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Recent content by Spider

  1. Spider

    My conflict problem. - Can you help me, please?

    Hey there! You're definitely onto something. It seems like you've decided on your larger conflict-- your character running from furious gods. Now you're looking for a more personal conflict so that your novel can feel layered. These intimate or "smaller-scale" obstacles that your character faces...
  2. Spider

    Chatroom

    When I first joined a couple years back, I used to chat with others quite a bit. I haven't seen many people use the chatroom nowadays. To be honest, I think what I loved about the chat function back then was that public chatrooms could only be opened by moderators on weekends (if I remember...
  3. Spider

    Have you ever doubted your plot?

    It's a bit difficult to give good advice on how to deal with this problem without knowing any details (on the character, your current plot, the setting). Perhaps you could be a bit more specific? The advice may also vary depending on the nature of the plot: is it internal or external, local or...
  4. Spider

    When do fantasy humans cease to be human?

    I think what it boils down to is evaluating whether the species in question is human in the context of the world that they are a part of. Of course, as previously mentioned, there are so many ways to answer the question of what it means to be human. In our world, I would say that what makes...
  5. Spider

    Teacup's back

    Good to see you, TC! And yeah, sadly not too many people use the chat function anymore. It ain't what it used to be :(
  6. Spider

    Artist Appreciation

    Good idea! I can't remember how I stumbled upon Laura Diehl, but her artwork is vibrant and creative (I think she specializes in children's fantasy art, but nevertheless I love some of her pieces). Jose Vega's artwork is also really good. Always great for story inspiration. I think I've seen him...
  7. Spider

    Favorite Movie Quotes

    - The Princess Bride
  8. Spider

    How many characters are too many?

    I think it also depends on your target audience. Young children will be less likely to pay attention to a book with dozens of characters than epic fantasy enthusiasts. In my experience, I've found that children are more likely to be invested in a story if it focuses on one or two characters...
  9. Spider

    Limits on Villain motivation

    Alright. So if a villain is someone who harms others, or who has the intent of doing damage or causing trouble, then wouldn’t the archetype of the character be a limit on his or her motivations? Not saying that there’s a preset list of motives for the villain, but it seems like the motives would...
  10. Spider

    Limits on Villain motivation

    Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought a villain is someone whose "evil" actions or motives oppose our hero. Is "villain" synonymous with "antagonist"? Because a character whose actions could be perceived as relatable or heroic yet still serve to hinder the protagonist could be an antagonist yet...
  11. Spider

    Starting with a dream

    Do whatever works best for you! There are always exceptions to rules, so long as you can execute them well. IMO, though, the disappointment isn't simply finding out that the events of the first chapter never happened. It's going from the action-packed/tense/intriguing to the mundane (or...
  12. Spider

    Why Diversity in Our Writing is So Important - "The Danger of a Single Story"

    *rookie steps in* I have a few questions. :) I get that diversity is important in writing to reflect different cultures and beliefs. However, one of the things that Adichie mentioned in the TED talk was how her professor claimed that her book did not have “African authenticity” because it...
  13. Spider

    Change POV

    There's also the issue of consistency. Do you plan on having other chapters that shift to a different POV, or is this the only one? On the other hand, is there a reason why the previous chapters need to be written in first person? It may be easier and more coherent to write the entire book in...
  14. Spider

    Deals, Decoys, and Dirty Tricks

    To me, it seems a bit like the two sides are Action vs. Reaction. Action includes what the character decides to do on his/her own accord, and Reaction includes what a character does as a direct result of another character? For example, taking a bribe would require someone to offer a bribe in the...
  15. Spider

    The dreaded wall of explanation

    In The Lies of Locke Lamora, there's one section where the dialogue is broken by glimpses of a gladiatorial match that the characters are watching. You could always do something similar; while your characters may be doing nothing but talking, there could be something happening outside the window...
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