Questions tagged [novel]
Novels are long-form prose fiction, typically over 40,000 words. Questions that use this tag can relate to writing, editing, publishing, formatting or technique as applied specifically to novels. If the question applies to more than just novels, it should probably use the Fiction tag instead.
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How do you use a heavily poetic style while also using a formatting that's similar to that of modern novel?
How do you use a heavily poetic style while also using a formatting that's similar to that of modern novel? Is there a way to add a poetic spin to the modern formatting seen in novels that was ...
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How can I describe an old cloak used to cover identity?
I’m currently composing a descriptive writing – It’s about a girl spy, infiltrating an empire. She’s wearing a cloak but I have no idea how to describe the item – It’s supposed to almost look archaic ...
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Can you, or should you, credit your editor and people who helped you in any way aside from writing in your novels?
Can or should you credit your editor and other people who helped you in any way aside from writing in your novels? Is there a place to do that in a novel?
I don't typically see a place where people ...
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Is it necessary to describe a character's physical appearance in a novel
I am writing a novel and I realized that I did not describe any of my characters, like practically, no reader would be able to place or imagine the character which I feel is not right. That is why I ...
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How do you format a poem inside of a novel?
How do you format a poem inside of a novel? I am not sure how to go about it. What are some popular ways of introducing a poem inside a novel.
Let's say that the character reads a poem from a small ...
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Is it possible to write a novel without a primary character?
Let's say we have 12 primary characters and they all get the same amount of coverage, none of them are good or evil, they in the gray area, all of them have their own goals, and all of them have their ...
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What Kind of Plot Do I Have?
For quite a while I worked on writing a novel. After that went poorly, I tried to plot it. This too went poorly, but now, on the second attempt, it’s going pretty well. There’s just one problem.
I ...
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Why does all scene writing advice insist on the scene lead having a clear goal when this is often not practiced in bestsellers?
I've been reading a lot of books on scene writing. One thing in common--found in every single book--is that the main character in the scene should have a goal. That goal should be made obvious as ...
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Is there a word for when a text is between chapters that enriches the story but is not part of the previous or following chapter?
Is there a word for when a text is between chapters that enriches the story but are not part of the previous or following chapter?
I'm writing fiction and wanted to have in-universe news articles from ...
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What is the term for parts of text larger than a paragraph but shorter than a chapter? [duplicate]
Some paragraphs
about stuff.
And even more paragraphs;
but then!
***
Another group
of paragraphs begins!
In various novels have I encountered the pattern above. Sometimes the asterisks are ...
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What are the differences between writing for a video game and writing for a book?
Recently, I have been looking up different freelance job opportunities and have stumbled upon a few that involve writing for a video game, but my main goal has always been trying to write a novel, not ...
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Struggling to 'find the voice' of a character who is conflicted when speaking to a person - how can I do this?
In the story I'm writing, the character behaves differently when they're spending time with their mother - they are conflicted. They idolise their mother on the one hand, but as they have grown up (in ...
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Is it okay to kill your main character off-screen?
Because Chadwick Boseman, who played Black Panther, has passed away, I am assuming that his character will be shown to have passed away in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. But I'm wondering: is it okay ...
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Can I take the text of my own already published book (ebook & POD), amend & improve it, add new title and cover pic, and self-publish as a new book?
I have a published (ebook & paperback) novel which was published in 2015 by a UK publishing house. The text was never carefully or properly proofed and there were many printing problems. Net ...
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How do I find the right audience for my book?
I wrote a book about two years ago with almost no prior planning or outlining done before the writing. I've since matured more and figured out that the audience for my book changes from chapter to ...
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Could I use non-English characters and expressions in a novel?
Currently I'm outlining a novel, mostly for fun, based in 9th century Norway. The closest to writing Old Norse names I can get is by using Icelandic characters like the ð and þ and the occasional á ...
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How to describe a werewolf attack?
In my book, the werewolves don't shape shift into humans, they're werewolves all the time. There are some werewolves that don't attack humans, but the majority does - those packs that don't live ...
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Can a symbol carry different meanings throughout a film or a book?
Can a symbol carry different meanings throughout a film or a book? In the film The Shining, the boy is implied to be abused by his father. In one scene, where the boy speaks to a psychologist, there's ...
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Tips on how to describe my character using his power
My secondary main character has the power ashes to ashes where he can make his enemy basically start to turn to ash and fade away (think Sandman when he fades away)
I write in 3rd person
Every ...
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How do you perfectly describe a documentary or similar videos in a novel?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEENEFaVUzU
Let's say the protagonist watches a video from a channel like "Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell", how would you go about describing exactly what the ...
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170k debut fantasy story. Is it possible?
This has been a very contradictory topic for me. I've been told that publishers expect fantasy books to be that long but others would tell me that 170k is too long. So far I've been cutting things ...
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How can I vary the POVs in past tense? [closed]
I'm writing my book in the past tense (even though I hate it, it makes the most sense). I wanted to vary the POVs in the story. Should I scrap the idea, or is there a way to write it without it ...
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What are some words for sound coming from somewhere?
I am learning/ trying to write a novel but I'm facing this problem. Whenever sound comes from somewhere (for example, from behind a closed door), I don't know how to describe it. I just end up writing ...
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Would it be too presumptuous of any established author to write a novel in the hope that it be made into a film?
Before I start, let me clarify that this is not a dilemma I am facing currently. It's just a question I had in mind for many established and aspiring authors.
Many best selling novels get made into ...
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Protecting a POV in visual adaptation of a novel
I’m considering allowing a film adaptation of my novel but want the “frame story” message maintained. What would this device technically be called in the agreement?
Example:
The original Planet of the ...
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Should a flashback be written in first person or third when the narrator has lost his memory?
I'm writing a story where the main character wakes up on a boat with no memory, and throughout the story his past will be revealed, along with other characters in the story. It's written from the main ...
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Is it more difficult to unify the narrator after the story is written, than to juggle POVs into the narrator's world during writing?
A lot of my procrastination in writing my story is coming from anxiety over making the finished product come from one "head." I have perspectives from a couple first persons, and some 3P ...
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Copyright if I continue someone else's work
I am writing a book - continuing someone's book series. They were finished but I'd really like to see the other characters' lives. I need to quote (I wouldn't say really quote but let's call that ...
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How to decide whether to write a story as a novel or screenplay?
Any general framework for deciding whether a story should be produced as a novel or screenplay? It seems a screenplay, while ideal for dialogue-rich stories, would regardless still be more sought-...
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How do I describe a character tripping but regaining their balance?
In the story, my protagonist is walking in a part of town that is not taken care of. My character, at this point in time, is super tired and trips over a clump of grass growing from the sidewalk.
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Multiple plots, multiple characters and multiple point of views in a single novel
I am wondering if this is at all possible. Usually, you have one plot and the plot is centered around one main character, but what if there are multiple main characters associated with a unique plot ...
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Is there a resource (website, book, etc.) to learn the basics of novel/story grammar?
I'm interested in learning to write as someone that has been a reader my whole life. I'm aware there are many website for tips like "every time a different character speaks, start a new line"...
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How do I end my book?
I'm so close to finishing my first book, but I'm having so much trouble coming up with a conclusion.
I know what needs to happen, but I just can't seem to finish it.
I'm not sure if it's writer's ...
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How to write a novel with a mixture of horror and crime (detective) thriller? [closed]
I just had a idea where what if A Detective and his buddy have to face supernatural creatures, cases full of mystery... Like two stories : Sherlock Holmes + Goosebumps ( orIT) smashed together into ...
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ways to express joy, or basic humor in a situation (for a story)
not exactly sure how to solve this, and haven't used the app before. Just started story writing. So ya, I don't know what else to say
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How to Write a Temporary 'Goodbye" [closed]
I'm working on my first novel, and my main character is going on a 'no contact' vacation where she doesn't communicate with anyone in her life. I'm struggling to figure out how to write it even though ...
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Capitalising after punctuation within speech?
I've notices that Emily Bronte does not always capitalise in dialogue after exclamation marks or question marks, for example (light spoilers):
"Be with me always - take any form - drive me mad! ...
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Is it outlawed to start Chapter one with the villain and only mention the protagonist?
Chapter 1 takes place in 1953. A girl is kidnapped. She manages to write a note to her friend (they both go to school together but the boy has moved). The letter is destroyed. Her friend is the ...
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What to avoid when writing distant and inconsequential POVs?
I'm currently writing a sci-fi novel, where we've got some huge, solar system-spanning stuff going on, with huge stakes. I've got four POVs that are directly involved with this, whose decisions matter ...
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How do I translate the uncertainty and suspense of a dice-based RPG into a story adaptation?
In a dice-based role-playing game, any action you take can either succeed or fail based entirely on the luck of the dice. This is part of what makes the story that is woven during a role-playing game ...
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How to length chapters in book [closed]
I began trying to write a book yesterday and saw that what I wanted to write in 10-15 pages I wrote in two. How do I lengthen the book so it won't be this short?
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First-person, present-tense novels where the plot arcs on deep change within the protagonist's life from the negative to the positive
I'm doing research and preparatory writing on a novel and that's going really well. But I need some perspective on some of the technical issues. I need to dissect a couple of specimens.
What popular ...
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How can I change my story so it sounds less like Harry Potter? [duplicate]
My story has a main character that starts out in their regular world, the USA, and suddenly finds out that they're not human. They're part of this fantastical race that uses magic(but not spells). So, ...
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Novel character description [closed]
I am trying to describe a male main character that grew up in a less friendly family. Can I say he is a cold and quiet introvert or less engaged?
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Should you publish your book online for feedback?
This is a question I've had in my mind and have been a bit curious about. Let's say I finish writing a novel but before publishing it, I want to get feedback on it. Should I publish it online ...
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I want to explain something in a novel that shouldn’t exist in it
In my novel, the world is made entirely out of islands, but I don’t know how to explain this without using the word islands. In that world, there are only islands so they are just called countries. ...
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I struggle to make characters emote during dialogue
I often find myself with two (or more) characters speaking, and too often my descriptions would be "he paused," "he sighed," "he rubbed the bridge of his nose," etc.
Too ...
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What are corridor scenes in novels used for?
What are corridor scenes in novels used for? Usually, most novels don't continuously follow a characters for more than 1-2 chapters, but what if you did that for 10 chapters in a row and included ...
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How to avoid making the romance in your novel predictable? [duplicate]
I'm currently writing a YA novel, and one of my sublots is a romance between the protagonist (A) and another supporting character (B). I introduce the two to each other early on, and they start out as ...
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