Posts by Amadeus
Do writing groups become tunnel-visioned ... and come with their own set of biases? I believe they do, just as part of human nature. There are many studies on this regarding the outcome of foc...
I think it is "natural" for us to at times suppress some of our traits and rely on others. Yes, a woman can be intuitive and feeling and empathetic and sympathetic, she can desire fair outcomes. Bu...
If I were writing, they would have to be suspicious, no matter how this affected the story. The only good reason to NOT be suspicious is some form of love, romantic, sibling, parental, etc. For exa...
To me, the biggest components of maturity are a significant level of understanding, based on one's own experiences or what has been observed; control over impulsivity and rash or risky actions. ...
I recommend the Power Thesaurus, which is pretty comprehensive and crowd-voted (like this site). An example here is for vagina. I would say pick median word, or a word that is clear without being ...
Names of characters are typically protected by copyright. (I say typically because some very generic names used in many works, like "John Doe", are not attributable to any single original work). ...
Here is an idea. First, I warn you I am a 'discovery' writer, and it sounds to me like you should be too, but your write yourself into corners. A discovery writer (like Stephen King) begins with ...
You put a comma (even if a period is intended) when you are going to follow the quote mark with a tag or any other writing. You put a period if the end of the quote is also the end of the sentence.
Leave it in. I am a former professor. In academics "different fields" is ambiguous, and has been used to indicate entire other fields of study: Like perhaps electrical engineering and circuit desi...
+1 Henry's answer. For an alternative approach, rely on the elements of structure; the three act structure specifically, and pace your writing accordingly. Use 30% for the first act. 1500 words. ...
In my current story, a kind of spy girl has name A, but at various times goes by B, C, D, and E. I always refer to her as A in prose, and other characters call her by whatever alias she is using at...
Your editor sounds like an idiot and non-professional. If all characters wear hoodies as part of their costume, are they all always sneaking? What is the difference between a hoodie and a Halloween...
What you describe is not exactly a hive mind; a hive mind distributes the responsibility of "thinking" to multiple potential thinkers. for example, here on StackExchange you have more of a hive min...
Another way to get a long story out is to use an argumentative listener. The biggest problem with a long story is that, IRL, nobody sits and listens to a long story from somebody they consider an ...
To the specific issue about something technical being boring: It was probably boring because you were bored. Unless you really wanted to inform the reader about the important differences between "l...
+1 Mark's answer, subplots often provide counterpoint. They can also provide examples of the alternative outcomes for the hero. In the case of Thor and Jane (or Superman and Lois) The subplot adds...
It is difficult to tell from your question and examples, but generally different action lines are similar to paragraphs in prose: There is no hard and fast rule for when they break off; it is basic...
This is somewhat a matter of opinion and personal preferences. So for me, I would not write short stories. If you want practice, write scenes. Then leave them alone for about a week (do not look at...
Given the reason you gave up, I'd say continue with the same story. I would regard depression as an illness or at least similar to a car accident. I have never been disabled by such a thing, but if...
You may have story problems, too. As Mark says (I have to say that a lot) she needs to want something, bad. You say she is "quite determined" but mousy: She can be usually mousy, but when it comes ...
This is a case of "show don't tell", or for those that frown upon that phrase, I mean write about the effects of the fear. Fear reactions tend to be summarized in "flight or fight", which is a nic...
I agree with Mark. I also don't care for your example. I don't have the full context, but it seems to me "wicked" is too strong a modifier for "mocking", which I tend to think of as harmless ribbin...
A non-cheesy happy ending is generally a mixed bag; the hero may not get everything they wanted, but they did get what was most important to them. For example, they didn't get the treasure, but th...
Your character can experience (and may not experience often enough) the results of the opposition leader's actions; or hear second-hand tales of the atrocities committed by their direct orders. Thi...
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 Har...
