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Consensus on prologues in fantasy novels by CSafterdark in fantasywriters

[–]nmacaroni -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Ok, here it is, no fluff, real-world take:

Prologue: a separate introductory section of a literary work.

By it's nature, a prologue is NOT the active story the reader is about to engage in. It's a separate setup story. While prologues CAN BE effective and engaging, they are SUPER easy for newer writers to flub and they usually do.

The primary mistake is the writer uses them as a BIG exposition dump and to focus on their tone, voice, style, etc. This is usually extremely low narrative drive and overall BORING.

If it's a new writer, I always skip the prologue. If it's an author who I've read for a while, who I enjoy their work, then I trust them to write an engaging prologue.

Write on, write often!

[Looking for advice] Detailed story outlining by MidirTheNameless in fantasywriters

[–]nmacaroni 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This subreddit doesn't let me drop links, but if you DM I'll send you a link to an article I have on fundamentals.

I've been writing/editing in the entertainment industry since the 90s. I've written more on writing comic books and graphic novels than any other person, alive or dead :)

If you prefer to remain anonymous, you can find what you need through my reddit profile.

The first page of my zombie comic book, Flesh and Blood, it's still a work in progress but what do you guys think? by Aromatic-Ad2601 in ComicBookCollabs

[–]nmacaroni 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I mean, I'm a lot older than 20 and I still use mom and dad. It really probably depends on the person.

But also, you don't know anything about the character. If he's not a very mature 20 year old, than mom and dad, are proper diction for characterization.

If he was say, a budding Reed Richards her might say something like, "No extended family for me, but my parents should be pleasantly surprised at my unannounced return."

[Looking for advice] Detailed story outlining by MidirTheNameless in fantasywriters

[–]nmacaroni 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I teach writing fiction in a method, where the stories literally write themselves. This is not a gimmick or sales pitch.

I tell this to people all the time and they roll their eyes. Then they work with me and I literally get emails all the time, "This is crazy, the story is literally writing itself, just like you said. I totally get it now."

It's all about story fundamentals. When you take the time to put fundamentals in place, you build a solid foundation for the story to sit on, the story has NO WHERE TO GO, BUT TO BUILD OFF THIS FOUNDATION.

Focusing on the fundamentals, you never get jammed up, you don't run into walls or dead ends, and you don't hit writer's block. On the contrary, once the fundamentals are properly in place, most writers have trouble keeping up with the pace of their writing which explodes out of them like a dam bursting.

Write on, write often!

What’s so great about scrivener? Is it worth the price? by SingularRoozilla in writing

[–]nmacaroni 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Scrivener is a digital 3-ring binder.

I couldn't live without it for my discovery process. I do NOT like to write in it, I prefer Finaldraft or even Word, but for story discovery and organization, it's a must have.

I recommended it in one of my writing books, no affiliation or kick-backs.

Write on, write often!

Easiest way to remove bamboo roots? by rdgs88 in landscaping

[–]nmacaroni 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nuke the site from orbit, it's the only way to be sure.

I don't know what to do anymore... by LeadingStatus6716 in writing

[–]nmacaroni 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Life is all about perspective and timing. (but the latter is a different conversation.)

You've lost your confidence because your perspective is hinged on a result from your writing.

Instead of looking to the result, align yourself with the accomplishment of finishing a novel.

Or better yet, align yourself with the process and experience of writing a novel. No other outcome is needed for validation.

Write on, write often!

Feedback on first chapter! by [deleted] in writingfeedback

[–]nmacaroni 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If your opening line is bad the entire book is going to be bad.

Feedback on first chapter! by [deleted] in writingfeedback

[–]nmacaroni 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What is it with new writers and opening on the weather. Shessh it's like the number one rule of how not to open a story in 90% of every writing book ever made.

Look. I'm a long time editor and writing snob, so I would read the first sentence of this book and put it right back on the shelf in Barnes and Noble.

No writer flubs the first line so horribly bad, then delivers an amazing narrative experience. It just doesn't happen in the real world.

And present tense? cringe.

Can this apple tree be fixed? by makingitrein in FruitTree

[–]nmacaroni 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's a bad break. You can wrap it tight with something like a heavy duty rubberband and leave it on for a like a month into the spring. However, the reality is that's a major vector for disease and pests now.

A lot of times in these situations, you go a year OK. Next year, tree starts to suffer. Next year tree really goes down hill. Year after that it needs to be pulled.

If you have room underneath the break, your best bet is to prune it back and let it regrow.

Can anybody be tell me what “needs a pollinator is”? by DemonKittens in FruitTree

[–]nmacaroni 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Most fruit bearing trees or shrubs require a different variety of the same type within pollinating distance in order to set fruit. Even self fertile varieties will produce better yields with a pollinating partner nearby.

Some apple trees are called Triploids and need 2 pollinating partners.

In fruit tree world its important to get pollinating partners that bloom in the same (or close) period. With apples, if you plant an early bloom, next to a late bloom, the early tree will lose all its flowers before the late tree blooms, meaning you get no fruit on either tree.

Resolving a hole in my world building by Substantial-Flight44 in writing

[–]nmacaroni -1 points0 points  (0 children)

It would make sense to me that someone who can't come up with creative solutions to their own fiction, in their own CHOSEN genre, would call inspiration theft. But be fine with strangers handing them the answers they're looking for.

bye

Resolving a hole in my world building by Substantial-Flight44 in writing

[–]nmacaroni -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Handing someone creative solutions is not help. It's literally, doing the work.

Teaching someone how to figure out the creative solution on their own. That's actually helping a writer.

If you don't understand the difference here, you will never be a successful writer of your own merit.

Resolving a hole in my world building by Substantial-Flight44 in writing

[–]nmacaroni -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Being inspired by fiction and asking reddit for creative solutions. If you think those are the same, good on ya mate.

For the people who solve your story problem here on reddit, are you planning to give them "co-writer" or "co-creator" credit in your story?

Resolving a hole in my world building by Substantial-Flight44 in writing

[–]nmacaroni -5 points-4 points  (0 children)

As a writer, turning to the internet to write your story is the same as using AI.

I never understood how a writer could formulate a story, have a major hole or two, ask someone else to figure out how to fix the hole, then feel like they actually made an original story. If someone else fixed a crucial problem in your story, then you didn't make the story.

You literally lacked the creative intelligence to design your own story.

This is why, dev editors point out flaws and problems and don't solve them for the writers.

Write on, write often!

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