Jason asks: “Are there any strategies and techniques for making characters more interesting?”
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Category Archives: Writing
Questions 581: Soul Eaters
Today we introduce a series of questions from high school student Jason doing on a project on expertise, who asks: “I’m writing a story in which one can steal powers from those they kill. What fictional or real-world sources can I draw from?”
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Questions 578: Description That Serves A Story
Claire asks: “How much description is too much? ”
Resources Mentioned:
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Jazz by Toni Morrison
The Jesus Incident by Frank Herbert
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Questions 577: Rapid Scene Changes
Robert asks: “Are there any techniques to make rapid scene/POV changes work?”
Resources Mentioned:
The Grammar of the Edit by Christopher Owen
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Questions 576: Is NaNoWriMo Worthwhile?
Sarah asks: “Is NaNoWriMo a good way to practice getting out of your own way, or a spectacular waste of time? ”
Resources Mentioned:
Every Day Novelist: Episode 1
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Questions 571: Shaky Cam Writing
Robert asks: “Are there writing techniques that create the hyper-realism and immediacy that shaky-cam does in film?”
This episode sponsored by BundleRabbit
Resources Mentioned
James Bond series by Ian Flemming
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Flemming
The Diamond Smugglers by Ian Flemming
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Questions 570: Medical Apocalypse
Jeanne asks: “What about a medical apocalypse? Either as the cause or effect of the collapse of civilization?”
Resources Mentioned
1491 by Charles C. Mann
Earth Abides by George Stewart
The Stand by Stephen King
The Walking Dead (TV and comic series)
Resident Evil film series
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
The Omega Man (film)
The Last Man on Earth (film)
I am Legend (film)
28 Days Later
The Last Man by Mary Shelley
The Scarlet Plague by Jack London
World War Z by Max Brooks
Jeremiah TV series
12 Monkeys
The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton
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Questions 569: Stealth Genre
Simon asks: “Dr. Who uses time travel as an excuse for other stories, rather than a focus. What other stories bait-and-switch the audience like this?”
Resources Mentioned
Q. 561: Space Opera
Voyagers! TV series
Lolita by Vladimir Nabakov
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
Grimm
Lucifer
Person of Interest
Star Trek
Star Wars
Firefly
Midsummer Night’s Dream
Julius Caesar
The Crucible by Arthur Miller
Doctor Who
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Question 568: Everyday Epic?
Chris asks: “How should I approach an epic about an ordinary person?”
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Questions 564: Disaster Flicks
Robert asks: “What social phenomena drive interest in disaster fiction?”
Resources Mentioned
Titanic
Poseiden Adventure
Towering Inferno
Resident Evil
28 Days Later
The Blob
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
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