@Alves689
Last seen: Mon 17 May, 2021
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: Audition Scene: Writing a Book with a audition scene for a child I want to write an audition scene in my book. The character is eight, turning nine in a few months, and she will be auditioning
I want to write an audition scene in my book. The character is eight, turning nine in a few months, and she will be auditioning for the main character role in a child fantasy show. I've never been to an audition except for a school play, way, way back and don't really remember the process except for three judges behind a table.
I've looked all over the web for answers but can't get one, can someone help me.
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: Re: How can I slow down my story without drama? Been reading through my stories, and I've noticed that there's a lot of shooty-shooty-bang-bang where people fight each other, but not a whole lot
You could add in more descriptive language or foreshadowing to your story to slow down the plot a little. You could also add additional dialogue/internal dialogue that would show the characters' emotions without being too dramatic, but still slowing the plot down. You could also add extra supporting characters that would help to move the story along, or could create a problem or roadblock for the main characters/protagonists.
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: Re: Is it okay to use "It was all just a virtual world / dream" for a plot twist? I am currently writing a novel where I use "It was all just a dream" (IWAJAD) plot twist, just because
To expand on what @Mary said, the reason people don't like the "it was all a dream" twist is that it cheapens what came before.
Imagine if you, the reader, have gone through all emotion of watching a protagonist lose their best friend, suffer through the grief and self-doubt that results from that loss, overcome it, and arise triumphant to beat the bad guy and honor their friend's memory... only to be told "Haha! Got ya, none of it ACTUALLY happened after all!" It makes you feel like you were tricked into wasting your emotions for no reason.
One of the best book series I ever read was ruined for me at the end through a gimmick like this. After all the heartbreak, building of friendships, struggles, and perseverance that the characters went through, at the end it was all "magically undone" just so one character could be with his girl who died a long time ago, and none of it had ever happened. Sure, there was a note in there about how they would "make sure" the two who became a good couple during the series would still end up together, but since what made their relationship so good was the things they went through together that brought them together, it felt like the foundation was taken from out from beneath their relationship, and therefore knowing they would still be together was not satisfying. And what about all the other characters who became better people and went through trials during the story? Magically hand waved to a state of bliss where none of that misery ever occurred. The whole ending felt cheap and unearned, and therefore, again, ultimately unsatisfying.
I'm not saying this kind of plot twist CAN'T be done well, just that you need to handle it VERY carefully, since a story hangs on the stakes presented by the plot and on the growth of the characters. It's very hard to "undo" a large part of the story without undoing the "progress" made in those things and making the reader feel tricked or unsatisfied. Proceed with caution!
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: Re: As an author, can I afford to get emotionally attached to my work? It's said that to be a good writer you ought to "Write what you feel and feel what you write." While this sounds
You can (must, really!) be passionate about what you write, which inevitably ends up with you being emotionally attached to and invested in it.
But you gotta be Abraham with Isaac. Love it, but willing to sacrifice it in the name of good story telling. Doesn't mean you care about it any less, you just have to be brave enough to be mean to it in SPITE of that fact.
I would argue that it is a learned skill as a writer to step back, examine your work critically, admit that something that will make you sad for your characters or plot will actually IMPROVE the story, and do it anyway.
Finally, this is why we have workshop groups and beta readers. Other people can look at our stories and see what we can't (since we are biased, not only are we attached to our work, but we have other "blind spots", for instace, knowing how everything is supposed to unfold already makes it harder for an author to tell what a normal reader will pick up on in the text and what they will miss. Learning to estimate this is, again, a skill that must be practiced. And good beta readers should pick up on it if you don't.). If a bunch of good writers look at your story and say "y'know, after the first act, this one character doesn't help the plot much and if you KILL them it will create great conflict for the other characters" but you love that character SO MUCH... at least now you've had it pointed out to you, you can hopefully think critically about their feedback and determine whether or not the ONLY reason you are keeping that character around is because you like them.
So in a nutshell: The trick isn't to stop being attached to your work, it is in practicing a) the ability to step back and examine it objectively anyway, and b) the willingness to make necessary changes even if they bum you out.
I've heard of writers who cry writing a scene in which they kill someone or do something terrible to a character. But they do it anyway.
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: Re: Improving my story opening? I'm writing a story about a woman driving cross-country in search of her childhood home. There, she discovers the small town has grown to a suburban sprawl, and she's
I agree with friendly's answer about the need for a better hook. This is why it feels a bit bland to you, I think. Assuming this is at the very beginning of the whole story, we need a bit more to catch our attention. The opening sentences are supposed to get us interested and asking questions, but they also needs to answer a few questions, particularly "Why do we care?" Part of the problem here is that we are still asking, "Why do we care?" while the story goes on to describe scenery. Literally all we know is that someone (Grace) is going to see someone else (Woodbridge, or at least his house) in some place where she hasn't been in 9 years. We don't care about Grace or Woodbridge, they are just names to us so far, and therefore we don't care about the scenery either.
Think about some of the most attention grabbing first lines in books you have read. "Peter was thirsty, but there were no water fountains to be seen in the park" is not nearly as interesting as "If he didn't find something to drink right now, Peter feared he would die." Simply changing the emphasis of the first sentence can help to get attention, highlight the questions the reader should be asking, and set the author up to answer them.
Primarily in this case some things you want your readers to be curious about are: "Who is Grace? Who is Woodbridge and why does she want to go to Woodbridge's house?" It seems you also want us wondering about the setting, since you are spending so much time hammering in how much things have changed. So we are meant to be asking "Why has it been so long?", "Why is she back now?", and "How are these changes going to be good or bad for our hero?"
So to briefly illustrate what I'm trying to say: Let's say you instead were to begin "It had been 9 years since Grace had last visited Woodbridge's house." This slight rephrase puts at the forefront the bit you seem to want us most curious about, aka the fact it has been a long time (just speculating based on the little you gave us so far). If you were then to add, for example, "but now she had no choice but to return", it would immediately provide some more information that might provoke interest. We would now know the answer (or at least a partial answer) to "why has it been so long?": Grace has been actively avoiding going there (and now want to know "why?" maybe she hates Woodbridge? in which case we now are definitely curious about him, or maybe the house is haunted?) We also know there is something that is forcing her to go anyway, when she would rather not, and we want to know what that is. Even something simple like this, just one or two sentences could provide enough of a "hook" and interest that when you proceed to discussing the changing scenery, you're reader is willing to go along in search of answers to previous questions, and you can give them new questions while you're at it.
Now obviously in your actual story Grace may actually be excited about visiting Woodbridge instead of adverse to it. It doesn't matter. My point is, let us in her head a little. Give us a reason to care. You clearly think there is something we should care about concerning both Grace and the situation, or you wouldn't be writing it. Figure out a way to get the reader in on the magic, and asking the right questions. :)
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: Re: Is the often used black and white symbolism inherently racist? It is an extremely common trope that white/light means good and dark/black means bad/evil. I thought that - contrary to the appearances
Disclaimer: The following is just my own less than fully informed opinion.
I do not think one can argue that this symbolism is INHERENTLY racist, because the symbolism predates the white/black racism being referenced. In its original form it is most strongly linked to the color white having an association with light and black likewise with darkness, and it is the positive and negative associations about light and darkness that then carried over to these colors to create the original white = good, black = bad symbolism. This symbolism shows up in material far prior historically to black slavery and the period when the concept of white person = superior, black person = inferior became a common mindset (actually, you see these white/black, light/darkness themes popping up pretty much as far back as we have record of stories and literature. If you look through the Christian Bible, for instance, it is full of this symbolism). Honestly the fact that those with fair skin were the oppressors and those with dark skin the oppressed is an unfortunate coincidence with this preexisting symbolism. Were it the other way around with white people having been enslaved by black people, the white = light and goodness and black = darkness and badness symbolism would almost certainly still exist (since as I said it already existed prior), it just would be less likely to suffer the misfortune of getting tangled up with the skin color bias since it wouldn't be nearly as convenient for the people who want to think they are better than others. So, as I said, the symbolism is not in and of itself racist.
HOWEVER, that does not at all mean it cannot be racist. For those who believe that there is some sort of inherent superiority of light-skinned folks over dark-skinned folks, the symbolism of white = good and pure whereas black = bad and unclean is an awfully convenient prop to use to further justify their biases. Returning to the example where the Christian Bible is full of the aforementioned symbolism, I guarantee you this been used by folks who attempt to use their religion and their assumptions about connections between the symbolism and skin color to argue they have some sort of divine support for their racism (and as a counterpoint for those who are about to say "See? The symbolism is now associated with racism and is therefore now automatically racist!", if that is true then that goes for anything. And I guarantee you any Christian who both despises racism and believes the Bible is a holy text will object if someone were to argue that the Bible itself is now racist because people who are racists have attempted to use it to justify racism and some might now associate it with said racism as a result). Nevertheless, the fact is that there can be an association built there, so it is something we need to be aware of and careful with.
Should we automatically accuse someone of racism or furthering racial stereotypes because they write a novel with evil knights in black castles and good knights riding white horses? NO. The symbolism is too old and broad and widely found for us to narrow it down to a single potential association for use as a woke rage trigger whenever it appears. But really, it may just be better to avoid it in your writing (most people use it because it is so well known and has so may connections to other symbolic themes, especially the light/darkness bit. But there is absolutely no reason it has to be this way. As another answer mentioned, look at the Recluse novels. In that case the colors symbolized something completely different, in fact in many ways opposite from their stereotypical uses. Honestly many times relying on old, worn tropes in just laziness on a writer's part. Maybe your villain likes the color green and actually prefers his castle to be well lit. Give him some personality rather than making another deep voiced jackass behind a black scary helmet who only wants everyone to suffer for no reason.)
So when should we become angry about someone using the white/black color symbolism? Because I guarantee someone out there who is using it deserves a little wrath, right? I would suggest when there are other clues that imply something more than a simple white = light and black = darkness motif is being implied, or that motif is just one piece of a larger, suspiciously non-egalitarian picture. Are all the black people in the book stupid, jerks, or part of a less than civilized race while all the heroes are fair of skin and blond of hair? Or is there one token black guy in there who doesn't really do much but just seems to exist to be "the black guy"? Is the white/black symbolism expanded upon with world building that implies the color black ITSELF is evil and anything associated with it is also evil by default? Is the entire known world just white people despite there being lots of travel in the plot, multiple races, and lots of characters? You get where I'm going with this.
So in short, my answer to this question is that the white/black symbolism on its own deserves to be given the benefit of the doubt, but I don't think that means we should let authors entirely off the hook. Good writers ask questions like the one above and think critically about things.
Edit: I think something I was trying to get at but didn't manage to fully put into words in the original post is that not only does the white/black symbolism predate the current white/black racism, but it is STILL USED broadly enough that despite the fact it can be associated with racism its occurrence does not necessarily serve as a statement about race. For every white/black symbolism reference out there that has some connection to racism, there are myriads more with absolutely no connection at all, from all eras and genres of literature. Hence the association with racism, I would argue, is not strong enough to overtake and supplant the wider usage of the symbolism to the point that when an average person sees the symbolism they automatically make the connection with race. If this were to become true in the future (either because a very noisy group of racists start waving the symbolism around and or because a noisy group of woke political correctness gurus start complaining about the possible connection loudly enough that everyone starts thinking about it as connected) then we'd have a much greater reason to avoid using the symbolism entirely to avoid giving anyone the wrong idea.
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: Re: Everyone has a book in them, but in most cases that’s where it should stay. Does that apply to me? Everyone has a book in them, but in most cases that’s where it should stay I'm not
Join an online writing community.
There are a number of online communities where people write serial fiction and publish it online for other members of that community to read. Sometimes these are fanfiction communities, sometimes they're web novel communities, but either way, by participating in them, you'd have the opportunity to work on improving your writing skills, as long as you're willing to accept that your story will likely never be published as a physical book.
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: Re: Do I have to start my story with my main characters? What I mean is, does my story have to start with my main character being introduced, or can I start with their parents and then ease
Adding in another fictional element and example, we see this technique used in The Last of Us (video game) where you start the game as the main protagonists daughter.
The intro to that game creates a very strong purpose and drive for the main character. Here you are setting up the main story through
the tragedy of a character that we only meet in the first chapter where she dies in the arms of her father (the protagonist).
There's a rather interesting Elders play video of older people playing the intro sequence and their reactions to the storytelling of it.
Setting an intro up like this, while not having the protagonist as the main character, ultimately makes the player/reader have a stronger bond with him. So it can be used very well in storytelling when used correctly.
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: Comparison of two quantities I found the following passage in an NPR article today: The Biden campaign and supporting groups have spent almost 90% of their money there, while Trump and Republican
I found the following passage in an NPR article today:
The Biden campaign and supporting groups have spent almost 90% of their money there, while Trump and Republican organizations have spent 78 cents of every dollar across the six.
(Source: www.npr.org/2020/09/15/912663101/biden-is-outspending-trump-on-tv-and-just-6-states-are-the-focus-of-the-campaign) I don't understand why the author decided 90% once and then "78 cents to every dollar" the second time. Is it to avoid repeating "%"? Would it not be easier for the reader if the two quantities are represented equally?
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: How to make "new apprentice" type info-dump less boring I'm writing a story wherein a teenager X gets suddenly and involuntarily enlisted in an sci-fi army. I need to explain certain technology
I'm writing a story wherein a teenager X gets suddenly and involuntarily enlisted in an sci-fi army. I need to explain certain technology to the reader, and the army needs to explain certain information to X, like how their FTL communication device works, why they don't have AI combatants and the like.
How can I do it so that the reader does not have to vicariously sit through a lecture, and if that's unavoidable, how can I make it less boring?
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: Correctly phrasing a sentence containing "along with" followed by a list I have the following sentence structure and I am wondering about the best way to phrase it: "Along with A, B, C
I have the following sentence structure and I am wondering about the best way to phrase it:
"Along with A, B, C and D have been shown to influence the production of E."
What I am trying to convey here is that while it is well understood that "A" influences the production of "E", the reader should also be aware that "B, C and D" also influence the production of "E". Of course I could write it out in this fashion but this is much more wordy. As such, I am wondering if there is a structure or set of punctuation to make this meaning clear in relatively few words.
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: I want the protagonist to win, but the antagonist is overpowered I am writing a story about a normal teenager who is suddenly transported to this world that will soon be attacked by a powerful
I am writing a story about a normal teenager who is suddenly transported to this world that will soon be attacked by a powerful enemy overlord that rarely shows himself. I would like the protagonist to win, but since the overlord is so strong I am unsure where to begin. It is supposed to end off on a good note, but now I am debating to kill off the protag at the end of the story, which I do not want to do. Do I need to re-write the story to change the outcome?
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: Re: Resume sentence fragment conundrum I am updating my resume and need help making this sentence grammatically correct. Is it ok as is? It is for a bullet point list of job duties on a resume.
I have found only one point: the punctuation. You end the bullet point with a full stop although it is not a complete sentence. You can do that if this is the last list item and all previous items end with a comma, like this:
first item,
second item,
last item.
Alternatively omit all punctuation:
first item
second item
last item
Or if you rephrase everything to form complete sentences use a full stop each time, but I do not recommend it in this case.
There are also other styles of punctuation; there seems to be no real consensus. You find various questions and answers on English Language SE. The important thing is be consistent. If you have other bullet lists in your resume, apply the same style.
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: Re: How do I write dialogue as heard by a POV character who isn't fluent in the language? So I'm writing a story during the course of which my main, first-person-POV character learns another language,
I understand both of your approaches. Write your story in a way that the readers travel along with the main character. If he/she doesn't understand the language in the beginning, let the reader experience the same. As the plot moves, introduce the foreign words. The readers will automatically get the gist of the meaning for the foreign words.
My suggestion would be: if you still face a difficulty in writing the story with foreign words and conveying their meaning to the readers, then introduce a new character. May be a translator or a tourist guide who travel alongside with the main character atleast for the some time while the main character learns the language. It will really engage the readers.
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: Re: How can I begin writing a short story? I like to read short stories, novels, documentaries etc. I used to write a diary as well. I am interested in beginning to write a short story or some
A short story could start from your very own personal experience. Take one memorable experience from your life, make it as a story with fictional names. It is not necessary for short story to be narrated from a 3rd person perspective.
Narrate your story to the readers the way you talk to your friends. You'll definitely have the "could have been better" scenarios in such experience. Add them to your story and make it delicious.
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: Re: Does a technical writer need a technical background? Does a technical writer need a technical background?
No. I have been there and done that from both sides.
A technical writer needs to know enough to understand what they are given/told and turn it into something useful. Their job is to turn technical talk into something useful for non-technical people, and also to format it in a style the company uses for their documents.
Content has to come from the engineer/programmer, who may need help getting the useful information onto a page for editing and rewriting. The worst case would be interviewing them and creating the first draft for them. More often, it is checking back to see what they really meant or to fill in holes of things they omitted because 'everybody knows that'.
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: Re: Literary magazines that publish surreal/absurdist fiction? Does anybody know of any literary magazines that publish surreal/absurdist fiction? I have a short story I'm looking to submit. The closest
This post may help you: What journals publish surreal fiction?
As is mentioned in a comment on that entry, I also recommend Duotrope as well as Google search. Duotrope will let you select genre, subgenre, and style. There are a number of different combinations you can hunt up, including both science fiction and fantasy. Duotrope checks their listings regularly, so you have information on whether the journal is still active and when they are accepting submissions. Always check the website for the individual journal to see what their submission process is. Good luck!
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: Is there a way to make MS Word or LO Writer to automatically indent paragraphs in a section except for the first paragraph? I would like to make a style in MS Word or LO Writer that will
I would like to make a style in MS Word or LO Writer that will leave the first paragraph of a section or chapter (i.e. anything that follows a heading) unindended, but indent all the paragraphs that follow in the same section.
I think there is a way to do that with LaTeX, but I would like to find out if I can do it in those popular text editors as well.
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: Re: What is the best way to move a regular writing workshop online? Given the ongoing efforts to reduce close personal contact with others due to COVID-19, I am seeking suggestions for the best
Google Docs is a free and user-friendly way to share writing, collaborative edits, and comments. You could have that (or any similar web application) up on the screen, while on a call, to approximate the experience of being in a room together with printed writings.
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: How to present a 1st-person Narrator with a 3rd-person account of the same incident I am writing a Historic Fiction novel. The story is being narrated by someone. The entire story is from the
I am writing a Historic Fiction novel.
The story is being narrated by someone.
The entire story is from the Point of View of the Narrator, based on information she knows.
What is the best way to distinguish the 1st-person Narrator's Voice and the 3rd-person Incident that is presented to the Reader?
Here is what I have done so far, please advise.
Narrator is telling the story:
My mother's village was a caravanserai of what used to be the Silk Road. Traders still arrived in caravans with exotic goods from far-away lands such as Turkey and Iran.
The Incident that is presented to the reader:
2-year old Ranjo saw her big Brother walk in with a bag. He had purchased toys for her.
Finished Text
My mother's village was a caravanserai of what used to be the Silk Road. Traders still arrived in caravans with exotic goods from far-away lands such as Turkey and Iran.
2-year old Ranjo saw her big Brother walk in with a bag. He had purchased toys for her.
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: Re: Can I self-edit my own book before submitting to Publisher I am attempting to write a novel that is easy to read. Totally understand people have short attention spans, hence I use many short
Any of us can edit and rewrite our manuscripts so long as we have not submitted them to a publisher. This means you can edit your book yourself. But, unless you plan to self-publish, don't set your heart on getting it published word for word the way you edit it. The publisher may see ways to improve it.
EDITING HELP IN PUBLISHING INDUSTRY
At the Publishing House
Based on what I've read in "Author's Notes" and in "Acknowledgements" in the front and backs of books, as well as in autobiographies of published authors and in the how-to-write/publish literature, the Publisher's Editor will most likely ask for additional changes. The publisher's goal is to sell the book. The Editor's goal is to make the book saleable. All the authors I have read feel deeply grateful to the additional changes required of the Editor; it inevitably makes the book so much better.
Personal Anecdote
I have had similar experience here on Stack Exchange. I wrote an answer as best I could, aware that the structure was not quite as solid and clear-cut as might be desired. However, I have only one brain and it is capable of only so much. I submitted the answer. A kind reader suggested that a certain point should be more clearly stated. At first, I did not think this was necessary or possible. However, as I let it simmer in my brain for some time, an idea occurred to me on how to do it. A bit of rewriting was called for, maybe a sentence or two. In the end I was pleased with the result; my answer now had the nice solid clear-cut structure I had originally desired. Readers liked it, too.
That is one side of the story. Not all publishers and authors are a good fit.
What if the author disagrees with the publisher?
I have talked with/read autobiographies of authors who preferred to self-publish rather than agree with a publisher's ideas of how their book should be edited. Others preferred to look for another publisher. The decision to look for another publishing venue must be made before a contract is signed by the author.
Literary Agents
There is another possibility if one feels inadequate to self-edit and publish, or feels inadequate to handle highly detailed and complex binding legal contracts with publishers potentially worth a lot of money. Literary agents are trained to handle this business end of the author's work. Literary agents help the author fix up the book, find a suitable publisher, understand and negotiate the best contract, etc. They do this for a percentage (15%?) of the author's payment. In other words, a literary agent does not get paid until and unless the author gets paid. It is in their best interests to get the author the best deal possible.
A very successful self-published author I once listened to was a businessman by career. Based on his presentation, I concluded that his knowledge of marketing and sales contributed immensely to his success in self-publishing. I myself do not have that knowledge and will be best served to share my earnings with a literary agent.
TIPS ON SELF-EDITING
Whatever route you take to getting published, you can self-edit your book to your heart's content. The better the manuscript you submit the better the chance that a publisher will accept it. The publisher will consider how much the Publishing House needs a book in the genre vs how much time must be invested to polish it for the market so that readers will pay money for a copy, i.e. buy the book. And that's the bottom line because publishing is a for profit business.
Model To Follow
It is good that you have at least one model by which to guide your self-editing. You may want to find others--good and bad, so you are not restricted by the ideas of only one author. Since you are writing for a culture other than the one the story is set in, you may also wish to educate yourself on writing for cultures outside the one in which the story takes place.
Since I've been working on a similar situation for the past ten years, I will share some insights and pitfalls I have become aware of.
WRITING/EDITING ACROSS CULTURES
I am setting a story in my native culture (horse and buggy Mennonites who speak, dress, and live differently from surrounding society) in a novel meant for the general public. My model is New York Best Sellers when writing about a culture that considers New York Best Sellers inappropriate reading material.
Bridging the Cultural Divide
Bridging the cultural divide has been a major challenge all on its own for a few simple reasons:
I have to provide enough information for the uninitiated public to understand what is happening, what the religious symbols mean, and why the Mennonites say things the way they do, use the names for each other that they do, etc.
I have to be careful not to "speak down" to the intelligent reader of the general public. Readers may not know the details of the culture but they know the human condition.
With regards to "the stranger" or "the other," humans tend to either idealize or demonize. For my tone and writing style I have to find the thin line between idealizing and demonizing.
Idealizing vs Demonizing
Idealizing vs demonizing can occur on different levels.
As an author of a different culture than my targeted audience, I may find myself inadvertently either idealizing or demonizing the reader, which would play havoc with book sales. I may also unconsciously set up the reader to feel for the Mennonites either idealization or demonization. That would defeat the purpose of my book, not to mention the social problems it might cause.
To promote peace on earth, I must write and edit my book to show that all of us--despite material culture, language, and lifestyle--are humans on an equal basis. That requires a different set of skills than if one is writing a story set in their own culture for their own culture. Study in cultural anthropology and religion has helped me get some perspective, as well as reading the kind of books I want to write.
Just now I found a great tip in 7 Tips for Writing About Other Cultures:
Readers should identify with your character’s human characteristics
over everything else. The most interesting thing about Katniss
Everdeen is not her cool hunting skills, but her unfaltering love for
her sister that makes readers invest in her as a character.
Will You Need a Professional Editor?
If all of this feels intimidating you are free to hire your own editor before submitting your manuscript. I know one author who did that. It gave her the confidence that she really had what it took to write a book. Be aware that professional editors charge massive amounts of money for their services. Personally, I prefer to learn the trade on my own and ask a few friends to proofread it.
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: How to NOT get sad when writing I am writing historical fiction novel. Some parts are very sad. I am identifying with my characters to develop and write about them. How to move past the sadness
I am writing historical fiction novel.
Some parts are very sad.
I am identifying with my characters to develop and write about them.
How to move past the sadness and write about ill-fated characters.
Remember, you cannot have rainbows without rain.
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: Re: How does one avoid inevitable influences being obvious when writing something like superheroes? So I have been debating writing a story idea I have had swimming in my head for a long time.
Try changing their aesthetics and/or powers.
For example, you ask how to avoid getting people to call a character "that guy is basically Superman". So, if you want to avoid that, you have to ask what would cause people to do that. For superheroes, specifically, I think that would boil down to their superpowers and aesthetics. If they're a guy who wears tights and a cape, and is invulnerable, superstrong, and flies, they'll probably go "that's basically Superman".
For example, if you have your Superman-equivalent be a xianxia-style martial artist who wears an elaborate robe, and whose powers derive from his knowledge of ki manipulation and his cultivation of the Tao of the Fist, that's a lot less Superman-like even if he's still flying around while superstrong and invulnerable. Maybe your Batman-type might be a vampire who decided to use his vampire powers for good after his transformation, to the amusement of his vampiric sire.
You might get them compared to other characters with similar powersets and aesthetics, though (e.g. "that sounds like Goku from DBZ").
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: Quoting italicized text: keep formatting? I'm quoting a sentence from Carl von Clausewitz' On War. He has part of the sentence italicized though: Obstinacy is a fault of temperament. Is
I'm quoting a sentence from Carl von Clausewitz' On War. He has part of the sentence italicized though:
Obstinacy is a fault of temperament.
Is it necessary to maintain his formatting? Ideally, I would like omit the formatting so it's consistent with the rest of the sentence that the quote will be placed in.
I know if I was adding italics/bolding for emphasis, I would need to indicate that the formatting was my own by saying something like "Emphasis mine". Is there a reverse of this though to indicate that I've removed emphasis (which seems to be his intent)?
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: Re: Gerund vs noun in academic writing I wonder what is the best way to describe things in an academic manuscript writing. for example, I have a sentence therefore, passivation of the surface or
The former is more common - Passivation and Introduction.
It is conventional in scientific writing to be as removed as possible from the suggestion of human interference. Hence the use of the third person rather than the first in papers.
The use of the noun form reads more naturally in this format. A gerund like passivating implies a deliberate action and gives an impression of inconsistency with the third-person narrative.
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: Re: What's the rule on revealing something to the audience, but not the characters? This is a common problem I have writing fantasy. Most of the trouble comes from revealing a monster, but for
Maybe the viewpoint character could refer to the minotaur as 'the beast' or 'the monster'? Meanwhile, you could indicate to the readers that it is a minotaur by describing its appearance in such a way that it is fairly obvious. For example, you could say something like:
I spun around to see a hulking beast standing behind me. The monster had the head of a bull, but when it opened its mouth I could see sharp, blood-covered teeth inside. Though it stood on two legs and had arms like a human, it was covered in shaggy brown fur and had hooves instead of feet. The beast growled, then charged, thrusting forward wickedly sharp horns.
Just an idea. You may want to look at a few Rick Riordan books; he does an excellent job of describing mythological creatures.
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: Re: Setting exposition vs scene descriptions If my main character goes to a new building – let's say in the beggining of a short story – and I describe the facade and the design of the building,
What you describe is description (and probably unnecessary). However, I feel you are seeking labels without understanding the mechanics of story-telling. The relevance of the description is dependent on its function - What does it do? The function of the description varies according to POV. It becomes relevant when the character emotionally interacts with it.
A rough guide to the effectiveness of description can be obtained by observing the use of the verb 'to be'.
St Paul's Church was an impressive building. It was built in 1841 by the King of Dubai. The spire was . . .
This description is a bland series of facts.
Before entering St Paul's Church Sarah took a moment to marvel at the architecture, the stone construction, the domed spire - impressive.
Here the interaction indicates the character has an interest in architecture, religion or both.
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: Re: How to avoid libel when writing a fictional account of a real event I was a researcher for many years and it is a habit that has its usefulness in writing but also some serious drawbacks.
Consider the situation where I write a story about a famous writer named Richard Stanzak.
First I do some research about where the real person with that name lives, about his workplace, where he shops, his neighbours and family, etc.
Then I research the various unsolved crimes that have happened in his region of the country during the past decade.
Finally I have him going about his normal day to day life, but occasionally committing those awful crimes.
Everyone you know wouldn't doubt that I'm talking about you, and since everything else is correct, down to the fine details, many of them might suspect that the fictional part was also correct.
Or suppose instead, I used one of your beloved, but now dead, relatives as the main character.
How would you feel about this? What would you do about it?
Why would anyone else feel any differently about it?
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: Re: What to remember when switching from audiovisual comedy to written ones? "Oh for God's sake, get on with it!", the half-elf's scream boomed through the fort. The uneasines was palpable,
There is no short answer to your question(s). You first have establish the very definition of comedy and what makes it so?
The first thing to establish in written comedy is that YOU the AUTHOR as a 3rd person narrator should not attempt to be funny. You may create funny situations, amusing characters with hilarious dialogue but you the author should stay out of it.
Comedy is very three dimensional often relying on the information held by a) the reader, b) the characters. i.e. An variation of the basic pantomime plot "Behind you!" - The audience is aware of a situation one or more characters are not. "Tootsie" is an example of this.
Ambiguity and innuendo are also popular elements of comedy as are misunderstandings.
In my opinion, your example fails because you're trying to work descriptions into a scene / sketch. This serves to mess up the timing of the humour. Everything needs to be set-up beforehand.
As for the visual component - it's tough without referencing an existing piece of "video".
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: Re: What kind of metaphor is "colors of the wind"? What kind of metaphor is "color of the wind"? I am not sure it's a metaphor, because we're attributing some traits that shouldn't be associated
It's a literary metaphor. The style encourages the opposite of the goals of most non-fiction. In these instances the writer will point to a semi-ambiguous area and leave the reader to define the specifics. It fires the imagination of the reader and engages them.
I have used (on more than one occasion): "He kissed me in such a pretty way." (Or some variation of the same).
Colours (due to the defined spectrum) are often used metaphorically. Minnie Ripperton said, "No one else can make me feel the colours than you bring."
It means whatever you want it mean.
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