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Ravi5107385

Last seen: Mon 17 May, 2021

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 topic : Can I write a story with the same variations of another? I am writing a story that has clans, apprentices, warriors and stuff like that from Warriors by Erin Hunter, but it has different plot,

Ravi5107385 @Ravi5107385

Posted in: #Fiction

I am writing a story that has clans, apprentices, warriors and stuff like that from Warriors by Erin Hunter, but it has different plot, characters, ex. Can I still write it and publish it?
I'm also writing about my characters in Zootopia can I write it and publish it as well?

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 topic : Is it confusing for the reader to encounter in a novel the same language written with two different letters? Tamazight language as an example I'm writing a fictional novel in English and I

Ravi5107385 @Ravi5107385

Posted in: #CreativeWriting #Style #TechnicalWriting

I'm writing a fictional novel in English and I have a mythical character who speaks a combo of English-Tamazight (80% English). For those who don't know, it's the native language of all North African people who are called Amazigh. It's considered by many historians to be the source of all languages. We can still see it in the ancient caves and rocks of Northern Africa. It can be written from left to right, right to left, and from up to down (they prefer from left to right) Now my issue is with the letters. They use both the original form written with what's called Tifinagh letters which are beautiful, example (ⴻⵜⵀ ⴽⴰⵄⵙⵏⵖ) and the Latin letters (slightly modifier by adding sounds that don't exist in Latin letters, example (neččnin stɣerdeit). I want to use the original Tifinagh letters but I also want the reader to at least hear the sounds of the words in his head, which means that it's best to use the Tamazight based on Latin letters. Then I thought about using both of them in this way: 1 When the mythical character is speaking I'll use Tamazight in its Latin letters form to help the reader hear the sounds in his head. 2 When the main character finds words and passages written in ancient maps, parchments, or engraved into an object... they will be mentioned in Tamazight based on Tifinagh letters. (ⴼⵊⵀⵓ ⴻⵙⴰⵇⴰⴽⵖ) and the main character will read the translation in English for the reader. Ps: Latins called it Berber. It's a great challenge for me. I really appreciate your advice.

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 topic : I'm writing a book on my life, what publishers look into these type of books? Im a Mexican/American by the border of South Texas. I have a real story to tell from crime to redemption what

Ravi5107385 @Ravi5107385

Posted in: #Publishing

Im a Mexican/American by the border of South Texas. I have a real story to tell from crime to redemption what publishing companies publish these type of books?

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 topic : 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

Ravi5107385 @Ravi5107385

It seems like the reason you're asking if it's racist is because you find it "obvious" that black is in fact bad and white is in fact radiant and good. I'd recommend reading the first book of the Recluce series, The Magic of Recluce. In the series as a whole, white represents chaos, and black represents order, but especially in the first book, told from the point of view of a young person raised by order-wielders, black is good (solid, stable, reliable) and white is bad (infection, fire, explosions, lies). It all makes sense in that context and will cause you to rethink your position that it's "obvious" or "undeniable" that white is good and black is bad. The characters are consistent and logical -- at least in the first book. Black mages (order wielders) can't even lie without discomfort, and mostly work as crafters eg woodworking, while white mages (chaos wielders)
can throw fireballs and mostly work in armies.
If you want to reach for "black is bad and white is good" try challenging yourself to come up with a different metaphor. Not because it's necessarily racist, but because it will feel that way to some people, and there's no need for that.

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 topic : Re: Writing for 2-3 different audiences at the same time - Approach? For a non-fiction book ... Inside every chapter, I need to address 3 separate "audiences" (sort of)... and I am having

Ravi5107385 @Ravi5107385

I think your best bet will be to write the book explaining the commonalities (i.e., best practices), with callouts for the audience segment-specific info.
That way, you're writing just ONE book, but presenting additional and different layers of interest.

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 topic : How to cut down on using too many pronouns (he, she, his etc.) while writing paragraphs (fiction) I'm a relatively new writer and decided I would try and write something for fun. For the most

Ravi5107385 @Ravi5107385

Posted in: #CreativeWriting #Fiction #Style

I'm a relatively new writer and decided I would try and write something for fun. For the most part I have been finding it alright, however, I am really having trouble with repetitive sentences with too many pronouns. Take for example this paragraph, I wrote for the second chapter of my story

That left the final option. Using the tools within his cell. Looking around, he mentally slapped himself. How could I be so stupid he thought, staring at the 4 chairs set around the table. He stood up, and walked towards the table, grabbing a chair and repositioning it in his arms. He returned towards the stairs, and started climbing, walking along the rim, to avoid breaking the fragile aged wood. He paused at the second step, lunging forward to avoid the third step, the split pieces of wood, now hanging limply from their supports on the side. Reaching the top of the steps, he started swinging the chair, the legs aimed at the door.

I feel like this paragraph reads extremely repetitively, and I want to try and improve it. So, how do I cut down on all these pronouns.

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 topic : How do you write a good attention grabber for a style analysis essay? I have to write a style analysis essay on the short story "Was it a Dream" by Guy de Maupassant and I'm getting

Ravi5107385 @Ravi5107385

Posted in: #AcademicWriting

I have to write a style analysis essay on the short story "Was it a Dream" by Guy de Maupassant and I'm getting stuck on the attention grabber. It should be pretty easy, but it isn't. I was wondering how to write a good attention grabber.

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 topic : Re: Is it okay not to write something you feel you don't want to write? Okay, the title is dumb, but let me elaborate. When it comes to scenes in books or movies, show me a character's family,

Ravi5107385 @Ravi5107385

It's your story. There are plenty of great stories that have no murder, no torture, no natural disasters. Romances, for example, get their conflict from far milder sources. A story of a great exploration or quest doesn't need to involve actual killing by whatever forces the hero or heroine strives to overcome. A person can grow and improve while working in an office job and never facing physical danger. A leader, doctor, teacher, or activist can change the world without ever using or facing a weapon.
You're worried it might look like a trope or a deliberate sanitizing? Well, don't write a story that would normally have horrific violence but you're leaving it out. Let someone else write about the leader of a criminal gang who deals drugs and orders murders, or a soldier haunted by all the war crimes he witnessed or committed, or a bank teller who can't get over the violent robbery that happened while they were working in the bank. Write something happy and cheerful, something inspirational, something fun and joyful. Write about growth, about winning metaphorical battles not real ones, about helping others and making the world better. Those can be great stories with no death or violence at all.

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 topic : What does it mean to overuse the word 'that'? I've never been sure what the problem with 'overusing' the word 'that' is. It seems to me [that] someone made the rule one day and everyone else

Ravi5107385 @Ravi5107385

Posted in: #Rules

I've never been sure what the problem with 'overusing' the word 'that' is. It seems to me [that] someone made the rule one day and everyone else followed it. The online source I was reading equates overusing 'that' with overusing 'like' in sentences in her earlier years. As far as I can tell, unlike the nonsensical 'like,' there are very few instances where the word 'that' has no grammatical function in a sentence.
In my opinion, using too few of the word is a worse problem than using too many of them. I would appreciate other opinions on this because I'm reviewing this manuscript where the writer is closely following this 'that-bursting' rule and it is frustrating because it is yielding sentences like:

John told him on their way to the park [that] James would be waiting there.
The greater tragedy was [that] the rescuers would later return without the
girl.

Sometimes it even occasions too many commas (I guess because instinctively the writer knows there is something missing but they are afraid to admit it is the word they have kept out):

Having agreed with Peter[,] he would be in the office early the next
day, he went on home to bed.

As opposed to:

Having agreed with Peter [that] he would be in the office early the
next day, he went on home to bed.

Without doubt, no word or phrase should be overused in writing and writers should try to strike a good balance to where no word or phrase is sticking out in particular. But no word should be vilified if it is grammatically correct to use it.
Am I just being irreverent of the rule against 'that'?

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 topic : Is there a rule against chopped sentences? I'm beta reading a book with a lot of chopped sentences. I understand that this writer would like to make their sentences short and punchy. But it

Ravi5107385 @Ravi5107385

Posted in: #SentenceStructure

I'm beta reading a book with a lot of chopped sentences. I understand that this writer would like to make their sentences short and punchy. But it is disturbing when sentences are either lacking in a subject, object or verb.
Here are a few examples:

John looked away. Removed the cigar from his mouth and spat.


The man returned and killed the gorilla. The gorilla at the cusp of graduating from the cackle.

Are there grammar rules against this that I can point the writer to?

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 topic : Re: How can I handle a powerful mentor character without killing them off? I'm writing a book series that involves people with various superpowers. One of these characters and is more or less the

Ravi5107385 @Ravi5107385

I don't see any problems with your solutions 2 and 4. This is exactly how it works in real life: there's tons of people out there that are smarter, stronger, have command of more people or even entire armies than you, but they don't jump in to solve each and every problem. You don't see President or Supreme Commander at each and every crime scene or standoff. 99.9% of the problems will always be solved by someone else, not individuals that happen to wield greatest power in the world.
And yes, they really can't be everywhere, so there always will be cases that will need to be delegated to somebody else. It could even be that your protagonist is actually one of that personnel under powerful mentor command so it's simply his job to take care of problem in stead of mentor. Maybe that's exactly why mentor is considered especially powerful - because he have many people like your protagonist under his command to cover for him.
Go ahead and use those solutions. They're perfectly natural.

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 topic : How do I introduce concepts of a world in a way that makes sense and doesn't overload the reader I recently started writing a story set in a fantasy world. However, I'm having trouble introducing

Ravi5107385 @Ravi5107385

Posted in: #Introduction #WorldBuilding

I recently started writing a story set in a fantasy world. However, I'm having trouble introducing certain concepts of the world.
For example, the world this is set in runs on a different time system to earth. However, I'm finding it very hard to introduce the time system in a way that doesn't just sound like I'm rambling. Especially since my story is written from a first-person perspective, and it would be weird for them to break the fourth wall and just start talking to the reader. So, what is the best way to introduce this concept to the reader in a way that is logical and makes sense>

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 topic : How to write a character with an accent One of my characters is Russian and speaks English as a second language. I know that people with Russian accents tend to leave out words like “the”

Ravi5107385 @Ravi5107385

Posted in: #Characters #Dialogue #Language #Novel #Prose

One of my characters is Russian and speaks English as a second language. I know that people with Russian accents tend to leave out words like “the” and “a” because they don’t exist in Russian.
My question is, would it be annoying for a character to always speak like that? Would it come off as stereotypical or seem mocking? If so, what other technique can I use to portray this accent?

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 topic : Re: Can a novel chapter have a suspenseful flashforward opening? Like in the TV serials, can we have the opening section of the novel relate the ending or some part in between of the chapter (as

Ravi5107385 @Ravi5107385

If you can get the reader to go along with your scheme, you can put any scheme into place.
The question then becomes, what does the reader require to make going along with the scheme the best choice?
I would guess that the key issue is what you as the writer chose to reveal. If you go too far ("the butler kills John with a fire poker in the library at Raven's Point"), some of your readers are going to bail immediately. Of course, if you as the writer have the skill to engage the reader by raising questions that your foreshadowing does not quite answer, you might keep some of those readers. Wait, is this the same butler that two chapters ago fell off the cliff into the storm-tossed ocean? And didn't John swear that he would die before he set foot in Raven's Point ever again? Perhaps you only reveal that the butler swung the fire poker with the suggestion that the poker struck something.
One thing to keep in mind is that a standard technique with foreshadowing is that you as the writer should seek to misdirect the reader. Here are four facts but only one of them makes a difference by the end of the story and not in the way that the reader might assume it might make a difference. Perhaps, John in the foreshadowed scene is really Jim, John's evil twin, trying to cash in on an inheritance due John (who is off in darkest Africa saving the world). Perhaps, John has a steel plate in his head (or the hat that he is wearing) that protects his brain. Perhaps, ....
What you need after you put all of this together are beta readers who will tell you the truth. These beta readers should be representative of the intended audience for the story. You should plan to revise the story several times to get the shading of the foreshadowing just right.

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 topic : Re: How should I write an autobiography if some elements are illegal? Lets say that I wanted to write an autobiography but some elements of my life (particularly relevant to certain choice) are

Ravi5107385 @Ravi5107385

As a practicing attorney myself, everything people have said regarding contacting an attorney first, particularly one that deals with criminal law, is the best advice.
If you are contacting the attorney regarding crimes you have committed or been an accessory to, you have the attorney-client privilege, and the attorney cannot discuss it with anyone but you.
If it is about a crime you are committing, or contemplate engaging, the attorney is bound to report it. Refer to the situation in hypotheticals and figure out where the hypothetical person has is legal liability before you relate in real terms.
Some crimes, like sexual crimes, especially if they involve minors, can have federal implications. Tax and property crimes can have long periods of liability. Even if you write fiction, as someone indicated earlier, a hotdog prosecutor might link you to the fictional character.
FIND A RELIABLE ATTORNEY.

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 topic : Re: Semicolon Usage Would a semicolon be used in the following instance? Looking for alternatives to using 'as I did this' or 'while I did that' lines. I should probably just be using a comma,

Ravi5107385 @Ravi5107385

@Jason Bassford nailed it.

Blockquote My hand inching close to the gun is not an independent clause. My hand was inching closer to the gun is. So is my hand inched close to the gun. A semicolon would be okay with either of those. It's also not a list item of any kind. If it doesn't make sense to use a period, it also doesn't make sense to use a semicolon. But in this particular sentence, I don't see it being an acceptable sentence fragment. It's a dependent clause; without rewording it, there should be a comma. – Jason Bassford

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 topic : Re: I love the world and characters I've created for my story, but I dislike the plot. How can I proceed? I've spent several years periodically writing and developing a high fantasy story I mean

Ravi5107385 @Ravi5107385

First of all, there are only so many plots. It is unlikely that you will come up with a new heretofore unseen plot. It is not the newness of the plot but the telling of the tale that is important.
Second, I think that your priorities are askew. Your first priority should be to finish your first draft. Then, and only then, should you worry about the issues that you raise. My first question to that end is, how do you want the book to end? That is, what is the situation at the end of the book. Heroes valiant, evil deposed, that sort of thing. Write that last part of the book. Now, what has to happen before what you have written to get you to what point? Think of the penultimate situation and the events that would take the plot from that penultimate situation to the final situation. I would think that there have to be several different ways to get penultimate to final. Think of ten ways, twenty ways. Pick the top two or three that strike your fancy. Write up each one of them to see what works and what does not.
Third, do not think of your book as a linear path from start to finish. It will eventually have to evolve into that form to be published, but during the writing, think of the multiverse. Think of time travel. Think of things in your ending chapters that make demands of earlier material. Think of the book as a living garden; there is always something that can be pruned/potted/whatever in such a garden.

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 topic : Re: Changing Genres in the Middle of a Story Let's say the story was introduced as a romance, then somewhere in the middle it becomes a horror/thriller, would you immediately think it's bad? Would

Ravi5107385 @Ravi5107385

I think that without proper foreshadowing - even through the title or the cover - a story that changes genre in the middle will confuse, and probably anger most readers. If I was reading about the romantic conclusion of Charlie and Julia, and then suddenly a killer clown dropped through the window and killed Charlie, severely disfiguring Julia - I would probably not enjoy the book.
However, if you effectively foreshadow - mentioning a new "killer clown disease" and show that "Sweden has been quarantined from the world" and then show the clowns invading a nightclub, so Charlie and Julia can fight the incoming foes, and then die in a beautiful death scene finally admitting their love for one another - in other words if The romance doesn't stop because of the thriller or horror, I think that most readers would enjoy, or at least not totally hate the concept.
So in summary, if you change the genre without foreshadowing, or continuing the subplot - if Charlie and Julia's lovely supper becomes a murderous chase, where Charlie goes insane from grief... Then I would hate the book. But if you show a well-established relationship continuing in the face of adversity, that may be a great plot idea - for great examples of this read many YA books (e.g. Divergent, or any-paranornmal-romance stories). Warning - lots of this kind of book are NSFW

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 topic : Re: If you're writing a story where the location is based in the USA, should you adapt your spelling to the American way, rather than British? If an Australian writer writes a story based in America

Ravi5107385 @Ravi5107385

A lot of people mentioned this in the comments to your question, but the easiest answer to this question is to write in the style that your audience will understand it best. If you are writing for Americans, you should write it in American English. If you are writing for people who are reading British English, use British English.

This includes yourself. If you plan to be reading your story, you should write it in the English style you are most comfortable with. Especially if you do not fully understand the conventions of writing one way vs. another. It could be more confusing for your readers and for yourself if you learned how to write in British English and you try to write a whole story in American English because the story takes place in America.

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 topic : Re: Is it really necessary for a novelist to follow phrase structure rules radically? I have read many novels and found that the writers do not follow basic phrase structure rules while constructing

Ravi5107385 @Ravi5107385

The purpose of all writing is to communicate. The target of the writing may be the author (to write is to think, to think is to write), a few people, or the masses. The time frame may be the-things-to-do-this-afternoon or timeless philosophy. But it is always to communicate.

What has to be in place for that to happen? A common understanding must exist between the author and the reader. That might be language. It might be expected sentence structure. Perhaps the organization of the material. Forms of punctuation. We define these rules, not because they represent some Platonic ideal, but because we have found that a common understanding of these rules fosters communication. We have to have rules because human language is plastic. Without the rules, it is chaos and incomprehension.

But why do writers violate the rules? Well, there are thousands of rules, too many for any one person to learn, understand, and apply. So, perhaps ignorance is an excuse. But perhaps it goes back to that overriding desire to communicate. Writing the same thing in the same way, time after time, turns the reader off. Blah, Blah, Blah! The writer knowing this, changes things up. Different words. Different sentence lengths. Different metaphors. Different phrasings. And so on. Something new and shiny to catch the attention of a reader drowning in a sea of blandness.

Can that be over done? Oh, my, yes, it can and is and almost certainly will be done again and again throughout the annuals of time. I could go on but you get my point.

A poor writer never fully masters the rules. A good writer masters the rules and follows them. A great writer masters the rules but knows when to break them in pursuit of more effective communication.

Learn the rules. Read widely and critically. Ask questions? Did this writer break a rule? Did it help or hinder the flow of communication between the writer and the reader? Could you have re-written the material to follow the rules? Would the re-write be as effective? Is there a way to break the rules in a more effective manner? Is there a better way to communicate? Find that way.

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 topic : Re: How do I avoid using punctuation inside quotation marks in technical writing? As a computer programmer, I comment my code. For example: The following lines are dependent on "source 1" and

Ravi5107385 @Ravi5107385

You might want to take a look at BNF, Backus-Naur form as a way to describe language elements and syntax. It's unambiguous and has been in use for a long time.You would use something like <source 1> and <source 2>.

This is a calling sequence definition from one of my bash scripts:

## kmprb ##
## Usage: kmprb [-ps <num>] [-1 [-rt]] ##
## [-b <num> | -B ] ##
## [ <file> ... ] ##
## -ps <num> override default print strategy ##
## with strategy <num> ##
## ##
## -1 call kmprb_one to print all 1 page jobs ##
## first ##
## ##
## -rt reformat text files before printing ##
## ##
## -b - break printing into batchs of no more ##
## than <num> sheets ##
## ##
## -B - same as -b, but get <num> interactively ##
## ##
## If -1 is specified, kmprb_one is called ##
## to allow the user to print all 1 page jobs ##
## first. -rt will be passed to kmprb_one to ##
## reformat text files with dprint ##
## ##
## If <file> ... is specified, then just those ##
## files (from the print queue) are offered for ##
## printing ##
## Otherwise, all files in the print queue are ##
## offered ##

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 topic : Re: Where to draw the line between bloody and purely repulsive? Violence and gore are an integral part of my story. However, I can usually keep the focus on the emotions, and the reactions, rather

Ravi5107385 @Ravi5107385

I think that the description of gore is fine - if presented properly. Tips:


Show the villains enjoyment, rather than the actual gore. Maybe try to say something like "The floor, red and slippery, was covered in pieces of flesh. In the centre sat Best Dad, revelling in the glorious display of colours he had created..."
(Like @ChrisSunami 's answer)Show the effect of the actions on the people surrounding him. For example, saying that "Whilst Best Daddy sat, his heartbeat resonating in his chest, he watched the squirming, and silent screaming of his next victims - a young mother of three and her kids..."
Focus on the villain's motivation. I would approach this by examining the villains motive - Best Dadddy likes killing because it makes the world an emptier place, freeing him from the shackles of responsibility. Couching the description within motivations can create a deeper villain, and allow you to create a moving scene. "I stared at the art before me - deep scarlet paint, mixing on the damp chair, creating a pool of blood, in which floats the head of the most recent plaything. "So you watch me after death do you" I snarled, "But now you are gone, I am free - I don't need to look after anyone like you again."

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 topic : Publishing other peoples anecdotes I have asked friend and relations a question and want to publish the answers with their name by the answer. If I ask them if they mind it being publishes

Ravi5107385 @Ravi5107385

Posted in: #Legal

I have asked friend and relations a question and want to publish the answers with their name by the answer. If I ask them if they mind it being publishes is that enough?

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 topic : Re: A compelling blog writing Although I maintain a blog on which I give anime reviews, academically my english is really good, but I have experienced a problem that whenever I am writing a blog,

Ravi5107385 @Ravi5107385

There is no best way, at least not a best way for all possible readers. Trying to be excellent for the broadest selection of readers is an impossible task. So don't go down that path.

I do not know anything about anime, but I assume that, like other subjects, there are subsets of the topic. I assume that that audiences can be divided based upon their interests in one or more of these subtopics. Part of the success in writing is picking the audience for which your writing is most appropriate. Pick one of those subsets that you are passionate about. Write for that audience. Think of someone that you know who fits into that audience and write for them. Have a conversation with that person, allowing others to listen in. Listen to what that person might say back to you regarding what you are saying and how you are saying it. Hone your skills.

In this, I am assuming that you are writing mostly for the pleasure of expressing yourself. In such a case, writing a blog entry for a single, truly interested person has to be counted as a success. Anyone else tagging along for the ride is a bonus. Once you find your groove as a writer, then, and only then, can you safely consider branching out to other subtopics.

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 topic : Re: I have a habit of subverting certain tropes out of hatred. How can I overcome its negatives without losing the benefits? I have a deep-seated hatred for certain tropes and a special way to

Ravi5107385 @Ravi5107385

Confusing the real-world and in story reason.

In the real world these things exist because you hate the trope and wish to subvert it. This is fine but it cannot substitute for the in story reasons for those things because tropes generally do not really exist in story. So you must check that the in story reasons exist, make sense and are discernible by readers.

It is fine if the reader notices you are subverting a trope. It is not fine if the reader thinks you are just messing around out of spite. You must have an actual rationale for things being the way they are and it must be compelling enough for the reader to buy it.

Basically when you use a trope and subvert it you are imposing a non-trivial cognitive cost on the reader. That cost must have a payback; it must make the story better in some way. Otherwise the added cost simply makes the story worse and less enjoyable to read.

The Luke Skywalker example is a different version of the same issue. The cost there is not cognitive, it is emotional. If you alter a beloved character people have an emotional attachment to, you need to give something in return. There must be some gain beyond "wouldn't it be cool".

From what you told your serpent people should be fine IMHO. It actually makes more sense than the original trope, so it should be easy to justify in story. Only specific issue is that if you make the trope more realistic, the same more realistic tone should be consistent for the rest of the story.

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 topic : Re: How can I succeed commercially if my idea of a great story is the audience's idea of a terrible story? This might be a silly question, I apologize if it's off-topic. I've noticed that audiences

Ravi5107385 @Ravi5107385

The key question is, why do you write?

If you write for the pleasure of writing, for the art of expression, for the clarity of thought that often comes from putting the words down, then why worry about the money or the fame?

On the other hand, if you want to make a living at it, you may have to sacrifice some of that artistic satisfaction. If the market wants left-handed blue anti-heroes, then that is the protagonist of the next bit of sausage to come out of your writing machine.

The choice is not binary, however. Look around and you will see creative people alternating between commercial "fluff" and artistic substance. At least that is the story that they tell people.

So, can you suspend your standards and write to the market? Some can and some cannot. If you can and do, can you successfully alternate your way back to the material that feeds your soul? Only way to find out is to try.

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 topic : Re: Is this the correct way to use quotes and commas when there are two quotes within one quote? “He said, ‘spend a week more on the west wall and do your job diligently,’ and that at

Ravi5107385 @Ravi5107385

What you have written is technically correct according to the rules that I understand and follow. However, I would argue that it, as written, will be confusing to most human readers, and for that reason I would argue that you should restructure the sentence.

For example:

Yarpres was trying to encourage me, "Look, the head man said, ‘spend a week more on the west wall and do your job diligently.’ Good advice that, always."

I must have looked doubtful. Yarpres continued, "The head man must have some confidence in you. He said that at the end of the week, 'he would see.' I know him to be a man of his word.”

I think that this is more digestible than your example in that it does not require the reader to parse the material to get the meaning.

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 topic : Re: How do I Build Stories Around Characters? I have a lot of characters I’ve spent time creating and developing, but I cannot, for the life of me, develop an overarching plot. Anyone got any

Ravi5107385 @Ravi5107385

If you know your character well, list the things that the character wants and needs. Then devise situations in which you as the author prevent the character from getting those things, at least in the short term.

For example:

Jody wants to be King. But Sam wants to be King as well. There can only be one King. Jody needs to be noble and to play by the rules. Sam, not so much. Sam thinks up dirty tricks to make Jody look bad. Jody works to avoid/rebut these tricks, perhaps with some negative blow back to Sam. On one page torture Jody with nasty tricks and on the next page help Jody to overcome the tricks. Keep ratcheting up the tricks until Jody is crowned or figures out being King is not as desirable as it once seemed.

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