Activity for Amadeus
| Type | On... | Excerpt | Status | Date |
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A: Is it bad to project myself into my story? +1 Matthew. Bottom line is a Mary-Sue is too lucky and too perfect, and that is not what you are writing. The problem with Mary-Sue is a lack of conflict and thus boredom with the character. Readers turn pages to find out what happens in the next few pages: Not just in the end, but there must be con... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: How best to avoid the appearance of stereotype? Galastel covers much. The other way, if you are reluctant to create a cast of characters, is to give your character some prominent sympathetic and non-stereotypical trait; so the reader doesn't perceive them as a stereotype. IRL (Here in the USA) I have a family member that claims to be a staunch Re... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: The use of footnotes to translate foreign words in a novel It All Depends on the POV. I would use ZERO footnotes in a fictional novel. I think it may have been done, but I think it breaks the reader's reverie and immersion in the story. It is bad form. The same goes for translating in italics, it isn't clear that is a translation, especially if it doesn't h... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Realistically incorporating trans/nonbinary characters I write LGB main characters, at least. (Nothing against TQ, just haven't had a story that needs that). My approach is to "show" not "tell". The female MC flirts with females. Or she picks up a girl at a gay bar at some early point in the story, and then a guy at a regular bar at a later point. Or sh... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: 1000 words a day for a part-time writer Just do the math. Although it varies by genre, from about 80,000 to 120,000 (epic fantasy with lots of world-building), 1000 a day means 80 to 120 days. So about three or four months for a first draft. About the time I take myself. Personally, I set aside 90 minutes every morning (my best time to wr... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Referencing another company's product in my product manual I am not a lawyer, and you should consult a lawyer before you start naming your competitor's brands and products in any publication. It probably isn't worth it; especially if they are bigger than you and it doesn't cost them much (relative to their income) to be trigger-happy with the lawsuits. I'd ... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Quote at the beginning of a chapter, is it advisable for fiction novels? This is a matter of opinion, it is done, but not by most. In my opinion, I recommend against it. First for all the reasons @SteveJessop has outlined; but just as important, I don't do it because to me it seems pretentious, as if comparing your writing to theirs, and it seems like trying to borrow th... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Dystopia that isn't cliche I would say the fact that you choose a fascist dictatorship makes it cliché, it is too close to the Holocaust and reminiscent of Hitler exterminating the Jews, Gypsies, Homosexuals, etc. No matter what you do, the "fascist dictator" will be equated with Hitler, your "mutants" will be equated with Jew... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: What is a good way to handle lengthy monologues/lectures in a novel? I don't think there IS a good way to handle a lengthy monologue. Agents and publishers will reject them out of hand, or demand they be changed. Readers are looking to be entertained, not read a lecture. The Answer is to Imagine More, and Write More. Basically, beginning writers are often lazy. They... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Adding breaks in a novel—spaces, asterisks, or a chapter break? I was taught (long ago) to use three centered "---" on a line by itself in order to represent, within a chapter, a scene change or the passage of time. e.g. if somebody falls asleep; then "---", then "She woke to the alarm at 7:00 AM." Similarly, if your whole scene is changing but you don't want to... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Should we add a character in a story for realistic effect? I think in real life the vast majority of people that are depressed, or even suicidal, will not go to a doctor at all. I don't know what the situation in Britain may be, but here in the USA that would be expensive, time consuming, and it carries a stigma in both employment and society to have been t... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: The problem of the throwaway boyfriend You can stop making it so obvious they are going to break up; and don't even make it obvious to the MC they already have broken up. The boyfriend can break, and move on to somebody else without telling the MC. So the arc is: BF: I miss you so much! MC: Be strong, this is what we talked about. Se... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: How do existing covers compare to possible new ones? The current wisdom in marketing books is that the art should give the "flavor" of the book. Check out these Harry Potter Book Covers on google images. Or here is the 15th Anniversary edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone:  |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Conflict and antagonist in a certain subtype of erotic novels > (1) from the first desire to consummation or > > (2) from loveless sex to romantic love or > > (3) from a lack of sexual experience to sexual empowerment > > – what can cause conflict? I think what you need is an alternative to a plotted novel; these are "character-driven" novels, in which a ch... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Does every story really represent a life-story, as McKee advises? I haven't read his book, but I suspect he is wrong. A character should have some story arc, which will have some shape. I suppose every story arc, even one that lasts only a few hours, could somehow be crow-barred into a metaphor for a life's journey, but I don't see that as useful. The existing 3 ... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Short sentences vs. long sentences in fiction +1 to DPT for the rhythm notes. > Do long sentences have a defined emotional impact in fiction writing? Often it is just the opposite of building tension, it is the relief of tension. Long sentences require more mental effort to parse and understand, this fact suggests we (readers) can relax and in... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: I'm afraid that my setups will be overlooked I think the route taken in "Unbreakable" (a Bruce Willis movie) is a good example of how to do this. Mainly, there are compelling clues that can be interpreted as either an effect, or extremely good luck, and even the character is leaning toward luck. In Unbreakable Bruce is the sole survivor of a h... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Should I be myself and write what I really want even though it isn't getting much traction? > Should I be myself and write what I really want, even though it isn't getting much traction? > > # Change what you really want! If writing only for yourself pleases you or is cathartic or mentally soothing, then write for yourself. However, if you wish to be an author that sells books, you need ... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: The problem with beginning Generally, do not start with a pronoun. Start with a MC name. Other than that, sure, open with "Jack ran, [Why Jack is running, something about the scene]." On the first page readers are forgiving, they are aware they know how stories work and that not all information can be dumped at once. They e... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: How best to have a conversation a character does not overhear? It depends on your real problem. Does it hurt for the guard to just know him? If it doesn't hurt for the guard to know the psychiatrist, then in third person omniscient, you can have the guard refer to the psychiatrist and his father by their first names, and the other guard knows this is his habit.... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: What chapter timestamp to use in fantasy time travel novel? I agree with Chris Sunami; ditch the prologue. If Andy is in the past and prevents some disaster, and the world is reset with him in it, I imagine he still retains all his memories of the prior world, and lives through the new world. But I think Andy is severely disconnected, watching this world unf... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: If one's first book is one genre, will publishers be less likely to accept books of a different genre by the same author? This is why you get an agent; she knows lots of publishers and knows how to pitch different genres to the same publisher. If she represented you for your first book and sold it, then she will almost certainly read your next book (and give you an honest assessment), and if it is good leave it to her ... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: What keeps most authors writing after receiving multiple rejections? I suggest you find, buy and read the book "Get a Literary Agent" by Chuck Sambuchino; (on Amazon or Barnes & Noble) it is a good start and also a good antidote to much online advice. If your queries are not getting answered, there is something wrong with your query. Not necessarily something wrong wi... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: How to avoid turning dialogue into Q&A session? Your characters are too nice. You can also argue, disagree (politely, rudely, friendly-rudely). You can misunderstand. You can interrupt. You can complain and ask them to get to the point. You can have the speaker fail to remember something, say something false and then correct themselves, forget th... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Should I change my method of indicating internal monologue (parenthesis) to something more conventional? You do this in italics, without quote marks, usually as a new paragraph (like dialogue). It reminds me of when I visited Shirakami-Sanchi, that forest up North. If we see the thoughts of more than one person, attribute it like dialogue, but not in italics. It reminds me of when I visited Shirakami... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Is there a balance between a page-turning read and an exhausting 'too much' reading experience? Yes, the goal is to make them want to read the whole novel at a sitting. You may be tiring because you are reading analytically to find words to smith, and because you already know the story and how each scene turns out. What makes a story a page-turner is the reader wants to know what happens next... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: What are the chances that agents or publishers will accept my manuscript if there are some grammatical errors in it? Very likely a rejection. I have a book written by an agent that interviews dozens of other agents, the bottom line is that agents are looking for a reason to say NO, because they have 50 queries for every query they could afford to take. I suggest you use a spellchecker, #1, and do not ignore ANY fl... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Is there a test for cliches in plot? Will reading it make people say, "Oh, a Star Wars rip-off", or "Harry Potter rip-off"? I don't think there is a test you can learn and apply, and plots are recycled all the time. There is a whole industry of teaching people to write to what is basically the same plot, again and again and again. The... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: How do I know if I should be a writer? One advantage of actually writing is you can edit, revise, add and delete to the story. You don't have to have a whole story in your head, or a plot, to start writing a story and finish it. Read this answer of mine, to a different question The Psychology of Starting a Piece of Writing. I am a discov... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Can I give a lecture about my book without disclosing my real name? At least in the USA, you can also file a DBA (Doing Business As) for your pen name, which gives you the right to sign contracts and do other stuff without revealing your real name. IANAL, but businesses use these all the time. It does become a matter of public record, but then somebody would have to ... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: How far apart can the dots be? If the majority of readers don't get it, the dots are too far apart. Writing is like humor, in this respect. If the majority of your audience doesn't laugh at your jokes, then you aren't funny. Fiction is like humor in another respect: It is entertainment, and for entertainment to be "good" it cann... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Using real words from a foreign culture feels like 'Calling a rabbit a "smeerp"' > asvarans, vaspahrs, sardars and ostandars. I struggled with this for a different reason, I didn't want to invoke medieval Europe titles either, because little else in my story was like that, I didn't want to set up reader expectations of knightly chivalry that would not hold in the story. My Solu... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Would readers feel cheated if the villain is successful in convincing the protagonist to change sides? It's an unhappy ending if good does not triumph over evil. Books and movies with unhappy endings are generally frowned upon, they tend to do poorly commercially. The successes amongst unhappy endings tend to be highly emotional, understandable cautionary tales; which means in a twisted way good stil... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: If two characters are blood relations will it seem coincidental? I think it is too convenient, and an implausible motivation. At least in my culture (USA) great uncles don't get any particular respect, heck I didn't have any particular respect for all of my own aunts and uncles; they were a few pretty shady characters. A thief, a prostitute, a serial womanizer che... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Using big words without sounding like a thesaurus junkie > Are there any strategies that can augment this for making writing that sounds more authentic and less "thesaurus-y?" In Non-Fiction: I don't believe there is a strategy, because "authentic" speech is just not filled with words that people must run to the dictionary (or pop up a dictionary on their... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Naming my characters Whether a name pops into my head, or I am stuck for one, I use a book, "The Writer's Digest Character Naming Sourcebook". It gives a lot of names, their country of origin, and something brief about what the names meant (originally). Or if nobody knows what they mean, the legend they came from or some... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: What are good techniques to describe eyes? Without us seeing any particular shade of eyes, it will be pretty hard to help you! "Brown" is pretty generic. Find something (perhaps personal to you) that the shade reminds you of; the more poetic the better. Another typical way out of this is to avoid any clinicality in describing a shade or shap... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Painting ritualistic murder in a "good-guy" light? > How can I make this leap? The MC needs proof he cannot deny. Perhaps, by his own hand, he doesn't just shun them, he takes action to prevent this ritualistic murder from happening. What are the consequences of that? There better be some consequences, or these ritual murders are not accomplishing ... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: How should sentient computer viruses act like? Basically anything that is a virus is infecting a host in order to reproduce and survive, and by its nature doesn't really care what harm it is causing the host. Just like we don't care (not enough to stop) if we are destroying plants to eat them, or even destroying animals to eat them, it is part of... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: How to balance male protagonist sensitivity to women One alternative is to let him indulge in sex without love or romance. Especially in modern times, there are at least some women that want the same; there are apps for that. for example the vast majority of adults that marry do not marry virgins, and do not marry their first sexual partner. That has ... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: How to write a good MacGuffin? I thought the point of the MacGuffin is to force the characters into a journey, so they can be transformed by the journey , whether they get the MacGuffin or not. A clear example of this is Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, she is told in the first Act she must seek the WoZ to get home. But in the end, i... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: How to add depth to primary female character that contrasts well with primary male characters Get out of your own stereotypes, and stick with actual science. When any male tells me he can't write females, I think they need to break through the false stereotypes of male and female roles. There are only a handful of actual gender-related differences between males and females, and even those c... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: What is the character called that is only there so we can have information from the main characters? Although a sidekick is good, some such characters are called a "foil)", meaning one character that is in some sense the opposite of another, and thus highlights a trait of the MC. In your example, the "opposite" trait may be knowledge of what is going on, or ignorance vs. insight. The villain explai... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Narrative arc in erotica? I'll take a different tack on this. Read My Answer here that goes into the Three Act Structure in some detail. Basically, you increase erotic tension the same way you increase any story tension: What you need is a good story that demands intercourse in order for the protagonist to get what they want... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: How to describe a horse from the POV of someone who has never seen one? Horses are very much like ramped up dogs; the long face, the legs. They have hooves instead of paws. You have to add on manes and hairy tails. But if somebody has seen large dogs, like a Labrador Retriever or Greyhound, the horse is very similar. I'd look through breeds of dogs and see which one loo... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: How to write a fantasy novel? Well, I answered much of this question with this answer, which is a more general question about beginning writing. So read that, it will get you through the first chapter. Now to be more specific to the question of writing fantasy, since you are having ideas about the story, I would write them down ... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Creating an incompetent antagonist I don't think "mind boggling" stupidity will be plausible, otherwise, why weren't they overthrown decades ago? Just because nobody thought of it? That's not a good enough reason for an oppressive regime that rules a large number of people; there is always some percentage of any country that hates the... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
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A: Should I write my book in first person's POV or third person's POV? I personally only write in 3rd person limited (3PL), and recommend it. In 3PL the narrator can describe settings and feelings, thoughts and memories of the MC at considerable length, without seeming phony. To me, doing this in 1st Person seems unnatural; no real person goes on about such description... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
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A: Why using the "It Was All Just a Dream" Trope? "It Was All Just a Dream" [IWAJAD] is useful for "character" stories; Dorothy undergoes a large transformation in the Wizard of Oz, from being a little girl to being at first an unintentional hero (she is denying she is a hero) to finally being a true, brave and intentional hero by the end of the tal... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
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A: How to create a memorable line? > What makes such lines so memorable? How can I create my own? An original twist with resonance, often combined with poetry, concision. The "twist" is a surprise, but resonates with the sentiment. "Tears in the rain" has a twist: We see tears, but "in the rain" they vanish away; meaning a person is... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |