Questions tagged [creative-writing]
"Creative writing" is a vague term, but generally means fiction, or writing that's not non-fiction, technical, or business writing. This tag should be used when asking questions that apply to multiple categories of creative writing, such as when asking questions that could apply to fiction or poetry alike.
67 questions from the last 365 days
-3
votes
1
answer
101
views
Is writing articles/blogs still relevant in the age of AI?
People around me and I use AI like ChatGPT to get information on the internet. If we don't find the accurate data about what we are looking for, only then we search on Google and copy the content of ...
- 95
2
votes
2
answers
71
views
Equivalent idioms for "Throw me a bone"
The phrase "throw me a bone" is now forever linked to Dr. Evil (Mike Myers). Are there any equivalent idioms or common modern slang that I can use for a comedy bit? Being literal, like "...
- 123
1
vote
1
answer
89
views
How to create enough plot events to show more of a setting
I have an adventuring party that's going in a dungeon. The dungeon is why I wanted to write this story, because I have some interesting ideas for its backstory. It'll have a reveal at the end that ...
- 13
7
votes
4
answers
2k
views
How to avoid wasting reader investment with a thematically disappointing ending?
I'm drafting a story around chasing dreams and facing the possibility of said dreams being a lie in the end. For this, I have a main character doggedly chasing a goal that's extremely hard to achieve ...
- 195
1
vote
1
answer
503
views
How to write a cooking scene without it sounding like a recipe?
I'm a beginner writer.
I would like to know how to write about food being prepared. Food is significant in my short stories. I want to write about food in a comforting and cosy way. I want my writing ...
- 19
0
votes
0
answers
56
views
How to make metaphors make sense in a writing instead of making it out of topic
I was writing something that I thought of couple days ago.
it was about the people's mindset that they created throughout their life, and I wanted to describe it in a metaphorical way.
now to make ...
-1
votes
2
answers
222
views
Hello, so I'm writing a novel and I want to include a bunch of different skin tones and not seem rude, anyone got skin color names?
So far I have a few names like bastard-amber, latte and caramel skin tone names. Any names would be very helpful!
- 1
1
vote
3
answers
174
views
When the rhyme scheme is ABAB, can A=B or is that insanity?
Hear me out. My default answer is no, no it cannot. The very definition of a rhyme scheme requires that the different letters represent different rhyming sounds. However, in every standard definition ...
- 11
2
votes
1
answer
82
views
Is it legal to write a book about debates that I've participated in?
I was online and I didn't really see anything regarding this, I thought that if I made an informative book including debates that I've had, it would help out other debaters and speakers by providing ...
- 21
3
votes
1
answer
419
views
Linking verbs vs negatives
Every book about writing well suggests to avoid negatives and linking verbs, and to use active verbs instead:
—Not to agree: to disagree.
—To be not pleased: to be displeased.
But sometimes when we ...
- 131
2
votes
4
answers
131
views
I'm writing my first book but I don't know how to go from chapter to chapter
Is it normal to start and have an idea of what I want to write about but not know how to go from chapter to chapter or to just kind of not know where I'm going with it?
- 29
1
vote
7
answers
272
views
Is it ok for my immortal character to date a child?
For some context, my character Mirao, is immortal, but she was cursed at 14 to be 14 forever. She's about 986-ish years old and her girlfriend is 15. Is this okay or should I scrap this part? They're ...
- 245
2
votes
2
answers
180
views
Is my plot too similar to "Harry Potter" or other fantasy genre books?
I'm working on a story in Hindi.
The protagonist is a fairy princess who was left in her maternal uncle's house because in her world (which is above clouds) she is loved by her maternal family, but ...
- 21
0
votes
3
answers
131
views
How could I create a naming system for non-biological creatures in my book that makes sense to the reader and a character in-world?
I'm wondering how to create a naming system that makes sense both in-world and the reader.
The creatures I speak of come in various different forms/species. They're made of metal and can vary in what ...
- 1
4
votes
1
answer
115
views
What is the process of working with a sensitivity reader?
Every fiction story has some characters that don't match the author's identity. I know the first step of representing a character from a different background is research, and I'm vaguely aware that ...
- 2,048
0
votes
0
answers
60
views
How do I know if I’m plagiarizing? [duplicate]
Ok, hi everybody! I hope this bodes over well. It all started when I was worldbuilding for my novel tonight and I was thinking about a few things. I made a nation, a backstory for the nation, and a ...
1
vote
3
answers
112
views
Writer's block in teen writers
I have come across many writers who just quit writing because they think writer's block just means the person cannot write anymore. Now I'm facing the same issue, and I feel like it might be the end ...
1
vote
2
answers
196
views
How can I fake a character’s death without it being obvious she’s alive?
I’m writing a mystery novel about kids trying to solve the death of their four parents (two families). The families are billionaires and they’ve created an empire. One of the mothers ends up being the ...
- 11
2
votes
4
answers
303
views
Leaving non-English dialogue untranslated?
I am now on the third draft of my first novel, which is written in English and based in Slovakia.
99% of the novel is in English, though occasionally there is some Slovak dialogue which I have not ...
- 359
2
votes
1
answer
176
views
Portraying synesthesia in prose
How can an author effectively portray a character with synesthesia, where their sensory perceptions are intertwined, without confusing the reader or disrupting the narrative flow? What techniques and ...
- 253
1
vote
2
answers
90
views
What is the purposes of a novel scene? [closed]
I wonder if it’s the way I’m phrasing it, but struggling to find an answer.
What are the purpose/purposes of a scene? Or maybe job is a better way of describing it?
For example, scenes should reveal ...
0
votes
1
answer
88
views
How can you type 3 paragraphs about being prompt and present at school?
How can you type 3 paragraphs about being prompt and present at school?
7
votes
4
answers
3k
views
How to stop rewriting?
My main problem for the last six years has absolutely been rewriting. I write a lot, I can sit down and in hour thirty pump out a 4 thousand word chapter. My problem has always been rewriting, and ...
- 71
1
vote
4
answers
182
views
How long should it take to write a book for children (early middle grade)?
I am writing a book for middle-grade children (as a first-time author) and I need some advice from other fellow writers on how long should I work on a novel.
- 13
1
vote
4
answers
194
views
What methods can I use to pinpoint my own stylistic choices?
I will admit that I am years out of practice in consistent writing on a personal, professional and academic level. Even even when that wasn't the case, I have always had difficulty understanding what ...
- 23
2
votes
2
answers
283
views
How can I have two plots progress on different rates of time?
My story starts with a bunch of characters in a group, and relatively early on they split into two sub-groups who go on their independent adventures, there's geography separating them. So Group A has ...
- 683
7
votes
1
answer
1k
views
What's the literary term for saying you "see fireworks" when there are no fireworks?
So, like the question says, basically. Say a character kisses someone and the writing says "she saw fireworks exploding behind her closed eyes", what is that? Because it seems like it comes ...
- 71
1
vote
3
answers
135
views
Character is called by their initials. Do I spell it out?
I have a character who is referred to by another character by their initials TP, do I spell it out (teepee/tepee/tipi) or just use the initials TP. It is supposed to add humour and show their fun ...
- 13
1
vote
3
answers
147
views
If I was sexually assaulted but didn't tell anyone, how do I go about writing this in my book?
I'm writing a book based on stuff that happened. I've changed names but want to keep the characters authentic to my life. I was assaulted but never reported it. I want to write about it, but I don't ...
- 11
0
votes
1
answer
143
views
Is it okay to have a children's picture book with 100 illustrated pages? Are there any examples of such books?
Recently, I had commissioned illustrations for a children's picture book that I had written. I had outlined what type of illustrations I wanted and the whole thing ended up being 100 pages worth of ...
1
vote
3
answers
154
views
Tropes to prove a character loyalty and make them in a position to become a leader
I have a problem bridging two parts of the book. I need to make a character some kind of hero that has admiration of the country.
In my story, the character is a "wizard". Wizards are meant ...
- 113
0
votes
4
answers
140
views
Creating a fictional town - working around real-world limitations for TV show script?
I have been working on a script for a television company who accepts scripts from new writers and members of the public, and the setting is fictional, but in a real-world location.
The issues of it ...
- 21
4
votes
6
answers
3k
views
Is it a bad idea to design a purposefully inconsistent magic system?
I am working on a magic system for my fantasy world. The basic constraints are that most magic occurs naturally and at random. However, some people (sometimes) can channel and use magic. One of the ...
- 149
0
votes
1
answer
73
views
Using unusual grammatical wording to refer to people
All that will die tomorrow
Is whom I loved and will still love
So I was wondering if this is a common thing in poetry. You refer to people as "all that", and then use whom, which creates a ...
user36239
3
votes
6
answers
197
views
How to get over a long break from writing?
I'm wanting to get back into writing and work on a novel or a collection of short stories. In the past, I've done creative writing and I've written a full-length novel, however it's been over a year ...
- 1,664
2
votes
3
answers
743
views
How to Write an Involuntary Secret Reveal
I am trying to have my character's secret discovered, they are currently in a hospital, and hiding injuries under their clothes, a couple of which have reopened. They are underaged so they are at ...
0
votes
2
answers
156
views
Is stating a completely false fact something many writers do?
Is stating a completely false fact something many writers do? I heard that doing so is considered to be poetic license and it allows poets to deviate from strict adherence to factual accuracy in order ...
user36239
3
votes
2
answers
93
views
Difficulty describing a complex image in a single sentence
I am having difficulty explaining that the sun evaporated the fog that had brushed up against the blooming hills. When I add "with spectacular wildflower blooms", it sounds as if the sun ...
- 61
1
vote
3
answers
184
views
In my polytheistic world, how should I prevent people fighting over which god to worship? [closed]
Remember when I set the protagonist, Berta Newton (Issac Newton's incarnation into isekai), as an angel? As the accepted answerer aptly said, people will be interested in her magics themselves, rather ...
- 173
1
vote
1
answer
104
views
How should I choose what happens to my protagonist?
The main plot of my story is that a girl named Arabella signs up for a dance competition and practices for weeks. Fearing that the other dancers are too good, she invites them over to a practice ...
- 31
2
votes
2
answers
143
views
Showing the readers what the villains are doing in 3rd person
I am currently writing a YA detective mystery. It involves a group of detectives who work to keep their city safe, but there is an organization that has infiltrated every level of the government. They ...
- 21
0
votes
1
answer
57
views
Is it possible to write short stories without any humor, comedy, or jokes? [duplicate]
Would it be possible to write short stories without any humor, comedy, or jokes?
I am looking into writing short stories, but I am not very skilled as a writer and very much end up getting caught up ...
8
votes
3
answers
3k
views
How to exclude swearing from my thriller novel?
I'm working on a psychological thriller. I know that most books in this genre use at least some profanity. But I, myself, don't swear. I never have. Sometimes I let one slip, but other than that I don'...
- 285
6
votes
3
answers
1k
views
How can I make a character memorable and not stereotypical?
I am planning a novel and am currently developing the characters. I have written one sentence for each character that defines them, come up with the roles they would play in the story, as well as ...
- 169
3
votes
2
answers
274
views
I want to describe a young man sitting astride on a chair, leaning his forearms on the top of the back
I want to describe a young man sitting astride on a chair, leaning his forearms on the top of the back. I am aware that I am focusing too much on the mechanics of the posture, and I will deal with the ...
- 33
1
vote
1
answer
132
views
How and when do you reveal information about your character?
Similar to my previous question 'How/when do you reveal a big secret to the reader,' I'm looking more specifically at the first few chapters and when to reveal anything, not just big secrets.
For ...
- 902
1
vote
5
answers
260
views
Are there any theories as to what makes a story's premise good or compelling?
John Truby, in Anatomy of Story, says you shouldn't write a story that doesn't have an exciting premise.
But what makes a premise good, bad, boring, compelling, or exciting?
This is what Truby says ...
- 160
9
votes
5
answers
2k
views
How do I avoid repeating a sequence of events that occurs multiple times?
In a story I am working on, there are many doors that require a fingerprint, a passcode, and a key card to open. Writers say 'Show instead of telling.' As such, instead of writing something like:
...
- 193
0
votes
3
answers
109
views
Urban or Epic Fantasy? [closed]
I can't decide what I want to write about: Should I go with urban or epic fantasy? And what are the pros and cons of them?
- 11
0
votes
1
answer
160
views
How can I make a character death that's relevant to my book and hits really hard?
I'm writing a stand-alone fantasy novel about a bunch of kings. The protagonist is a girl I am basing off of a female king from Sweden in the 1600s. I am planning on killing off one of the other kings,...
- 285