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Jayna Baas replied to the topic Writing Prompts and writers block busters! in the forum General Writing Discussions 1 year, 2 months ago
Yep, I probably should have done that. 😀 Ill just tag some here 🙂 Sorry I didn’t tag anybody sooner. I didn’t quite know how to do it 😀
@acancello It took me a while to figure out, too. For the first few tries I used the profile names instead of the usernames.
To answer your original post, I don’t usually use writing prompts to get past write…[Read more]
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Jayna Baas replied to the topic Writing Prompts and writers block busters! in the forum General Writing Discussions 1 year, 2 months ago
Hey there, @acancello, you may get more responses here if you tag some people. 🙂
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Jayna Baas replied to the topic My Villain Needs Some Help in the forum Characters 1 year, 2 months ago
Thanks for the insight! That’s a really good idea! I’ll have to do that. (I’ve actually never read dystopia before… 😐 So… XD)
Reading in your genre is one of the first “rules” of good writing, partly so you’ll understand what readers expect and partly so you’ll know what’s out there (major themes, tropes, etc.) and avoid repetition. So yeah…[Read more]
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Jayna Baas replied to the topic My Villain Needs Some Help in the forum Characters 1 year, 2 months ago
@esther-c I know nothing about dystopia, and it looks like you’re getting some good answers already. But one thing I would suggest regarding Len’s title is to take a look at other books in your genre and see what the standard practice seems to be. If fans of dystopia are used to this type of character having a title, they’ll probably expect it. I…[Read more]
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Jayna Baas replied to the topic Wix or WordPress? in the forum Publishing & Platform 1 year, 2 months ago
Thank you so much! This is awesome 🙂 By the way, has anyone ever heard of Cloudways? Is it any good? I’ve heard it’s similar to Bluehost or more secure or…something. I think it’s the same price as Bluehost after Bluehost’s prices go up the second year.
@soleilnaia Sorry it took me so long to respond again. I haven’t heard of Cloudways. Actually, s…[Read more]
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Jayna Baas replied to the topic Hi! in the forum Start HERE 1 year, 2 months ago
Welcome! I’m also a historical fiction author, with one book out in the world and more on the way. (my website is in my post signature if you want to take a look.) I haven’t read all the Mrs. Pollifax books, but I love the first one, The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax. I was extremely happy to get my own copy and mark up the language to m…[Read more]
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Jayna Baas replied to the topic They all said to start here… in the forum Start HERE 1 year, 2 months ago
@soleilnaia Yeah, for some reason the quote function doesn’t work correctly, so I do as Esther said and use the quote mark button in the reply box.
But historical fiction is AMAZING! I’m glad you’ve found your niche
Thanks! If you like historical fiction, I’d love for you to check out my website or newsletter (my website is in my signature at the…[Read more]
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Jayna Baas replied to the topic Do they have to have a spark of goodness??? in the forum Characters 1 year, 2 months ago
@freedomwriter76 Thanks for tagging me! I have also heard the spark of goodness/something likeable theory. As some others here have already mentioned in other ways, I think it’s far more important that the villain have some relatable aspect. Not good or likeable necessarily, but relatable. We understand a little of where he’s coming from, even tho…[Read more]
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Jayna Baas replied to the topic A Place to share/write whatever we’re working on: Worldbuilding, plot, etc in the forum General Writing Discussions 1 year, 2 months ago
And I don’t share excerpts a lot because they change so much as I go. But right now I’m about to dive into the scene where my hero really loses it and hits bottom. It’s been a little tough because this scene has been in my mind and in my outlines forever, but I just had to change whose POV it’s in. So it could be a little challenging!
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Jayna Baas replied to the topic A Place to share/write whatever we’re working on: Worldbuilding, plot, etc in the forum General Writing Discussions 1 year, 2 months ago
I did a retelling of the story of Philemon once. It hasn’t seen the light of day yet. 🙂 Basically, it was a retelling set in the Old West, with the runaway servant Onesimus cast as a trusted ranch foreman who runs off with his boss’s money and ends up in jail next to a circuit rider. It was kind of fun.
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Jayna Baas replied to the topic Cheesy or not? in the forum Plotting 1 year, 2 months ago
Okay, question, so you mentioned that the whole ‘brainwashing’ thing isn’t that realistic, so would you stick with that even in a fantasy story? Where brainwashing could be very realistic? Or not?
@euodia.vision. I didn’t realize you were talking specifically about brainwashing. I’m not a fantasy reader, so I can’t tell you what works in your wor…[Read more]
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Jayna Baas replied to the topic Cheesy or not? in the forum Plotting 1 year, 3 months ago
@euodia.vision.
Just don’t show too many positive thoughts toward the protagonist while he’s in full-swing villain mode. That could seem a little creepy. And be careful of a victim-villain setup where he’s not really responsible for his own choices. As the others said, it’s all in the execution, but it may fall flat if his transformation comes a…[Read more]
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Jayna Baas replied to the topic They all said to start here… in the forum Start HERE 1 year, 3 months ago
Hello, @soleilnaia, I don’t believe I’ve actually greeted you here despite answering one of your questions elsewhere on the forum. Welcome!
Does everyone write dystopias here?
Not everyone. 😉 I’m a hisfic girl myself, Revolutionary War era to be precise, though I have some contemporary ideas up my sleeve. The difficulty being, it’s general…[Read more]
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Jayna Baas replied to the topic Beta-readers?? in the forum Publishing & Platform 1 year, 3 months ago
@esther-c I’m not a fantasy reader, so you don’t want me on your list, but I do have a bit of advice. Joy is right that you don’t want too many beta readers, so keep it to six or fewer, but focus on picking beta readers who (1) already read in your genre, (2) are willing to answer specific feedback questions, and (3) are part of your target audie…[Read more]
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Jayna Baas replied to the topic Pretty Prose, Please! in the forum General Writing Discussions 1 year, 3 months ago
@esther-c I’m glad it was helpful. One thing I forgot to mention—when you write descriptions, focus on evoking an emotion rather than just narrating details. You can often do this with simile or metaphor. For instance, compare “He was a little weasel of a man” with “He was thin and not very tall, and his face looked pointy and kind of sneaky.”…[Read more]
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Jayna Baas replied to the topic Pretty Prose, Please! in the forum General Writing Discussions 1 year, 3 months ago
@esther-c First, keep writing. The more you write, the better you will get.
Second, read a lot in the genres and writing styles you want to write. The more good writing you read, the more those rhythms of words will stick in your head.
Third, don’t stress too much over your transitions. Yes, good ones are important, but it’s much better to err…[Read more]
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Jayna Baas replied to the topic Any other Signposters here? in the forum Plotting 1 year, 3 months ago
That is awesome! Thanks for this so much, I’ve already got a few ideas! Now I need to copy-paste this into my documents… 🙂
You’re welcome, @whalekeeper! Have fun with it!
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Jayna Baas replied to the topic Any other Signposters here? in the forum Plotting 1 year, 3 months ago
When I get the chance, I’ll definitely check out the Signposts! 👍 Is it in a book or an article/website?
@esther-c James Scott Bell’s book Super Structure gives all the details. It’s not very long, and fairly cheap as an ebook on Amazon. His other book Write Your Novel from the Middle contains some of the same information but explores it in diffe…[Read more]
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Jayna Baas replied to the topic Any other Signposters here? in the forum Plotting 1 year, 3 months ago
Now i want to see this method! it might be fun plotting one story I’ve already written….working backwards y’know?
@keilah-h Happy to share! Here’s a quick rundown of the Fourteen Signposts:
- Opening Disturbance—something interrupts the hero’s normal world and sets the story in motion.
- Care Package—we see how the hero cares for someone close…
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Jayna Baas replied to the topic Wix or WordPress? in the forum Publishing & Platform 1 year, 3 months ago
Hey y’all! Just wanted to hear your thoughts. Which do you prefer: Wix or WordPress (self-hosted)? And why? Pros and cons and all that fun stuff.
@soleilnaia Definitely the self-hosted WordPress. It’s much more flexible and robust, with lots more plugin options, and it’s more effective for search engine optimization. Plus it’s probably cheaper…[Read more]
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