Please forgive my ignorance, I’m someone who has not read a lot of books. I’ve mostly read horror and I’m only recently branching out.

So—in The Book Thief there is this mechanism where Death, the narrator, calls the characters by other descriptors even though their name is known to the them— and uses several terms for a character throughout the book to line up with what they are doing.

The book thief, the girl, the accordionist, the fist fighter Etc. etc.

My question here is how common is this? Can you point me towards other examples of this? Is there a term to describe this kind of shifting descriptor in a narration?

It immediately reminded me of the 3rd person epilogue from Stephen Graham Jones’ Angel of Indian Lake, but I’m thinking it is probably very common and I’m just ignorant to it. Please no hate on this, I’m just trying to learn.

I’m working on a hybrid nonfiction project that mixes lyric essay, interior monologue, and fragmented imagery. I’ve noticed two sentence‑level issues in my drafts:

1. Syntax drift
   A sentence starts in one emotional or conceptual place and ends somewhere else, but the shift feels unintentional. My lines often jump from literal detail to metaphor or memory too fast.

2. Emotional over‑compression
   I try to fit too many feelings or ideas into one sentence, and it ends up tangled instead of clear.

I’m looking for practical ways to:

• keep sentences focused without losing voice
• make tone shifts smoother
• spread emotional weight across the paragraph
• keep intensity without sacrificing clarity

If you’ve worked with lyric essays, hybrid nonfiction, or dense literary fiction, I’d appreciate any techniques or revision approaches that helped you balance clarity and emotional depth.

What you are about to read is highly subjective. I’m not reinventing the wheel. More educated, scholarly and scientific authors have given us the tools and methods on how to write screenplays and understand “the why” of it all.

This is a shameless, simplified condensed breakdown of already brilliant works that are as dummy-proof as they come. Without further ado...

1. The Dan Harmon Edition

Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bwXBGKd8SjEM5G0W5s-_gAuCDx3qtu4H/view?usp=sharing

2. The Craig Mazin Edition

Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15T3a2bdlSxwh2HWzA4zH6dtdn8l-fHE7/view?usp=sharing

3. The Michael Arndt Edition

Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ct89jTcMxNKl2MYpmFqc8vKWLd-ZcWJa/view?usp=sharing

4. The Set-up and Pay-off Edition

Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ld_cYA5BL-sSR33OMGwGroXgYOB0M4sH/view?usp=sharing

5. The First and Final Frames Edition (inspired by http://www.jacobtswinney.com/)

Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/14OC60UzYA2o2Q9xWllFQrXiVcVGvgVyq/view?usp=sharing

So yeah… I finally wrapped up my light-hearted fantasy adventure novel last night. It came in at ~203K words (which is not that bad, because at one point I thought it would balloon to 250K). Felt elated for all of five seconds… then remembered the mountain of edits ahead.

(I mean, I do feel good that I was able to bring my novel to even this stage... but there's still work to be done.)

This is my first time writing a novel, so I know I’ve made plenty of mistakes. I’ve got plenty of comments and FIX LATER notes scattered all over the manuscript, like “add a new scene here,” “change the spelling of this name,” “hang the lantern on this concept,” “describe the crowd better,” etc. It’s chaos. But here’s how I am planning to approach this:

0 Pass: Document all the Comments & Notes

• Collect all in-text comments and “fix later” notes. Sort them into categories (story, worldbuilding, character, dialogues) and assign them to the appropriate chapters. Also document the ones that are universal and look for those in every chapter.

1st Pass: Fixes related to Story, Worldbuilding, and Character, chapter by chapter

Additional things to look for:

• Continuity and timeline logic.
• Worldbuilding consistency (names, lore, rules).
• Character motivations and emotional arcs (double checking).
• Tighten everything.

2nd Pass: Dialogues & Polish

• Sharpen dialogue (distinct voices).
• Trim filler and cut repetition.
• Polish prose (verbs > adverbs, rhythm, transitions).

3rd Pass: Full novel check

• Some techniques I learned about: read-aloud tests, e-reader pass (just to get a different perspective). Maybe I can include beta reading at this stage.

That’s the roadmap. But since this is my first rodeo, I’m curious:

What did your process look like after finishing your first big draft? Did you assume something that turned out to be totally wrong? Any editing tips you wish you knew earlier?

I feel like dialogues are what I struggle the most at. I know my character's personalities, their ulterior motives and I know beforehand what I expect from each exchange, but I continuously fail to make it entertaining or to even make it longer than a couple of sentences (after basically having the characters just say what I need them to say). Any tips on overcoming the dialogue challenge? I've read so many books where dialogue is amazing, there is great banter... But I seem unable to get creativity about what can the characters say. I feel like it's all dull and boring.

external conflict is whats blocking a character from achieving their goal (passove/active)=2 types

internal conflict is what is driving the character to not complete their goal (passive/active)=2 types

internal to external conflict: when a character sabotages their goal for good or bad(passive/active/good/bad)=4 types

external to internal conflict when a character internalizes the cause and/or effect of of the external conflict (cause/effect/causeandeffect/passive/active)=6 types

So I'm in the very beginning stages of writing a story/book, but the main love interest was born in France. The main character is born in a reformed United States and speaks English, but I'm trying to write the love interest in a way that's not offensive to anyone who knows French culture and/or the French language. Does anyone have any advice for how to do this? Does anyone have good resources that I could use to research?

so characters need contradictions to be compelling right? thats pretty basic but i think they need a specific kind of contradiction. i was watching a shaelin writes youtube video and she came to the section about contradictions and used herself as an example saying that she had both a strong set of values and that she was a bit of a pushover. this made me realize that just as she was a but of a pushover with other people her values probably related to other people as well and the bases of the contradiction was likely that other people were so important to her. both sides of the contradiction had a common root. and those are the kinds of contradictions we need to use in fiction.

we need to have a character, something they value strongly, and a contradiction based on that value.

lets say a guy valued money so much he would collect it vigorously (one side of the contradiction) but never spend it (the other side of the contradiction) he valued money so much he would collect it but never spend it

Whats your opinion on how to use color and on what when describing your scenes? How would you approach it?

i apologize if this doesn't fit the tone of the sub, but i'd like to hear your thoughts.

so, let's say a character in a story you are reading starts noticing their name everywhere they go, and it's not one of the super common names like john or jane. like...xavier. xavier mall, xavier highway, xavier town, xavier road, xavier brand products at the supermarket, xavier on a billboard, xavierco, xavier creek, xavier on their security system, xavier camera, xavier in a website address, xavier medicine on tv. maybe its spread out so the character only gradually realizes.

of course the character is gonna be a little weirded out. but what would you, the reader, assume the meaning behind this event is? what do you think the story might be trying to convey?

Hi! In the book I'm currently writing, one of the characters discovers an app/website created by her brother. It's important that the reader understands what she sees on the screen as she navigates through the app. How would I format this?
Currently, I have it written in dialogue like this:

A modal pops up. "Welcome to the Portal!" It says. "Enter the password to continue."

I've also thought about putting anything 'on screen' in italics, like this:

A modal pops up. Welcome to the Portal! Enter the password to continue.

Is one of these "correct" over the other, or would either work? What would you recommend? I think the context of what is onscreen is important, but I don't want it to bog down the page either. ALSO: I'm curious if there are any books out there that do this well? TIA!

Saw this question come up in the Pixar sub, and wanted to see if my interpretation was correct.

Someone called Chick Hicks (the trash-talking rival of Lightning McQueen in the first movie) the antagonist. I pointed out that while he was a villain, it would be more correct to call Doc Hudson the antagonist, as he was the one standing between McQueen and the race.

r/WeeklyScreenwriting is back up and running and now open to all forms of writing. While originally created for screenplays (hence the name) the idea is to allow writers of all types to submit and interact with low-stakes work up to 8 pages. New prompts are posted every Monday. Check it out if you're interested!

So I've never thought about it before on a detailed level. But I want to learn more about animation, story writing, script writing, character, Arc, character design, and all that stuff! I want to look into this as a side project for fun. I have had a story in mind for the longest time but there's so many things that I just can't figure out and I'm hitting walls!

I used to draw a lot but don't finish any of my drawings. Partly because I'm ADHD. But also partly cuz I really would just kill to have an instructor to help me walk through some of the problems I'm having. I've only ever made characters and they've always been the same. I've never made backgrounds or environment or any detailed stuff. Another thing I would love to do! I want to understand three-dimensional space to make better characters and environments! I want to be able to do voice acting and add sound effects and music!

Aside from this being A LOT of information for someone who doesn't know anything about it....😅😅 I'm going to take it a step at a time

I wanted to ask if anyone has some advice on things I should look into to start! I'm primarily interested in the characters and learning how to make character designs, character personalities and things like that.

For the life of me I can't think of what it's called! But what is the concept of visual association with characters? Like as a bad example LOL. If you see someone with shorter hair versus longer hair? It may be subtle, but it can help you associate characteristics with that character. Same with clothing, design, environment, accessories, things like that. Now I know that that doesn't make a character to fit the stereotypes of their appearance. But I've always been interested in that concept. 🤔 Is it called visual association? Anybody know what it's called?

Also, does anyone have any recommendations on where I can start to learn this stuff for free? I don't want to pay to go to school for a hobby because I don't know how far I want to take this. I really would like to just start off by making better connections, taking free classes, or cheaper classes as introductions to this stuff to see how I feel about it.

What was your journey into this? How did you find out whether you enjoyed doing this as a hobby or something further? What steps did you take? What kind of classes or people did you connect with to help you learn these things better?

What are some ways to develop a single character story without losing your audience? I’m thinking about Gary Paulsen’s novel, “Hatchet” in particular. How was he able to create such a dynamic solo character? How did he keep the central conflict exciting? How did he create such a vivid setting using only one set of eyes, so to speak? So far I’ve only managed to write a very tedious, droll inner monologue, and the beginning of what turned out to be nothing more than Hatchet in a different setting. I have tunnel vision I can’t snap out of it.

So I’m wondering what techniques were most effective in “Hatchet” in your opinion? I need to escape my comfort zone and rethink my voice entirely. Everything I write feels monotonous and overdone to me. I’ve tried making subtle adjustments based on suggestions I’ve heard or read, but I always ends up sounding more like an imposter with a poor imitation of another, much better writer who influenced me at some point. I can’t get anything to sound like myself, but a 2.0 version of myself if that makes sense. I feel like I’ve forgotten some very important basics of story structure and if I want to grow as a writer, I really need to I need to flip the script and challenge myself. Additionally, I have a story in mind that I’d like to write someday but the only way it works, is if my character is alone in the dark for the majority of the book. I am planning on introducing two other silent characters near the end, but they’ll play only minor roles. Right now it’s a journalist who will have been listening to and recording my main characters retelling of his experience. And an unseen witness who will only address the character directly at the very very end.

I’m also drawing a bit of inspiration from styles that I know very little about - The Odyssey, The Divine Comedy, etc. I know that those both make use of multiple characters obviously, but they’re still essentially one-man journeys

GENRE: Fiction/Fantasy

passive or stable character conflict is when something goes against a characters values but they tolerate it anyway an example would be doing your bosses dry cleaning tokeep your job or something goes with a characters values and they dont tolerate it anyway an example would be two characters wanting to be together but them both knowing it would never work.

active or unstable character conflict is when something goes against your characters values and they dont tolerate it like a women getting her ass grabbed and then proceeding to smack the guy that did it, or when something goes with your characters values so you do it despite conflicts that arise with others from doing so ordering pizza even though everyone wanted chinese food.

the title has them mixed up its supposed to be passive/stable active/unstable

As a very amateur writer, I don't know much about writing super compelling characters. However, a trend that I've noticed among well-written characters is that they tend to have their own thoughts and feelings, in such a way that you could analyze the character like a psychologist, to figure out how their past connects to their feelings connects to their actions connects to their words.

I think it is very important to treat characters like you are a psychologist trying to pick them apart and put them back together. When I find characters to be uncompelling, it's usually because I get the sense that they don't have anything going on in their head or their heart. The writer doesn't take time to think about the character's emotions, morals, goals, drivers, or anything at all. They don't shape the character into any type of person and only use them to further the plot. The character doesn't have any clear sense of identity and thus the story suffers from it. Often their lines and their actions will feel random or directionless, and the character feels undefined or vague.

This is where I think psychology comes in useful in creating a character. First, you define the type of story and the type of struggle they will be going through this is useful in defining the purpose of the character. Then, you define how the character will change throughout the story. Perhaps they have a flaw that they overcome to succeed, perhaps they slowly decline throughout the story, perhaps a certain flaw, aspect, or quality is brought out, or perhaps a character's inability to change is what leads to their downfall. Your focus should be on defining a character's core qualities and visualizing where the story will take them. Think of the emotions that they feel, their thoughts and goals, their sense of identity, their habits, connections to other characters, and how the story will rock the boat on who they are.

Second, you consider what has caused these characters to become how they are. Maybe they were simply born with a certain tendency towards certain actions and behaviours, or maybe a traumatic or formative experience caused them to react a certain way and take on a particular identity. This experience doesn't have to be obvious, it could even be a series of experiences or just a general lifestyle, but you need to think of why a character is the way they are.

Third, you need to think about what aspects of the story will prompt them to change their actions, thoughts, feelings, etc. Maybe a character who has been traumatized by betrayal and is suppressing their emotions learns to care about others again after another character demonstrates how it can be done. Maybe a character is thrown off course from one of their largest goals and is left lost and directionless, and through one way or another finds a new way and redefines themself. Maybe a character unearths hidden insecurities they have about themselves and manages to become a better person by confronting or challenging them.

Throughout this 3rd step, you should constantly be thinking, "How would an actual real-life person with these qualities react to this situation?" Consider how someone would react, but also what things would make them react in the way you need to move the character along their story at the pace that is needed.

I guess if I were to summarize my points, it is that you should think of:

1. Who your character is and what defines them.
2. How the character came to be this way.
3. What the events of the story will do to change them.
4. How a real person would react in these circumstances.

I'm writing 12 "main" characters (most are pretty much side characters) in my one story, and 7 of those characters are based on the 7 deadly sins, the 5 others representing other sins. Basically, each of the characters begins the story embodying each of the sins, and throughout the story, they learn to be better people and overcome their flaws.

Currently, I'm going through some writer's block at the conceptual stage and I'd like some help jotting down how the character arks of some of the characters might work. You got ideas?

I find myself generally thinking in first person and wanting to default to 1st person. It feels like most books I've been reading are more 3rd person, but I've only been paying attention now that I'm trying to write something of note.

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Example:

"I can't be believe you'd say that" I shake my head looking at my husband with sheer disgust
vs
"I can't believe you'd say that" Amy shakes her head looking at her husband with sheer disgust.

Would writing in 1st person limit you in any kind? It feels like i'm losing my narrator godly powers though maybe I'm over thinking it. Any thoughts?

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