All Questions
173 questions
56
votes
8
answers
36k
views
"All of a sudden..." ?
I am writing a manuscript for a novel. It's my first attempt, and often I find myself wanting to write "suddenly" or "all of a sudden". I do this when I want the scene to change in an instant, or ...
- 735
43
votes
16
answers
13k
views
Do hard to pronounce names break immersion?
I have a character in my book named Jiolluav (with the correct accent, Zholl-you-of or /ʒōl-'yoo-äv/), and I've written my entire "novel" (it's a work in progress) using this name. When I asked a ...
- 581
35
votes
10
answers
11k
views
My story is written in English, but is set in my home country. What language should I use for the dialogue?
I'm an amateur writer from the Philippines. I am writing a novelette for an international writing contest. My story is written in English, but is set here, in my country, with my POV character being ...
27
votes
10
answers
7k
views
Does everything have to be accurate?
Do I have to make everything apply to logic, physics, science, etc?
The Harry Potter series has been a major hit, and it is nowhere near to being scientifically possible. But I've noticed that I can'...
- 587
22
votes
9
answers
12k
views
What breaks suspension of disbelief?
So much of Sci-Fi and Fantasy requires the viewer (or reader) to suspend their disbelief: The speed of light can be circumvented, magic works, vampires are real (and may or may not sparkle), etc.
...
- 323
22
votes
7
answers
7k
views
Is head-hopping always bad?
The general consensus nowadays seems to be that being in the head of more than one character is bad. We should be "on the shoulders" or "in the head" of one character, and one character only, if not ...
21
votes
8
answers
4k
views
Is it frustrating not to know the narrator's gender?
I have written a 1st person piece and reading it I realize it's very difficult to tell if the narrator is male or female. There are one or two clues, and they come pretty late in the piece.
Would ...
- 491
20
votes
9
answers
8k
views
I have 97 pages in my book draft. Is it too late to swap to third person from first?
I've been writing a One Piece fan fiction to improve my writing.
I foolishly decided to write it in first person and now I kinda want to change it to third person - but I'm already 97 pages into the ...
- 351
20
votes
6
answers
3k
views
Avoiding Darkness-Induced Audience Apathy
Darkness-Induced Audience Apathy is when the audience is put off by the incredibly dark nature of a fictional work and won't care what happens next, lose interest or want all the characters to die off....
user29299
18
votes
6
answers
4k
views
How to give cartography information in a fantasy setting without being too precise?
I'm writing a fantasy story set in an imaginary world. For the first time, I'm giving geographical information and... I don't really know how to give it, actually. My alpha reader told me it was hard ...
- 283
18
votes
9
answers
4k
views
Referencing modern pop culture in science fiction
A geek today is quite likely to reference the pop culture of 30 years ago: "Do or do not, there is no try", "Beam me up, Scotty" and "Ground control to Major Tom" are easily and commonly recognisable. ...
18
votes
6
answers
4k
views
What is "head popping" and why is it bad?
Most of my writing experience has been with first person, nonfiction stories. Now I want to try some fiction. I'm working in third person, but I'm a little bit confused about how to pull something off....
- 381
17
votes
5
answers
1k
views
What is flash fiction?
Is it simply defined by its short word count? Or are there other accepted conventions in flash fiction? If it's just the word count, how short is too short? How long is too long?
- 719
15
votes
14
answers
8k
views
How can I Switch Protagonists Between Books?
Disclaimer: I am not intending on doing this. It is just a question I thought was fascinating and might be useful to other writers.
Here's the scenario. You're writing a series of novels. After the ...
14
votes
4
answers
9k
views
Has anyone ever written a novel or short story composed of only dialogue? [closed]
The participants describe everything needed for the story to continue, within the conversation. The environment, the emotions, everything. The reader gets to "see" it all through their words.
Has it ...
- 251
14
votes
3
answers
713
views
How to create space
Recently, a few snippets of my fiction have received critiques along the lines of 'Does not give a sense of space'. Or 'needs more description, sights and sounds'.
I think where I am going wrong is ...
- 462
13
votes
9
answers
7k
views
When can You Pause the Story and Speak Directly to the Reader?
Note: This question was previously about breaking the fourth wall. I discovered that my interpretation of that phrase was wrong. I have therefore rewritten the question.
(The above is in place to ...
13
votes
4
answers
318
views
Is it a flaw if a book is readable, flows well, and gets the point across, BUT you can tell that the author is a non-native?
Even though English is not my first language, I have completed writing a fiction book in English.
I have been in the US for over 40 years and I believe that I have a good command of the language. (...
- 131
13
votes
4
answers
1k
views
How can I transition from academic writing to fiction writing?
I always receive the same critique when I write fiction. The critique is good for my characters and plot, but I am told that my writing style is stiff, awkward and amateurish. When I wrote academic ...
user602
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
12
votes
6
answers
4k
views
Are paired adjectives bad style?
I have the habit of using paired adjectives in my writing:
The noise from the engine lulled her with its slow and monotonous rythim ...
... the lights on the ceiling filled the room in a soft ...
- 15.9k
12
votes
6
answers
2k
views
Can I switch from past tense to present tense in an epilogue?
I have written my entire novel thus far in past tense. However, I feel like my final chapter/epilogue would work better in present tense. I want to give the reader the sense that everything s/he has ...
- 121
12
votes
4
answers
5k
views
Is it bad style if the personal first person narrator of a story dies during said story?
Right now I'm writing a novel in which I use the changing perspectives of two main characters with limited information each to slowly unveil the whole plot to the reader. Both use the past tense and ...
- 307
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
11
votes
4
answers
436
views
Maintaining distance
I am working on a novel inspired by the Shahnameh - a Persian epic poem by Abul-Qâsem Ferdowsi. The Shahnameh (the title means "The Book of Kings") is structured as a series of interconnected tales: ...
10
votes
7
answers
335
views
How deeply should I study the background of a community before writing about it?
By "background", I mean the dialects, habits and culture of the community. Also, I wonder if it is even possible to write about a community without being a part of it?
I am only asking this in terms ...
- 1,981
10
votes
9
answers
75k
views
How to describe an angry voice in dialogue?
I've been looking for a word to describe this tone of voice for a long time but never came across it.
Now let me just spread a pinch of context. It's a first person novel, and our protagonist is very ...
- 183
10
votes
4
answers
938
views
What are potential pitfalls for a young writer?
Though I'm by no means perfect, I generally consider myself a good writer. The issue is that most older writers I know look back on their writing at my age and cringe at the sentences their artless ...
- 233
9
votes
5
answers
3k
views
How to describe a kiss between the protagonists in third person?
I'm writing in third person because I want to express the standpoint of both of my characters. Everything's running smoothly except for the part where I want to describe their kiss. I'm in conflict ...
- 455
9
votes
4
answers
3k
views
Using poetry in novels a good option?
I write fiction as well as poetry. And many a times I use poetry as a tool to bring out that acute feeling of pain or love (as required) in my explanations. What if I use poetry to introduce or end a ...
- 177
9
votes
4
answers
609
views
How to write a good fight/action scene?
It dawned on me the other day, after struggling through a fight scene, that I am lost when it comes to writing action. I usually write slower, dialogue-heavy scenes, and I have become used to taking ...
- 268
8
votes
6
answers
3k
views
How to stop projecting yourself into your writing?
I am writing about a person who is transported 10 years into the past, and has the chance to relive their life (actually being able to: 'knowing what I know now I would...')
The trouble is I keep ...
- 303
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
8
votes
4
answers
986
views
Is writing solely about writing a plot?
I often hear that a writer should not write something that is not tightly linked to the plot. "If you can narrate it without it, drop it from your story" - that's what I see.
However, is it really ...
- 413
8
votes
4
answers
255
views
Is it possible for characters to get stuck reacting the same way to everything?
Alright so I am new here so I'm not sure if it's okay to ask this type of question, but I am wondering if it is possible for characters to get stuck in a sort of 'rut' where they react to things with ...
- 81
8
votes
1
answer
1k
views
How to cut down on using too many pronouns (he, she, his etc.) while writing paragraphs (fiction)
I'm a relatively new writer and decided I would try and write something for fun. For the most part I have been finding it alright, however, I am really having trouble with repetitive sentences with ...
- 157
8
votes
2
answers
531
views
How does a novel writer explain the meaning of foreign words without giving the English translation?
I am currently reading a historical fiction novel about the Second World War. The characters are German and the setting is Berlin. The author uses German words or short phrases almost routinely, ...
- 551
7
votes
5
answers
881
views
Is it strange/confusing to initiate/introduce a dialogue without a dialogue tag?
In other words, is it strange/confusing to do this?
For the next few seconds, I watched Aiko read the letter with her lips
agape---lips that steadily curled up into a smile. A contagious one.
...
- 1,143
7
votes
4
answers
1k
views
Will writing actual numbers instead of writing them with letters affect readership?
This question sounds similar to this but I am asking something different.
It is said that Stephen Hawking removed all the formulas except one because with each use of a formula the readers of book ...
- 2,399
7
votes
4
answers
1k
views
Italicize part of a word in fiction?
I am wondering if I can or should take a bit of stylistic license and italicize just part of a word:
He took a sharp turn back into a side street, and collided hard with something that sent him ...
- 735
7
votes
6
answers
1k
views
Benefits of Chapter titles in fictional writing?
So, I'm in the process of writing a Sci-fi novel, and I use a website to upload chapters before I complete it. On the website, I use chapter titles simply because "RE Lavender has just updated Faces, ...
- 1,185
7
votes
6
answers
13k
views
Examples for books that don't use (traditional) chapters? [closed]
I'm a big fan of Terry Pratchett, and he doesn't use chapters (mostly). Are there any other authors who tend to not use traditional chapters or chapters at all in novels?
7
votes
3
answers
302
views
Variation in paragraph length
I've learned that variation in sentence length is good.
How about paragraph length?
I always end up with paragraphs like this:
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam
...
- 12.4k
7
votes
1
answer
155
views
Changing POV style mid-story
I'm writing a story that is told by the main character. The idea is that at some point, he decides that what has happened merits documenting, so he's telling part of it in the past tense. The problem ...
- 356
6
votes
5
answers
984
views
Averting Bathos
Bathos is a storytelling technique that consists in the rapid succession of 2 “moments” with conflicting tones. This trope occurs when a serious moment gets followed by a gag. One of the many, many ...
user29299
6
votes
6
answers
4k
views
How can I add depth to my story or how do I determine if my story already has depth?
I am new to writing. I wrote a lot when I was a kid and teen. I wrote my first book at 6 and then again in high school. I was also in journalism. After high school, life happened. I took an almost 20 ...
- 1,075
6
votes
2
answers
804
views
Is it bad/distracting to mix dialogue and action too much?
One of the answers to this question movitated me to ask this. I don't agree 100% with the answerer, however, I think he has good points.
Do you really weaken the focus if you mix dialogue and action ...
- 1,143
6
votes
5
answers
340
views
How can I convey something without going into details?
I am considering writing a novel in which society has fallen into a perverse pit of debauchery. This is necessary to the novel, but it also presents some problems. I want the reader to know just how ...
6
votes
8
answers
660
views
As a British writer writing a story set in America, should I write the narration in British or American English?
I asked this question on the English Language & Usage site but I thought it useful to ask here, too, since it is a writing issue.
I'm writing a book that's primarily set in America; my protagonist ...
- 61
6
votes
5
answers
470
views
Can fiction be written without a coincidence?
Does every fiction has a coincidence? Is there any evidence for a fiction not having a coincidental occurring at all ?
I understand by the time we get to the coincidence part it might not seem a ...
- 455