Q FFNet does not always create a friendly reading atmosphere for italics or bold text.  When transitioning to a different perspective or a flashback, what are some alternatives, and what are some tips you can give for using them effectively?  A It isn’t just on fanfiction.net that you want to avoid writing whole paragraphs in… Continue reading Flashbacks, alternate POV, and italics

Q How do you become better at SPaG, especially if you’ve been out of formal English/grammar classes for years? A I never paid attention in English class, so my SPaG is almost entirely self-taught. Fortunately, you don’t need to buy a book or take classes; all you need is an internet connection. I used Grammarly for grammar, GrammarBook for… Continue reading How to improve your SPaG

Q How can I write better descriptions? A Too little description will prevent readers from immersing in your story and leave them confused as to how a scene plays out. Too much description will bury readers in needless information and drown the story’s plot. Both issues are likely to make people close your story and… Continue reading How can you write better descriptions?

Q Does altering a person’s background mean that their characteristics must change or can a separate reason be used for making them like they are originally written? A The short answer is that, yes, altering a character’s background will change their characterisation in big or small ways depending on the alterations. Psychology states that everything… Continue reading How to deal with characterisation in an AU?

Q How does one balance intentional fragments in writing for a competition like this?  Fragments are a SPaG issue, but sometimes writing style demands it because not using fragments would make a piece seem stilted or awkward. A “Harry was gone. Dead.” In this example, ‘dead’ is a sentence fragment. It’s grammatically incorrect because it… Continue reading When should you use sentence fragments?