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--- alternate_history:how_to_tl [2017/08/02 14:27] – [Attitude] petike
+++ alternate_history:how_to_tl [2020/05/28 18:52] – [Discussions on writing timelines] petike
@@ Line 94: / Line 94: @@
 Don't force yourself to write huge chunks at once. If you're doing a chronological AH, write a few years every night - say, three to five. If you're doing an Excerpt AH, write a paragraph or two.\\
-- //**[[offtopic:Dr. Strangelove]]'s advice:**//\\
+- //**[[offtopic:Dr. Strangelove]]'s [[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/how-to-write-a-timeline-a-guide.102964/#post-1938750|advice]]:**//\\
 ...but force yourself to write something each day, or it will stall sooner or later. Don't worry about how it sounds, you can always correct it later before posting it. But write. I try to force myself to a daily page. (Unless you have an exam coming Monday...)\\
@@ Line 100: / Line 100: @@
 - //**[[offtopic:Petike]]'s advice:**//\\
-Choose the name of your timeline or story //carefully//. There's nothing more annoying than picking up a generic-sounding or cliché-sounding name for your writing project. One particular area I'd like to advise about are "push-button names" - names based on tired paraphrases of a popular idiom or existing name template. They occur both in AH fiction and more general fiction. Some notorious examples out of many: "Fear, Loathing and... [something, something]" (Hunter S. Thompson reference), the use of the word "Camelot" in Kennedy-related US political/biographical timelines, "Lands of [something] and [something]" (basically, copycating Jared's //[[timelines:Lands of Red and Gold]]// for other [[timelines:agricultural timelines|agriculture-themed TLs]]), "For Want of A [something, something]" (paraphrase of the famous idiom "For want of a nail" and [[For Want of A Nail|Sobel's eponymous novel]]). Please avoid these. By this point, they are beyond cliché...\\
+Choose the name of your timeline or story //carefully//. There's nothing more annoying than picking up a generic-sounding or cliché-sounding name for your writing project. You do want your readers to be able to differentiate your story from other stories immediately, and not spend a whole minute pondering whether this story is the same or different than a very similarly named story. Therefore, one particular area I'd like to advise against are "push-button titles". These are titles based on tired paraphrases of a popular idiom or an existing name template. They occur both in AH fiction and more general fiction. Some //notorious examples// of lazy push-button titles on AH.com, out of many:\\
+- "Fear, Loathing and... [something, something]" (Hunter S. Thompson reference)\\
+- the use of the word "Camelot" in Kennedy-related US political/biographical timelines\\
+- "Lands of [something] and [something]" (basically, copycating Jared's //[[timelines:Lands of Red and Gold]]// for other [[timelines:agricultural timelines|agriculture-themed TLs]])\\
+- "For Want of A [something, something]" (paraphrase of the famous idiom "For want of a nail" and [[For Want of A Nail|Sobel's eponymous novel]])\\
+Please //avoid these//. By this point, they are beyond cliché...\\
 - //**[[offtopic:Petike]]'s advice:**//\\
@@ Line 123: / Line 128: @@
 **Become obsessed.** I've found out that thinking about plot issues and small details to add to the timeline is great for fighting boredom in boring classes, going to church and traffic jams.\\
-- //**[[offtopic:Dr. Slamet]]'s advice:**//\\
+- //**[[offtopic:Slamet]]'s [[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/how-to-write-a-timeline-a-guide.102964/#post-1938801|advice]]:**//\\
 **For those who are students, allocate appropriate times.** Becoming obsessed is fine, but the problem remains that you have to stick with the OTL world with all its homeworks, essays and exams. Otherwise you'll have half-baked grades (and possibly) a half-baked timeline.\\
@@ Line 149: / Line 154: @@
 **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/how-do-you-plan-a-timeline-without-getting-lost-in-the-detail.390034/|How do you plan a timeline without getting lost in the detail ?]]** - Advice thread.
+**[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/how-do-you-organize-research-data-for-a-timeline.489682/|How do you organize research data for a timeline?]]** - Advice thread. Organising notes.
 **[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/i-wanna-write-a-tl-but.411855/|I wanna write a TL, but...]]** - Advice thread. Dealing with writer's block.
+**[[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/how-to-write-a-timeline-and-making-it-seem-realistic-need-some-advice-and-guidance.435524/|How to write a timeline...]]** - Advice thread. General advice.
 **[[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=259026|Neglected Areas of Alternate History]]** - Ideas thread.