Posts by DPT
The provided answers are very good. As evidence of the importance of prioritizing character over plot, look at any good novel, or recall your favorite stories, and ask yourself what you remember ab...
This is not a question about slang, but about swearing and word creation. I have a character who uses swear words, and this is part of his voice. I do not use real swear words. I want the sense of...
I prefer the type of universe you describe wanting to do. I lean towards those sorts of series, because I can enjoy the worlds more fully. Such a structure allows you to broaden the scope of issues...
In my opinion, if it was clear that you wanted the reader to be unsure, then there is no problem. For example, if Olivia did not always answer right away when someone said "Olivia!" then you are ...
It is necessary to use them, yes. You should, I think, use them - sometimes. It will be tedious if you use them too much. So, use them. Use them where you think you should, leave them off where y...
I like adverbs, and I think they're a great component of language. I see them as a good means to communicate efficiently. I also understand that they can be a sloppy shortcut, and that writing th...
The times I have fallen hard, the feeling took more than a chapter in my life. I pined for those soul mates for years, and they were usually unrequited. There are other times that I thought I was...
I need a change ~ 80% of the way through my story. At the moment, I'm just throwing my characters into different combinations and seeing if they come up with anything interesting. Two of my charac...
My mantra that works is "Nail my butt to the chair and write." Truly, it does not matter if it is garbage. You need to garbage in front of you, in order to improve it. I am hitting chapter 17 o...
I have a word count goal for my fantasy novel (climate fiction/fantasy) of 100 - 120,000 words. It doesn't need to fall in this range, but that is the typical length of books I read when I pick up ...
My favorite series use novel creatures - but describe them with the traits that make them ... Elf like, ... Ewok like, ... Witch like,... Without using those labels. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "The Hajarla ...
I think if you can find a way to enjoy each part of the process separately, you'll be able to get past your concerns. Whatever works for you, write in that way. Outline, stream of consciousness, po...
My prologue is set 17 years before the main story arc. I am reflecting on the discussion here, which was asked by another SE contributor. I'm trying to decide what to do with my prologue. Building ...
I'm an aspiring novelist and will answer from my personal perspective. I've published scientific literature for many years. My experience with scientific manuscripts is that there are levels of cri...
I'm compiling in-world legends for my built world, and would like them to feel like established legends from our own human experience. What should I keep in mind while writing these legends? What...
I often feel that we fall into a trap of believing that we must provide a driving goal for a main character at the outset. And yet, as I look at compelling fiction, main characters do not have the ...
My novel has been through multiple drafts and beta reads, and by and large is in good shape. I've learned how to cure a saggy middle, how to stay in point-of-view, how to keep the protagonist drivi...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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 wo...
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...
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...
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...
