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Common, repeatable methods of achieving particular storytelling effects or of avoiding narrative pitfalls.
26
votes
7
answers
6k
views
How can I make "acts of patience" exciting?
It is a common technique [...] to represent
qualities and emotions through physical actions. [...]
But it is hard to
translate patience into action. [...] …
21
votes
7
answers
3k
views
Detail vs. filler
How can I minimise the "filler" text that I end up writing when fleshing out a scene with detail?
An appropriate level of detail seems to me to be a fundamental requirement for good prose. Whatever I …
2
votes
Secondary characters in character-study fiction
Adding a couple of points to @Mark Baker's answer (please read that one first).
It is fine if the secondary characters exist solely for the purpose of supporting the main character, but don't let the …
10
votes
Rapid change in character
Time is an illusion in storytelling--one that you, the author, create. You can skip millenia just by saying that they passed, and you can spend as many pages as you wish to describe a single moment, f …
9
votes
What are some bad ways to subvert tropes?
There's a danger with subverting tropes, in that you can end up giving misleading promises ... e.g. your story seems to be a romcom for the first 20 pages but then !surprise! it's a horror--well, all …
13
votes
How can I convince my reader that I will not use a certain trope?
It seems you need to come out as an omniscient, reliable narrator and directly tell your audience the fact you want them to have no doubt about. One, often problematic, way to do this is in a prologue …