Cpt. Smurf

Are you worried that one of your characters is a Mary-Sue? Well, if that's the case, you can take the Mary-Sue Litmus Test . The higher you score, the more ...

Don't even introduce the character's past memories as a flashback. Finish up your scene/chapter and then begin with the flashback. No intro, no swimmy screen. It's just there. And then ...

I think the third option is the best, although of course the sentence would be better when you haven't dashed it off as an example. I find it's the easiest ...

A balcony. It's been a romance cliche for about 400 years now.

I do nearly all of these, I think, except the journal one. I simply detest keeping a journal/diary, whatever you want to call it.

I think I would faint. :P It would depend on the story, actually. I know that Geezer's Property will be virtually impossible to make into a movie good enough for ...

I'd just take it and put it up anyway, as long as you're not trespassing on their property, I doubt they can do anything, and what is the likelihood that ...

I'm certainly aware that the United States did not invent All Hallows' Eve - but I feel that we did, unfortunately, invent the plastic-goods market hype that surrounds it. I'm ...

This is slightly confusing, but here we go... *breaths* When a princess is the heir to the throne, she becomes queen, but her husband (whether they get married before or ...

Perhaps make your good guy not so good. Definitely, do not do a Paolini and make him the noble, powerful, able to turn his mind to anything, good-looking, always-gets-the-girl type. ...

Lately, I seem to get most of my inspiration for ideas from song titles. Also, other books can, I find, be a good starting block for an idea, the shell, ...

Sorry to but in, but this is a LOT of really good info for me to know, as I'll be studying abroad in England next year. Could someone possibly tell ...

*Time in session: Typical months for start and end dates, holidays throughout the year and how long for each holiday, time the school day starts & ends. Generally, from about ...

Hmm, I believe JKR does that alot. Yes, but skilfully. You find yourself actually wanting to read them.

I think it's more of a "paying homage to the past" sort of thing, like Memorial day... not particularly morbid. It's not like our plastic craptacular zombiefest Halloween (which apparently ...