How do I properly formulate questions? (this is actually a bunch of questions)

[JoshRaed]

If you really have memory problems you should contact a Doctor aka a proffesional. We can't help you in any way to solve this problem. We don't have the right qualifications for this.

Sorry. It’s basically literally just me being lazy. Like I remember all this stuff, sometimes remembering it as I ignore the implications of it. I guess it’s also because questions and advice have become too intangible to me, always related to choices about ideas rather than stories.

[Katzalcoatl]

It becomes a new question when the answer is different...

Your questions are like so:

"How do I buy a car?"
Gets answered.

Next question, "How do I buy a mechanical vehicle to move around?"
Same answer.

Next question, "Do you need money to become the owner of a vehicle with 4 wheels?"
Gets answered.

Next question, "Can I get an automobile with cash?"
Gets told it has been answered multiple times.

After that you either ask us, "how can I make my question different?", "why are people not understanding it is a new question?", or "I changed my question, is it better?"

And for the love of all that is good do not ask me "how do I change the way I ask my questions so people don't misunderstand me?" It has been asked and answered so many times.....

[JoshRaed]

I think there would be less frustration directed at you if it didn’t feel like these were questions you could actually answer for yourself. And if you make mistakes that’s actually the best way to learn. That’s why people so often tell you “just go make things”. There’s a lot of things you only learn by doing.

I think I already had an epiphany about this but ignored that once I was called out for repeating my question and decided to rewrite the question to be better, disregarding the fact that I didn’t need an answer in the first place so the question was useless in any form.

[Katzalcoatl]

There is nothing wrong with asking questions. But asking questions just for the sake of asking questions is counter productive.

If you already knew the answer to 2 of your questions instead of rewriting them... erase them.
In order to gain knowledge you need to ask questions but they have to be the right questions....

Asking for the sake of asking will not give you knowledge or let you advance.
The reason Newton and Einstein are very respected scientists is because they asked the right questions. They didn't get stuck with the small details such as asking why 1+1 is 2 and not 30? (This is just an example of how you can't get stuck in each small detail).

[JoshRaed]

I’m sorry but I still can’t see the connection between how to write a feminine gay man and how to write a one-dimensional character to seem interesting,

Like I believe my opinion is wrong right now, I’ve obviously been repeating the same question, no sarcasm about it, but the idea is still jammed in my head like a tumor and I just want to pull it out and magically see how you’re correct. I don’t know how to properly explain this. Like I am fully incorrect and don’t know how to become a correct opinion having person.

[JoshRaed]

You cannot "ask" your way into acquiring the skills and effort you want so badly and repeatedly asking questions won't suddenly make your thing spontaneously appear.

What would you do if you were in my place right now?

[JoshRaed]

You don’t need people to make random suggestions if not-Wednesday character traits. Just think about it. Problem solve.

Yeah this was a dumb question. It was just me trying to prove the objectively wrong stance that my questions were different questions. I’d actually already solved this problem months ago.

[SleepingPoppy]

I’m sorry but I still can’t see the connection between how to write a feminine gay man and how to write a one-dimensional character to seem interesting

I don’t think you actually ever asked how to write a feminine gay character. You asked how to avoid them being a stereotype/one dimensional. So the answer to both questions is about adding dimension to the character beyond their gay identity.

[Katzalcoatl]

What would you do if you were in my place right now?

Practice. There is not much else to do at the stage you are in.

P.S. Question has been asked and answered the same way multiple times. Instead of wasting time asking what to do, you should be using all that time practicing.

[SleepingPoppy]

So you’re just being argumentative.

[cherrystark]

I’m sorry but I still can’t see the connection between how to write a feminine gay man and how to write a one-dimensional character to seem interesting,

The "connection" (IMO) is that writing an effeminate gay man is essentially writing a one-dimensional character. It's a stereotype with no dimension. I'm not going to give you hints on how to write a multi-dimensional character but the gist of people's comments is to not worry about writing a "type", just write a friggin character. Your character isn't going to make everyone happy so write one that you can be happy with.

Like I believe my opinion is wrong right now, I’ve obviously been repeating the same question, no sarcasm about it, but the idea is still jammed in my head like a tumor and I just want to pull it out and magically see how you’re correct. I don’t know how to properly explain this. Like I am fully incorrect and don’t know how to become a correct opinion having person.

Sweetie, go step away. Exit out of the forums, turn off your computer, and do something else. We're getting quickly to the point where everyone's going to get tired of you and having the same discussion on repeat. No one really wants to keep answering threads where we're just going in circles.

There is no such thing as a "correct opinion-having person". A lot of us have learned from experience with our craft. Vague, general "spoiler-free" questions aren't a good tool if you genuinely need help with a specific part of your story. I've read a lot of your comments where you've given more insight into your story/characters and I have no idea what your story is about. The questions are too all over the place.

Since "questions" are your problem in this thread, I'm going to show you an example of a good "question" that can help specifically address the problems you might have in your work.

I am writing a fantasy romance about a sixteen-year-old girl named Vera. In the story, pack members get their fated mates when they turn 18 but don't officially "marry" them until 21. Vera's love interest, Kai, is your typical alpha dude bro and I'm worried that their relationship will come off as toxic, especially since Kai has an aggressive personality. What are some tips you have to avoid writing toxic relationships for your characters?

In my example, I'm giving enough detail about the story so people have a general idea of the story's plot and the two main players. They get a little insight into the problem (while avoiding spoilers) and my question is specific - tips to avoid writing toxic relationships. Commenters know exactly what I'm looking for with my responses and are less likely to introduce topics that don't apply to the subject I'm looking at. I'm not introducing any side references. I'm not rephrasing things. I'm not challenging people. I'm asking specific questions related to the topic in question.

[JoshRaed]

Kind of. I was trying to respond to criticism despite it not mattering either way, partly to prove something I guess.

[Katzalcoatl]

You do realize that asking a question, you answered yourself months ago, just for the sake of proving a point is a form of trolling.......

[JoshRaed]

The "connection" (IMO) is that writing an effeminate gay man is essentially writing a one-dimensional character. It's a stereotype with no dimension. I'm not going to give you hints on how to write a multi-dimensional character but the gist of people's comments is to not worry about writing a "type", just write a friggin character. Your character isn't going to make everyone happy so write one that you can be happy with.

This whole argument actually started for a stupid reason. I was told that I should accept that my character will be one-dimensional in any short stories I write about them, and I just accepted this with no evidence. I’d actually written quite a bit of interesting stuff for this character already, but I was genuinely convinced that none of it could possibly matter in a one-shot context. None of this has to happen but I made it happen because I didn’t apply basic critical thinking.

Vague, general "spoiler-free" questions aren't a good tool if you genuinely need help with a specific part of your story. I've read a lot of your comments where you've given more insight into your story/characters and I have no idea what your story is about. The questions are too all over the place.

The series is about a creepy little girl and her punk mom (eventually joined by a third character, the adopted gay one) going on hero monster of the week adventures in a van but it’s a horror thing. Like monster of the week with serious horror elements in it.

Since "questions" are your problem in this thread, I'm going to show you an example of a good "question" that can help specifically address the problems you might have in your work.

Is this good?

I already made suggestions. Now you gotta think it over or start doing monster research to find what fits for you. You need to learn to rely on yourself more! You can do it

I think this is similar to what you described.

[JoshRaed]

I didn’t think of it like that. I wasn’t trying to provoke anyone into anything.

I was just trying to get at the root of what I was actually trying to figure out with the question I had, because it was a separate thought. Also this happened because some advice I randomly decided must apply 100 percent to my exact situation did not apply that well at all, so I ended up going back to square one on everything without even being aware of that.

Like I only wanted to know how to not make my character wednesday adams because I genuinely thought that none of her serious trauma, social awkwardness, lack of stoicism, abandonment issues, knowledge of horror movies, and kid hero status were actually going to apply in a one-shot, something that was not even kind of true.

This was all me seeing different paths and taking the worst one everytime without fail, and never once going back really.

[RedLenai]

Stop writing a bunch of questions, no one is going to deliver you perfect answers or serve everything in a golden plate for you.
Back in my days the only thing you received as an answer was "Practice" and the rest you had to figure out yourself without asking further because that's all you were allowed to do and then YOU had to WORK, actually getting YOUR HANDS into drawing or writing.

Your story is going to suck, like anything anyone finishes for the first time because guess what? You are an amateur, a novice, you have no real experience and for as long you don't have experience you won't improve. You can complain, asks a bunch of questions, be a petty little individual making a bunch of excuses and counter arguments but to be fair theory is totally different from practice, you can try to plan and get as many answers but they'll be all useless once you start to actually work on your series, continue working on your series, advancing and solving stuff as you go and you'll only get your resolution when you actually finish something, actually have a product to analize and improve.

You focus way to much on your ego, I see a lot of barking but no actual biting.
People tell you your character is going to be one-dimentional? Instead of arguing back, then fricking write your character and prove if it can be more than one-dimentional.
Lots of talking, lots of replies but I don't see work being done around here, and even if you came show it I couldn't care less because I'm not interested in reading whatever you make because the few things I've read sounded like the most generic story made by a teenager who thinks this is their magnum opus, they are going to be so popular and be like 10 years publishing their series, having big ass chapters and volumes and wanting to be the next Eiichiro Oda.

[JoshRaed]

People tell you your character is going to be one-dimentional? Instead of arguing back, then fricking write your character and prove if it can be more than one-dimentional.

I wasn’t arguing back, I actually believed them that this character would be one-dimensional in a one-shot it something. I didn’t really think about it that hard and only now did I get that they didn’t mean what I thought they meant and what I thought they meant made no sense once I thought about it.

I'm not interested in reading whatever you make because the few things I've read sounded like the most generic story made by a teenager who thinks this is their magnum opus

What sounded like a generic story made by a teenager? Lisa graves or the chosen wads?

Your story is going to suck, like anything anyone finishes for the first time because guess what? You are an amateur, a novice, you have no real experience and for as long you don't have experience you won't improve.

That’s why i’m actually making the comic and writing the scripts for it and stuff. I have a bunch of drafts, like enough chapter drafts to fill up the entire series length if they fit together well enough for that, and i’m going to turn what I have into my story.

Back in my days the only thing you received as an answer was "Practice" and the rest you had to figure out yourself without asking further because that's all you were allowed to do and then YOU had to WORK, actually getting YOUR HANDS into drawing or writing.

I draw for four hours a day, and I write for an hour and a half. That’s what’s in my daily schedule. Before writing this comic I had an old version of it that I made 40 entire pages of, having worked on it for a year.

[RedLenai]

Again

I don't care about your buts, your excuses, your replies, whatever kind of wannabe argument you try to bring here to try to justify yourself in anything people tell you, all I hear is bla bla bla.
No finished product, to me you're wasting your time, simple as that.

You can whine about the hours you draw a day, the drafts you have and whatever you did last year, they are meaningless if they don't take a real shape.

[cherrystark]

The series is about a creepy little girl and her punk mom (eventually joined by a third character, the adopted gay one) going on hero monster of the week adventures in a van but it’s a horror thing. Like monster of the week with serious horror elements in it.

See, this is a point of communication that you missed. I wasn't asking about what the plot was to better answer any of your questions. I was simply addressing the fact that none of the questions in your post really led anywhere. We're responding to pretty generic questions which is causing you to rehash the same question because you aren't getting the answer you were originally looking for.

Is this good?

??? What do you mean? My example is similar to what a lot of people post when they are asking for help or looking to start a conversation thread.

I already made suggestions. Now you gotta think it over or start doing monster research to find what fits for you. You need to learn to rely on yourself more! You can do it

I think this is similar to what you described.

I read the thread and no. It's not. In your opening, you are still falling into the same trap.

So, this character has never truly experienced love due to his past experiences, and now he's been living with this woman and her daughter for a week now after being rescued from his own horror story thing.

So he's afraid that this woman will abandon him or something and doesn't feel comfortable thinking of her as a mother even though he fully does.

You described your plot more concisely in your reply to me than you did in the entire opener of that thread. You literally change your train of thought halfway through the post. You could have easily said something like, "In my story, a punk witch mom and her macabre little girl rescue a ghost from XXX. The series has a monster-of-the-week vibe to it, but I also want my characters to have a found family dynamic to them." Anything like that could have worked.

[JoshRaed]

@RedLenai @cherrystark @aqua03 @Katzalcoatl @darthmongoose @KSlinger @NickRowler @moontokkym @aqua03 @SleepingPoppy

Sorry for dragging you all into this stupid argument. It was all a waste of your time and mine. It was also extremely preventable.

Thank you for being so patient with me and having so much good advice to give, it’s more than I deserve at this point.

I’ll try to be better about this from now on, and i’m going to take a break to actually focus on my story and my schoolwork and other stuff I should honestly spend more time doing.

@joannekwan can you close this thread now?