Posts by Amadeus
If your MC is some kind of detective or police officer or whatever, somebody that addresses crime, and Matt is seeking help from them, then you probably have to have Matt explain and prove he is a ...
YES, the first page is vitally important. But probably not in the way you think. Don't bring the "thriller" up first. The first page (and first sentence, and paragraph) is important in the same w...
As you say, they are philosophical; and they seem powerful because they seem true and momentous. I ask you, to what end? Dread it, run from it, destiny arrives all the same. He is explaining...
How do you handle, the introduction of a concept and its use? There are many ways to do this. Generally, you don't introduce it at all, you just have a character (or, say, a sign or something...
If you show excerpts and cited the book, it is obvious you are crediting the book, and it is not plagiarism. You are not claiming the passages from the book are your own writing, and it is "fair us...
Jane popped the stone in her hand. First, I think you know that isn't the right word, the image is like popping a balloon. Second, don't tell us, just show us, describe the scene, and don't w...
As Galastel says, you have to talk about it. I do that with legends; and make sure my hero believes those legends maybe were real, but probably exaggerated, and certainly the descriptions have pro...
I am a discovery writer. I agree with Liquid, I don't leave it alone. If I get stuck, I edit my story so far. I will start reading, from the beginning, and if I see anything worth fixing, I do. If...
... an entire species in a fictional setting as outright evil - no matter how one treats them, they reward kindness with treachery and violence. This premise seems incomplete to me, and unnece...
what are the important elements to consider, and how long should the description be, before getting on with the narration? The most important element to consider is why the reader is reading i...
you are weakening your argument by presenting the extreme edge of the phenomenon you wish to engage with rather than its mainstream. That can be true, at one extreme (IRL) people get out and p...
I think this is an opinion piece, but IMO the protagonist is a hero, and the scientist is a villain, and the ending is a mixed bag. For starters, anybody trying to coerce everybody against their w...
No, it is not too much (I agree with Galastel). If you are feeling it is too much, I suspect your story is underdeveloped, or under-imagined. You need more scenes to illustrate the transitions smo...
I don't know Murakami, so I think it depends on how "trademark" his style is. If it is particularly unique, I wouldn't want to be seen as an obvious imitation. But if it is just good writing, I'd...
I would say no. The phobias are more in the realm of irrational fears, not rational ones. So she might develop coulrophobia, but she doesn't have it just because she got raped by somebody dressed a...
Imagine the Nurse is a lesbian. In WW2 and in the military she wouldn't be "out", but it isn't like lesbians did not exist back then. Her fiancé is a ruse; I know single lesbians that still wear a ...
Yes, you should cite it, particularly if the data you downloaded might be wrong. But either way, the data is the product of their work and you shouldn't take any implied credit for it. You should ...
I would write it G, but you could write it Gi or Gee, if you like either of those better. This may be a "matter of opinion" question. In comments, there is a complaint "Gi" could be pronounced wit...
Obviously the little girl is doing the hating, and her father is not a stranger. You want HER to hate the killer. You can show that, being little she can even tell him so, there can be a dialogue e...
You need a prop. I will explain! Somebody fighting a losing argument is typically fighting because the consequences for them of losing the argument is giving up something valuable or dear to them,...
I'm a discovery writer. I provide a lot of detail on beginning a story as a discovery writer, in this answer. When I began I tried to be a plotter, but it didn't work; my creativity was used up in...
No, they are not all of them. This is a common game, there are many books claiming there are 3 plots, 7 plots, 12 plots, 21 plots, 23 plots, whatever. You could say there is only one plot: Charact...
Stories do not require growth of a character; there are many series (Detective series being the most prevalent) in which the MC doesn't really change much at all, even if they do have emotional exp...
Is a plot twist still a "twist" if my reader knows it? It is not a surprise, but it is still a twist. Readers can only guess at things, they cannot know anything for certain until they have re...
Is there any possible way to do it right, without foreshadowing it so hard that the twist is moot? I would say ... No. But you can write the story, without letting your MC agree to call it mag...
