8
votes
Should I change my character's name if it's a variation of mine?
You're overthinking this. There's a difference between choosing a name because it's similar to yours, and choosing a name because it fits the character.
Example: on stackexchange my username is ...
- 1,285
5
votes
Should I use 1st-person or 3rd-person perspective for an alien character alone in a post-apocalyptic world?
Have you considered the third person limited perspective? That's the perspective in which the narrator sits in the protagonist's head as a passenger and shows us everything through the protagonist's ...
- 2,491
4
votes
Should I change my character's name if it's a variation of mine?
Are your readers going to notice the similarity between your name and your character's name? Of course they will! Maybe not every single reader, but the majority will. If readers didn't notice and ...
- 2,646
3
votes
Should I use 1st-person or 3rd-person perspective for an alien character alone in a post-apocalyptic world?
In first person narrative the reader encounters a person.
First person narrative is
more directly emotional
more conversational
more subjective
less reliable
Here is the beginning of Andy Weir's The ...
- 2,646
3
votes
Should I change my character's name if it's a variation of mine?
Personally, I would change it. I don't believe in name-determinism. I think you can build a character named "Felix" or "Wesley" into the cruelest sociopathic badass in the Galaxy, ...
- 100k
3
votes
What does it mean when people say your dialogue should have its own line?
The guideline -- as there are no rules in writing -- is 'one speaker per paragraph.' In that paragraph, along with your speaker's dialogue, you can include action beats and narrative details.
"...
- 11.1k
3
votes
What should I do while waiting for alpha readers?
I think Brandon Sanderson talks about this in his writing course. Maybe you can find the relevant video, if you want to. I do it a bit like him. Here's my process:
Write a novel or whatever
Send it ...
- 2,646
3
votes
How do you know if your story is too complicated or just complicated enough?
Different readers like different things. What feels too complicated for one reader is intriguing for another. To evaluate your own book, there's two things you can do:
Be aware of what you write (...
- 2,646
2
votes
Does every piece of dialogue need a dialogue tag like "she said"?
In ficion today, we add she said and similar dialogue tags only when it is unclear who is speaking. Otherwise we avoid them.
Turntaking (that is, when the speaker changes) is signalled by a paragraph ...
- 2,646
2
votes
How do you know if your story is too complicated or just complicated enough?
Unfortunately there is no measure of complexity, so there isn't really anyway anyone can answer your literal question.
But I found that many of my stories were too complex. I realized this when I ...
- 11.1k
2
votes
How do you know if your story is too complicated or just complicated enough?
Short answer: It depends.
Long answer: Complexity can be tied in to several factors in a story. Word count is one I like to use. Most books fall within a certain range of word count. The average novel ...
- 1,285
2
votes
Which Is Clearer: 'Being pressed' or 'Pressed'?
In this case, 'pressed against the wall' is more concise and direct. 'Being pressed against the wall', however, has a more nuanced tone and suggests a more continuous state of being pressed against ...
- 21
1
vote
Past progressive in a novel
"He was reading a book while she was driving."
"He read a book while she drove."
The latter is better writing, not because of the type of grammar, but because it conveys the same ...
- 100k
1
vote
Should I change my character's name if it's a variation of mine?
You're overthinking. Sure, there's a possibility for people to make fun of you for it, but there is always a chance of that. People will make fun of anything if they want to. However, if your story is ...
- 113
1
vote
What should I do while waiting for alpha readers?
You finished a novel! Good Job. Now, if I were you, it'd be time to take a break. I'd do something else. Pick up a new book series, write a short story, or even start your next novel. When your Alpha ...
- 113
1
vote
Does every piece of dialogue need a dialogue tag like "she said"?
In any dialog, you have to ensure that the reader knows who said what. There are, however, three ways to ensure that.
Explicitly, attributing it to the speaker: "It's going to rain," she ...
- 8,762
1
vote
How to refer to alternate versions of a character in a non-sci-fi way?
The way you're doing now is perfectly fine. It isn't confusing if it's only two Alices at a time and using "this Alice" to refer to the alternate fates.
However, if more than once fate is ...
- 113
1
vote
Is there a format to write a good treasure hunt story?
General Plot
plot = characters + problem + plot twist + conclusion
Treasure Hunt Plot
For treasure hunt stories you would swap the problem with the prize:
plot = characters + treasure + plot twist + ...
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