: Re: How to handle characters being funny in a dire situation without ruining the mood There's one thing I always find impressive and moving when I see it in accounts of historical events or depicted

Gallows humor, in my experience, can be greatly assisted by the word wry. This can be used to indicate that the character is aware of the gravity of the situation but is still making a joke. For example:

The executioner asked, "Any last words?" Alex smiled wryly and replied, [some joke]

Something else you can do is just not make the joke too silly or off topic, keeping the reader immersed in the situation. This can be accomplished by adding elements that show the suspense/gravity of the situation.

Billy held his friend's cold hand. "You were a good buddy," he said sadly. [more laments possibly]. He patted his friend's head and stood up. "You know, you still owe me those fifty dollars." Billy walked away from the body with a last sorrowful glance over his shoulder.

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: Is a novel with 50K words more likely to sell than one with 40K? I'm asking this because I wrote a novel with 40K words, but somehow I feel it would sell more, or at least be more like

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: For advice on the more creative aspect of writing, see Tommy's answer. As for how to start from a structural standpoint: The plot diagram of most stories is well defined, and a version of

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: Is the following deus-ex-machina? If so, should I remove it? I wrote a novel called Animal Suicide. It's a mix of romance and dark humor. It's about a girl who, after a weird incident, postpones

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: How to make a character that doesn't speak about himself relatable? I have a character in my novel, De-Shi, who's the mentor and love interest of the protagonist, Li-Mei (nicknamed Hanging Pup).

: Re: How to handle characters being funny in a dire situation without ruining the mood There's one thing I always find impressive and moving when I see it in accounts of historical events or depicted

More posts by @Candy753

: Is a novel with 50K words more likely to sell than one with 40K? I'm asking this because I wrote a novel with 40K words, but somehow I feel it would sell more, or at least be more like

: For advice on the more creative aspect of writing, see Tommy's answer. As for how to start from a structural standpoint: The plot diagram of most stories is well defined, and a version of

: Is the following deus-ex-machina? If so, should I remove it? I wrote a novel called Animal Suicide. It's a mix of romance and dark humor. It's about a girl who, after a weird incident, postpones

: How to make a character that doesn't speak about himself relatable? I have a character in my novel, De-Shi, who's the mentor and love interest of the protagonist, Li-Mei (nicknamed Hanging Pup).

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