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1500 questions
16
votes
16 answers

Is there any point where an overpowered main character could be an interesting one?

I just read a novel where the main character is overpowered: he has unbeatable superpowers, many girls that are interested in him, enemies that get scared just by facing him, etc. I find it annoying because it doesn't really provide any tension for…
Saika Infinity
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6 answers

How should my protagonist refer to my male character who is 18?

I am writing a part where the sixteen-year-old protagonist meets a male character who is eighteen-years-old. I am not sure how to refer to him - boy or man. The male character is legally an adult, he has a job and makes his own money. The chapter is…
user48742
16
votes
6 answers

How do I cleanly show the passage of time, with multiple, varying time scales?

I was re-reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone recently to get a feel for the way J.K. Rowling passes an entire year in a fairly short book that feels content packed, and I noticed something very common which I hadn't previously put any…
temporary_user_name
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16
votes
8 answers

I accidentally added a character, and then forgot to write them in for the rest of the series

I am a young author writing a fantasy series. When I was looking over my manuscript, I realized that in chapter seven I’d added a character named Autumn. She’s a tiny fairy who rides around on the MCs shoulder. She can’t actually talk though,…
Hello.There
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16
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13 answers

Am I bringing my character back to life too much?

This story is about a person in a sort of technologically advanced secret government organization that is basically SCP. The organization is very advanced and, in most cases, can revive dead people. I haven't yet published a chapter in which any…
Ceramicmrno0b
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16
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14 answers

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 the main character needs it to change his personality and train his power to save the world when he wake up. But then, I heard that "IWAJAD" is…
Saika Infinity
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16
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8 answers

Does the main character have to be likable?

I am often hearing / reading that the main character of your story should be likable or even if flawed should be something about them to get the reader behind them or to "root" for them, or they should learn and be redeemed by the end - whatever…
komodosp
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4 answers

How to figure out if an agent is "on the straight" or "shady"?

Are there any specific signs (singular or groups of) that I should pay attention to when it comes to agents? I have read about agents who work for less reputable publishing houses, charging fees for representation and then just passing the submitted…
Vatine
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16
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7 answers

I can't write without an inspiration

I've been writing a book for almost a year now. But it takes so long because I have to wait for "inspiration". Sometimes I will get an idea that makes me excited and want to write. Mostly it's a piece of scene or dialogue. I don't know if this is an…
Neon462
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16
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8 answers

How can I show time passing with no way to measure time?

In the writing, I was doing recently, a character is locked up in a wagon and dragged across the country by rich slavers. How could I show the reader that time is passing when the character wakes up only occasionally, seeing very little of the…
ArtickokeAndAnchovyPizzaMonica
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16
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6 answers

How do I balance immature levity and flaws and character growth?

I am working on a series where one of the intended primary draws is character drama and growth. I have an ensemble cast of five characters who more or less share the role of main character equally, though there is a clear viewpoint character. I am…
user2352714
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16
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6 answers

How to get feedback about the quality of one's fictional writing from friends unbiased by the friendship?

It is a little strange to ask, but are there ways to get feedback from friends about the quality of fictional writing (whether they liked it, not more objective aspects like spelling/grammar/etc.) unbiased by the friendship that is likely to bias…
Daniel Wessel
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16
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3 answers

How do you avoid the problem of a collaborative work having separate voices?

I've not done collaborative writing before, but I've read several works, and sometimes the text strikes me as having a split personality: some parts were clearly written by one author, while others were written by another. (Note: I would give…
Craig Sefton
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16
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5 answers

How to refer to siblings who are friends?

Two of the MCs in the novel I'm working on are half-sisters, and also great friends. Currently, when referring to them, I alternate between using "sisters" and "friends". A Beta-Reader pointed out that it doesn't seem clear whether they are siblings…
Morkelpower
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16
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4 answers

Confusing writing in order to show how character is falling asleep - is it OK?

Generally, writing something confusing is not good. On the other hand, a writer should show rather than tell. (Generally.) What I'm trying to do is imitate the way one's thoughts get all muddled while falling asleep. The settings: Character being…
Yehuda Shapira
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