Fiction is a form of prose writing that deals with at least partly artificial or imagined events and characters. This tag should be used for any questions relating to fiction, including fiction formatting and technique, fiction critiques, and the publishing of fiction.
8
votes
4answers
207 views
Characters with no names
I've got a few short stories going, and I've foregone naming any of my characters. It started because I just didn't have any good names in my head and I was going to take care of it later, but now I'm ...
8
votes
2answers
109 views
What to do with my odd-length work?
I've just about finished up the first draft of a piece of work I've put a good deal of love into. It's genre fiction (paranormal/supernatural horror/urban fantasy/whatever they're calling it this ...
8
votes
4answers
893 views
How often do writers develop characters before plot, and why?
As someone who writes a little as a hobby, this is something that I haven't really thought about until just recently, but...
Is it common for a writer to develop characters before actually coming up ...
8
votes
2answers
245 views
How does one include sign language in a dialogue?
If one character is using sign language and lip reading while the other is speaking normally, how do you represent the lines of the former? Quotations with "he signed" attribution or italics? E.g.
...
8
votes
3answers
96 views
How can you submit your writings internationally?
I live in Argentina, and I've always wondered if (given the case of having something worthy) I'd be able to submit it to publishers in, for example, the USA. Of course the writing would be in English.
...
7
votes
7answers
414 views
How to overcome the fact that I can't write long stories?
I have written some short stories (in fact, they are flash fiction). When I'm writing short stories, the ideas and the structure come to my mind by themselves.
Something different happens when I try ...
7
votes
9answers
1k views
What are some examples of modern original plots?
In a comment on this answer, a valuable community contributor suggested that it is possible to be totally original in writing, despite the fact that other valuable community members have stated that ...
7
votes
7answers
193 views
Jumping on the Zombie bandwagon
Is it too late to jump on the zombie bandwagon? There are loads of stories about the possible popular outcome of an apocalypse, is it possible to squeeze anything more out of it?
Or, maybe it would ...
7
votes
3answers
2k views
Use of past vs. present tense in works of fiction
I have recently picked up several works of fiction and begun to read them. I have found that some are written using past tense while others use the present tense.
What is the significance of using ...
7
votes
6answers
201 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 ...
7
votes
4answers
214 views
What to do if I end up confused by my own plot because of 'trying to be original' or 'trying to make the story more deep'?
Sometimes, I find myself in the dilemma that I come out with a plot that tells exactly what I want to say. But then, I try to modify it in order to make it more original (at least, less similar than ...
7
votes
4answers
317 views
How do I successfully structure a long fiction piece?
I’ve ‘completed’ three novels – a thriller, a coming-of-age story, and a mystery. I’ve had expert readers for all three including Sue Grafton who read two of them. All the expert readers have the same ...
7
votes
2answers
304 views
Has this dialogue enough suspense to engage the reader?
I still have to make some grammar and writing corrections but I would like to know if this dialogue Has this has enough suspense to engage the reader (so that he or she wants to read more)?
“Excuse ...
7
votes
2answers
368 views
Is there any hope of a fictional short story being published?
I mean under 100k, probably less than 50k because it's a short story. Actually, I'm not sure how many words a short story has so I have two questions. How short is a short story and is it worth the ...
7
votes
7answers
366 views
Are there good tips on being a better *creative* writer?
I'm a student at Case, and while we of course have an English department, it seems the only kind of writing classes/courses available are for learning to be either a "literary" writer, or a ...
7
votes
3answers
218 views
Is going 'off-topic' a sign of bad dialogue?
I always wondered if going off-topic in a dialogue is a bad or a normal thing.
For example, let's say I'm writing a novel where the main theme is love and loss.
Is it bad if the characters start ...
7
votes
4answers
275 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 ...
7
votes
4answers
213 views
Critique: Intro/Prologue to my Novel-in-Progress
all. Please forgive me, for I'm afraid I'm a novice when it comes to writing fiction. I wanted to get the community's thoughts and recommendations for improving the below passage. I realize it ...
7
votes
4answers
119 views
Is it a bad practice to occasionally add first-person narrative to third-person narrative?
This is a sample of something I wrote:
Erin watched Ruth as she disappeared between the cars and the
multitude of people crossing the street. She stood there for a moment,
staring at the city ...
7
votes
5answers
486 views
“multiple personalities” for character development in writing?
How can I train myself to think in "multiple personalities" so I can use these personalities for character development in writing?
7
votes
6answers
537 views
Examples for books that don't use (traditional) chapters?
I'm a big fan of Terry Pratchett, and he doesn't use chapters (mostly). Are there any other authors who don't or tend to not use chapters?
7
votes
3answers
204 views
Balancing loads of equally-important characters
If you have a dozen good guys, but four of them are the protagonists and the other six are more in the background, it's not that hard to skew the pagetime of each character towards those that are more ...
7
votes
5answers
162 views
Writing from the middle
My biggest problem as a writer is that I always get inspired and then start writing from the middle, in particular scenes or moments which I think will be crucial. Climaxes. These scenes turn out ...
7
votes
3answers
631 views
Third-person objective in action scene
I'm telling a story in third-person objective, the first part being basically an objective description of events around a certain character. I got to a brief action scene, and it fell flat. What the ...
7
votes
6answers
296 views
Killing off a character: deciding if, when and how
Killing off a character is a serious issue. Secondary characters or even extras can pass away without too much negative response from the readers but main characters are a whole different matter.
It ...
7
votes
2answers
181 views
How do I decide if writing expository scenes that won't be in my finished novel is useful, or procrastination?
I tend to burn out developing my stories before they even reach the page, so I'm taking some advice to pants a novel. I didn't quite follow the advice to the letter; I used an idea that had been ...
7
votes
2answers
271 views
How can I create drama in a story that is mostly political and procedural?
I'm writing a fantasy story about whether a teacher should be fired or not over teaching competency; most of the story revolves around the politics and the procedural process of the decision.
So much ...
7
votes
2answers
265 views
How to identify a scene type?
What are the main types in which a scene can be classified, and what are the key concepts for each type?
I am thinking something along the following (guessing the descriptions):
suspense - scene ...
6
votes
6answers
727 views
Coming up with names for species in fiction?
When you are writing a story that is set in a fantasy world (maybe our world with just one made-up element, or a completely different world), what is a good way to come up with names for species that ...
6
votes
6answers
169 views
Should dull dialogue be removed completely?
The following dialogue is from a novel I'm writing (first draft):
"You're quiet tonight," Erin said to Benjamin, who seemed to be lost
in thoughts.
He looked up and took a sip of his drink. ...
6
votes
3answers
317 views
How to avoid repetitive sentence structure?
I've realized that I always start sentences with (name of character), he, she, it, they, her, his, the, after (a moment/that), and then.
I wonder if there's any useful exercise or tip to reduce this?
...
6
votes
4answers
179 views
How to give the readers breathing space, without putting them to sleep?
I remember reading somewhere that while plots should have tension, too much tension will tire the readers out, so there should be some breathing place, where the reader can get a chance to catch their ...
6
votes
3answers
405 views
How to develop a story for a novel?
I am looking for some inspiration on where to start writing a novel. I have a general idea for a plot and characters, but I don't feel it's enough for sitting down and starting to write. It needs a ...
6
votes
1answer
263 views
Is it plausible to get a contract with an US/UK publisher as a foreigner?
Looking for some insight in the publishing industry.
Is it even remotely plausible to get published in with an English-language publishing house (UK/US), when you're not a national nor a resident of ...
6
votes
2answers
203 views
Should the Voice of the Author change with the Point-Of-View Character in a Non-Literary Fiction?
I have been writing an action/adventure novel and am having a tough time deciding whether the voice of the writer should undergo a slight/moderate but not a complete change with the point of view ...
6
votes
2answers
301 views
Can someone explain set pieces?
I was using a book in a writing group that talked about set pieces, but I never really got a clear idea of what it is or how they're supposed to appear in writing. My impression was that you have a ...
6
votes
1answer
139 views
Shared worlds: are there any good collaborative sites out there?
Writing is something that I have wanted to do for some time, and I know that I don't currently have the skill set to do more than putter. Are there any shared world story sites that exist? A ...
5
votes
6answers
823 views
How do I re-interest myself in a plot I am working on?
I've been working on my plot for almost a year now and every time I open my Excel sheet (yes,I know its odd to plot a novel in an Excel sheet but I find it's kind of a clean and clutter free ...
5
votes
3answers
158 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 ...
5
votes
2answers
328 views
Any suggestions to improve these three introductory paragraphs of a novel I'm writing (e.g. writing style, description and flow)?
These are the paragraphs:
Someone had called me at half past eleven. The phone rang six times
breaking the silence and darkness of the room for about ten or
twelve seconds. I didn’t pick up. ...
5
votes
3answers
159 views
What is the name of the genre of stories with multiple realities?
The movie "Sucker Punch" and the "Once Upon a time" series make it hard to distinguish what state of reality is the "real" one (not that it matters).
In "Fixing the Shadow" we encountered a character ...
5
votes
2answers
1k views
What is the recomended word-count for a fantasy-fiction book?
By recommended I mean what is the standard for it to be not too long and not too short. I know I should write until I am finished but I want to take practicality into account as well. Mainly when the ...
5
votes
3answers
469 views
How should I use phrases such as “uh huh”?
I have seen various combinations of interjections (or "grunt words", as they are sometimes called) used in fictional dialogue, such as:
uh huh (which I take for a yes)
uh uh (for no)
nuh uh (also saw ...
5
votes
4answers
195 views
How can I work more efficiently when writing multiple pieces of fiction at the same time?
I'm working on multiple pieces of fiction at the same time, and finding it very difficult. When writing one piece at a time, I'm able to devote my passing time to thinking about the one subject I ...
5
votes
4answers
182 views
What is the Priority in an Action/Adventure Novel: Dialogues or Conflict?
I am currently working on a novel and I was having some trouble finding the best solution for this question. I understand that both dialogues and conflicts are needed in a good proportion to cook a ...
5
votes
4answers
126 views
How to avoid specifying the gender in English when the original text does not specify it?
I'm translating a short story from Korean into English. One problem I frequently face is the 'antecedent pronoun agreement' when the original text leaves the 'gender' of the subject unspecified (and ...
5
votes
6answers
159 views
A cross-[What] kind of romance?
In the scientific taxonomy of Living Things, you have:
Life
Domain
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
etc. down to Species, and maybe thence to Breed.
If I were talking about my neighbor's dog who is half ...
5
votes
2answers
109 views
Has anyone tried “pair writing” before and been published?
Most of the time when two people write a book, one person is doing the majority of the writing and the other is critiquing or helping with the plot or providing technical information that the real ...
5
votes
3answers
688 views
Character details of male archetypes
In this link about character development, the author describes basic male archetypes that are found in a romance novel.
http://www.likesbooks.com/eight.html
My question is: although this is very ...
5
votes
1answer
205 views
How to avoid getting confused while adding symbols within symbols (novel writing)?
For instance, I'm writing a novel where the main character is wandering in a city which represents his wife (symbol number one), but then the places he visits within the city also represent the bad ...
