CloverReef

That’s an interesting (and kinda depressing) take on it. I’m not sure that I agree that it’s the only way to avoid stagnation. I think if you feel stagnation setting in, taking a break as I think you’re suggesting, is absolutely one way to handle it. Take time away so you can come back and look at things with fresh eyes, but it’s not the only option. You can fend it off by taking risks, writing in a different genre, or indulge in something you wouldn’t normally indulge in. For some writers, writing exercises and prompts help. Also, I just wanna say I love your definitions.

Definitely! If the author wants to show off, or wants to indulge in a fantasy language they created, or they’re just obsessed with languages and enjoy playing with them, all the more power to them. I respect that kinda passion and creativity. I probably won’t enjoy that part of their stories, but I grudgingly accept that not everyone and everything needs to cater to me.

Of course, there’s many instances where people would not be using English. But if the perspective character understands the language, there’s no reason the reader shouldn’t be able to read it in English. Personally, I think there are many ways to show a rich history and culture without actually writing out another language. As a reader, having to rely on exposition to understand dialogue is tedious and takes me out of the story. I get more culture out of a well placed insult or endearment than lines of what would be gibberish to me. I love other languages. I love when other languages and cultures get represented in fiction. I’d like to enjoy that representation and get absorbed into the story without exposition or confusion kicking me out of it. Doesn’t mean you can’t do it. Doesn’t even mean that I will hate it if you have conversations written out en francais. Just means I probably will hate it lol, but there’s a small chance that a writer could do it so epic and awesome that it sucks me right in.

I admire that: that you’re putting so much effort into what you feel you need to improve. I could tell a story about how I discovered and grew to love 3rd limited POV, but I won’t because I don’t wanna annoy the mods. Yes. I have a story. I’m that much of a writing nerd. I’m not so sure my personal rules for languages would apply to fandoms like Star Trek or anything Tolkien, just because of what you mentioned. In fandoms where there are complex languages, the fans have already developed their love for something that you’d need to ease them into if it were an original. I don’t read or write high fantasy or deep sci fi, but I’m not sure my rules would apply there either. Obviously, since it worked for Tolkien, some original writers are able to do things other writers would balk at, and do them successfully. Though, in my not-so-humble opinion, plenty do them unsuccessfully too. You know your audience, and you should absolutely give them what they love.

Absolutely. Showing over telling is my preference with most things too, but I usually write in a character’s perspectives. (Limited 3rd or even 1st) so I try to write true to their experiences, if that makes any sense. If you’re sitting there listening to someone speaking a language you don’t understand, it’s unlikely you’ll catch every word they’re saying. It’ll sound like a string of vaguely familiar or completely unfamiliar syllables. It’ll usually get written out in my story, (hopefully) as an active descriptive sentence, rather than dialogue. Unless the perspective character would understand it, in which case, I’ll write it out in English in italics. Honestly, I’m not sure what I’d do in omniscient 3rd. I haven’t written in that POV in like 10 years lol. Rules might be a bit different I imagine.

Ohhh yes. I love endearments in other languages. Dragon Age Inquisition; what was it Iron Bull calls the MC? Kadan? I love that. If timed right, it can be sooo powerful. If timed wrong, it can be super cheesy lol.

Too me, as a reader, too much of another language can take me right out of a story. I don’t want to have to read dialogue in another language and then have the author translate in narration or have to keep referring to a glossary or authors note to try and decode it myself. It can easily come off as self-indulgent. I’m sure some writers do it well enough that they can get away with being indulgent. I mean, there are whole sects in geek culture who have learned Klingon (You can find courses to learn it!) and elvish. Some people like that kinda thing. Not me. But some people. For me, it has to fit organically. And to fit organically, as a writer, I’ve made rules for myself when I include other languages. If it’s in the perspective of someone who understands the language, then it will be written in English, in italics, with tags clearly stating they’re speaking in this other language. If the perspective is of someone who doesn’t understand the language, then only bits and pieces they’ll realistically pick up will be written out. If the speaker is speaking English, but throwing in slang words, such as ‘Ese’, ‘vato’, ‘gringo’, ‘Tabernacle’, etc, then the word is used with italics. And in this case, use them sparingly, unless its one word used frequently so the reader doesn’t constantly have to google or go back in the story to find the meaning. To me, full sentences would be a big no-no. I can’t think of a reason in which I can justify them. Much less full conversations.

Based on my personality and plethora of anxieties... The ability to fade from attention. Like a stranger sees me and is all like "that creature looks totally approachable and not terrified of me at all so I'd better make it converse with me." Then i could just smile and nod and with my epic power i could make them lose interest and go away. I think I'd get that power because i already kinda do it with awkwardness. Edit: excuse the errors. Wrote this on my phone.

I like how specific your power is going to be. Someone steals your wallet, you try to vaporize them and all you get is a little steam kuz they’re properly parked.

No, not ‘Will you marry me’. I’m talking about the REAL big question. You’re all fellow nerds and geeks, you should know this! If you could have a superpower, what would it be? I need to know. Because I thought of mine, and that made me wonder about yours. If I had a super evil super power, it would be the ability to control people’s words. Not their thoughts, their action, or their message. I pretty much just want to edit the way people talk. Especially the way they talk to me, because lack of tact and TMI moments in public really grate on my nerves lol. Okay, supervillains, talk to me! (I guess you heroes can talk too, but… you know, use your inside voice.)

I totally agree if slamming the door is not in the character's 'character' then it is bad. As is absolutely anything else they might do that isn't like them. Like balling their fists if they're super good at hiding emotions. Assuming we're talking about everything written well and in character, then I think that histrionic exit is a powerful tool and removing it for the sake of more stylistic shit would be a mistake. I agree with you Praeter too, to a point. I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with cliches and there are times when they're absolutely the right thing to do, but in general I would suggest people avoid cliche plot twists/tools just because they are predictable and run the risk of boring the reader. Well maybe not avoid, but use sparingly.

Okay, I need to talk about this because it made me angry. As things usually do when they start calling writers who do a certain thing ‘lazy’. http://inventingrealityeditingservice.typepad.com/inventing_reality_editing/2014/09/cut-plot-cliché-of-histrionic-exit.html I somewhat agree with avoiding cliche plot things, but the histrionics? We’re advising writers to cut bold actions now just because they’re dramatic? People do dramatic things. Some people slam doors when they’re angry. The little gestures like the balling of fists is good advice, but telling the writer not to have characters slam doors just seems totally counter intuitive to me. And Ending a scene on that note, when appropriate, and when it fits the characters and the circumstances, doesn’t seem lazy to me. Can I get an “Amen”? Or a “fuck you clovey”? No, really, someone tell me I’m not crazy, please. Edit: plus WTF? Since when are we telling writers to delete relevant physical actions? Edit 2: This kinda turned into a rant, but it’s meant to be a discussion lol. I’m stressed. Let me be pissy.

I now follow the author dedicated to fighting her on Twitter, so I can follow the insanity without adding to her follower count. So I can be amused/baffled/angry daily.

Wow. I just woke up so wut r werds, but wow. Very first thing that came to mind was “fuck you, now I’m gonna write a romance with cocky in the title” too. There’s like a million books titled “Alone” and somehow the suspense reading community doesn’t implode. I remember looking for a series called Raised by Wolves, and finding a million other books, but I was able to purchase the right one by looking at the authors name. If your title is distinct, sure, but then trademark the whole thing. You shouldn’t be able to trademark a single word that exists in the dictionary. It’s just greedy and mean. And I kinda wanna debate point 4.

For me it wasn’t one story, it was more gradual. Like eventually my fan fics started getting more and more distant from the canon and I couldn’t quite bend the characters the way I wanted to without making them completely out of character. I think I kept trying to steer things back into the fandom (It was a while ago, so my memory of it isn’t all that clear). And I tried jumping from fandom to fandom, because though working within someone else’s universe is somewhat limiting, I found it very comforting. It comes with its own fanbase already installed that you don’t necessarily get with originals. It comes with people who know and understand the characters, and those limits it imposes make planning just a little easier (That’s my experience, I can’t speak for others.) But I did eventually give in and start chasing those plotbunnies down the proverbial rabbit hole. For me it was scary, but it was the right move. I’ve never looked back. Honestly I think you should follow your inspiration wherever it needs to take you. If you’re pumped for this, and it sounds like you are because wtf, 30 page timeline?! Bring that world to life!

@KassX You’re absolutely right. I’ve never heard someone ask for less, but I have wanted less too, and personally asked for less as a beta. You can definitely have too much, even in smut. I wonder if readers are just more forgiving of excess, or if they’re sooooo unforgiving of it that they won’t even dignify it with a comment, lol. @Desiderius Price That is absolutely my favourite amount of description. Just a sentence or two of relevant or distinct detail. If it were pages and pages, they’d definitely lose me. When I read, I just want to know what I need to know to visualize the scene without interrupting it with huge dumps.

Damned if you do and damned if you don’t. I personally like a little bit of description to help me visualize, and in smut, visuals are kinda a priority, so you keep doing you. I tend to throw in little relevant details about character appearances throughout the story. I’d actually prefer to give more description of my main character, I just can never find the right moment. It was so much easier when my main character was a narcissist. Sigh. But yeah, I get readers asking for more description every now and then. Have you ever had a reader ask for less?

Absolutely! I love writing tips in general. I wish more writers would follow blogs and stuff. I just bristle when the writing tips explicitly state rules like they’re set in stone.

What?! No! Not as long as I have something to say about it! Okay… Content warning: I swear. I actually raged about epithets before. I don’t remember where. People just acted like it was just inane – like I just pulled a random, nonsensical pet peeve out of my ass. I get this reaction whenever I tell people that helper verbs are passive. Yes, I am still on a crusade against overuse of ING verbs. But one of my major pet peeves, and this I have developed recently, is something I see in a lot of writing tips articles. It never used to bother me, but I find I get pretty pissed off when I encounter it now. Professionals telling amateurs not to do something. The word lists apply to this. “Don’t use gimmicks”, “Don’t use intensifiers”, “Don’t put rape in there”, “Don’t chop your arm off and eat it” (I couldn’t remember any more...) Of course there are some things that are best avoided, but when you tell a budding, insecure writer not to do something, like BW said, they’ll twist themselves into a pretzel to avoid shit when maybe, just maybe, it would have been fine. There’s a time and a place for everything. To me, when I beta, it’s more important that you’re conscious of your word choice, and when you make iffy choices, like throwing in a ‘very’ (outside of dialogue) that you did it intentionally and well. Plus I really fucking hate it when someone tells me not to do something.

Makes sense. My job is very physical so I usually get a lot of ideas for progress in my fics while I’m neck deep in cat shit. Inopportune time to jot it down before I forget it tho… But still, it does help!

I think I would like to crack open all your skulls and steal your brains and smoosh them into mine. I’m working on one. ONE. One WIP. I can’t even wrap my head around working on a second at the same time. Soooo the obvious solution is brain thievery + bio-engineering? Hm, maybe I should think this through.

Yeah I was curious so I just tested it as well in originals. I get the same thing BigE just showed. And when I hit the little refresh captcha button, nothing changes.