For those of you who use a fictitious language you've created as part of your worldbuilding, do you translate it in dialogues? For example, if you have a dialogue in English, but a phrase that a character says in that dialogue is in a fictitious native tongue, do you leave the translation to the reader's imagination ..read more

I wrote this thread because of a very unusual problem which has been the main reason why my work in progress has grind to a halt (aside from a technological issue a few weeks back). How do I write about sex, intimacy or relationships if I have never experienced intimacy with anyone, had a relationship and my only sexual experience involved sex with sex workers on a handful of occasions? It wouldn't be such an issue if I was a teenager or in my early 20s but I'm turning 55 years old this... Read more ..read more

So we all write them, but they all start from a incomplete picture and slowly grow to something that we just don't want to leave. In your words, and in your experiences, when do characters start to become alive? What makes them great? What do you want to feel as a writer while writing? What do they do that makes you hate them, love them, want to get up late and write them some more of them? What is good about writing characters and how do you know when you are getting them right? What do... Read more ..read more

I've been working on-and-off on a fantasy/adventure novella for the better part of a year now (though i would prefer more on than off but life gets in the way sometimes). During the writing process I've learned a lot of things to improve my writing. I also discovered in recent years I'm very much an intuitive writer. I enjoy ruminating about the stories and the directions they go and feeling the sequences of events. However, I'm reaching a point in the story where i worry that the parts... Read more ..read more

Preface Some tropes are not just cheap, but downright unredeemable. They shouldn't be used, ever. I'm not simply exaggerating for controversial points. I see those tropes as different from ordinary cheap tropes like Deus Ex Machina, which can work under the right circumstances. With some of those tropes, there is a build-in lack of humanity that will always shine through, no matter how the trope is turned. Those tropes are simply assholes. Now, if I were to read the... Read more ..read more

How many of you have included or intend to include an origin story into your work? How have you / will you go about it? What do your origin / creation stories comprise of ..read more

Recently I've been looking over my work and thinking, "Boy, I sure do use 'was' and 'had' a lot." I chalk it up to first draft blues and think about how I'm going to cut all these instances out later. I'm thinking of adverbs to cut (curiously, seriously, slowly) and making sure I don't use 'then' too often. I read parts of four different books last night. I flipped to random pages and found multiple instances of using adverbs, was, had, and other common "don't do this" advice I read. These... Read more ..read more

I don't try to do it on purpose, but I seem to gravitate toward a particular body type, both for men and women. When I try to write a 'chubby' character I avoid depicting them as 'overweight' or negative. (even when that's the point, I try to avoid negative descriptors) When I try to write a 'fit' character I tend to go for 'athletic' but not like, muscle head. Unless it specifically fits that character. I don't think I've written anyone excessively 'buff' or 'masculine' for either gender... Read more ..read more

So...In our long writing careers, I am sure we have all had to address many difficulties along the way. I wonder what some of you would consider the things that you found the hardest to get right on paper. What was particularly hard about it? How did you handle it? And do you think it succeeded? If for whatever reason, you wanted to tackle it again today, could you improve it? (Feel free to use a loose definition of hard ..read more

Since I've started taking up fantasy writing, I've been watching and reading many related content on YouTube and Google. Now, I'm starting to see some recommendations of videos on topics that state that traditional tropes are overdone. I've only seen a few such as this one. But it made me wonder if these tropes mentioned in the video are overdone (according to this one creator). What is meant to be used instead? Is constantly developing unique tropes mandatory to writing more... Read more ..read more