All Questions
173 questions
5
votes
2
answers
467
views
How should I format a surprise scene change such that it reads coherently but is still a surprise?
In the current WIP chapter of my most popular web serial, there is a scene at the beginning that is presented as happening "now" (that is, having regular story focus) only to be suddenly ...
- 51
5
votes
6
answers
604
views
How Should We Implement the Given-before-New Principle in Fiction?
It's safe to say I've become a bit of a grammar nerd since I started writing my first novel. Three years after my first words landed on the page, I'm only now coming to the end of my final round of ...
- 75
0
votes
2
answers
149
views
How to provide translations, moods, and registry in multilanguage dialog within an narration in English?
I am starting a serious writing project (a novel book from a story I once drafted as a TV show; I am not a script writer either). Furthermore I decided to write in English, which is not my native ...
2
votes
5
answers
222
views
Is using diverse verbs on action beats to tag speech frowned upon?
Watching a video from an editor yesterday, she said authors should refrain from using too many verbs on action beats, instead relying mostly on "said" and "asked".
I think it is ...
- 1,185
1
vote
1
answer
68
views
Writing a specific atmosphere with a limited ability to
For context, the world I'm writing is where woodland animals (think raccoons, badgers, foxes, etc.) exist on an island without humans and developed their own 'civilizations' (think wolf pack but more ...
3
votes
3
answers
446
views
Numbers in a name in dialogue
If someone is speaking the name of something that includes a number, should the number be spelled out or not? For example...
"I just bought a Mustang Boss 302."
Or
"I just bought a ...
- 31
1
vote
1
answer
111
views
Should I use "***" 3 asterisks or extra blank lines or whatever to indicate the breaks between parallel plot scenes, in a Kindle Vella fiction story?
That is, for example, suppose I have two plots going on, and I've sandwiched (ie. interleaved) them; a few paragraphs of one plot scene alternating with a few paragraphs of a 2nd plot scene.
To ...
- 201
0
votes
1
answer
87
views
Can I tell after already showing?
When writing fiction, I try to adhere to the rule of showing rather than telling. That said, is it ok to tell after already showing?
For example, I have a character already shown to be insecure. Is it ...
- 327
2
votes
2
answers
2k
views
How to describe someone whose eyes sparkle mischievously?
I've been told that I'm telling instead of showing when I say my characters' eyes sparkle 'mischievously.' How do you describe something like that? I've been looking it up and trying different tricks ...
- 33
0
votes
0
answers
46
views
Best Order of Semantic Parts in a Clause for Clarity
It is not that I want all my writing to be so easily understood, but in some writing of mine, perhaps, I want to be as easily understood as possible, such as in certain kinds of fiction, which I plan ...
user25421
0
votes
1
answer
69
views
How to write a character that lost his passion , his purpose that he had for his goal after he achives it and how to revive his passion?
So that character is like any typical sports anime character who loved to play cricket a lot and fortunately was gifted and lucky enough to become a big name in world of cricket but with time during ...
0
votes
2
answers
61
views
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 ...
- 1,122
0
votes
2
answers
116
views
Need help with currencies and numbers/numerals in fiction
How would you write the following in fiction given that my style guide says write out numbers up to and including 99?
From the till, she robbed six 50,000-won notes, two 10,000s and eight thousands.
I ...
- 1
4
votes
2
answers
656
views
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 ...
- 41
0
votes
1
answer
609
views
How to write scenes of negotiation? [closed]
I'm looking for general tips on writing a negotiation scene, and would be interested in some example novels/short stories in which there are scenes of negotiation (preferably light-hearted but any ...
- 111
2
votes
1
answer
188
views
Can I mix different writing styles within a single work?
My editor uses the Chicago Manual Of Style and has told me that even with names ending 's' to show possession, it is still necessary to use 's. I really hate that. Is it acceptable to pick and choose ...
1
vote
2
answers
92
views
When a character is mentally recalling prior dialog verbatim, how should it be quoted?
When a character is mentally recalling prior dialog verbatim, should the dialog be surrounded by double-quotes or single-quotes, be italicized, or get no special treatment at all?
For example:
O'...
- 123
3
votes
2
answers
308
views
Humanoid vs Bipedaloid Word Diction
I'm doing an extensive write-up project, and I'm stumped for how an alien species similar to the human analogue morphology (Two Arms, Two Legs, and Plantigrade-Bipedal standing/maneuvering) should be ...
- 33
0
votes
2
answers
144
views
Formatting new line options with actions and dialogue in fiction
I am getting confused about whether rules determine new paragraph positions or if it's sometimes arbitrary. Some choices seem clear cut, but in the sentence: 'I regarded...' it reads fine to me in ...
1
vote
3
answers
89
views
Can I have one Aristotelian comedy and another Aristotelian tragedy unfolding simultaneously in one book?
In my novel, I have two main protagonists, a father and son, who each have related but separate arcs developing in tandem. Each learns from the other over the course of their stories, culminating in ...
- 327
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
3
votes
1
answer
92
views
When to be literal and when to be metaphorical?
I tend to chide myself when I explain things very literally. However, I've noticed some excellent literature uses some very literal explanation of the scene and even the character's emotions while ...
1
vote
1
answer
58
views
How to get across to the reader a character’s prophetic abilities
My protagonist is speaking to my interpretation of the three fates from Greek mythology. He doubts their abilities until one of them echoes his every word as, or an instant before, he utters them.
How ...
- 327
1
vote
1
answer
98
views
Struggling with using correct tenses, please help! [closed]
I am writing my first book, which I am very passionate about, but there are small details in the art of writing that have me second guessing myself, and then comes the confusion.
I am writing in deep ...
- 135
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
2
votes
1
answer
184
views
How do you format dialogue within a paragraph?
He made his way over to the crimson red telephone box that basked in the afternoon sunlight. Ted knew she was hiding in there. “You can come out now." He swung open the door, with a callous look ...
- 23
1
vote
1
answer
4k
views
How to make my roleplay responses more lengthy/detailed?
How can I make my roleplay responses more lengthy and detailed?
For the recent months I've been roleplaying with several friends. our replies are normally two or three sentences. While I've shown ...
- 11
4
votes
3
answers
335
views
How can I steer myself away from using pronouns too often as I write in 3rd person?
I noticed that I use "she", "he", and "they" - and a lot of sentences also begin with the aforementioned pronouns. How can I steer away from doing this so often as I ...
- 1,075
-1
votes
3
answers
80
views
What word would people with outdated technology make up for a plane? [closed]
In my story, my characters live in the wilderness, and they have no modern technology. They do see ruins from the past (from now) but other than that they have no idea how advanced other parts of the ...
- 107
2
votes
4
answers
274
views
Limited 3rd Person: How to reveal character's black skin?
I have a scene that I'm working on. The character in the scene is an actor who's black wearing a black face. At the end of the scene I have him wiping the makeup and resolving not to wear it again. ...
- 1,909
0
votes
3
answers
217
views
Why is sarcasm so hard to write?
I'm prompted to ask this question because I was troubled by some answers to questions about punctuation in rhetorical questions. The solution also calls into question the notion that 'said' is the ...
- 5,309
4
votes
1
answer
294
views
Is the analysis tool, "I Write Like" just for fun or is it legit?
I was curious because I submitted a few chapters and it analyzed my writing, and came back with I write like Anne Rice. I'm wondering if this is just a "for fun" analysis or if has some truth to it.
- 1,075
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
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: ...
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
2
votes
7
answers
740
views
How exactly can a writer write a horror story without making it so scary to the point where it's actually hard to read or watch?
I've recently started getting into horror lately and trying to learn how all of the genre works so that maybe I myself can write good horror. But there's been one thing on my mind that's been ...
4
votes
4
answers
268
views
How could the disregard for both plot and dialogue tell the story?
I want people to understand what I write, but I do not want to use conventions such as plot or dialogue to tell a story.
Without a plot I have been criticized of not having written a story, but ...
- 668
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
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
3
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Is it stylistically sound to use onomatopoeic words?
I'm writing a non-comedic fantasy novel, and I find myself using onomatopoeic words, like "SLAM!" and "TWISH" (for the shooting of arrows). To my knowledge, onomatopoeic words are almost only used in ...
- 4,053
3
votes
6
answers
280
views
Can I use spoken English at some places over 'technically accurate English' in a general fiction?
I have written my novel as a 'first person singular' and in past tense. There are lot of times in it where I have written it as I will say it while speaking. I have used phrases which have implied ...
- 2,399
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
4
votes
5
answers
978
views
Should fiction mention song names and iPods?
In my novel, the protagonist is depressed. In the story which is in my mind...
The autumn leaves were falling as I was sitting alone and Gary Jules' "Mad World" was ringing in my iPod.
The ...
- 2,399
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
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
2
votes
1
answer
197
views
Vague vs Specific: When to provide motivation details for action in a story?
I'm reading Wired for Story, by Lisa Cron, where she writes the following about being vague or omitting information that the reader does not know:
...being vague is never a good idea...
...Like most ...
- 1,909
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 ...
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
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
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