All Questions
54 questions
11
votes
5
answers
2k
views
Ramifications of having each chapter be a different 'episode' in a novel?
I was thinking about how readers would feel about reading an episodic story that instead of having a different story per book, having a different story per chapter. Not an anthology, but like same MCs,...
- 325
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 ...
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
1
vote
2
answers
409
views
I need help writing a scene or experience about air being knocked out of you
How would you write a scene of someone trying to breath again after getting the wind knocked out of them?
I am trying to describe the experience and how your body reacts physically while your brain ...
3
votes
3
answers
267
views
Can I write a story based in a world without humans?
I have this world I'm building that I want to write a story on, but there's absolutely nothing human in the world.
It's entirely built around elemental creatures including the protagonist.
0
votes
2
answers
67
views
Should I flesh out the start of my fictional story?
The plot I’m thinking of goes from very normal, with fleshed out characters, to surreal towards the end. I want to wrap it around to have strange foreshadowing at the very beginning of the book to ...
- 11
3
votes
2
answers
187
views
What if the narrator forgets the names of the characters?
My writing project involves flashbacks and explanations that may already be hard to follow to the reader. But the most important point in it, is that in the end, no one remembers what ever happened. ...
- 31
2
votes
4
answers
204
views
Is a self-introduction of the main character speaking to the reader appropriate to start a novel?
I'm authoring a horror/corruption/murder novel. The book starts off with the Main Character telling the reader about who he is and his physical appearance (now in his 60s), how he got to be ...
- 53
0
votes
1
answer
495
views
What is the difference between the 5-Act structure and the 6-Act structure of storytelling?
There is a YouTube channel called 6-Act Structure, which I will be citing as a reference, run by an Marshall Dotson who wrote The Story Structure Secret: Actions and Goals. The author argues in favor ...
- 160
-1
votes
2
answers
85
views
I'm trying to find enough sensory description for my book
How do I describe when a person falls unconscious with enough sensory details?
- 1
0
votes
2
answers
284
views
When does a story benefit from or is made better by not having a central theme?
On online forums, I often see the argument that not every story needs a theme. This is the flip side version of the question of when a story needs a theme. I felt that those arguing that some stories ...
- 160
0
votes
4
answers
151
views
Novel begins with a number of chapters concerning the father of the main character, but does not include the main character
Table of Contents:
Prologue
24 Years Ago: Omissions of the Past
A number of chapters of backstory (life) of father of main character, but son, who is the main character for rest of book is not in it, ...
- 1
0
votes
1
answer
147
views
How to write an event in a story with a memory gap (Repressed memory)?
Scenario: The protagonist goes to a party, gets drugged, and is assaulted. This event is not in the characters history. It happens during the course of the story.
Perspective: First Person
Genre: ...
- 109
1
vote
1
answer
533
views
How to Role-Play an eldritch god?
I am currently trying to figure out how to write the actions of an eldritch god that I've created in a Role-Play setting that I have with a few friends, this setting is mainly based on the SCP ...
2
votes
2
answers
113
views
How to research and create an authentic setting for a story set in a foreign country? [duplicate]
As a writer, for authenticity and to avoid distracting errors, I need to portray my story setting correctly. For example, I live in the UK and need to know whether guests can tay overnight at ...
- 21
1
vote
0
answers
33
views
I want the protagonist to win, but the antagonist is overpowered [duplicate]
I am writing a story about a normal teenager who is suddenly transported to this world that will soon be attacked by a powerful enemy overlord that rarely shows himself. I would like the protagonist ...
12
votes
9
answers
2k
views
How do you show, through your narration, a hard and uncaring world?
As I've already mentioned, I'm working on a sci-fi novel.
One of the main feelings that I wanted to represent when I started is the sense of a vast, empty, artificial world, mostly cold and uncaring ...
- 15.9k
6
votes
4
answers
2k
views
How to provide realism without making readers think grimdark
So, I have a couple moments in a fantasy story where I want the heroes' actions to actually have consequences (Well, that are really impactful to the story.) One is where the MCs kill a minor lord, ...
- 2,643
1
vote
0
answers
38
views
How to write that a character waits a certain amount of time? [duplicate]
Let's say the character of the story has to wait a day and you need to write in the story in a smooth manner that they waited the day for the thing they were expecting?
- 41
13
votes
2
answers
4k
views
Is it bad writing or bad story telling if first person narrative contains more information than the narrator knows?
Here are a few examples of the narrator knowing more than he should.
(A) In a humourous short story about Bertie Wooster and Jeeves, Bertie is talking about a situation involving two strangers and ...
- 233
-1
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Continuing a short story [closed]
I got an assignment from my teacher that tells me to continue a story that he started. The limit is 1 page. The scenario is that Rose (the main character) is looking for a missing painting, inside ...
8
votes
4
answers
660
views
Tips and tricks to describe more
I'm careful with the phrasing of this question as it is dangerously close to be opinion based. Everyone has their preference regarding the amount of description they expect to find in a work of ...
- 183
3
votes
2
answers
147
views
How do you decide the voice of your narrative?
Any guidelines to consider while deciding the voice of your narrative, i.e whether it should be a first-person account, or should the story be narrated by the voice of an omnipresent storyteller?
...
- 133
10
votes
6
answers
3k
views
Can the prologue's POV be different from the POV of the main story?
I want to write the prologue of the story with the narrator in first person with the point of view of the protagonist.
But the story is already written in a third person narrator...
and I have 2 ...
- 109
0
votes
1
answer
275
views
What do we mean by "Inevitable Narratives"? [closed]
The inspiration to ask & answer this question came from a comment made by Matthew Dave on this reply: https://writing.stackexchange.com/a/38648/16555
I've also been asked that before, by a ...
user16555
11
votes
6
answers
998
views
Third Person POV: What level of telling is acceptable for character motivation?
The novel I'm writing is third-person limited POV in style. This means that the narration's coverage is limited to what the POV character can observe, think, feel, while others' thoughts, feelings, ...
- 9,134
5
votes
7
answers
586
views
Is it true that "Any story can be great in the hands of the right storyteller"?
Presumably, like all trite sayings, it's a bit of an exaggeration since a story has to be at least interesting. (I mean, it would take amazing talent to write simply about someone sleeping and make it ...
- 2,174
16
votes
7
answers
4k
views
Writing a Satisfying Ending
It strikes me that the last chapter (or so) of any story needs to make the reader feel that reading the book has been a worthwhile experience. An exceptional ending might leave a reader with such a ...
- 7,763
8
votes
3
answers
388
views
How to organically and believably introduce the tools and skills necessary to survive after an apocalypse?
So I'm writing an urban fantasy story about the modern day after a mysterious unknown entity suddenly imbues humans with the ability to use magic powers. While the story initially starts out as a more ...
- 191
9
votes
6
answers
563
views
How much indirection is too much?
I'm writing a chapter with a lot of indirection, and I'm wondering if I'm doing too much of it.
To be specific, it is the main character remembering an event from his youth when a merchant who stayed ...
- 4,027
6
votes
5
answers
591
views
In a "Gatsby" type story, how does a narrator relate what he doesn't get to see?
"The Great Gatsby" was told from the point of view of Gatsby's neighbor, Nick Carraway by name, with Nick using the first person. Nick gets to see a lot, but not all of Gatsby's dealings. A case in ...
- 4,405
16
votes
5
answers
696
views
How can I hide a second narrative within my story? (using time travel)
I've been planning a story that follows two characters. At the end, one character (let's call him Joe) goes back in time and appears at the start of the book.
I intend to explore themes of ...
- 399
3
votes
1
answer
217
views
How to balance between dialogue & character building and action scenes?
I'm writing a novel which takes place in a carefully built (science-)fictional world. The protagonist is also a fictional creature.
Obviously, the reader does not know about the world or the creature'...
- 265
8
votes
5
answers
8k
views
How to slow down the pace of the story?
How do I slow down the pace of my story? And please refrain from answering with "add more descriptions," because I'm already aware of that technique :). I'd like to see if there are even more ways to ...
- 2,404
5
votes
1
answer
261
views
Will this form of "third person limited" confuse readers?
I've been writing a novel that pushes the bounds on a conventional POV. It's essentially third person limited, but I sometimes leave the perspective of the main protagonist to cover an event that has ...
- 261
2
votes
4
answers
239
views
Help! My brain is writing several chapters at once!
So, I've been thinking about my story, and suddenly I got inspiration for the continuation of the chapter (I'm not even sure what chapter it should be). So, basically, I ended with progressing 3 ...
- 763
1
vote
1
answer
212
views
How do I describe this particular scene?
My character lives in a war torn country. I'm trying to start this short story with him waking up on his way to school (possibly the bus stop). On his way, he sees graffiti, vandalism (basically ...
- 11
1
vote
1
answer
2k
views
1st person story with no dialogue? [duplicate]
Is it possible to write a good story without any dialogue? I'm working on a short story, and trying to keep it within 2000 words, but preferably 1000-1500 words.
I'm trying to write it as if the ...
- 416
1
vote
1
answer
150
views
How to add a new word to the dictionary
Background
Okay, so I've decided now is my personal time to shine! I have thought of a great new word, and want to add it to the dictionary. Theoretically, if enough people read my book and see this ...
- 4,439
8
votes
4
answers
5k
views
Should I use contractions in my narrative?
Should I use contractions in my narrative, or only use them in dialogue?
I have noticed that in some books, like The Passage by Justin Crownin, contractions are used in the prose. In others, like The ...
- 4,439
2
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Third person multiple pov in a crime mystery
Fellow writers,
I am plotting a crime mystery novel. I have the story and gist in place. It should have the "whodunit" element. I want to use Third person multiple pov narrative(more than 6+ povs). I'...
- 513
4
votes
4
answers
634
views
How to determine if a story would benefit from multiple first-person POVs?
Originally I asked this question: What is a "methodology" I can I use/follow to determine the ideal set of protagonists for my story?, but found that it was too vague.
Specifically, I'm ...
- 292
2
votes
7
answers
1k
views
Can non-interactive stories make an audience feel guilt, and if so, how?
Interactive stories can do this quite easily- give the audience a choice, reveal choice to be a bad one, everyone is very sad. Simple.
But can a story the audience has no direct control over manage ...
- 21
2
votes
3
answers
416
views
Can a character with poor communication skills be used to create an excellent first-person narrative?
I am deciding between first and third person narration for a book (and am inclined to write in the first person).
One of the limitations of the protagonist is that he is not a great communicator, and ...
- 21
0
votes
2
answers
127
views
How can a poor communicator protagonist (but great story teller author) tell a fine narrative in first person POV? [duplicate]
I am deciding between First Person and Third Person (and inclined towards First Person)
One of the limitations of the protagonist is that he is a poor communicator and this impacts his relationships.
...
1
vote
4
answers
513
views
Multiple POV novel - introducing rules of magic
I have an urban fantasy story that is told from multiple view points. I'm wondering on the best way to introduce the rules of magic within this piece of work?
I have about 10 points of view total ...
- 167
2
votes
3
answers
365
views
Are the following passages examples of tense change? Are they allowed in fiction writing?
We reached the place a few minutes later, which turned out to be—a record store?
The room was tiny but nice. Simple, and with the comfort and coziness of the countryside. Plus it had ...
- 12.4k
2
votes
1
answer
302
views
Pulling the reader out of the narrative: When it's too much?
Example (excerpt from a story I'm writing):
To make things worse, my schoolmates started calling me “Hanging Pup”
from then on (yes, news spread like a diseases at my university. The
dumber ...
- 12.4k
2
votes
1
answer
226
views
Does this text flow smoothly (description of suicidal thoughts)?
So how did this animal suicide thing start? Ironically, it began with
my own death wish. But why? I had perfect health, friends and family
who cared about me, plus I had just been admitted into ...
- 12.4k
1
vote
1
answer
243
views
Works of fiction containing non-related but constantly alternating narrative streams?
Chapter is set in a particular period in time, having four - at the time - in no way related characters, each of them with their own separate story. My best feeling is these stories should be ...
- 13