Posts by linksassin
All writing is, in some way, rooted in our experiences The story you want to write isn’t always the story you need to write. Before finishing my novel, I was under the impression that my charac...
Exact mechanics are less important than control No matter how the exact transformation works the key thing that matters is how it is controlled. A scientific device, a superpower, and a magic wand...
Is your handwriting slow? This article claims the average speed for adult handwriting is; 68 letters per minute (approximately 13 wpm), with the range from a minimum of 26 to a maximum of 113 ...
If you do this, lean into it Skipping a scene in an otherwise continuous story will always be jarring. The last thing readers want to feel is "this doesn't make any sense". You want your story to ...
Balance is key There is a very delicate balance between a plot twist that feels contrived and unrealistic and one that the reader can see coming from a mile away. There is no exact correct answer ...
You absolutely can do this What is appropriate or not is entirely a matter of your own personal style. How you handle character deaths is part of that style, and it may separate good works from th...
Not every chapter needs to blow the reader away No, not every chapter needs to blow the reader away, and you shouldn't be trying to. There are multiple reasons that this isn't something you should...
Another stack site I use is currently having an election and I am considering nominating. There are two parts to the nomination process; the nomination itself and the questionnaire to candidates. T...
You can absolutely do this WARNING: This answer contains multiple spoilers, beware of things under the quotes You aren't the first to think of this. Often this is used to setup a sequel but you c...
Indirection is only a problem when reader can't tell which layer of the story they are on Using a narrator that is retelling events from their life is a common literary technique. Many books do it...
When you write in a modern day setting, you research the culture, climate, location and history of that setting. You can do the same for historical fiction or low-fantasy settings based on real pla...
Search for localization tools I haven't personally used Visio in any formal capacity but have done translation/localization when developing web apps and other software. Most professional tools hav...
Github or similar is a good choice I can't say I have used it personally for this type of work, however as a software engineer by day it is my collaboration tool of choice for most things. Unl...
For my pathfinder game I write session updates after each session. I have previously asked about How to write exciting updates? This question is about the planning phase for writing these updates. ...
As somewhat of a follow-up to my previous question: How to create a consistent feel for character names in a fantasy setting? Once I have named the characters in a given setting, how do I create p...
Ditch the omniscient viewpoint Tension comes from the unknown possibilities. By using an omniscient viewpoint the readers don't feel any of the tension the characters do because they already know ...
Recently while doing some world-building for a role-playing game with a friend we were seriously struggling with naming character consistently. By consistently I mean make the names feel as though...
Social media is no longer sci-fi In years gone past concepts like the internet would be considered sci-fi. Many book exist which use digital communication on a global scale as part of a sci-fi set...
My first question on the site was How do I stop using 'the' to start sentences so much? , One of the answers said: I would suggest reading more English poetry to pick up some techniques. I co...
Establishing a conflicted character My MC is in a dark line of work. He is an assassin. Good start, a character in a dark line of work is assumed to be dark until told otherwise. Start with a...
Describe the important bits In my opinion Harry Potter is actually an excellent example of how to describe characters. Harry is described in detail because his exact appearance has important beari...
The tone of your writing will make the difference Written out in a cold hard list like that is certainly sounds brutal. MC2 has MC1 at their mercy and yet continues to threaten and abuse them. If ...
It is harder to keep the reader engaged without one As you say a main character is someone for the reader to connect with. Ideally they will empathise with them and come to care about the characte...
Generals are where they are needed most Disclaimer: Historical fiction isn't my area of expertise, most of this is drawn from fantasy works instead. I think some of it is useful though. The best ...
Always This is somewhat of a frame challenge, but hear me out. You said: I need to know them better in order to know how they will act in the story Why is this any less true for minor charac...
