Questions tagged [plot]
Plot typically refers to the events and their ordering in a work of narrative fiction. Use this tag for questions regarding plotting, outlining, and narrative arcs. Be aware that questions asking users to come up with plot details for you are off-topic.
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Third person narrator turns out to be a character
Background:
I'm writing a fan fiction story to a Harry Poter-like novel about a group of 3 close friends. The novel has the simple third person limited narrator, with POV generally following the ...
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How do I make sure that a hook is not misinterpreted as a writing mistake or plot holes?
In a scene I had in mind, there's a tricky hook or unexplained event that happened, that I fear might be considered as a mistake or a plot hole. It is basically where a girl (one of the characters) is ...
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How to write an insulting experience for my protagonist?
My protagonist finds out that his friends have completely forgotten him. I want to write an insulting scene for my protagonist and want the readers to connect with him fully. Need some tips on how to ...
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When is a good time to have a betrayal?
In my book a character who the main characters have saved before is revealed to be the real main antagonist. I originally wanted this reveal to happen at the end, but after looking at betrayals in ...
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What could I do to write a fictional story with a lot of action without applying too many character perspective changes?
I'm writing a fictional(science fiction) story. Currently, I'm on a chapter that has a lot perspective changes, and I'm writing in third person, so my readers can experience things near the ...
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I want to write a short story without naming the places the characters visit
How can I write a short story without naming the places characters visit?
Example: If the main character visits a restaurant then I want to show it to the the reader without naming the restaurant.
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I'm afraid of being accused that I copied, even when I'm the one writing earlier
My apologies for potential errors, I'm not a native English speaker
Hello. I don't really know, who else I could ask, so I'm putting it here.
First of all, I know, that my writing isn't something ...
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Issues to avoid when writing military sci-fi?
As I plan to write a war story, I'm considering issues I should try to avoid.
Few that come to my mind already:
Glorification of violence, meaning depiction of violence in a positive way, ignoring ...
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Why is it bad to use a side character merely as a plot device?
I was writing a mystery novel about a detective who is investigating a murder case. The detective has a partner, who is a side character in the story. The partner is not given much of a personality or ...
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What are the things you need to consider when portraying a complex web of alliances and betrayals?
When you write a story with a lot of political intrigues, you need to plan out how the complex web of alliances and betrayals will shape out. Sometimes, though, you happen to have a character who ...
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Is there a middle ground to a deus ex machina?
Sometimes, you write yourself into a corner and the only way to come up with a happy ending is to put a deus ex machina in the end, but the question is whether there's a middle ground and how you can ...
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After writing the beat sheet, is there any preparatory document you can write before starting to write your story?
After writing the beat sheet, is there any preparatory document you can write before starting to write your story? I just finished writing the beat sheet for a story I wanted to write, but I would ...
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Why is it bad to exclusively rely on plot twists to create tension?
Why is it bad to exclusively rely on plot twists to create tension? I was told that some novice writers often make that mistake, but I am not sure why it is considered a mistake. Why is that the case? ...
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How do you get out of a corner when plotting yourself into a corner?
When you write a plot that becomes so convoluted that it becomes impossible to resolve without resorting to contrived or unrealistic solutions, how do you write yourself out of a corner?
For example, ...
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How to write someone who wants desperately to have emotional bonds but pushes others away because they feel they don't deserve it?
So, the viewpoint and main character in my novel is a character who had a very bad beginning. Born as a slave, she was torn from her parents and subjected to many horrors, few of which I elaborate on, ...
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Is people making silly mistakes for no other reason than being dumb or ignorant a Chekhov's gun violation?
Is people making silly mistakes for no other reason than being dumb or ignorant a Chekhov's gun violation?
If a guard says "The reinforcement will arrive in 2 days.", but it turns out they ...
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When would it make sense to have several beat sheets for several stories happening in parallel?
When would it make sense to have several beat sheets for several stories happening in parallel? I was thinking of writing a story where there are several stories happening at the same time, and three ...
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What are things you need to understand to weave complex stories with complex political intrigues?
Power struggles: Intrigues related to gaining or maintaining
political power, such as leadership contests, elections, and coups.
Espionage and sabotage: Intrigues involving secret information,
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How do I save my story?
I've written a dystopian story ~3000 words long. The story stemmed from a dream after having a dystopian unit and reading The Giver by Lois Lowry. When I started writing, it just seemed to flow, it ...
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Is it a plot hole if your character has a mysterious, unexplained power?
I was watching this review for the new Harry Potter game, and it got me wondering if it might be considered a terrible plot hole when your character has a mysterious, unexplained power.
If you end up ...
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How do you prevent the readers or viewers from guessing the whole plot when you use foreshadowing?
How do you prevent the readers or viewers from guessing the whole plot when you use foreshadowing? I remember watching Monster.Inc when I was young and I was able to guess the whole plot of the movie ...
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How can we use ChatGPT to write stories? [closed]
If I have an idea for the plot of the story, what is the best way that I can use ChatGPT to make it write stories for me?
Edit. To everyone who has spent time answering with few assumptions (including ...
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How do you make an unhappy ending satisfying for the readers?
How do you make a "bad" ending satisfying for the readers? I want to write a story where the protagonist dies without achieving his goals, but I am not sure if it's possible to write such an ...
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How to write a character that has a speech disorder (stuttering)?
A friend and I are writing a manga, and there is this mc(main character) that is having the speech disorder - she stutters.
Writing the question directly to avoid confusion.
Afterwards providing some ...
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Is Bridge Logic a terrible TV trope that should be avoided at all cost?
By Bridge Logic, I mean a bridge that shouldn't be there, but is there for the convenience of the plot. I initially thought it was a Deux Ex Machina, but after reading what it was, I realized it was ...
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Underlying microagression to poc characters?
I would say now that I don't intend to be offensive. I apologize if I come across as ignorant, for I am not speaking as an African-American but as another POC entirely.
The scene is between two ...
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Is it ok if you subvert expectation by completely resetting the story beat?
Let's say that character beats follow a certain narrative like marry the girl of his dreams, then the girl of his dreams dies mid-way in the story beats series, and you do a 180 turn and start a new ...
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Is it a bad thing if there's no character development whatsoever within the first half of a novel?
Is it a bad thing if there's no character development whatsoever within the first half of a novel? In my novel, there's this character who's just living alone and doesn't really interact with anyone ...
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How do you come up with a good plot for a hermit-type main character?
I am wondering how to create a good plot for a hermit-type main character who just tries to survive and be left on his own and doesn't want to be bothered with the rest of society.
Because the plot ...
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Writing about a story that will take place on Neptune - how realistic should I be?
I’m trying to write a new short story that will take place on a craft that is on Neptune (or “in”, depending on how you want to look at it since it’s an ice/gas giant.)
How important is realism to ...
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... had seen those people. "I must have met..."
In your opinion, should the last two sentences be joined together by a linking word (for instance: so he whispered, 'I must have...') or should I leave them as two separate sentences?
Alex looked at ...
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Handling extremely long narratives
For a video game I will make in the future, I am for now trying to write out the entire story for it. However, it ended up being an extremely long fantasy epic. For all the events, story arcs, and ...
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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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What questions do you ask yourself to get inspiration?
A lot of writers talk about how you can't wait for inspiration to hit, you have to just sit down and write. That's fine and all, but I can't just sit down and write without a method to attack my ...
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Are unexplained or inconsistent worldbuilding elements considered plot holes?
Are unexplained or inconsistent worldbuilding elements considered plot holes?
Let's say that coal and railroads are used in a medieval fantasy world, but people are still serfs and poor. If you don't ...
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Would the plot for my short story, "Bread earner in the family," be suitable for a play?
I have a plot ready for the title "Bread earner in the family".
Genre: Family emotional drama.
It's a short story based on facts a non-fiction genre.
Summary:
How the bread earner in the ...
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Complex cardiac surgery story
I will be writing a short story with the title as "Complex cardiac surgery".
Can this story written later converted to a documentary movie with the end user audience as MBBS (Medical) ...
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How to write a good coup d'état scene?
I'm writing a story with a coup d'état scene where a free nation's government is betrayed and supplanted by a new tyrannical government; and thus, I'd like to know how quality coup d'état scenes are ...
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Doubt in screenplay definitions
Can someone tell me the difference between scene, plot, story, and structure ?
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Is there a good way to subvert expectations?
In Star Wars, people were mad because of how the writers decided to subvert expectations by making Luke Skywalker behave in an unexpected way, and then there's how Chainsaw Man subverted expectation ...
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Can you make a story compelling enough for a large audience if every character is evil?
Can you make a story compelling enough for a large audience if every character is evil? I thought about this, but most popular stories have some good characters, I am wondering if it's even possible ...
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How to find the right starting point for your story?
I have my story plotted out, but as I’ve been writing, I’ve realized that my main character’s backstory is swimming with potential. I’ve been weaving it in, slowly revealing details and flashbacks ...
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Is a constantly changing world bad?
I'm making a story about a guy who travels through many worlds. There's also a world that he stays in for a larger period than others, with changing hierarchy, powers, laws, and so on.
I know that ...
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Can authors retell their own stories in different ways?
This probably sounds like a stupid question, but I have an idea to take the love story subplot from my fantasy story and retell it in the real world, without any magic or fantasy in it. I love the ...
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Is there a method to determining how many books long your series needs to be?
I set out to write a trilogy, and feel my characters, world, and story are complex enough to warrant it. However, the more I dig into it, I’m sensing three books isn’t enough. But it will be a huge ...
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How "resolved" do things need to be at the end of the first book of a trilogy?
Without going into detail... I'm trying to decide when to end the first book of my trilogy. There are two options that seem natural to me, but one feels more exciting and allows me to drag the tension ...
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Should you make all information available so that your readers know everything that transpired at the end of the book?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5gVDDpviKo
Should you make all information available so that your readers know everything that transpired at the end of the book?
I am asking because there's this show ...
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How do I write a screenplay with three protagonists?
I'm an aspiring screenwriter. I'm in the process of writing my third script. But I'm stuck in a quandary. I don't how to effectively write a screenplay with three protagonists!
The story revolves ...
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Is it a plot hole if a scene that seems to be from the future doesn't match what actually happens in the future (spoiler alert)?
Is it a plot hole if a scene that seems to be from the future doesn't match what actually happens in the future?
There's this scene in the beginning of Gurren Lagan that doesn't seem to match what ...
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When a character outsmarts another character and that character explains how he did it, should you mention things that weren't shown or alluded to?
When a character outsmarts another character and that character explains how he did it, should you mention things that weren't shown or alluded to?
Let's say you have character A, and character A was ...
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