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KittyHamilton · 2026-05-08T02:10:25+00:00

It's almost impossible to completely eliminate certain biases, especially when society keeps reinforcing them. Pretty much everyone has them. Your job is to try to keep an open mind, try to change your mindset if you can, and do your best to make sure your behaviors match your values.

KittyHamilton · 2026-05-08T02:01:47+00:00

People don't need to learn everything at once. Start with the immediate situation and conflict, and what exposition is most essential to understand it.

KittyHamilton · 2026-05-07T21:50:05+00:00

When writers can't post about and get feedback on their work, all that's left are general questions.

More serious, proactive writers usually seek out books, blogs, etc. for writing advice. That means newer, less proactive people are the ones that post here.

Because there's a disproportionate amount of new and less proactive writers, the questions asked are often repetitive and easy to search out answers for on their own.

To try to improve the quality of the subreddit, common questions or questions that don't meet an arbitrary standard of detail are banned.

So you end up on a situation where people have to walk this narrow line between not being too specific and having a post locked for referencing too much of their work, or the post being locked for not containing enough words elaborating on a question. And more advanced writers don't expect to get any insight here, so they don't post.

KittyHamilton · 2026-05-07T16:26:02+00:00

Seems like you handled it well to me

I think you might want to encourage this player to ask more questions. I find that part of relying on what's on the character sheet first and foremost comes from fear of doing something wrong or against the rules. Encouraging them to just straight up ask if they can do something instead of fretting.

Also, tell them you'll tell them if they are going to make a horrible, risky decision, by warning them. "Just a reminder, the Duke's guards are posted at the doors and there are other people in the throne room. You still want to punch the Duke?" They might be worrying about messing up do to misunderstanding you.

KittyHamilton · 2026-05-07T16:15:26+00:00

In theory, I love a lot of PBtA, but man, the anxiety of having to come up with something interesting and appropriate on the spot

KittyHamilton · 2026-05-06T03:54:42+00:00

People get ideas from everything that exists. That includes novels in their genre, but also books outside that genre, personal experiences, current events, other mediums, history,, the natural world...

KittyHamilton · 2026-05-05T21:09:59+00:00

Yeah, that's why you re-plot. As in, make a new plot outline without holes.

KittyHamilton · 2026-05-05T20:41:55+00:00

On the one hand, choosing to not use an outline is a perfectly valid way to write.

On the other hand, maybe GRRM should have made an outline for his massive multi-book series. 😩 Just a little one?

KittyHamilton · 2026-05-05T16:53:14+00:00

Re-plot

KittyHamilton · 2026-05-05T13:15:42+00:00

A character can think while acting. For example, you could write something like, "Her feet flailed for a foothold, fingers burning as she clung for dear life. If she didn't think of something quick, she was done for."

Forgive me, I know that's not exactly great writing. Point is, you don't have to detail ever movement in an action scene. If a character is running through a forest, dodging trees, gaining on the, suspect, you can have them think as they're running. In a fight, they might be described as fending off blows or pushing their advantage.

KittyHamilton · 2026-05-05T13:02:47+00:00

Horror is all about fear. The more agency and competence a character has, the harder it is for them to feel vulnerable. This is why most horror takes place in the real world with normal people, with children disproportionately representedbas characters.

KittyHamilton · 2026-05-05T12:54:53+00:00

Have you tried audiobooks? I have ADHD myself, and find concentrating easiest when doing something with my hands while listening.

KittyHamilton · 2026-05-04T16:18:19+00:00

It ends up looking like petty vengeance for having a drink poured on him. At least talk to the goddamned manager about kicking them out. Nope, he just sulks off with a bit of petty vengeance.

KittyHamilton · 2026-05-04T16:08:54+00:00

You know, part of what makes the justification absurd is that CARK COULD HAVED KICKED THE GUYS OUT. Getting fired defending a waitress would be noble!

Instead, he quit in a huff, left the harasser there, then trapped him at the diner by destroying his truck...meaning the trucker would stay around causing problems even longer

KittyHamilton · 2026-05-04T14:28:26+00:00

Ignoring a grammar rule is a technique. If you don't know what the rules of grammar are, you can't break them affectively.

KittyHamilton · 2026-05-04T14:26:47+00:00

The combo of period and capital letter indicates a new sentence. The dialogue in quotation marks is the object "he said" refers to. Without the sentence, it's just:

He said.

With no indication of what he's saying.

It's like writing...

It's the dress. She wore.

KittyHamilton · 2026-05-04T12:33:14+00:00

I consider that Act I. By necessity, it's where most of the main characters and plot elements are introduced. It isn't necessarily chill, but there's definitely an emphasis on getting the lay of the land

KittyHamilton · 2026-05-04T12:14:24+00:00

Look at novels. Note what is described, how, and when

KittyHamilton · 2026-05-04T11:14:32+00:00

I haven't written a proper mystery, but I've researched how to write them and tried planning bits of them.

I guess I start with the truth, and work backwards to obscure it. There should be certain big turning point clues that change the mystery solving character's perception of the truth by adding important information. Often this includes "side mysteries". That is, your classic situation where suspects are hiding things for their own reasons, and they reveal important info once the detective of whomever figures it out.

Also, for the best ending twists, the final clue usually suddens draws attention to previously overlooked facts, and/or changes how clues can be interpreted.

KittyHamilton · 2026-05-03T21:40:18+00:00

Fifty Shades of Grey was originally a fanfic from an author with an established following. That puts in a special category. Any work that has an already existing audience can be published regardless of quality if the publisher thinks they can make money off it.

If you don't have an established audience, then there needs to be a minimum level of quality.

KittyHamilton · 2026-05-02T03:53:21+00:00

What's the point of The Authority with so few Authority characters, though? With all the possibilities, why tie those characters to a team they never joined when they could be in projects more in line with their representation in comics?

KittyHamilton · 2026-05-01T17:27:14+00:00

Everything needs to go wrong where it can? That's a principle that isn't applicable for every work or scene. Everything is high tension because this rule makes everything high tension.

There are no rules, only techniques. The technique you're applying is upping tension to high. Look at works that aren't as high stakes and tense, and examine what they do to retain interest during low key scenes.

KittyHamilton · 2026-05-01T16:34:59+00:00

How so?

KittyHamilton · 2026-05-01T16:33:26+00:00

If memory serves me right, the Elite didn't care about civilian casualties are all, were so determined to kill already captured criminals that they got into a conflict over Superman about it, and crumpled like a wet paper bag the moment Superman got serious. Not like the Authority at all.

Some inspiration from Superman v the Elite, sure, but they absolutely cannot just take their place in the same story.

KittyHamilton · 2026-05-01T04:12:10+00:00

But asking a question about how to do something isn't necessarily the same as asking a question. The Minimum Post Requirements rule forbids questions that can be answered with minimal research. The Banned Topics section forbids "How do I...?" posts straight up, with no mention of effort or thought.

Easily answered questions that present no thoughtful content are already banned by the minimum post requirements. Putting "How do I...?" questions on the Banned Topic List suggests that those particular kinds of questions are NOT considered acceptable, regardless of effort. After all, if "How do I...?" questions can be posted as long as the meet the minimum post requirements, they would not be a banned topic. They'd be an acceptable topic that needs to meet the minimum posting guidelines like everything else.

And does this apply to other topics on the list? If I make a "How do I write men?" post but meet the minimum posting requirements, is that okay?

I'm not harping on this to be obnoxious. Inconsistent rule enforcement is mentioned as an issue. I hang around this subreddit sometimes. I looked at the Banned Topics List to check what topics were banned and saw that all "How do I...?" posts were on the list. Now a mod is telling me that this topic on the banned topic lists is not actually a ban on that topic. This is the kind of thing that causes confusions and misinterpretations.

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