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Hello, fellow writers! Got any question that you can't find answer from Google or Wikipedia, but you don't think it needs a separate thread for? You came to the right place!

Don't be shy, and just ask away. The nice folks here, writers and non-writers, experts and non-experts, will do their best to help you.

The folder below contains links for special interest threads, mostly at OTC, but also from Yack Fest and Troper Coven.

    Special Interest Threads 

Also take a look at Useful Notes on various topics. They can be pretty useful.

Now, bring on the questions, baby!

edited 11th Apr '18 6:31:51 PM by dRoy

WarJay77 It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000) from My Writing Cave (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: Armed with the Power of Love
It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000)
#25826: Jun 13th 2023 at 9:45:46 PM

Putting this question in a folder, cuz...

    TW, Animal Abuse / Gore 
So, in my fic, the villains have mutilated a deer and to torment the heroes, they put the pieces in garbage bags and are delivering them to their doors. The meat is rotting and bloody in the bags, and smells as bad as you'd think.

One character just saw them drop the bag at the door. He doesn't know what in it, but he knows it's disgusting and suspects it may be dangerous. He also doesn't want to have their crime on his hands. I'm trying to figure out what he can do about it without involving others (such as his family) or having to directly confront the gore. I'm thinking he could set it on fire, but would this work? Would the plastic bag burn? Would the fire be put out by the leaking fluids, or not? Or would he be better off just trying to bury it or throw it in a dump or something?

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
Noaqiyeum we must dissent (it/they) from across the gulf of space (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
we must dissent (it/they)
#25827: Jun 13th 2023 at 9:51:42 PM

Setting unidentified substances on fire is an extremely bad idea, especially when you already suspect them to be dangerous.

ERROR: The current state of the world is unacceptable. Save anyway? YES/NO
WarJay77 It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000) from My Writing Cave (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: Armed with the Power of Love
It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000)
#25828: Jun 13th 2023 at 9:53:21 PM

Well, yeah that's a very valid point tongue

He does suspect it to be something dead (which is partially why he's so keen on getting rid of it, since he has a history of getting into trouble). But you're right that if there's a chance it's something else, he probably won't just default to setting it on fire unless he's very, very reckless. Which he isn't, really.

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
jawal Since: Sep, 2018
#25829: Jun 13th 2023 at 10:17:13 PM

If that person has a car, maybe he can transport those bags away from there, bury them or even put them back at the villains' door if he knows when they live.

Though you will expect him to open one of those bags first to know what he is dealing with, at least for curiosity’s sake.

Every Hero has his own way of eating yogurt
WarJay77 It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000) from My Writing Cave (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: Armed with the Power of Love
It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000)
#25830: Jun 13th 2023 at 10:27:43 PM

He only has one of them; they were scattered amongst most of the protagonists, so he's not the only one who ended up with it. And he doesn't have a car, sadly, but he does know where the villains live. He's just not about to drag this bag halfway across London alone to go their lair and get jumped.

At this point it seems like burying it is the best option. After opening it, maybe, though he'll find out what was in it regardless from his friends.

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
ArsThaumaturgis Since: Nov, 2011 Relationship Status: I've been dreaming of True Love's Kiss
#25831: Jun 14th 2023 at 1:00:57 AM

Could he perhaps call in the police or other relevant authorities? A potentially-dangerous, foul-smelling bag seems like something that they might be called in to handle.

If he doesn't want to involve the authorities, then perhaps dragging the bag to a public bin might work—or, as you say, finding somewhere to bury it.

(Although the latter may, I imagine, depend on just where in London he is—i.e. whether he's in the inner city or in the outer regions somewhere.)

Actually, since he's in London, depending on his location the Thames might also work...

My Games and Asset Packs
WarJay77 It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000) from My Writing Cave (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: Armed with the Power of Love
It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000)
#25832: Jun 14th 2023 at 3:01:20 AM

Well, see, there's a snag with the "call the cops" thing. Two of them, actually:

  • The characters in canon are established to not trust the cops because one of them was working for the villain way back in the first season of the real show. Also this character's dad is an ex-con and he really doesn't want trouble. He's aware that there's something dead inside of the bag, and on the off chance that it isn't an animal he does NOT want to bring the cops to his dad's house.
  • The villains are... well... they're evil versions of three of his friends, corrupted and soulless. Nobody wants to bring the law down on them because they don't want the innocent real versions of their friends to be punished for things their clones do. eventually they'll be merged and retain their memories of doing both the evil and heroic things and it'll cause a lot of angst, but for now everyone just sees the trio as being fakes

I ended up having it cut off after he retrieves a shovel to bury it, and then texts his friends hoping one of them has a better plan.

Edited by WarJay77 on Jun 14th 2023 at 6:03:07 AM

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
Nukeli Since: Aug, 2018
#25833: Jun 14th 2023 at 3:53:49 AM

Thoughts about this question?

And in general, i'm afraid to kill my characters because i fear doing it badly or at the wrong time or it wrecking the arc or leaving things hanging.

Edited by Nukeli on Jun 14th 2023 at 1:54:55 PM

~*bleh*~
Swordofknowledge Spreading literacy with book and blade from I like it here... Since: Aug, 2012 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Spreading literacy with book and blade
#25834: Jun 14th 2023 at 5:35:14 AM

[up] @ Nukeli:

So, I can't answer the complex part of the question right now, but I can chime in about killing characters.

Honestly, while there are definitely good or bad times to kill a character, only the writer really can know what those times are. It may sound cliche, but it's true. For example, I killed off one of my four main protagonists near the very end of Part 2 of my story.

Why? Because that means that Part 3 already starts with the heroes in chaos, struggling to cope with her loss in their own different ways, and gives maximum time to show just how much things changed with her gone.

Only I could have made that decision because I know my world and characters inside and out. I know the "flow" of events and how adding or subtracting aspects impacts things.

So with all of that said, my advice would be to go over your story with a metaphorical fine-toothed comb. Think about what the death of a certain person would do to the characters and how it would affect the events. What would this person's death stop from happening? What would it allow? Would it inspire others to greatness or demoralize them into inaction...or alternately drive them to depths of insanity with grief?

All of these things—-and more—-are important to ponder and consider.

Edited by Swordofknowledge on Jun 14th 2023 at 9:23:59 AM

Fear is a tyrant and a despot, more terrible than the rack, more potent than the snake. — Edgar Walllace
Swordofknowledge Spreading literacy with book and blade from I like it here... Since: Aug, 2012 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Spreading literacy with book and blade
#25835: Jun 14th 2023 at 7:56:03 AM

Which of these two deliveries is more disturbing/chilling?

I start off my main character's Face–Heel Turn by having him give a speech that reveals his intentions to target and destroy both the supernatural and human worlds. Here is where things diverge into two paths:

  • Path 1: He explains his decision to trigger an apocalyptic event, his method of how he will do so, and his reason why. He starts off calm but as he goes on, his voice rises louder and louder in mounting fury at the circumstances that forced things to this point, gaining a disturbing echo until it is unrecognizable as being him.

  • Path 2: He stays calm the entire time while laying out his reasons for his actions, how he will destroy the world, and explaining that there is nothing that anyone can do to stop him. His voice does change, but rather than escalate into rage he simply becomes colder and more somber until it is simply him stating these shattering facts with almost no emotion apart from slight sadness.

Personally I happen to favor the second idea but I both of these deliveries very much "fit" the character and his mindset at the time. I just wonder which one is creepier or makes the situation seem worse.

Edited by Swordofknowledge on Jun 14th 2023 at 11:05:30 AM

Fear is a tyrant and a despot, more terrible than the rack, more potent than the snake. — Edgar Walllace
WarJay77 It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000) from My Writing Cave (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: Armed with the Power of Love
It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000)
#25836: Jun 14th 2023 at 9:51:51 AM

@Re: Killing a character — yeah, I agree with Sword. It's something you, as the author, have to decide to do. It's a good idea to weigh the impact of their death with the impact the character might have if they survive, and if you believe that the story may be stronger if this character dies when they do, the stick to your guns.

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
jawal Since: Sep, 2018
#25837: Jun 14th 2023 at 9:59:56 AM

[up][up]

I think the second one is better.

It is also easier to present in a written format than the first one.

Edited by jawal on Jun 14th 2023 at 6:00:15 PM

Every Hero has his own way of eating yogurt
Swordofknowledge Spreading literacy with book and blade from I like it here... Since: Aug, 2012 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Spreading literacy with book and blade
#25838: Jun 14th 2023 at 10:16:29 AM

[up] @ Jawal:

Thanks for the advice; as I mentioned I was really at a crossroads as to which one to choose, since they both fit him. I am a little curious—-what did you mean by easier to present in a written format?

Fear is a tyrant and a despot, more terrible than the rack, more potent than the snake. — Edgar Walllace
jawal Since: Sep, 2018
#25839: Jun 14th 2023 at 10:23:29 AM

Well, as we can't hear him, any effect of his voice going louder may be lost on the reader.

It is still possible, of course, but the second option seems to be simpler.

Every Hero has his own way of eating yogurt
Swordofknowledge Spreading literacy with book and blade from I like it here... Since: Aug, 2012 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Spreading literacy with book and blade
#25840: Jun 14th 2023 at 10:34:43 AM

[up] @ Jawal:

Oh okay I see. That makes sense.

Fear is a tyrant and a despot, more terrible than the rack, more potent than the snake. — Edgar Walllace
AdeptGaderius Otaku from the Anime World Since: Nov, 2018 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
Otaku
#25841: Jun 15th 2023 at 4:07:59 AM

Other than K. A. Applegate and J. K. Rowling, what other major female writers wrote children's and young adult literature during the late nineties and early 2000s?

Swordofknowledge Spreading literacy with book and blade from I like it here... Since: Aug, 2012 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Spreading literacy with book and blade
#25842: Jun 15th 2023 at 5:36:45 AM

[up] @ Adept Gaderius:

I think Diane Duane might count. I'm not entirely sure when she wrote The Young Wizards series, but that was definitely something I read during the early 2000s.

Also, maybe Tamora Pierce. I really am not sure about this one, but I read her Wild Magic and Song of the Lioness books in 2004 so I always associate them with that period of time.

Edited by Swordofknowledge on Jun 15th 2023 at 8:43:49 AM

Fear is a tyrant and a despot, more terrible than the rack, more potent than the snake. — Edgar Walllace
ArsThaumaturgis Since: Nov, 2011 Relationship Status: I've been dreaming of True Love's Kiss
#25843: Jun 15th 2023 at 6:50:39 AM

Going by Wikipedia, it looks like Anne McCaffrey wrote in that marketing-genre, and extended into that time-period; I wouldn't like to swear to whether she was writing in said marketing-genre specifically during that time-period, however.

My Games and Asset Packs
WarJay77 It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000) from My Writing Cave (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: Armed with the Power of Love
It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000)
#25844: Jun 15th 2023 at 10:40:53 AM

Katherine Lasky started the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series in 2003, and Erin Hunter (Aka, Victoria Holmes, Kate Cary, and Cherith Baldry) started Warrior Cats at the same time.

Edited by WarJay77 on Jun 15th 2023 at 1:42:09 PM

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
Nukeli Since: Aug, 2018
#25845: Jun 15th 2023 at 12:30:52 PM

When people talk about a tall face and a long face while describing people, do they mean the same thing?

~*bleh*~
Swordofknowledge Spreading literacy with book and blade from I like it here... Since: Aug, 2012 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Spreading literacy with book and blade
#25846: Jun 16th 2023 at 5:40:36 AM

[up] @ Nukeli:

Yes, I believe they are the same thing.

Fear is a tyrant and a despot, more terrible than the rack, more potent than the snake. — Edgar Walllace
Swordofknowledge Spreading literacy with book and blade from I like it here... Since: Aug, 2012 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Spreading literacy with book and blade
#25847: Jun 16th 2023 at 5:49:40 AM

Does the following scene/lines sound overly sappy? It is the final moment of a very important character, so I'm trying to make them, if not poignant, at least not overdramatic.

The scene is as follows:

One of the former villains of the story is seconds away from being struck a fatal blow. She notices that the sun is starting to rise above the clouds and that it looks like it will be a nice day.

She thinks to herself that this would have been a wonderful day to take her son to the park (as she often neglected him to focus on her plans) and is saddened that she'll never be able to do that again or see him grow up. She'll never be able to grow old beside her husband.

She then snaps herself out of this reverie and, with a rueful smile reminds herself that she has killed hundreds of people over her long life and condemned many others to a Fate Worse than Death without any remorse. So, whining over losing her opportunity to enjoy life with her husband and son is pretty pathetic.

Then she's hit and dies instantly.

Is that...a good death? There is of course context behind it, but I wonder even without that, it works as a way to conclude the story of a Tragic Villain and their regrets without going full Heel–Face Turn.

Edited by Swordofknowledge on Jun 16th 2023 at 8:50:10 AM

Fear is a tyrant and a despot, more terrible than the rack, more potent than the snake. — Edgar Walllace
jawal Since: Sep, 2018
#25848: Jun 16th 2023 at 12:44:01 PM

[up]

I feel like this is a lot of thinking to do in a mere few seconds.

Maybe it could be that she gets hit first and starts bleeding to death. Then she noticed the sun and started daydreaming.

Whether it is a good scene, I guess it depends on the execution.

Every Hero has his own way of eating yogurt
LoneCourier0 The Wandering Geek from A Diverse Land (Unitroper) Relationship Status: How YOU doin'?
The Wandering Geek
#25849: Jun 17th 2023 at 4:10:23 AM

So, I probably talked about this leader before, but I'm wondering can the audience tell from him based on these actions.

I established him as one who joins the Aliens and other reactionaries because he believes that pride is the scourge of all humanity, so he aims to destroy that.

This means that he can condemn white supremacists too, but in an odd way. Namely, he will condemn the loud ones who shout and attack, but be chummy with the most reserved ones. Same goes with LGBT groups he condemns loud activists but is friends with a mild-mannered queer person and doesn't mind them at all.

What does this tell you about the character?

"Cynicism is not realistic and tough. It's unrealistic and kind of cowardly because it means you don't have to try."
ArsThaumaturgis Since: Nov, 2011 Relationship Status: I've been dreaming of True Love's Kiss
#25850: Jun 17th 2023 at 6:17:20 AM

I suspect—in the absence of other evidence—that I might read into it that he's against vocal outcry, perhaps deeming it something untoward—troublemaking, or extremist, or some such thing.

(There's a term for that sort of view, I think, but I forget what it is offhand.)

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