New answers tagged plot
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What do I need to keep in mind when writing a "pilot" episode for a series?
Try looking at Wikipedia for examples. Wikipedia-search a novel you are already familiar with. You can find plenty of good examples. Notice how everything is in short, informative sentences that can ...
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Is it odd to have a bunch of characters with unique personalities and gimmicks in one place?
It's not odd at all, it gives the story more interest.
“This group had a kind of dark glamour within the castle. They were a motley collection; a mixture of the weak seeking protection, the ambitious ...
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How do I get my characters to reconvene after having been separated?
Use adhesive.
Adhesive is a bond between the protagonist(s) and antagonist(s) that binds them together in such a way that they cannot just get up and leave the conflict/story.
James Scott Bell ...
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Is it odd to have a bunch of characters with unique personalities and gimmicks in one place?
Let me introduce you to academia
You want an IRL example of a bunch of weirdos and oddballs all thrown together in one place? Academia is the perfect example of this. I work in a field that has tons ...
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Is it odd to have a bunch of characters with unique personalities and gimmicks in one place?
I don't think it is unusual, think of it as seeking Synergy.
Synergy is when a team (even of two) can accomplish more together than the sum of what they can accomplish alone.
In everyday life, people ...
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Is it odd to have a bunch of characters with unique personalities and gimmicks in one place?
This is less common in the West, but it's quite common in Japanese works. Typically, the main protagonist is fairly ordinary, allowing them to act as a surrogate for the audience, while the supporting ...
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Is it odd to have a bunch of characters with unique personalities and gimmicks in one place?
I think one answer to your question is found in comic books. Would there have been a Lex Luthor without superman? Would the molemen have attacked if it weren't for the existence of the Fantastic ...
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Is it odd to have a bunch of characters with unique personalities and gimmicks in one place?
If it's supposed to be dumb luck, it may come across as contrived, but you have a little leeway even there, because of course stories are generally tales of unusual, not commonplace things. It helps ...
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How do I get my characters to reconvene after having been separated?
I don't think 'how' is the right question to ask. 'The Internet' removes the problem of distance from communicating. If your groups know they need to come together and know each other, then they talk ...
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How can I steer myself away from using pronouns too often as I write in 3rd person?
Pronouns Aren't the Problem
I see two potential issues here: repetitive sentence structure, and focus on choreography.
Repetitive Sentence Structure
She [did a thing] [connecting word] [another thing]...
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How can I steer myself away from using pronouns too often as I write in 3rd person?
I worried about this recently, so decided to do some analysis on some ebooks I owned by exporting sections into word and writing some VBA code to analyse the sentence starter words. Pronouns and ...
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Accepted
Does the plot always have to be in proportion to a normal novel?
Don't edit before you've finished the first draft
As you say, it's best to let the first draft out on the page and postpone worries like structure and size to the editing phase.
So whatever I say here,...
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How to make a "perfect op" character not so op
The key is to humanize them (in a general sense rather than a specific species!) - and by that I mean humans have flaws, troubles and weaknesses that are relatable to the reader. They don't have to be ...
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How to make a "perfect op" character not so op
So there's a good example of this type of character and its found in one of the most popular anime with one of the most popular characters, Gojo Satoru.
Gojo is the teacher in Jujutsu Kaisen. He ...
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Does the plot always have to be in proportion to a normal novel?
Perhaps. Length will make it extremely difficult to get published (unless you publish it yourself), just for the expense of editing, proofing, and then binding the book, if nothing else. Famous ...
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When do you reveal a backstory of a character?
Think of the back story as part of your story. Of course, if your work is short and the back story is comparatively long and detailed, that thread risks derailing all the rest. In my novel, "...
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When do you reveal a backstory of a character?
I see a lot of people say you shouldn't add the backstory at the beginning of your story, I feel as if that's true. Why? let me break it down
If you start your book with a backstory of your ...
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When do you reveal a backstory of a character?
As @nyctophobia457 says, there is no one right time. There's no formula where you can say, "You should reveal the backstory 37% of the way through the novel" or some such. It ... depends.
I ...
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When do you reveal a backstory of a character?
Reveal It Whenever It Has the Most Emotional Impact
Like many things in writing, there is no one "right" way to do everything. You could reveal the backstory of the character at the ...
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