POPULAR: Simple Questions, Simple Answers

[Misfit Angel]

So, since I don't often go back and edit my chapters (something I've been trying to change), how exactly do I fix a glaring plot hole and have it stick for someone who's already read past the part I need to change?

 

[AceTrainer14]

I guess it depends on the plot hole. Is it a contradiction? In that case, you could explain it away by saying there was a misinterpretation or mistake made. If it was something that, say, someone did and they shouldn't have been able to, you could have them address it and perhaps work it into the plot? Usually explaining things away is acceptable enough as long as not too much of a point of it is made. However, speaking as someone with 116 chapters in one story which requires about 115 of them that need to be fixed, I'd suggest fixing it up as the easiest solution, otherwise in seven years time you'll be trying to write the 117th chapter but too caught up in solutions as to how to fix Chapter 18.

 

[Misfit Angel]

It's not something that will torpedo the plot with long-lasting hinderances, but it's strange nonetheless. It's established in the 1st chapter that the main character lives in one city, takes a job in another town (but doesn't have anywhere to live in that town), and is sent back to the city in the 6th chapter. She still has a place to live in the city, but spends the night in a hotel. I can't believe it took me this long to see what's wrong with that situation.

I want to get that fixed as it gives me an opportunity to introduce her room mate much, much earlier than I originally intended, as well as fix the stupidity of that little plot hole. However, if I go back and fix it, how will I let regular readers who are already past that point know that it's been fixed (and in a fairly substantial way), so that they're not confused when the character I introduce there is casually inserted in later?

 

[Beth Pavell]

I don't know if you've noticed, but I announce rewritten chapters in the Announcement Thread and add the changes to a spoiler at the top of the chapter. No idea if this works because frankly no-one's ever commented on it

 

[diamondpearl876]

There are always going to be some readers willing to go back and re-read, but on the flip side, there's always going to be readers who won't because they just don't have time or whatever. I suggest fixing what you need to, then use the Announcement Thread and post in your thread outlining the changes and where to find them. Your outline should be detailed enough for readers who can't/don't go back to read.

 

[AceTrainer14]

I am writing an anthropomorphised character that doesn't have any limbs. I want them to do a kind of facial shrug after imparting an ultimatum on a character, but can't think of an appropriate word to use. Any ideas?

 

[canisaries]

...really don't know what that word would be, sorry. every one i can think seems too negative (scowl, frown, glower).

anyway, i've got kind of a problem... i have a trainer who's pretty rude and maybe even abusive towards his mon. now, i've managed to come up with reasonable enough explanations as to why the others stick around and don't just run the hell away, but i have not come up with a clear reason for the stubborn zapdos (captured with a masterball, if that matters at all) to stay with his jerk of a trainer. as a great legendary thunderbird of might and power, he really wouldn't have any problem just zapping the jackass, taking off, never coming back and fighting off any officials (in this universe, mon are sentient but still pretty much property) who come after him.

luckily his personality isn't really set in stone at all yet. he's just rather rude too and is indifferent about his trainer's orders and often only obeys them as it'll get the guy off his back... or something like that. but he can also disobey when he has more important things to do. so... thoughts? or is this too vague to give any opinion on?

 

[Nitro Indigo]

I am writing an anthropomorphised character that doesn't have any limbs. I want them to do a kind of facial shrug after imparting an ultimatum on a character, but can't think of an appropriate word to use. Any ideas?

A look of indifference?

 

[Misfit Angel]

This isn't strictly a writing question, but I figure I'll ask it here, since it'll come in useful for my writing:

Just how many generations back does it start to become unfeasible to attach "great-" to a person's title? Like, if a character was referring to their great-great-great-grandmother, would they spell it out that way or just shorten it to 'my ancestor'? Or would they say something else entirely?

 

[AceTrainer14]

@canisaries: I'd suggest talking to @diamondpearl876, who is our resident expert of abusive trainers.

@Emma Prescott: I'd say it'd depend on the person. Some people are really fussy about saying all the greats, others go for ancestor.

 

[Flaze]

@Emma Prescott I think most people would probably just go with ancesstor after great-great-great (insert weird and creepy grandparent word here)

 

[canisaries]

guess i'll do so then. beep beep paging @diamondpearl876 for help, to discuss this either here so others can hear the glorious tips or in private messages if that form of communication is more appropriate for the subject matter. actually spent 10 min wondering which one it should be before settling on a post like this.

 

[diamondpearl876]

Okay, first of all, @AceTrainer14's message made me laugh. Way to make me look like a sadist.

@canisaries Hmm, let's see... In this case, worldbuilding could be your friend. Is there something about Master Balls in this universe that makes it impossible for Zapdos to leave? Can the trainer break the Master Ball and kill Zapdos, or recall it from a long distance? I mean, catching a legendary is totally OP in and of itself, so who knows what else it could do?

This could also depend on the plot. Is Zapdos's asshole trainer important somehow? Is he super famous and, if killed, could cause a lot more trouble for Zapdos than it's worth? Or... if being owned by this trainer isn't as bad as it seems, Zapdos could be staying simply because it means he can't be caught by anyone else. There's nothing stopping him from flying away and never being able to be recalled back to the Master Ball, either, maybe.

The details here are pretty vague, so feel free to provide more and I can try to respond a little better.

 

[canisaries]

you're not a sadist? get out casul

i had thought about the masterball specific qualities option too, and i think i had a good idea overnight... it involves an inbuilt tracking mechanism. there could also be lore for the masterball to exactly be meant for harder-to-contain pokemon, possibly meaning registers and help from officials if crises happen.

the current facts i have to adhere to right now is that the trainer's kind of possessive: he sees that the zapdos is his servant and that his own plans are more important than the zapdos' own plans. when the trainer does not need the bird for anything, though, he could really care less what he does, as long as the mon is always available to use. the trainer mostly uses the zapdos as his mode of transportation - they both want to lay low (people can be annoying around legendaries, wanting to take pictures and all that stuff), so flying more hidden than visible is something that's in the interest of them both. the trainer also uses the zapdos for electrical needs, with which i guess the zapdos could comply because he gets to use his powers, something he doesn't do much of nowadays because his trainer rarely battles anymore.

i guess the zapdos sticks around since he could have it worse - being used entirely for generating power, constantly researched and poked at by science people, being an attraction at a zoo, or worse, caught by some annoying whimsical little twerp?? w t f

staying the trainer does have upsides. he does get to stay in the garage if he ever needs a place to sleep. i suppose it's less of an abusive relationship and more of a mutually rude but still dependent kind of thing. anyway thanks for responding, it helped me figure this out a bit better.

 

[diamondpearl876]

Yeah, to me, it sounds less abusive, like you said, and more just an unproductive relationship between trainer and pokemon because they aren't a good match for each other. Anyway, if you do decide to go for the Master Ball lore, my only further suggestion would be to have it fleshed out so it doesn't seem like it exists solely for the sake of the story/having Zapdos stay.

 

[canisaries]

does anyone know any good resources on how to write about ghosts, especially pokemon ghosts (though not necessarily)? would also need to know how one can be beaten, you know, for good. asking for a friend.

 

[AceTrainer14]

I don't know any resources, but I would say that the best thing is to think of your own mythology for how Ghost Pokemon exist in the first place and what their role in your world is. There is no one canon for how they operate, and creating your own would allow you to come up with a way to kill them off. I built the mythology in the GVerse from scratch really and the ideas behind it are still developing to this day.

 

[AetherX]

does anyone know any good resources on how to write about ghosts, especially pokemon ghosts (though not necessarily)? would also need to know how one can be beaten, you know, for good. asking for a friend.

1. Don't cross the streams. That would be bad.
2. If someone asks if you're a god, you say yes.
3. Do exactly as I say. Ready? Ready? Get her!

In all seriousness though, it really depends on what kind of atmosphere you're going for. Ghost-types canonically follow a lot of the same rules as any other Pokemon, so you could argue that a ghost could be beaten in the same way. For example, ghost-types are damaged by fire, so if one stood in flames for too long, it might just dissipate into nothingness (i.e. die). You could also go the mystical route, where your characters would have to find out the ghost's motivations or source of its powers. and defeat it that way (burn or salt the original body, kill whoever summoned the ghost, destroy a phylactery, perform an exorcism, stuff like that).

As far as other resources go, a quick google of "writing ghosts" brought up some stuff.

The wikihow article "How to Write a Ghost Story" even has some helpful pictures, if you're more of a visual learner:

Spoiler

idk about you but this picture definitely helped me understand more about how to write ghost stories

I promise I wasn't trying to make this whole post a joke when I started typing it out.

 

[canisaries]

Spoiler

the face of true fear

anyway thanks for the tips, i'll be sure to check them out. ghosts just tend to be hard to figure out because there's so many different kinds in different mythologies. even checked out how ancient finns banished ghosts. the solution was of course to rap at them like they did with everything else

 

[Misfit Angel]

Has anyone ever had a rough time with writing a scene out because of how emotionally draining it is, and how to deal with it? An upcoming chapter I'm writing is making me downright miserable and I'm not sure what to do. Changing up the scene isn't an option because I've already foreshadowed this and I believe it's the right path forward for developing one character in relation to the other characters.