Activity for TheNovelFactoryâ€
| Type | On... | Excerpt | Status | Date |
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| Edit | Post #38706 | Initial revision | — | about 5 years ago |
| Edit | Post #34337 | Initial revision | — | about 5 years ago |
| Edit | Post #33909 | Initial revision | — | about 5 years ago |
| Edit | Post #26026 | Initial revision | — | about 5 years ago |
| Edit | Post #23840 | Initial revision | — | about 5 years ago |
| Edit | Post #23225 | Initial revision | — | about 5 years ago |
| Edit | Post #21009 | Initial revision | — | about 5 years ago |
| Edit | Post #16231 | Initial revision | — | about 5 years ago |
| Edit | Post #14479 | Initial revision | — | about 5 years ago |
| Edit | Post #8746 | Initial revision | — | about 5 years ago |
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A: Should I avoid "big words" when writing to a younger audience? I think this is a really interesting question - because if we avoid using advanced vocabulary with children, then when are they supposed to learn it? I think the answer is that it's a matter of quantity and proportion so the reader doesn't lose their flow or end up missing something important if the... (more) |
— | about 5 years ago |
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Should I give out specific information about agent interest to other agents? I've edited the question for clarity following some unexpected comments in the first answer. I submitted my latest novel to a handful of agents, and had a request for a full manuscript. On almost all of the agency's submisson guidelines, they state that if they haven't got back to you and another a... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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Is it okay for the final chapter to be a lot longer than all the other chapters? In one of my novels (it's a middle grade fantasy novel) the chapters average around 2,000 words. But the final climactic chapter is currently almost 7,000 words. I am considering splitting it into two because it feels unbalanced to have it as it is. But I'm concerned that splitting it might break th... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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A: Software to organise world building? Just wanted to put in a word for the Novel Factory (http://www.novel-software.com. Disclosure, I am the creator). It's aimed at organising all aspects of a novel, including locations, characters, plots and research. There's a strong emphasis on it being easy and intuitive to use, and allowing lots ... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Is it ok to begin a new chapter with a completely new character/time/setting? Your title question and description seem to be asking different things. The title question is very specific, and the answer is yes, it's fine to begin a new chapter from a different POV, in a different time and in a different setting as long as you orient your reader fairly quickly. The description... (more) |
— | almost 7 years ago |
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A: Should I be concerned about relatability or can I just tell the story the way it is? I don't agree that relatability is one of the most important aspects of a good story. Yes, you want the reader to be drawn in and to empathise with the character, and to feel personally hooked into the stakes, but that doesn't come from feeling that the character is the same as them. And what would... (more) |
— | about 7 years ago |
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A: Can my character specialize in torture ; but physically be not that strong? I don't see that this is a conflict. A torturer is almost never in a position where the person they are torturing has the option of fighting back in anyway. The fact that the victim is physically (or possibly mentally) constrained is pretty much a pre-requisite of it being torture, and not just a fi... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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A: How to create feeling with setting I look at several aspects when describing settings: The senses It's helpful to look at each of the senses in turn and make a few notes on relevant things in the setting to each of them, basically answering the following questions: What can the character see? What can they taste? (might be something... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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A: How do I incorporate Vocabulary in my writing that I already know? I recommend three pillars: 1. Practice 2. Thesaurus 3. Drafting 1. The more you write, the better your writing will become. This means finding the best word, and the best order to put the words in. 2. Thesaurus. Personally I don't think a writer should ever use a thesaurus to find a word you don't ... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
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A: When a character tells a long story, is it always an info dump? No, a character telling a long story is not by default an info dump. The key to making sure it's not just clunky exposition is to make sure it is not a case of 'as you know, Bob' by which I mean one character should not be telling another character something they already know. An example of this wo... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |