Questions tagged [structure]
For questions about the connections between and ordering of elements within a written work.
50
questions
148
votes
20
answers
15k
views
How do you write a Stack Exchange answer?
Over my years on StackExchange I've come to view answering SE questions as its own, highly specialized writing subgenre, with its own demands, and its own ideal format. By trial and error, and ...
- 56.5k
14
votes
5
answers
20k
views
How to avoid repetitive sentence structure?
I've realized that I always start sentences with (name of character), he, she, it, they, her, his, the, after (a moment/that), and then.
I wonder if there's any useful exercise or tip to reduce this?
...
- 12.4k
14
votes
6
answers
1k
views
Little disjointed scenes
My MC is going through boot camp. Physically and mentally, he goes from high-school boy to soldier prepared for combat. Along the way there's struggles, there's new friendships formed, there's the ...
34
votes
5
answers
5k
views
How much can a reader remember?
I've been writing some fantasy. Now, inevitably because its a big piece of fantasy, its all very involved with the world, culture, story and general bits. Personally, I'm really enjoying writing it.
...
- 4,439
17
votes
10
answers
3k
views
Is there a method to estimating the length of a work before writing it?
I am writing my first novel, which I think likely will end up being several volumes. Although I have a lot of experience in poetry and short stories, this is a very different challenge!
My question ...
- 758
15
votes
4
answers
2k
views
How do I avoid a “mid-story info dump?”
I am revising the manuscript for a novel. About a third into the story, a major turning point occurs when the main character (through whom the reader follows the story) realizes that things are not at ...
- 1,451
14
votes
7
answers
6k
views
Promoting controversial opinions in a work of fiction
I'm writing a first person novel and main character has highly controversial views, many of which the majority of people would probably consider immoral. Would a character with controversial attitudes ...
- 403
5
votes
1
answer
4k
views
simultaneous dialogues in novels and short fiction
Suppose that several individuals are speaking. There are two conversations occurring at once in the same place. Both are heard simultaneously by each person that is present. Each person participates ...
5
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Put text between section and subsection headings?
Are there rules about whether or not to put text between section and subsection headings (in scholarly works)?
1 section heading
text / no text here?
1.1 subsection heading
more text
...
- 153
5
votes
2
answers
263
views
How applicable are screenwriting ideas to novels?
My current goal is to write a novel (I'm already close to the 35K word mark). However, most of the books I've read about story structure are actually about screenwriting.
While stories are stories no ...
- 1,687
4
votes
2
answers
344
views
How to fill novel if you have just some moments prepared?
I read some of my old novels and realized that I often filled them with unnecessary info and pseudojokes so I could quickly rejoin my favourite moments in the planned plot. I found those moments more ...
1
vote
4
answers
3k
views
Flash-forward as Prologue and then Flashbacks too complicated?
Chronologically, the story begins with the protagonist as a child and description of her world, which is important to the plot.
Since I thought "girl abandoned by parents meets a man who explains how ...
- 431
37
votes
8
answers
29k
views
How do I stop using 'the' to start sentences so much?
Something that always bothers me in my writing is how often I start sentences with the word "the".
A terrible nonsensical example:
The dog ran through the rain-swept streets, chasing a ball he ...
- 4,133
32
votes
4
answers
17k
views
Dashes vs. Commas vs. parentheses?
Occasionally I write sentences containing subparts with extra information. I never know how to block off this information from the rest of the sentence. Three ways I have seen are dashes, commas, and ...
- 481
17
votes
4
answers
47k
views
Where should I put my tl;dr?
By definition
TL;DR, short for "too long; didn't read", is Internet slang to say that some text being replied to has been ignored because of its length. In slang it can also stand for "...
- 763
17
votes
4
answers
4k
views
Would it be wise to make the turning point of a story coincidental?
I've written a fictional story and the way my characters are coming together and forming a bond seems way too coincidental to me.
A lady lives on the first floor while her tenant, a guy, lives on ...
- 455
15
votes
7
answers
4k
views
How to avoid the 'magic explanation' info dump in Fantasy novels
In the second book of his Inheritence Cycle, Christopher Paolini makes the grievous error of landing his main character in the middle of a serene woodland where he must sit and talk with an old elf ...
15
votes
2
answers
10k
views
When we start a book from the climax (from the middle of the chapter), what is it called?
Let's say that we have a plot that goes from A-Z and M is the middle (climax) part of it. There is this style of writing in which we start from M, then again back to A-Z.
At the start of a book is ...
- 315
13
votes
12
answers
22k
views
Example of a fictional story without any characters (the story being 1000+ words)
Guessing that there is no such example, but if there is, I'm very interested in knowing about it.
Just as a short example, just to make it clear it's possible; the example is not intended to be a ...
- 337
12
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Preventing genre-savvy second-guessing in murder mysteries
In a murder mystery, most of the story is generally focused on figuring out who the murderer is; in "Fair-Play" mysteries, it's assumed the murderer is a significant character in the book, and the fun ...
- 28.2k
12
votes
8
answers
2k
views
Should mystery stories have resolutions?
I'm working on the finishing touches of a story that has as part of the plot a possibly-supernatural mystery. I'm feeling rather nervous about the whole thing though because said mystery isn't the ...
- 343
11
votes
5
answers
9k
views
Choosing between your Mother Tongue and another language
OK, I know I was warned, but what can I do? I had this question for a very long time. I have decided where to write (platform like computer or notepad), I am in the middle of deciding my way of ...
- 257
9
votes
6
answers
534
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
8
votes
3
answers
588
views
Any Tips On Writing Extended Recollection In A Novel
So, I've been working for about a month now on my latest novel but have come across some issues in regards to recollections of past events.
I'll outline what I mean, because that's a bit general...
...
- 123
8
votes
9
answers
1k
views
How do I handle a backstory big enough to be a story of its own?
I have an idea I'm working on, where there's a huge backstory that I'm not sure how to deal with.
In my particular case, the backstory and main story are these:
The backstory begins as stereotypical ...
- 1,678
8
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Can a visual novel with branching plotlines be translated into one single book?
For the uninitiated; Visual Novels (abbreviated as VN) are in layman terms a type of game with it's story presented in plain-text accompanied with illustrations of characters and environments, music, ...
- 186
7
votes
5
answers
3k
views
Do episodes of the show House follow a constant structural pattern?
I've seen a few episodes of House M.D., and I wonder, are the episodes written according to a fixed structural pattern? If so, what are the details, and why does such a structure make the show ...
- 937
7
votes
4
answers
29k
views
How can I make my roleplay sentences more interesting, and less lengthy?
For the past four months, I've been writing back and forth with a friend of mine in a form of roleplay. Depending on what's happening, our replies range from a few sentences (usually with dialogue) to ...
- 73
6
votes
1
answer
316
views
What are the stages of The Guardian's Journey?
In constructing a story, I plan on following the following patterns:
The Hero's Journey: The Hero's Journey
The Villain's Quest: The Villain's Quest
My question is, what would be the structure of "...
- 137
6
votes
2
answers
399
views
Is starting In Media Res compatible with a Three-Act Structure?
I have a story in mind which I am confident will fit a three-act structure very well. However, I am uncertain about the exposition that I have been writing, as it feels a bit stifled, almost as though ...
- 744
6
votes
4
answers
238
views
Is it necessary to take writing classes and learn formal fiction structure?
This is an offshoot from a comment exchange on an unrelated question. What to submit when asked for "sample chapters"?
I know a large percentage of traditionally published fiction authors, ...
- 32.4k
6
votes
4
answers
11k
views
Parts, books, volumes, etc
Is there any standard (or at least common) hierarchical arrangement for major divisions of a fiction book? For instance, I occasionally see some large novels divided into "parts", and sometimes I see ...
- 786
5
votes
2
answers
4k
views
Structuring a novel like a television or graphic novel series
I have spent a lot of time reading graphic-novels and watching television series, most of which were anime. Now that I have reached the point where I'm ready to begin writing, I feel drawn to the ...
- 232
5
votes
2
answers
392
views
What format/platform/structure is good for writing for a video game?
I know this may not be the best place to ask this, since it's for a game, but the game is very story driven, so I thought it would be reasonable to ask this on the writers stack exchange.
The story ...
- 4,213
4
votes
3
answers
471
views
My story portrays a process, not a conflict - how do I make the process my focus?
My current WiP is a science-fiction piece which is less about characters coping with a particular problem, and more about the process they go through in reaction to the SF-nal catalyst. My story is ...
- 28.2k
4
votes
2
answers
473
views
How can I structure a novel to contain short stories?
I'm planning a novel where the protagonist is an author and regularly writes short stories and shares them with other characters.
I see this as a great opportunity to break out of the narrative and ...
- 1,900
4
votes
3
answers
3k
views
How many points are sufficient for my essay?
I am writing a 3000 word essay entitled 'Challenges and opportunities of future Civil Aviation'. For the essay, I have taken two aspects of the future of civil aviation in supersonic flight and ...
4
votes
4
answers
668
views
What is the most effective way to transition from one paragraph to the next?
I desire to know how to transition smoothly from one paragraph to another in the body text, but there are a number of ways to do it and I don't know which is best. For instance, I could place the ...
- 410
4
votes
3
answers
393
views
Will the ending spoilt it if I keep my plot twists till the last chapters?
I have set up the plot of a general fiction; with 3 important twists that follow one by one at the end - I figured that it was better than making it a thriller (where there are minor twists that are ...
- 1,312
3
votes
8
answers
1k
views
Does a novel require a conflict?
Unless a better writer can dissuade me I am minded to say no. The 'essential' 'conflict' is cultural. It is part of the western 'Human Condition' - Eastern cultures have stories without conflict.
...
- 5,281
3
votes
3
answers
572
views
Do publishers prefer a particular type of poem?
I've always particularly liked poems with very fixed structure (e.g. a Villanelle or Sestina), both to read and to write. However nowadays, I've noticed a remarkable number of poems I come across ...
- 223
3
votes
3
answers
805
views
Split up the section or flow straight through
Is it a good idea to “split” the action/setting to show actions of other characters elsewhere, or make it flow straight through? Example: My protagonist gets kidnapped. There’s a scene where she is ...
- 43
3
votes
2
answers
186
views
What does "telling and not showing" mean?
I have been told that my writing had the right idea and aim, but my words weren't strong enough to support that. I need some tips and tricks to help strengthen my writing. I've been told that I have ...
- 269
3
votes
2
answers
485
views
Hiding information
I have often noticed this in many books and movies (mostly mysteries) that information is kept hidden from the reader. Like the character goes to some place and returns but what happens in between ...
- 183
2
votes
2
answers
391
views
Normal structure for Dialogue paragraphs
Now I'm not sure whether this is something that's an accepted teaching with regards to structuring paragraphs, or just something that is commonly used...
I'm talking about paragraphs that are ...
- 981
2
votes
2
answers
884
views
Is there a problem in switching from present to past for a backstory sequence?
My understanding was that it's fairly normal for a present-tense novel to switch into past tense in a backstory sequence. But I was having a conversation with a friend and he insists any tense ...
- 123
2
votes
4
answers
2k
views
How much falling action can follow the climax?
I'm writing an action/adventure in the same genre as Indiana Jones or Tomb Raider. I've reached the climax, where the heroes have saved their friend from death at the last moment, and the cave/tomb is ...
- 421
2
votes
3
answers
350
views
Critique: Make excerpt more visual/flow better
I have this excerpt I'm not sure is fluid and visual enough:
Peter came out of the café rubbing his tummy. The chipmunk had a smile on the
face and seemed content.
Not too far behind him was ...
- 269
2
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Tenses I should use in a translated-novel
I have been translating a novel that is originally written in my native language into English. Considering that the book's plot is the author's experience of a life that has happened in the past, I've ...
- 195
0
votes
5
answers
1k
views
How do you fill pages with fluff?
I'm writing a book and I'm finished but it is way too short. It's not choppy but it's missing pieces. The difficult part is my writing style revolves around a confusing and mysterious character. I ...
- 165