Posts by Amadeus
I think this is a matter of personal writing style. My first drafts are typically shorter than my final drafts; even though I cut entire pages out of my first drafts, and in one case ten consecuti...
If you actually want to make money, I'd suggest trying the traditional route of getting an agent to sell the book to a publisher. It is something to learn how to do, but it doesn't cost you ANY mon...
That is a bad idea, and yes, it is possible you can be sued for damages. Other fictional characters are somebody else's work, as a general rule you cannot steal them. Those authors have the right ...
I should think most fighters are not defending "humanity" in general, they are fighting on behalf of the people they know and the way of life they think can be salvaged. Your emotions and values a...
I think FOUR is too many interactions, you dilute the focus by having so many characters competing for the same guy, especially if the romance is a subplot. They are too hard for the reader to keep...
+1 Galastel. This prologue has no purpose, readers don't care who wrote a book, and you say this makes no difference in the book itself. If it were a 1st person book, this is not needed; the MC wro...
In some sense you are talking about an anti-hero; a hero that has qualities or attitudes the audience may think are bad, but put up with because the guy is intent on accomplishing something else th...
Speaking as a research scientist, I cannot really explain to you "how things work in my field." What things? There are myriad things, like in any other profession. How to propose experiments, how...
Here is a different perspective: Miranda is a literary agent. She reads your query letter, and she thinks you are describing a book with an interesting premise, and she could probably sell it. Age...
Misery Loves Company. I think you'd have to make him, at least apparently, very observant and intelligent. One way to make him hated and cheerful at the same time is to have him tell jokes about ...
What makes a page turner is that the reader is always wondering what will happen in the next few pages. But, as @Alexander says, it doesn't have to be action, per se. It only means you have a cons...
I think the line is subjective, and relates to whether the typical reader will feel like the narrator (that is not the author) cheated or tried to trick them. Of course the author tried to trick t...
Permission is given by the entity that owns the original copyright, which may be the author, the publisher, or some third party that bought the rights to it. That could even be the person adapting ...
Thrillers are about nearly constant conflict and keeping the reader constantly wondering how something will turn out in the next few minutes / pages. I say "nearly" because you need some "story" s...
I suggest you search for "knock outs". I've done some research on martial arts, and there are several hot spots on the head that, if struck, can knock somebody out cold, so bad they can fall and fr...
IMO, pornography is realistic enough; seek out the "homemade" variety. I think you can tell if these are scripted or being "acted". Particularly if there is any hint of role playing; it isn't reali...
I'd just do it in exposition; not a lot of it. Modified in response to clarifying comment of OP There are two scenarios; based on your comment. Either the characters know they used to be humans, ...
I think you are making a mistake in justifying this woman's promiscuity by her consumption of alcohol, and making a mistake by assuming her promiscuity is a result of lack of control on her part, i...
Greed can be an inciting event. People go looking for treasure, to escape poverty. Knowledge can be an inciting event. Suppose the MC knows she and her village are powerless to confront an evil ov...
I am a discovery writer. I recommend it highly. For me, I begin with a character. All my characters have something "special" about them, something they are good at, as well as a flaw, often someth...
A character has a "voice" if, when you read about a page worth of that character's dialogue (without any attributions) you could identify the character correctly. Not EVERY character needs a voice...
My advice is to provide rough therapy in the book. Accompany your suicidal character with a counterweight character. This does not have to be somebody that loves them, nor does it have to be a main...
I would continue to use PS. Leave your diary as written, and if you add something, the PS tells you that you added it, after some thought, and if it were me that is worth knowing too: PS the ne...
It is not bad structure, it is in fact common advice: Try & Fail, Try & Fail, Try &Succeed. It is common advice to writers because many stories have succeeded using this formula. Look ...
It IS a bad thing to do, and possibly a violation of copyright you can be sued for if you make a profit from it. I am not a lawyer, but I have dealt with copyright issues in my profession. Dismis...
