All Questions
16
votes
8answers
774 views
Is it frustrating not to know the narrator's gender?
I have written a 1st person piece and reading it I realize it's very difficult to tell if the narrator is male or female. There are one or two clues, and they come pretty late in the piece.
Would ...
16
votes
12answers
510 views
How much planning should go on before beginning writing?
I really want to begin my first novel, but I'm just not sure how clear of an outline I should have before I start. Is a detailed synopsis of each chapter really necessary, or is it enough to just go ...
16
votes
11answers
761 views
How do you track random thoughts and ideas?
If you're like me, you get story ideas anywhere and everywhere. If I'm at a computer, I'll write down the idea in onenote or outlook or scrivener (depending what's open). If I just have my phone, I'll ...
16
votes
9answers
5k views
What tools are available for world building?
I tend to lean towards science-fiction and fantasy, so world building matters a lot to me. A while ago, there was a question which asked how to go about organizing your universe, which was ...
16
votes
10answers
524 views
How do I construct a plot out of my many setting/character details?
In my creative writing, I typically am inspired by short interactions between things: An overheard conversation. A person's jealousy of a friend's talent. A humorous misinterpretation...
I tend to ...
16
votes
10answers
870 views
Where is a good place to find writing prompts?
I love using writing prompts to come up with story ideas. I'm looking for good sites that have a lot of good writing prompts. One that updates fairly often would be best. :)
16
votes
10answers
997 views
Organizing your Universe?
When writing, I always have tons of ideas about the universe I'm creating as a whole: People, Places, Timelines.
I'm just struggling to organize it. I'd like to avoid inconsistencies in later ...
16
votes
5answers
721 views
What are the most common style manuals?
From Wikipedia:
A style guide or style manual is a set
of standards for the writing and
design of documents, either for
general use or for a specific
publication, organization or field.
...
16
votes
4answers
254 views
Resources about different people types?
I'm native German, but trying to write in English for various reasons. One of the big points in a story is to keep the characters very distinct from each other, and that requires some knowledge about ...
15
votes
11answers
524 views
Which techniques can I use to become a better editor when editing my own writing?
I'm looking to improve my ability to edit and correct my own writing. What are some techniques I can use to help me with this?
15
votes
6answers
337 views
Writing discipline
In today's frenetic, fast-paced lifestyle (especially if writing is not currently your career or means of earning an income), it can be extremely difficult to "make" or find the time that can be set ...
15
votes
9answers
817 views
Any Technique to See if Your Idea is Original?
I usually get quite a lot of ideas for stories, but every time I want to develop them into a full fledged story, I get paranoid about how it might not be an original idea, and how it might be ...
15
votes
9answers
706 views
What methods can I use to revise my writing?
Background
I am finding it challenging to transform an early draft into a finished product. My biggest challenges are putting the prose in the proper order and using topic sentences and transitions ...
15
votes
6answers
477 views
How can I make a story bigger?
I have written a first draft of what I want to be a novel -- aiming for 50-70K words. When the ending arrived I was at about 30K. So I essentially have to double the length. My list of notes scattered ...
15
votes
7answers
918 views
What's Essential In A Combat Scene?
I've just been reading a bunch of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files books. Although they were the most enjoyable read I'd had in ages I always found myself skimming long segments that described involved ...
15
votes
7answers
2k views
Taking notes while reading
I read books for fun and to help my writing. I want to remember the cool things I read, but I don't want to distract from the enjoyment of reading.
Any suggestions on how to take notes or better ...
15
votes
5answers
2k views
Submitting a novel for publication: do editors still expect Courier font?
About ten years ago an agent told me not to submit manuscripts in fonts other than Courier (or Courier New) and to double-space lines. He said editors were prejudiced against manuscripts that looked ...
15
votes
7answers
342 views
When editing for a person, how much can be changed?
The context is a technical document that is written by one person and then sent out for review by others. The reviewers change word tense, change from active to passive voice, and make other style ...
15
votes
7answers
457 views
Could I reach the level of good writing style as non-native language speaker?
I currently write in Russian, but I think of switching to English to gain more audience and to play with both languages and linguistics.
So could I ever reach the level of native English writers and ...
15
votes
3answers
755 views
How do you make a character quintessential, but not cliched or cartoony?
I think it's hard to make a character standout and embody their traits without becoming cliched or cartoons. How do you do this? What are some tips to enlivening a character and making them memorable?
...
15
votes
6answers
334 views
What are the first things I should do with an idea?
I have a lot of ideas for things I want to write, but I usually end up getting lost in a stream-of-consciousness and either lose interest in the idea, or suddenly feel overwhelmed by the breadth of ...
15
votes
4answers
585 views
Is there any point in learning to write in cursive?
I remember learning it as a child, and I remember I was told it was important and every kid in the class had to learn it. But now that I think about it, I haven't used cursive for years.
What was ...
15
votes
4answers
481 views
As a non-native English speaker, Is it better to get translated or get copyedited for long texts?
My English level is average. I can write fluently and my vocabulary is not too limited.
With the thought in mind that the end result must be perfect, is it better for me to write my long text (100 ...
14
votes
14answers
900 views
Is it okay to call the reader's target audience stupid?
I'm a tech genre author, and have already published one book on Android development. However, this book was focused more on the developer of the apps, than the user.
Now I'm working on my second ...
14
votes
13answers
1k views
How much swearing is TOO much? (And how much is not enough?)
I've noticed that some of the most successful writers refrain from using profanity, such as Stephanie Meyer and Norman Mailer. Are readers turned off by swearing in books?
More importantly, is it ...
14
votes
12answers
613 views
For Fantasy Stories, Should You Include a Map At the Beginning of the Book?
If you're writing a fantasy novel, would it be best to include a map of the geography that the story takes place in at the beginning of the book?
I've seen quite a lot of fantasy books (Redwall ...
14
votes
7answers
915 views
What makes writing emotional?
Over the years, my English professors seem to have agreed on one thing: that I'm a superb technical writer, but terrible at eliciting emotional response in something like a story or an argumentative ...
14
votes
2answers
348 views
When modifiers should be avoided?
I've come across the Mark Twain's quote:
"When you catch an adjective, kill it. No, I don't mean utterly, but kill most of them -- then the rest will be valuable. They weaken when they are close ...
14
votes
9answers
6k views
What is a normal length for a chapter?
I've always had trouble determining whether my chapters are within the same size realm as chapters in standard books. Since it isn't exactly feasible to count the number of words in a chapter of ...
14
votes
8answers
451 views
What's a good way to backup your writing?
One of the most important things for writers to do is to back up their work so that in the event of a computer failure, their work isn't lost. But where's a good place to do that? A lot of storage ...
14
votes
7answers
448 views
What are some online guides for starting writers?
I've always wanted to start writing (in a totally amateur way), but whenever I want to start something I instantly get blocked having a lot of questions and doubts.
Are there some resources on how to ...
14
votes
4answers
1k views
What is a beat?
I keep hearing the word "beat" in Writers.SE, as in "... break your scene into beats" from this question. What is a beat? How is it different from a scene?
14
votes
4answers
1k views
What's a typical trilogy structure?
Is there a typical structure for a fantasy trilogy?
To be more specific, would they usually follow the three-act structure, with an act per book? And would each book need a self-contained story arc ...
14
votes
3answers
413 views
Is there a quick way to know I have created a Mary Sue?
For those who don't know what a Mary Sue is: see here.
The problem is, there are far too many ways a character can be a Mary Sue, as seen here. Many websites that offer tests to see if your ...
14
votes
6answers
574 views
What are some ingredients of really engaging non-fiction?
Some of the best non-fiction writers, in terms of sales at least, seem to be able to write in a really engaging and easy to read style that makes their work hard to put down. For example, ...
14
votes
3answers
243 views
How do authors incorporate languages they don't speak?
In many, many English-language novels I've come across characters who speak other languages, most often French for whatever reason.
In many cases, such as with Ulysses and Lolita, this is a simple ...
14
votes
6answers
832 views
Finding before/after examples where writing has been improved, to learn from
I'd like to see a series of example paragraphs, showing before/after a rewrite, to give me specific examples of how writing can be improved.
Is there anywhere that shows such things? I once read the ...
14
votes
1answer
331 views
14
votes
5answers
960 views
What book review sites allow authors to send a copy of their books for reviews?
Since I'm published with smaller publications, getting reviews is often one of the best ways to make sales. But what professional book review sites out there will write a review in exchange for a copy ...
13
votes
9answers
521 views
How can I catch more errors when I proofread?
I have a problem where I often proof my own writing and I don't catch all the errors while I am reading through it. I often miss entire words out of sentences or find myself repeating words. I can ...
13
votes
8answers
1k views
What breaks suspension of disbelief?
So much of Sci-Fi and Fantasy requires the viewer (or reader) to suspend their disbelief: The speed of light can be circumvented, magic works, vampires are real (and may or may not sparkle), etc.
...
13
votes
9answers
934 views
Source ideas for monsters in a fantasy novel?
Does anyone have any suggestions on where to go to get some ideas on different types of monsters that can be created for a fantasy novel? I'm not talking about different variations of zombies or ...
13
votes
5answers
557 views
Can I shop an unfinished novel?
I've been writing a novel that addresses some very current themes. My belief is that if I can get it out there quickly, it will succeed well. I'm working on it frantically, but will agents consider ...
13
votes
6answers
841 views
Keeping track of multiple plot lines
How do you track several plot lines woven together?
I usually run 2 or 3 plot-lines in parallel, so I detail those plots each in a separate document. But as the book goes on, it is sometimes ...
13
votes
5answers
325 views
How do you find your unique style?
Let me preface this by saying I am quite young as writers go, only 20.
Oftentimes as I am writing, I find myself simulating the style of whatever I most recently read-- sometimes the clipped and ...
13
votes
9answers
755 views
Tips for humor writing
Are there any techniques you can use while brainstorming to find humor to include in an article?
13
votes
9answers
2k views
Can a book be written without an antagonist?
I have had this thought running through my head and wondered what your thoughts were on it. Can a book, a story I should say, be written without an antagonist or antagonistic theme? I have an idea ...
13
votes
5answers
2k views
What does active voice mean?
I was reading on here about passive voice but didn't really know what active voice was. I read some examples but was hoping for more insight. What does it mean to write with the active voice?
13
votes
5answers
666 views
When should one *not* present events in chronological order?
Some stories tell well from beginning to end, all in a neat little line...and some don't.
When can a story be improved by using a different order in the telling?
Off the top of my head, I'd say ...
13
votes
5answers
1k views
Signs of Bad Character Development
When creating a character, what red flags would show me that I'm creating an unbelievable or unsympathetic character? I know that to be believable and sympathetic a character must not lean too much ...
