All Questions
15 questions
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What is the name for a narrative structure where the story starts with an exposition or summary before recounting the plot in more detail?
I can't find the name for this online and I am an engineer, so don't socialise with people that would know.
Consider the Aeneid, which begins:
Arms, and the man I sing, who, forc'd by fate,
And ...
3
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3
answers
148
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What determines the value or worthiness of an autobiography?
To make an otherwise long winded story short, I have an uncommon tale of survivorship.
Context: From child runaway, to kidnapping victim, to an escape ten years, ten months, and 23 days later.
For the ...
1
vote
1
answer
533
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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 ...
1
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4
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84
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Do I need an overall narrator for a collection of 1st person linked stories which may be a novel. If so, who would the narrator be?
I am writing a collection of short stories. Each short story is written in 1st person present tense from that particular protagonist’s POV, telling us his/her own story through their actions and ...
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-1
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1
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135
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What is my story structure?
I am starting to write a story and have made an outline of the major plot points. I am looking at the outline but am not sure which story structure it follows. My outline goes like this:
Quick ...
- 1
0
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1
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79
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How to demonstrate that the main character of your story is narrating a story to other people in a scene?
Being new to writing narratives, I have a query in mind. In one particular scene, I want to show that my main character is narrating a story to the crowd. How can I accomplish this?
I am unable to ...
0
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3
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74
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How to Structure a single-perspective Novel into Chapters?
Now my case is not novel-wide; I have to do this in one part of the novel, but I extended the question to a more generalised one, so that anybody else with the same question will find it useful just ...
26
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7
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6k
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How can I make "acts of patience" exciting?
This answer to the question Averting Real Women Don’t Wear Dresses introduces a distinction between acts of patience and acts of daring.
[...] when it comes to telling a story [...]
acts of daring ...
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9
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5
answers
3k
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Is it okay for a chapter's POV to shift as it progresses?
I have this duo in my novel, they're always together in chapters. Usually the story alternates between them within their plot, though mostly leaning to one of the characters, as he's one of the MCs ...
- 4,053
9
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4
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2k
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What are some examples of an inciting incident that would force a character to go on a quest or adventure?
I've noticed that my novel is missing a really strong inciting incident and I can't think of anything strong enough to suffice. The only inciting incidents I'm familiar with seeing in nearly every ...
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5
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2
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278
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Are there narrative structures other than Kishōtenketsu and the three act structure and its derivatives?
Derivatives of the three act structure include the Hero's journey, Dan Harmon's story circle, and the five act structure.
- 508
9
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6
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563
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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
4
votes
1
answer
150
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Dropping tie-ins for future stories?
During my writing I discovered some interesting (sub)adventures that my protagonists go through while reaching their end-destination.
However, these stories are totally irrelevant to the current plot ...
- 422
3
votes
7
answers
5k
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Starting a book with a scene from the middle
So. I'm currently working on a novel. (It's my first ever.) I need all the help I can get.
I had an idea where I start with a scene which is close to the climax, where the main character is to be ...
- 123
1
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1
answer
243
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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 ...
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