Linked Questions
13 questions linked to/from Writing a novel, can I do [this or that]?
24
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10
answers
9k
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Can a successful book series let the bad guy win? [duplicate]
I have a five book series and I have plotted them all out. The main bad guy wins in the end. My problem with this is my girlfriend keeps telling me that bad guys winning will make readers upset that ...
18
votes
8
answers
3k
views
How to open a novel?
Looking at the function of the beginning of a novel, it is clear that it should hook the reader and draw him or her into the story. Different techniques for achieving the hook have been described, ...
9
votes
5
answers
2k
views
Can I copy an existing magic system?
Is it fine for me to copy the magic system of another author if every other aspect (story,plot,etc.) of my fantasy story is my own design? For instance, can I use bending from Avatar: The Last ...
8
votes
3
answers
435
views
Is it okay to switch protagonists between books, if the main protagonist is a hidden "actor"?
On my research I stumbled upon this question and it matches somehow with my question, that lingers in my head for a long time.
In the mentioned question I read the common thinking is: Switching ...
5
votes
5
answers
2k
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Would it be possible to write a novel without using the word "The"?
In the novel I am writing, the story is told present tense and first person. The themes of the story present some unique points to the style, but something I have noticed as a write the first few ...
3
votes
3
answers
733
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What kind of an effect does breaking gender roles/stereotypes have in fiction?
Background
It might sound like a silly question, I know, but something someone said to me today has made me concerned that my book sounds childish and nonsensical. Apparently: "having a woman who ...
7
votes
3
answers
530
views
How to make a cat's perspective exciting?
I'm writing an article about a cat saving a three-year-old girl's life. What tools or techniques can I use to keep the reader interested?
2
votes
2
answers
2k
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Is blending a largely illustrated book like James Gurney's "Dinotopia" and a dramatic and more serious plot a bad idea?
So, I don't know if any of you have heard of Dinotopia by James Gurney, but it's written in a format with large pages, and lots of illustrations:
While it is not exclusively a children's book, and ...
0
votes
4
answers
332
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Writing differently when following different character POVs - mainly age difference. (3rd Person)
I'm writing a sci-fi novel with more than one main character.
Since I'm not an experienced writer, I still struggle with some basic "rules" within writing that may or may not exist.
This issue is ...
2
votes
5
answers
226
views
Is it practical to write a novel with two viewpoints and written from different points in time?
I have an idea for a novel that is told from two, first person viewpoints. One of these viewpoints would be Character 1's and take place in her past, and the other viewpoint would be Character 2's, ...
1
vote
2
answers
581
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Can you write a story using inanimate characters? [closed]
It seems a simple enough question,
3
votes
4
answers
253
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Can other characters than the main character have point of view?
I am writing a story. I actually just started and I am still writing the first chapter. Is it okay to write from a minor character's point of view first?
Simply put, the main character is unconscious ...
0
votes
3
answers
62
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Can I switch the POV of a main character? [duplicate]
So I'm momentarily writing a fictional story for a class I'm taking, and I've run into a problem. I have one main character, but there is a scene where that character passes out. Is it possible to ...