Activity for Galastel‭

Type	On...	Excerpt	Status	Date
Answer	—	A: 1000 words a day for a part-time writer There are many factors that would affect whether 1000 words a day is realistic for you or not. E.g.: - Do you do overtime? - How long is your commute to/from work? - Can you use the commute time for writing? - What else do you have to do other than working? Do you have a spouse? Children? Must you... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is my book legal? Is my story too similiar to Harry Potter There are two elements to your question. The first is the similarity to an existing work. That question is answered here: Is my story too similar to an existing published work? The second is the shared universe. Now that is a problem. Some authors have explicitly allowed their universe to be used by... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Quote at the beginning of a chapter, is it advisable for fiction novels? A quote (called an epigraph) is added to the start of a book or a chapter when it adds an insight to the story. What kind of insight is up to you: it might be an additional understanding of events on a meta level, it can be foreshadowing, it can be extra information, etc. It is never a random quote f... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Should we add a character in a story for realistic effect? You have a realistic effect that follows from the situation that you've put your character in, but that effect isn't interesting, nor does it affect the story in any significant way. The solution is have it happen off screen. You have the MC eat, realistically they'd have to use the toilet. But you ... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Not projecting myself onto my characters Surely there's more to you than "mental illness guy"? Consider what other parts of yourself you could project onto a character. A hobby of yours can be your character's main occupation. A childhood dream you gave up on could be your character's reality. An abstract fear of yours can be something your... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: A critic made a comment that my female character sounds like she was written by a man There is a certain social image of what being a woman "means" - there are expectations both of how a woman would act, and how a woman would be treated. A particular female character is bound to engage with that image, whether she accepts it, rejects it, does something else with it. You, as a writer, ... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Question	—	The problem of the throwaway boyfriend In the first 10% of my novel, my MC has a boyfriend. MC is accepted into the Space Corps (or he's summoned to fight Troy - the particulars don't really matter), boyfriend is sure he'll wait the required X years. MC starts training, and already the forced separation, the change in their respective li... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: What keeps most authors writing after receiving multiple rejections? What keeps writers writing is the utter impossibility of not writing. Tolkien had no hope of ever publishing The Silmarillion, yet he kept writing and rewriting and editing and re-editing it throughout his life. Keats was receiving negative reviews, yet he didn't quit writing and turn to medicine, th... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: How can you humanize infanticide of the evil-tainted? I think, to humanise infanticide, you can present the whole thing as the terrible tragedy it is: the parents would have done anything to prevent this situation, they would accept any sacrifices to avoid this now, but there's simply no choice. They are shattered by what they must do. They are deeply t... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Repetitive sentences If I understand the problem correctly, I think what you want to be doing is vary the subject of your sentences. Look at this example: > John walked out of the office. He observed the sky turning grey, and then felt cold rain landing on him. He opened his umbrella. Now this: > John walked out of h... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: How do you make characters relatable if they exist in a completely different moral context? There is no problem at all with writing morally ambiguous characters, and it's surprisingly easy for readers to sympathise with them. Let us look at some examples: First, a modern example: A Song of Ice and Fire by G.R.R. Martin. There was a character in the first book of the series, who had all tho... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Question	—	Using real words from a foreign culture feels like 'Calling a rabbit a "smeerp"' I'm working on a novel, that's set in pre-Islamic Persia, in the same general way that The Lord of the Rings is set in Britain. (Meaning, it's set in a world all its own, but there's this source of inspiration.) Here's my conundrum: the land is ruled by the Shah - that's a given, that's expected if ... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Running four parallel stories Theoretically, yes, you can have four parallel stories. The relevant trope is called Four Lines, All Waiting. The most famous example of such storytelling that comes to mind is G.R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire. However, the downside of this approach is, as implied by the name, that at any given t... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Naming my characters It's a good idea to decide early on on a naming scheme. That is, do you want names that sound like they belong to a particular time and place? Particular times and places (plural) for various groups within your story? Do you want names that are almost real, but not quite? (For example Eddart, from G.... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is this attribution clear and sufficient? The old-fashioned language alone is enough to provide a hint that the characters are quoting something, and since you mention Paradise Lost, it's clear what they're quoting. Strictly speaking, you can provide much less by way of attribution. For example: > If you want to imagine the future, imagine... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: On Characters' Motivations What you're describing is a trope known as Broken Pedestal (tv tropes link). It describes the painful disillusionment with someone the MC considered a role-model, or otherwise a person to be respected and admired, until discovering that character's "true colours". Such disillusionment can be a power... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to structure a book with small unrelated sections like a book of short stories or historical events? What is the unifying factor of your book? Is it an anthology of disconnected short stories? Is it an exploration of some theme? If you are exploring a theme, Structure the parts to make a cohesive argument, of sorts. For example, if you are exploring the theme of love throughout history, it would m... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Will it push away a reader if I start my book with the frame story? You must decide first and foremost how you want your readers to initially treat your MC's belief that he is influenced by an "entity". If you tell the readers right from the start that the entity in question exists, they are going to view everything differently from if you allow them to assume at fir... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to balance male protagonist sensitivity to women Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series addresses this issue in an interesting way. The main character, male, single, and in his late twenties in the start of the series, very much notices the looks of the women around him. That is, the stories are narrated in first person, and whenever a new female chara... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: How do I make my characters sound British? 'British' is a rather broad definition. What place in Britain? What time period? What class? Cockney sounds very different from Received Pronunciation, someone from Yorkshire would sound very different from someone from Newcastle. And don't forget that Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are also pa... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to write a good MacGuffin? The MacGuffin is bound with the plot - it can't be any random thing not related in any way to the plot around it. Consider some examples: - The Hobbit: Thorin wants to find the Arkenstone, a particularly beautiful and precious jewel. He is not looking for a briefcase full of money - that wouldn't fi... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Writing as a hobby, where do you learn the basics and go further? There is no special secret technique to writing. No methodologies that you must follow. No "right way". The best ways to learn about writing are reading and writing. When you read, you are exposed both to ideas, and to how those ideas are expressed. Take note of how things are done, try to understan... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Should the name of a mythological creature be capitalized? Mythological creatures, or creatures you've invented, don't need to be capitalised, just like real-life animals. There's no grammatical difference between "a dog", "an orc", "a dragon" and "a manananggal". To cite a famous example, > In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. (J.R.R Tolkien, The... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Glossary in my book If you've ever studied a foreign language, you'd know how annoying it is to go check words in a dictionary; it breaks the flow of your reading, breaks the immersion, and sends you off to perform a "chore". A glossary is no different from a real dictionary in this regard - if your readers have to go s... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: What is a fiction story called, which is larger than a short story, but smaller than a novel? T here are multiple examples of novels that are little over 40,000 words. Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 is 46,118 words. Douglas Adams's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - 46,333 words. Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front is 60,000 words. All are, rather obviously, novels. (Sour... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is it ok to temporarily break immersion in a tutorial for a game? Unless your game is for young children who might find reading harder, you want game instructions to appear in text rather than voice-over. The reason for this is that players often change key-bindings, and you'd want to dynamically change the instructions to match. Another consideration in favour o... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Explaining made up card game The question largely depends on whether the game and its particular rules are important to the story or not. Take, for example, Quidditch, from the Harry Potter series. The game constitutes a major story element in the first six books, and the key to a plot coupon in the seventh. So much story-time ... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: How should a big universe be introduced without being boring? You want to spend as little time as possible on "setup". Even one page of nothing but setup is too much. The reason for that is that the reader is not yet invested in your story. You'd be forcing a reader to read something akin to a fantasy-encyclopedia about something he has no reason to care for. ... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to stylize notes/book-passages being read inside my story? What should be guiding you with formatting in creative writing is first and foremost clarity. If your intent is clear, easily understandable, doesn't require the reader to stop and wonder what's going on, that's good enough. Often more than one option of formatting exists. It is, however, very import... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Question	—	Citing and typos I am holding a book (novel) which I wish to cite, and I believe it has a typo. I do not know whether the typo was a spelling mistake in the original manuscript, or introduced during print. Other editions of the book exist, but I do not know if the typo was corrected based on the original manuscript, ... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: How much should you "guide" your audience with questions? Sometimes when a strange thing happens in a story, for example a knife being found in a weird place, it can seem like a mistake by the writer. By highlighting the strangeness (whether by having the MC notice it, or by other tools) you are letting the reader know that this is not a mistake - this stra... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to create a likable and sympathetic character, even if they are a pervert? Two tropes you might want to look into are Chivalrous Pervert and Lovable Sex Maniac. The Chivalrous Pervert would be thinking about sex a lot. He would be unable to avert his gaze when that would have been the polite thing to do. He'd be constantly making passes at women. There'd be no doubt in any... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to combat "uneven writing density"? "Uneven writing density" is something that happens to me too, in my first draft. Then I go and add material where I've got only a skeleton, trim the excessive fat. One thing I found is, sometimes the "excess" from one part can be grafted onto a "skeletal" part. For example, I might have a small scen... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: How do you make a scene "tasteful"? Nudity can be implied: a dress hitting the floor or a woman shown topless from the back. (Those are TV Tropes links, you've been warned.) If a character walks in on another undressed character (or two), camera might focus on his embarrassment, rather than on whoever is naked. Or the camera might pan ... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: How can a main character in a visual novel attract people of different personalities besides having a single trait each of them is attracted to? Surely you can imagine your protagonist possessing more than one character trait? He can be intelligent and kind and charmingly clumsy? Why then can't one girl be attracted to his wit, another - to his kindness, and a third - be charmed by his clumsiness? That's not so outlandish, is it? I like to th... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Choosing between two people in a romance? Let's broaden the question. You have two paths down which the plot can proceed. You find both equally appealing. How do you choose? Consider, then, this: - Which option offers more character growth, for the MC, and also possibly for other characters? - Which option offers more conflict? Conflict is ... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to make a cool unmanly character You know what famous character is not a leader, lacks endurance and strength, is not particularly brave, and has a beardless round face? Bilbo. Or Frodo, for that matter. Or Sam: > 'I am sorry,' said Frodo. 'But I am frightened; and I do not feel any pity for Gollum.' (The Lord of the Rings, Book I,... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: My kid's first story What is "the right way"? Why do you consider it better than some other way to write a story? What do you consider "mistakes"? You can ask your son about why he has made certain stylistic choices or plot choices, but at the end of the day, those are his choices to make. You can criticise aspects of t... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: How do you construct a thesis statement? Your thesis statement should express the main idea of your paper. So if you're discussing problems and solutions, the thesis statement should include both the problems and the solutions. The thesis statement should be specific. You've got that part down in your example: not "overpopulation may cause... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: What is the guide for writing essay for a people who cannot even write a paragraph? First, if English is not your mother tongue, you might find it easier to write the essay first in your mother tongue, and then translate it. That is the stage when you can take care of grammar etc. Maybe consider getting a friend to help you. Get your thoughts in order first, and deal with the langua... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: How can I avoid a predictable plot? One way of going "off the rails" not yet mentioned here is to actually embrace the predictable plot, and then go past it. With your setup, of course the hero is going to defeat the monster. Let that happen by the end of act 1. What happens next? How does the village respond to not having a monster ca... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: How much realism do I put into a war simulation story for Young Adults? At 16, the books our school recommended included 1984 and All Quiet on the Western Front. Crime and Punishment was part of the matriculation exam at 17. Also at 17, we were visiting Auschwitz. You don't get more horror than that. Which is to say, you can put any amount of horror in a novel for 16+ a... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: What are some conventions for creating a sense of urgency? Situations that create a sense of urgency can be condensed to a running timer : there's the total amount of time, there's the time still left, and there's what is expected to happen when time runs out. When writing a scene, you have to justify those elements. You can also play with them. Let me exp... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: In a first-person web novel, how to make the reader aware of a motivator the POV is unaware of? Since you're telling the story in first person, and the MC does something without understanding why, you could lampshade it. That is, after the fact, your MC could be commenting > I don't know why I did it Or something similar. What you're doing here, is you're acknowledging to the reader that the... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Portraying the Brutality of War > Should I touch on the aftermath of the battle, and the mass murder, rape, and enslavement of the army's 12,000 camp followers? Yes, you should. If this is something that happened in your world, you cannot just ignore it or gloss over it. This event is too big to be swept under the carpet. Consider... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to avoid basing an autistic character too much upon myself? Here's another perspective for you: I am working on a novel with many characters. In quite a few of them, there is a bit of me: I give them my values, and then make them argue which core value takes precedence, much as I debate with myself. I give one character the mistakes I made with my first boyf... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: Do readers need to identify with fictional characters? Since everyone is saying "no", let me say "yes". To some extent. Even as a young teenager, I never had trouble to put myself in the shoes of d'Artagnan, or Jean Valjean, or El Cid, or Lancelot, or Frodo. There is no reason whatsoever why any one particular story shouldn't be about only men, or exclu... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Question	—	Coining words - when and how? Writing an answer to another question, I stumbled upon a quote from The Hobbit: > Bilbo rushed along the passage, very angry, and altogether bewildered and bewuthered - this was the most awkward Wednesday he ever remembered. (J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, chapter 1 - An Unexpected Party) 'Bewuthered'... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Answer	—	A: What kind of writing style works for a game? Your description makes me think of Bioware games: the Mass Effect and Dragon Age franchises. Both explore multiple themes throughout each game, involve multiple cultures - the things you mention. Dragon Age in particular offers the player the opportunity to pick the culture they belong to. This diffe... (more)	—	over 5 years ago
Question	—	Noble styles and forms of address Style) is a manner of address, an honorific that comes with a noble title. For example, HM Elizabeth II is addressed "Your Majesty". In a fantasy setting that does not pretend to be Europe, I have chosen noble titles that are not "King", "Duke", "Earl", etc., but "Shah", "Vaspahr", "Sardar", etc. N... (more)	—	over 5 years ago

• ← Previous
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• 11
• 12
• 13
• Next →