be true.... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
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What's the most natural way to show a passage of time between the prologue and chapter one? In my current novel, the protagonist is driven forward throughout the plot by events that happened to him in the past. The reader needs to know these events, so I'd like to include them in a prologue. The prologue would take place nearly a year before the events of the rest of the novel. Here's my q... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
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A: Can an overdone theme still work? > Can an overdone theme still work? Absolutely You have the right idea. You generally want to stay away from overdone themes, because they are, well, overdone. But if you do write a novel with an overdone theme, you should approach it from an unexplored angle. Make sure your novel is a fresh look a... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
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Can the protagonist lose his strength without losing the reader? In studying writing, I've learned that you need to give your protagonist something - usually a quality - that makes the reader want him to win. Without this quality, the reader doesn't care what happens to the protagonist, or simply doesn't care for him, period. I call this quality the protagonist's ... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
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Should I be a Novel Writer or a Screenwriter? Should I be a Novel Writer or a Screenwriter? This question is intended for the beginning writer, who is unsure if he should start with writing physical books, or with writing scripts for movie directors/producers. Obviously this question will inspire a lot of debate, which I know is not something... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
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A: For a new writer, is it better to enter contests or submit to magazines/journals? It depends on two things. 1. What your skill level is. 2. What you feel comfortable doing. I began writing with fan fiction and fan fiction contests. ( Note: these contests were loose and open. They were not professional, and were simply somewhere to practice and receive criticism.) That's how I... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
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Fantasy and Science Fiction - should I choose a separate publisher? I recall reading somewhere (I believe it was Orson Scott Card's How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy) that you should either stick with one genre or the other. The reason he gave is that if you're popular in one genre, readers of the other genre won't know who you are. My answer to this would be... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
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Creating the goal of a scene when the main character is passive? In my current writing, I've been having some trouble with the plot, specifically with going from an outline detailing what I need, to an outline detailing how I get there. I think the problem (or at least part of it) might be that I don't have a clear chapter-by-chapter summary for the book. My probl... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
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Constructed Language - how to spell words that will be mispronounced in English I wasn't sure how to phrase the title, so it may be a bit confusing. Feel free to edit it if you can phrase it better. This question may be better suited for Worldbuilding SE. However, it is about how to specifically write a constructed language in English, so I put it here. Question: I have constr... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
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Can the main conflict be the inner conflict? I've recently been having trouble with developing plots. The plots I created seemed heavily sequential. No matter how many twists or complications I put in, they always seemed dry, proceeding from one problem to the next. I believe I have discovered a way to fix this: by making sure, from the beginn... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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What makes a bestseller - Writing or Setting? Note: I define 'setting' as where and when a novel takes place, as well as what the genre entails. It is the background to the picture of the story. I realize there are a lot of factors that contribute to making bestsellers become bestsellers, and that the list is by no means limited to writing and ... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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A climax where the goal is instantly achieved - Is it satisfying? I wasn't entirely sure how to phrase the title, so if a better way to put it occurs to anyone, please feel free to edit it. Here's the situation: the goal of a novel is to get the main character - called for simplicity Steve - to make a stand for what's right. Right before the climax, someone tells ... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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My story passes in choppy blocks - how can I fix it? Similar to this question, I am slowly coming to realize that my writing is getting choppy. Unlike that question however, my problem does not lie within sentences, or even paragraphs. It lies within whole scenes. Recently, I've found that my stories are starting to sound more like a narration of even... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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How Does the Publishing Process Work? This question may seem rather broad based on the title, so allow me to elaborate. I am a self-taught author. I learned how to write, what works and what doesn't, all that good stuff. What I did not learn is anything at all about what happens once I've written my book. Publishers, agents, editors, di... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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Can Bridging Conflict Work When the Answer is Known? The title is a little vague, so allow me to explain my question in depth here. If someone can think of a better way to phrase the title, feel free to edit it. First off, my definition of Bridging Conflict: > Bridging Conflict is a minor conflict - usually a question the reader asks himself - that t... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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How can I determine a genre's target audience? I am making this question with the assumption in mind that specific genres attract certain types of people. How can I determine the target audience based off of genre alone? I'm looking for the reasoning behind determining target audiences, though a list of who reads what would obviously work as wel... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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Non-human protagonist - Good, bad, or up to the writing? In a novel I plan on writing soon, the main protagonist (and indeed nearly everyone else in the story as well) is an elf. Humans are present, but they are far in the mountains, living in disorganized tribes, and barely ever mentioned. Will my reader have trouble identifying with an elf at first, as ... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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Three Act Structure - How do I include it? I've been writing for four years without knowledge of the three act structure. When I discovered it about a year ago, I therefore had no room for it in my writing process, mainly because I had different methods woven in to take care of development. I wasn't too concerned about this, as I could tell m... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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Where can I get/generate a custom font? One reading Harry Potter (and I'm sure they are in other books as well) will notice that J. K. Rowling utilizes several custom fonts, most commonly in letters and handwriting. There is the Hagrid font. There is the Harry Potter font. There's even a font in the fourth book made to look like it is piec... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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Constructed Language - spelled like it sounds? Note : This may be more suited to Worldbuilding SE. I believe it belongs here, because it is about how to write a conlang, but if not, please feel free to move it. I am constructing Elvish. In my Elvish, there is no letter 'K'. Instead, the elves use 'C' to form the `K` sound. Additionally, the let... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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A: How to start writing a book? The best way to begin a book will differ from person to person. Some people, once they have a vague idea of what happens, jump right in and start writing. Some have to spend months developing character, stakes, and plot. Some (like me) are somewhere in between. Because of this, the only way to answe... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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A: Should I write "what do the data show" or "what does the data show"? > What does the data show? I believe `data` is a collective noun (though I am not 100% sure on that). Collective nouns are plural only when the context is speaking of their individual parts, or members. Otherwise they are singular. Therefore, you would use `does`, which is the singular form of the v... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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A: World Building vs Story Writing LotR does in fact have such a book (I believe it is the Silmarillion). However, that book could only be published because the Hobbit/LotR books came first. In short, there would be no interest in it without LotR in the first place. This is why an encyclopedia or history book of a fictional land will ... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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A: Should I use ideas for my story now, or in a sequel? > I realize that I am probably getting way ahead of myself in planning book 3 when I haven't even finished book 1 Not necessarily. I would actually recommend that you know exactly how things will turn out before you begin. As to your question: > Should I use up good ideas within a book that I'm alr... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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A: What are the reasons behind Writer's block? As can be gathered from the other answers, there are many causes of writer's block. It will be impossible to deal with them all at once, meaning you will, at some point, experience it. Don't worry. We all have. I've seen (and agree with) several answers mentioning fatigue and stress. Hildred also me... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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A: Is it OK to omit the following "grammatical rules" in fiction? These are both prepositional phrases. Number 1 should be included. Number 2 does not have to be. Below I explain why. A prepositional phrase must consist of a preposition (behind, on, in, under, around, etc.) and an object (i.e. what the object of the sentence is behind, on, in, etc.) Sentence numb... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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Where does the power granted by a theme come from? A novel that has a theme - that is, something to say, a message - has a weight to it that a novel without a theme cannot achieve. I'm sure there are those that might disagree with this, but I believe it is generally accepted as true. With the above in mind therefore, where does this weight, or power... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |
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A: Is the word block in 'block D' capitalized? Block D You capitalize proper names. The reason 'Block' is capitalized is because you are referring to a specific block. 'The block' would not be capitalized, because - while you are referring to a particular block - you are not naming it. Similarly, if you were to say 'the D blocks,' that too woul... (more) |
— | over 9 years ago |