Activity for DPT
| Type | On... | Excerpt | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Question | — |
Are chapters with a single character inherently more difficult for an average reader to connect with? (And do you have any tips.) On the topic of keeping a reader engaged: Dialog is a great way to balance out a scene of description and action. Dialog allows conflict, information, reveal of character, and so on and so on. My main character spends two chapters (Ch 2 and 4) alone in the wilderness. (Chapter 3 is in another poin... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: How can I stop overusing "I" in my writing? You go through piece by piece because you will want to assess each instance. Sorry. That's my answer. Someone may have an easier answer, but easy does not mean better. Look at each instance. Just do it. Start a list of phrases to swap. i'll edit your piece and bold the edit's. This is one quick pass... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: How to survive editing Ditto to the other answers. I break it down into specific goals. Each pass requires about a week. Check commas and other grammatical issues. Fix instances of passive voice. Make character voices consistent. Add more sensory details. Tighten. Check for adverb abuse. Map to the three act structure. H... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Is it important to describe every character of the storyline? It depends. Are you in an omniscient perspective? Are you in a limited perspective? If limited, you'd only describe those attributes that the point-of-view character notices. So, if the point of view character was color-blind there'd be no color described. If the point-of-view character was a thief,... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Is writing big facts about a character's background good when first introducing them? Yes, your instincts are correct. You are outlining your characters, which you need to know for yourself as the author, but you are putting that down on paper within the story - and - we do not need to know it any more than we need to know the town he was born in, or how long his mother's labour was, ... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: First Chapters protocol Don't toss out any literary device you have. Yes, this can work, and work well. In TV it's called the "How we got here" trope. Some examples are The Emperor's New Groove, Fight Club, Inception, and Matrix Reloaded. I believe one of the Terminator movies did this as well. Memento is a famous example ... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Restarting a Novel This may be opinion based. My advice is to at least finish it - and here's why. If you allow yourself to not finish, you are setting a precedent for yourself. You are patterning to you that you don't need to finish. Likewise, if you finish it, even if poorly, you are disciplining yourself to finishin... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Dealing with inability to sustain interest in an idea The advice is simple. Nail your butt to the couch and type. It won't always be fun, and your first draft will be very bad. If your expectation is to finish a beautiful story painlessly with a blissful experience throughout ... :-) You see from experience why this isn't what happens. Also, each par... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: What are the Pros and Cons of long names? We are good at pattern recognition and if you keep the bizarre names to a minimum you should be OK. Long is fine, so long as they can be scanned and not confused with one another. I rather like Tey-filen as it suggests a compound word, and for whatever reason evokes the adjective-noun construct. It... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: How do you deal with Chapter 2 when Chapter 1 is a volcano opening? I've been reading a book about a related topic and the author touches on this. They refer to James Bond as the example of this type of opening: the opening to every movie is a fast paced action scene, the ending to his most recent case. And that's followed by the next goal, right away, him seeing M ... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: How to add depth to writing - turn a story into a book You definitely don't pad. If you are starting with plot, it sounds as though you may not be getting into the characters as much as you might need to. Here's an idea: Take your favorite Crichton book. Write a quick outline (one page) of what happens in the book: Ex: Jurassic Park : My quick outline ... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: How do I make "foreshadowing" more relevant in the early going? I've had a similar problem and here's an orthogonal answer to what you probably expect ... : "I don't know what your main character wants." ^^ Has anyone said this to you? ^^ Some thoughts that may relate to the question: I believe readers are willing to be told who to root for and why, but it ha... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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Does the degree of immersion in the character alter the extremity of plot points used? Star Wars IV: We never really get to know Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen, and so when they're burned to a crisp, little pieces of human toast, it's horrific but yeah OK. Not as horrific as if we saw Obi Wan go up in flames and reduced to char. No, Obi Wan gets to vanish into the Force Ether. My latest dra... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Describing something that doesn't exist In this case, think in terms of the process a draw-er would use to draw that concept. They would start with an oval, like an egg. "It was like an egg." In this case, it is longer than an actual egg. "If that egg had been smushed on the top so that it spread sleekly and smoothly at each end." The... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: How to improve a "dry" scientific review article? In biomedical science, you have the opportunity to discuss the human health impacts (and bring in broader societal ramifications) of the medical issues you're covering. My guess is that you reviewed the state of the science without grounding sufficiently in human health cost. I'm not certain which s... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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Why do readers enjoy reading about "bad" or evil characters? I've changed a secondary character into a murderer, and it changes everything. This change also opposes my core philosophies, that life and art should strive to reach something higher - not something more base. I don't want gratuitous anything. I made the change, because it can be undone and I think... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: How do I find logical errors in my novel? 1. Another trick that can help is to print it out. As soon as it is a hard copy, you will see problems that were not in the e version. Try it with a chapter or two. You'll see. I see the changes immediately. 2. I have heard that changing font can do this too. 3. Here's one way some errors can cre... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
| Question | — |
Using questions in dialog to facilitate exposition What are the guidelines on using questions in dialog (between ignorant characters) to expose setting and backstory? A few exchanges between my characters seem to fall flat. I'm trying to sort out why. I've used a few chunks of dialog in my story to bring in important details. (I used dialog ... beca... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Is it acceptable to break the story up into POVs to show how the characters' stories all tie together? Of course. Yes. All the time. One advantage of this approach is that the reader can (almost) always know more that the point of view character. Another advantage is the ability to explore a complex issue from multiple sides. Imagine your POV alternating with that of whomever you imagine to be your ... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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How to break up dialog if some of the dialog is not in quotes? I have a technical question. In my story, I've several chunks of dialog where one character's response is a grunt or a groan or rude sound or a swear word, or whatever, but is not in quotes. As a fake example: > William said, “Sweetie, raising greyhounds is not easy. But it is the family business.”... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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How do you assess the value of an individual scene? Authors need to understand which scenes in their stories to cut in order to help the reader enjoy the story best. Knowing what works for the reader and what does not is a key skill for authors. Because WSE is not a critique site, we do not post excerpts of our work for feedback. I routinely hear t... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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How to best pace information reveals to the reader Some of my beta comments fall under the category of 'I the reader am frustrated by what I do not know' - and I've gotten this comment in my real life group too. The reader wants information as soon as a question comes to mind for them. In my real life group I don't worry too much, the nature of the ... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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What are the advantages and disadvantages to changing the POV in the second and third books of a trilogy? Consider placing the second book of a SF/F trilogy into the point of view of a secondary character from the first book. Good? Bad? This seems like a workable idea to me, interesting, expand the world, fresh new ideas, insights into other characters. It allows the time to be run out further, the 'tri... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Does my protagonist *have* to succeed? No, your character does not have to succeed. Along the same lines as Mark's answer, in which competence and proactivity are concerned, you can also add to your mix the idea of sympathy. Each of these three attributes can be seen on a scale of low to high. For any character in your work, you can adj... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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How to show a character being bored for multiple chapters without boring the reader When my protagonist is learning to use their magical skill, they must remain in hiding. Because they have not yet mastered their magical skill. My protagonist is bored from being holed up for so long. There's very little to do beyond read boring books and practice boring magic spells. How do I keep... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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What is the spectrum of 'disasters' in 'scene-sequel?" I'm looking at my project through the lens of the 'scene-sequel' model now. Scene=Goal/Conflict/Disaster, Sequel=Reaction/Dilemma/Decision. My story has been through over a dozen various revisions and/or drafts. I'm happy with it but it can still use more improvement. This next revision (mapping to ... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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How to balance respecting diversity and avoiding tokenism at the same time My project has an environmental theme. My characters eat meals, and because of the setting, this includes meat and eggs. Some environmentally - friendly friends find those scenes very distasteful and opposed to the environmental intent of the project. I'd like to not lose a portion of my potential ... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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Character, plot, and setting conflicts I'm working through the Sanderson youtube classes on writing fantasy and he discusses the idea that conflict can arise between any two (or three) of the three legs of a story - plot, character, setting. But he hasn't given enough examples. I think conflict and tension are related. I'm trying to incr... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Sorkin: "Dialog is music" - In what way(s)? Well. I'm learning as I go and I haven't seen the series. But here's what that sounds like to me. You've identified rhythm and meter. Maybe these can be imagined as dialog that varies in its staccato or legato elements. Here are a few more ideas. 1. There are different genres of music. (and differ... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: What are the standard genre characteristics of contemporary women's fantasy "When a woman picks up a fantasy novel with a female protagonist today – and that is all she knows – what would she expect?" I expect growth in characters regardless of gender and I don't care (too much) where they start on the competency scale. But they'd better end up further along, through insig... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: How do you avoid smiling, head-bobbing characters? (FTR, 21 nods, 53 smiles, 95K. We're pretty close.) I had a beta read on a few chapters and they said the word usage itself was fine. You may be fine. A few ideas. 1. Some nods can be qualified. A half nod, a tilted head considering then nodding. (see the quoted text at the bottom.) I have one... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: Is it acceptable to have the theme of a story remain hidden to its characters? Yes, it is fine for the characters to be unaware of theme. Jack London's Call of the Wild had clear themes. The animals were likely not aware of them. Orwell's Animal Farm. It took me, the author, a while to identify the themes of my own story. I found them, with some thought. They rang true to me... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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Words we may believe are neutral yet have restricted connotations > Edit: Perhaps a list of words prone to mis-use would serve the need, here. Is anyone aware of a resource that lists words with emotional baggage? Example: I use the expression 'enormity of x' (as in, the enormity of time since the big bang.) Someone mentioned to me that the word 'enormity' is as... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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A: How can I understand characters whose worldview is alien to my own? > How can I write characters with ideals different from my own, without making them strawman? I would say that attempting to do so, LZP, is a worthy goal in and of itself. (Also, I'd think that even those ideals we think define us perhaps do not circumscribe us as much as we may believe.) You migh... (more) |
— | almost 7 years ago |
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Guidance on pacing the introduction of new characters I'm adding a qualifying question to the end of this question. So I have (let's say) two types of feedback in my beta critiques and real-life writing clubs. One is that I have floating heads syndrome, - conversations without grounding and surrounding details. I can fix those. The second is, I have ... (more) |
— | almost 7 years ago |
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Still struggling with character desire, positive vs. negative, hooking readers Apologies for the difficulties I've been having, and leaning for help here. Every step seems to be its own stumbling block. Question: All else being equal, is a positive desire/goal/motivation (of the main character) more 'hooky' for the reader than a negative desire/etc? My male lead had originall... (more) |
— | almost 7 years ago |
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How to communicate character desire? As mentioned elsewhere, it has been a stumbling block for my readers to understand what drives my characters. I had thought I had communicated character desires through showing, and action, but it is not seeming to translate to the reader. Example : One character wishes to follow the footsteps of he... (more) |
— | almost 7 years ago |
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What constitutes a 'hook?' I intuit that hooks are things that hook. (I'm quite astute in this way.) They can be good prose, relatable characters, rich settings. Books must start with a 'hook.' This is a current truism. The hook is (often) seen as establishing the tone of the book, placing the reader into the setting, into th... (more) |
— | almost 7 years ago |
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A: How much does style contribute to the overall value of a novel? Caveat: I am not published. I hope you do not abandon your style. You have a unique voice, and there will certainly be people who try to convince you to write your story their way. No. Write your own story. Now, that said, the phrase she said that I agree wholeheartedly with, is "Good style is the ... (more) |
— | almost 7 years ago |
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My readers are losing interest halfway through. What is a list of possible remedies? I see a pattern among my readers, specifically where they tend to stop reading - it is about 2/3 through the story, during "Act 2." A few readers push through to the end and say they are glad they did. One wanted the end longer (which may be saying a similar thing; she liked the end better, but thoug... (more) |
— | almost 7 years ago |
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A: To read or not to read similar works before write my own? The approach I have taken is to be aware of that possibility - of becoming contaminated. I would argue - 1. You want to be contaminated by good style. 2. You want to write your own ideas in your own voice. 3. You want to tell your story. So - write your story. Read similar books alongside your ef... (more) |
— | almost 7 years ago |
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Do too many scenes exhaust the reader? I'm now analyzing the scenes in my manuscript. > I broke my manuscript into scenes using the definition that a new scene begins when a person, place, or time point shifts. This means whenever a new day starts, for example, it's a new scene, even though this may be within the same chapter as the prev... (more) |
— | almost 7 years ago |
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How firmly must I remain in my characters POV? Is it legitimate (acceptable) to use a 3rd person POV approach with the narration intentionally being a bit wobbly? 1. I'm using an alternating 3rd person POV structure. One character (Let's call her Jane) refers to her mother (Aliana) as Mama. But I'm using the woman's name in the narrative, not "M... (more) |
— | almost 7 years ago |
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A: How can I get my style to feel more mature? I've been struggling with this as well, @Keker. I'd ask you this: Would you describe all sections of your manuscript as childish? Are some better and more mature in style than others? This thought ties in part into what Chris said in his answer. To the point: the things you feel passionately about ... (more) |
— | almost 7 years ago |
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A: How to expand my vocabulary? Also, write, write, write. As you write a new word in appropriate context, you are putting it into your working vocabulary. Don't discount a thesaurus. There are some online. You have ideas, and you can articulate your ideas. Let's say you have a character that needs to go to a particular place.... (more) |
— | almost 7 years ago |
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A: Writer's Block For Years...? There are lots of things that push our creativity to the side or that bring it back on full force. 1. Stress. I guess you are in your early 20s? Maybe you're finishing a degree, or starting a job, or moving, or even getting married, or having children. Any of these things will take precedence over... (more) |
— | almost 7 years ago |
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A: Chapter 1 Problems It sounds as though you are expecting your first draft to not be horrid. I discovered in college that the beautiful poetry I wrote, and that I would proudly thumbtack to bulletin boards around campus as soon as it was done, was magical poetry. It was truly magical. I know this, because when I saw i... (more) |
— | almost 7 years ago |
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A: How do I start writing a good plot line? I'll provide a few (non exhaustive) thoughts on 'how-to' details. This will vary from writer to writer. (1) I am in a writing group where people have 'a great idea' and jump in and start writing and ... '2/3 of the way through they lose interest.' The first chapter is great because they worked on it... (more) |
— | almost 7 years ago |
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Bending the rules of the english language for effect; sentence fragments and run-ons I believe it is a time-honored tradition, in fiction, to bend rules for a literary effect. I'm printing a short story for my critique group tonight. One critique-er is a very by-the-book kind of person, who gives formulaic advice. This is incredibly helpful, because there are details I routinely glos... (more) |
— | almost 7 years ago |
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A: How do you guide a character into discovering a world? I believe the most powerful solution is that the presence of the guide develops your main character (the one you do not want 'pulled from.') I believe the answer to this is through your main character's reactions to the guide, and through their relationship. It doesn't matter what the guide is. If... (more) |
— | almost 7 years ago |