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Resources : Discussions on Writing
This is a growing collection of AH.com discussions on the topic of writing - not just alternate history, but also other related genres of literature or other media.
NOTE: Please do not resurrect long-dead discussions (i.e. dead for several years). It is against good conduct on the board. If the thread you found interesting is really, really old, you should rather start a new thread with the same topic or a similar topic, if you really want to discuss it. (Though you can link to the older, dead thread in the opening post of the new thread, if you want to. Just for completeness' sake.)
General musings and discussions
Tips on writing for the web, prepared by Kit
Problems You Have As A Writer (And Solutions To Them)
How to write more, quicker and how much ?
Any tips on finishing stories faster ?
Making stories with characterization
Writing Craft: How do you handle physical descriptions?
The Official Timeline, History and Story Help Thread
The Conlanging Thread and Constructed Languages
The Speculative Biology Thread
How does everyone feel about multiethnic character names ?
Names of foreign characters created as corruptions of names ?
Fictional characters with names hilariously inappropriate to their ethnicity
What's something you'd revise in your favorite work of fiction ?
What makes a good children's book ?
Worst portrayal of military tactics in a work of fiction
Things fiction always gets wrong
The Original Fiction Mary Sue Test
Examples of Mary Sues in fiction
Fictional characters with names hilariously inappropriate to their ethnicity
What types of characters do you find underrated in fiction ?
Your pick: Most touching non-mushy lovestory ?
The "Logan's Run Problem" in fiction
"Iceberg Chart" of things to consider when depicting a fictional (or fictionalised) culture
Worldbuilding & Story Writing Software
Fiction: Should it reflect the times or be an escape from them ?
Alternate History
Useful Essays on Writing Alternate History
What are the Golden Rules of timeline writing ?
Ekranoplans: The 'New Dirigible' of AH Fiction ?
The Official Timeline, History and Story Help Thread
A Thought on the Multiverse and Alternate History
Why do things always go wrong in alternate timelines ?
Are we too obsessive about plausibility ?
What to do about butterflies ?
Favorite alternate history premise ?
What's an alternate history cliche that you're never tired of ?
Which is worse? An implausible alternate history or a boring alternate history? Quirks you put in your timelines Why do ATLs often "end" before the present How do you plan a timeline without getting lost in the detail? Concept discussion: Cross-timeline travel possible, but with weird side effects Would modern Jet Fighters work if ISOTed in the past ? Help FC build an army Alternate History Cruelty Potential What nation/peoples/ethnicities deserve a timelime How to implement ASBs into a story? Amateur AH fan wants to write —- ==== Science Fiction ==== Engineering A Planet Exo-planets, and how to simply model them Alien Worlds Thread Official Alien, Alternate and Future Species and Cultures Repository Current religions in space and on alien worlds What should humanity's first colonized world be named ? Question: Skies of other worlds Building an Earth-like World Speculating about Alien Civilizations Realistic first contact What is the answer to the Fermi Paradox ? Why are aliens in fiction so humanlike ? Of Alien Races and Originality Tips on designing alien species and civilisations Aliens and humans interbreeding ? Can we eat aliens ? What is your favourite alien species ? Stuff to contemplate when designing aliens General question on writing up a fictional transplanted human culture Works with subverted "United Earth" trope What would the UK name a space colony ? Need appropriate name suggestions for planets colonised by a specific nation(ality) Best name for Chinese space empire of the far future ? Question about Mars colonisation and the Sabbath Plausibility of Earth-Mars cold war What is civilian life like in popular sci-fi ? Can someone recommend some "demilitarized" names for fictional police ranks ? How could Earth withstand an attack ? Space combat idea Use of nuclear weapons in space How to invade an O'Neill Cylinder space colony A dumb question on growing crops in space What is the weakest sci-fi universe you know of ? What sci-fi universe would you like to live in ? The pitfalls of writing comedic sci-fi ? Is modern military sci-fi too prudish ? Cyberpunk-esque themes/settings that haven't been used ? Trojan planets and their implications Building a Hard Sci-Fi Universe Works with "United Earth" trope subverted Sci-fi Worldbuilding Thread (defunct, start a new one) —- ==== Fantasy Fiction ==== The General Fantasy Discussion Thread Preferred Tone of Fantasy Genre Fantasy clichés What common medieval fantasy tropes have no basis in actual history ? What's Right and Wrong with Fantasy ? How did knights, princesses and dragons become a fairytale cliché ? Understanding High Fantasy and the inherent difficulty of writing it ? Fantasy Naming Conventions Royal Titles in Fantasy Homemade Noble Titles Favourite fantasy world Underused cultures, time periods, and settings in fantasy Medieval European fantasy world ideas not based on the British Isles Early Modern Fantasy ? Ideal fantasy story setting (not stereotypical) Fantasy without the magic Random thoughts on ice magic Fantasy with technological development ? Industrial fantasy Most plausible way for gunpowder and magic to coexist ? Industrial Age in Middle Earth A new kind of fantasy Fantastical Democracy Underused fantasy races ? What are some possible ethnic slurs for Dwarves ? More realistic vampires How to kill a dragon Writing humorous speech on the threats of monsters (or lack thereof), need help A post-apocalyptic Lord of the Rings A post-apocalyptic Oliver Twist Types of RPG character classes in modern day settings ? The Grand List of Urban Fantasy Clichés What would Tolkien have thought of Star Wars Comparing the styles of J. R. R. Tolkien and G. R. R. Martin What is a good name for a metal that is anti-magical ? Question about alcohol in fantasy —- ==== Mixed Genre / Multiple Genres ==== Religious and cultural clichés in SF and fantasy worldbuilding Evolution of Fictional Creatures What kind of 'Punk' do you like ? Genres specific to a historical setting ? Why isn't Cyberpunk sci-fi as popular anymore ? "Clockpunk" Industrial Fantasy The Official Steampunk Thread Best examples of steampunk fiction ? Magical Steampunk: Yay or nay ? Dieselpunk Dieselpunk ? The Official Dieselpunk Thread Dieselpunk works recommendations Technology without petroleum Magical races in a fascist and communist environment ? TL Help Needed! "Deco-Punk" ? The Official Atompunk Thread The Official Jetpunk and Rocketpunk Thread —- ==== See Also ==== Fantasy and Alien Blank Basemaps Thread Alien Worlds Thread Alternate Planets, Suns, Stars, and Solar Systems Thread Fictional nation development template A series of in-depth articles on fantasy cities from existing fiction Writing Excuses.com - A long-running blog about writing. Writer's Ark - Discussion forum for writers and readers of speculative fiction. —- ==== Navigation ==== Useful Resources Main Directory**