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  • Hello there.

    I've been reading Love and Other Nightmares, from a fresh perspective. I haven't read the old one, and I also haven't played BW2, though I know what the setting is due to BW, which I have played.

    I am seeing that your story is heavily centred in absolute creator gods, something that my one and only fan story also emphasises, pardon the pun. So as I started to read, I realised plenty of things. Big-Bang massive existential plot holes specifically. So I took the writing and dissected it thoroughly. Adding plenty of detailed observations and impressions here and there, mostly to help myself. But also, I later realised how it could help the actual writer behind it.
    Want to see?

    I could post the thing, and I was about to. Midway, I began to aim it as a forum post. But now I realised that my observations may have gone a little bit too much on detail, and it's reasoning could either spoil or over-inform readers as to where the story might be heading, because of all the godly speculation.

    Though, to be perfectly honest, fixing these plot holes has the potential to flip the story upside down and have it's ending rush towards entirely different and unexpected resolutions.

    So, it's up to you really. Should I post, or should I send it privately?

    I'm off to Chapter 2 now. To see how my observations change because of it.
    Just finished letters one and two of Flying in the Dark; I'll post here until I catch up so as to avoid cluttering your thread. I like the voice you've developed via the letters: they present a unique perspective not often found in writing, that of one person talking at length. Conversations in-person tend to be brief and guarded, while descriptions told in third-person stories tend to be somewhat sanitized: the letters add a strong element of personality while still going into enough depth to give the reader a clear picture. Kudos for that! I'll contribute more once I've read more.
    Happy Anniversary, Happy Anniversary, Happy Anniversary, Happy Anniversary, Happy Anniversary, Happy Anniversary, Happy Anniversary!
    I posted a review on Flying in the Dark :) I really enjoyed reading it too! If you'd like to review my fanfic that would be fantastic, but there's no rush. It is currently 7 chapters long on here and I'm updating daily until I reach chapter 10. As and when is fine :)
    Hi Diamondpearl876 =) I'd be very happy to read and review Flying in the Dark. I'll have a look at it this evening.
    Hmm... as for world-building, it's important to provide, at the very least, a quick summary of the character's location. This can often be done once - you can describe one pokecenter with a moderate attention to detail, and after that, just mention pieces of it in passing and describe one or two differences. The key is giving the reader enough sensory detail to visualize the setting. This includes all five senses, so it's important to keep every sense in mind - the big ones are sight, hearing, and smell.

    It's not wise to use figurative language in world-building; it's often best reserved for the rare moment when inspiration strikes you. Figurative language adds emotional depth to physical details, but it only works well if used sparingly.

    What you really want to keep in mind are colors - I find that they provide key sensory information for the price of a single word. All it takes is blue, green, gray, whatever color you want it to be, and it makes the object seem real.

    I suppose another thing you might want to try, if you simply want to practice, is to find images off the internet and write descriptions of them. Focus on making them as brief as possible while retaining most of the sensory information and a fluid sentence structure. I do it once in a rare while when I feel in the mood.
    It's not about having flaws - it's about whether or not the character would have the volition to act on their own. More timid characters often need a Mr. Happen to get into the action.
    Yeah, I'd just go ahead and finish the whole thing. The best way to improve as a writer is to just write. Learn on the job. I've written a few novels, and they both disgust me now; my characterization was genuinely awful, my dialogue was flatter than a pancake, and I had zero control of tension. I did do good world-building, though, and that remains one of my stronger elements.

    Another way for tension to occur is to have what's called a Mr. Happen. Should your character typically follow the straight and narrow, an unbalanced, impetuous friend can set them down a perilous path without breaking your characters. I don't tend to take this approach, since I almost never have morally clean characters, and from what I've read of Annie, she doesn't seem like the type of person to require a Mr. Happen.
    Ah, you came to the right person for tension - that's one of the few things I can do right. Tension can be built in many ways. Know why so many doomsday devices have a timer on them? A ticking clock builds tension. Give Annie a time limit - how long she has left to live before her body freezes, or how soon the next boat to Sinnoh leaves for the year, something that gives the protagonist a deadline.

    Foreshadowing's also another tool. Give hints and clues about what comes next. If somebody's going to die, make sure you telegraph that death. Don't just have somebody get shot, show the person cleaning the gun, loading it, staking out the location.

    The key to tension, though, is to make sure it rises and falls. The reader needs breaks once in a while, to make the tense moments feel even more so. Chapters spent lounging in a chair, chatting with their friends, makes a disaster the next day feel more calamitous.

    And yes, I read the prologue. I don't think it was very smart of you to reveal all your cards at once like that - there's a fine balance between keeping your reader informed and keeping your reader wondering what comes next. You were a bit too heavy in the intro - perhaps you should keep Kyurem as a voice in her head for now, one that feels cold every time she hears it.

    That's what I can tell you off the top of my head, and if I think of any other advice I can offer, I'll let you know.
    There's no rush. If you feel in the mood, Through the Scope is my current project, but take whichever one you prefer.
    No problem. I don't think I'll do much more for now, but I'll probably come back to give your story more reviews.
    I'll be sure to give Love and Other Nightmares a look then; either tonight or tomorrow I'll start.
    I'll definitely consider it. I'll look over your works and see if something catches my eye.

    If you're planning on exchanging the favor, the only works I'm interested in having reviews done for are Dusk Brawler and Through the Scope. Is there something you'd most like me to review?
    Happy Anniversary, Happy Anniversary, Happy Anniversary, Happy Anniversary, Happy Anniversary, Happy Anniversary, Happy Anniversary!
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