Need tips

What are some good ideas to keep the pace exciting when the characters are travelling between destinations.
Also, when is an appropriate place to introduce new characters?

A story does not always have to be fast paced or exicting, sometimes slowing down is the best thing to do to let people get to know the characters. As far as when to put in the characters, whenever they are needed really, there is no right or wrong time :). At first it is best to get to know the main character and then put in the rest of the characters so you are not focusing too much on your 'new' ones. If a character looks like they are going to 'run away' with the story be careful not to let them, and give that character something else to do, while you take the time to put the spotlight back on who the story is really about :)

Gotchya, thanks. But I'm afraid that my characters aren't getting their destinations as fast as they should be.

Well, what is going to happen at their destination that can't happen anywhere else ;) ? It could be that the place they are going to is not the real place they need ro be going to and they might just trip across the place in their travels :).

Ok, thats a helpful idea.

One of my favorite books has a majority of chapters dealing with the characters getting from one place to the other. But the writers used that time to bring out the characters' personalities better. Sure, there wasn't much action, but the characters became more real because the writers could focus more on them, instead of action.

Depending on the genre that you're writing, it might be good to slow down the plot a bit. Unless your book is a thriller, in which you kind of have to keep a break-neck plot speed, it'll be fine to slow down.

What I do when I write my character traveling, I skip the mundane parts and get to the more important parts. It's not just pages of her walking, but a few scene breaks that show her on the road.

Besides, this is the Pokemon world. You can't go a few feet without tripping over a Rattata. :3 Battles are good to spice up traveling parts and to reveal your character's personality, both human and Pokemon.

Hanako Tabris said:

One of my favorite books has a majority of chapters dealing with the characters getting from one place to the other. But the writers used that time to bring out the characters' personalities better. Sure, there wasn't much action, but the characters became more real because the writers could focus more on them, instead of action.

Depending on the genre that you're writing, it might be good to slow down the plot a bit. Unless your book is a thriller, in which you kind of have to keep a break-neck plot speed, it'll be fine to slow down.

What I do when I write my character traveling, I skip the mundane parts and get to the more important parts. It's not just pages of her walking, but a few scene breaks that show her on the road.

Besides, this is the Pokemon world. You can't go a few feet without tripping over a Rattata. :3 Battles are good to spice up traveling parts and to reveal your character's personality, both human and Pokemon.

Click to expand...

I love 'mundane parts' :) In fact, I love adding in things like character having to go to the bathroom, take a bath, eat, sleep, and everything :). They make great character moments becuase everyone has to do them and readers can relate right off the bat, plus they can be funny to :3

Ok, well my story is off to a good start. It is 25 pages on a microsoft word, 12 font, 1.5 spaced, bolded, and I don't know how many chapters. I space in between character quotations and perspective so its really not as long as it sounds. So far I like how its coming together. but, It can be hard to micromanage at some points.

Why would you have to type in bolded letters?o.o

That was the default setting on my computer and I still haven't changed it. :p

Ok, So far, I've got fairly good battles, character developement/personalities (Still need to apply this to some), I don't think its too boring of a pace.

First of all, take care not to double-post. You could have just edited your previous post. ;p It's really only for your actual story thread that you can double post and revive without getting in trouble.

Second of all, don't be worried about your chapter. I know that it's scary to post your story for the public to see, especially when its your first one. But have some confidence in yourself! ^_^ If you do need help, we'll be willing to give it to you with friendly words of encouragement.

Ok, duely noted. I may post it sometime... possibly after some editting.

You'll do fine :)! YOu're already doing better than most new writers here by actually putting some effort and length into your story :3

My characters are now in Sootopolis City. I'm wondering if anything big should happen besides a gym battle because I'm kind of rushing to get to the Hoenn league, because once I finish that there will be weight off my shoulders and then I feel like the characters can do what ever I want them to.

Grovyle42(Griff4815) said:

My characters are now in Sootopolis City. I'm wondering if anything big should happen besides a gym battle because I'm kind of rushing to get to the Hoenn league, because once I finish that there will be weight off my shoulders and then I feel like the characters can do what ever I want them to.

Click to expand...

Has there already been a big conflict in the story?
Like Team Magma, or Aqua?

If not, then you could put them somewhere in the story where they try to ressurect a powerful Pokemon or something like that.
It's your choice. :)

Cool, thanks for the tips.
I like the idea of a legendary pokemon being awakened, but If it's Kyogre or Groudon then there would have to be a big resolve so Hoenn wouldn't die and the incorpoartion of those orbs, so I'm thinking rayquaza.
I thought about adding in Team Magma or Aqua but right now it's kind of far in the Hoenn story so it would be kinda like "Hey where's they come from?". I could add them in earlier but that would require a lot of editting and I can't only add one because you can't have one without the other. So, that might take some thought.

Um... Aqua and Magma are fine, but it is my solemn duty to warn you that legendary Pokemon plots are overused. Might want to try something slightly different... and under no circumstances allow your characters to capture the legendary Pokemon and use them later. People will shoot you for being stereotypic if you do. 0_o

Oh don't worry. I definately wouldn't have let my characters catch it. But I'll take the overused thing into consideration.

Don't forget that big conflict in a fiction doesn't have to be a big showdown between godly beings that nearly destroy the world until Captain Arceus comes to save us. :O There are various forms of conflict that one can use in their story that would be fine.

One of my favorite books doesn't have some huge fight in it that spans pages with details of people smacking one another with weapons. It deals mostly with the main character coming to terms that people don't see him in the way that he wants to be seen.

Really, conflict is just two opposing ideas, uncertainty, deadlines, tension. The list goes on. Perhaps your character has to get all eight badges in a short time. There's your conflict. Or perhaps your character doesn't feel secure in battle. There's your conflict. Heck, in an old version of a fanfic I'm writing, the main conflict was going to be between the two main characters realizing that they shouldn't treat each other horribly because they are working towards the main goal. No big fights (okay, a almost-executed murder...), just two characters with different ideals.

Just what I'm saying is that the "Team wants to destroy the world!!11" conflict is overused because it's so simple to use and write. There are other forms of conflict that a writer can use. Perhaps if you use a different form of conflict and forget the idea of the evil team, your story might stick out even more.