In writing, often times I face the trouble with writing chapters that are without battle, you know, detailed paragraphs of a character's interaction with the world. Some ideas to help the story go along. But I fear it may cause the reader to lose interest along the way. But then again, I don't want to create a story that is overloaded with action and not enough character development. Any ideas?

As long as you keep it entertaining and descriptive then you should have no problem keeping us hooked! I have the same problem but as long as you throw some dialogue and imagery in there you will be fine

you could spend some time discribing the environment, always helps to be able to visualize the setting.

you could also have more dialogue, and discribe the characters that are interacting too.

you could also share some of the protagonists' inner thoughts as they are going about their business.

then of course there's backstory and reflection on past experiences.

that's how I would fill pages if i wrote fanfiction, i haven't given it a shot myself though i've been tempted, lol.

I prefer humor in any writing. Makes me want to read it later because I read all the stuff beforehand to build up to the momentum where the punch line kicks in.


Not sure if this is relevant, but be a little careful about writing fan-fiction on lore already present (If you wanted to expandon it, or rewrite it in your own imagination), apparently people get really upset. Not really sure why.

Interesting dialogue. Make it seem real, not just mechanical back and forth. It's something I've tried to develop in my FF in the chapters with no fighting (and even in the ones with it!), and it's quite challenging to try and have your characters speak in a way that's believable.

"Would a real person actually say it like that?" is something I try to ask myself when going over bits of dialogue. If you can keep the dialogue real and flowing, you'll find that non-combat chapters can be really interesting, and good, realistic dialogue is often something I find lacking in FF's. Mine included :sadvaultboy:

A story without conflict is boring. Conflict is what gives your protagonist not only something to strive for, but to strive against. The thing to remember is that not all conflict has to be people hacking at one another with swords. You can create conflict in many other ways. For example, a male protagonist may be shy when talking to women. So there is conflict every time he meets a woman as he struggles to overcome his doubts and fears and blank mind that only thinks of the right thing to say five minutes after she has walked away. Or your protagonist may be in love with another character, but either they are afraid to do anything about it, or the target of their affection is already with someone else. In the first case they again have to overcome their own issues to triumph. In the other they have to wrest the person from the arms of another. Seriously, romance is one of the absolute best ways of creating conflict. In fact, romance stories are all about conflict. No one would be interested if it was as simple as two people meet, and then fall happily ever after. There has to be lots of bumps and jars along the way. Usually with one person leaving the other three-quarters of the way through.

My writing is focused on character development, and I do it through a combination of all these things. Plus I spend some time dwelling on just building the world up through the eyes of my characters, and showing brief snippets of their ordinary life here and there. The thing to remember when you are doing character dev stories, is that perfect characters are boring. Your characters need flaws, that gives them something to work to overcome (and create that conflict). It can be a bad temper, low self-esteem, a need to impress their parents or others, fear of losing someone they love, fear of loving someone and becoming vulnerable, etc... Create characters like this, and then spend time putting them in situations where these issues come out so the reader can see what their problem is. Then spend some more time with them facing the fact that they have these issues (such as when their girlfriend leaves them because they never open up to her), then even more time as they actually tackle these issues and strive to overcome them.

I know it all sounds kind of general, but read some stories that do not focus on action, and pay attention to what the writer is doing. Look at what they are actually writing about, and how they keep it interesting. Read Pride and Prejudice (or even better yet, watch the 1995 miniseries with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle). It is packed with conflict, and nary a battle or death.

Follow your instincts. If it is good and worth reading, you will know it.

I think we all struggle with this, it seems. This is probably a point I have not taken time to notice. I guess I got some work to do.


Thanks. I will try and work on describing characters and reflections. I can already describe enviormnets with no problem. I just needed help keeping people interested in non-"engaging" scenes.


Woah. That's informative. You seem to suggest more romance than anything else :foodndrink:

I am not quite proficient in romance, but I can give it a try since the main protagonist of my next story is a male. It is impressive how these small things can fit perfectly in a fantasy universe, making it compelling and unforgettable. Some of us seem to forget that even in a fictional universe, people have problems that can relate to real life issues.

But don't go over the top when describing either. I find nothing slows a story down to a grind then several paragraphs describing a tree and the sky. I'm guilty of this sometimes when I inadvertently get "too flowery" (as my teachers us to say) in my descriptions.

Yes. I learned from this as well, a little too late actually. Unfortunatly some of my stories are too long, which is a good reason why people strayed away from it. This is one reason that ties into my question. I will put this advice into work. Thanks.

all things in moderation really. being descriptive is great, as long as it's not too descriptive, dialogue and thoughts are good as long as they're engaging. The biggest thing that you have to keep in mind is "do i enjoy writing this?" Because if it's yours and YOU don't like it, you can be sure that no one else will. Don't be afraid to skip around in time, train of thought style. when my wife asks me about my day, you can bet I pick out the one or two interesting/funny things that happened, not "As i drove to work i watched the buildings flash by, gray brown in their dull uniformity..."

escape the "A leads to B leads to C leads to D" approach and it becomes easier. Try "A reminds me of F which was similar to R which happened before D" it is a more intuitive and enjoyable narrative in my opinion.

My Fallout Fanfic has almost no action, but lots of people like it. You have to do what you do best. I try to create deep, realistic characters, and throw them into fantastical scenarios. I don't like one dimensional main characters, so that is the most important thing. Honestly, I actually find action sequences in fan-fics boring, and in fact action scenes in general, characters are the most important part of a story, not action.

Above all else, this is something new writers need to pay attention to. Especially around here, because the Elder Scrolls series, as games, are so combat focused that some of the more subtle aspects are pushed to the background. Not all conflict is combat. Conflict drives a story, makes it engaging and interesting to read; combat should be used sparingly, and only when a deeper conflict is involved. On a movie screen, combat is interesting because we see all the bloody bits and gore, but in a book you don't have that advantage. Combat can actually end up pretty boring if it is used too frequently, especially if it is only for the sake of having a fight scene. Any fight should have meaning and purpose; if it does not advance the plot, it is just a random fight scene, and unless written exceptionally well, it is usually boring.

SubRosa gave some excellent examples of inter-character conflict that have nothing to do with violence, and some inner conflicts as well. Not all of them have to be romantic in nature, of course; some of the most interesting relationships are rivalries- or even outright enemies- that are forced to interact. These relationships can be developed through dialogue, actions, and perhaps the occasional fight scene; all to give insight into the characters and advance the plot, of course. Two kids competing to be top in their class, or two coworkers aiming for the same promotion; a soldier who disobeys his commanding officer, or a group of citizens protesting their government. You can even have person versus nature conflicts: a woman is lost in the wilderness, and has to survive the elements until her rescue. Anything can be a good conflict, so don't limit yourself to violence.



Perfect protagonists are incredibly dull. Why would I read about someone if I already knew they would win? If Joe the Barbarian is the best warrior in the land, the most powerful mage, and the leader of the local crime guild, who in the world is going to go up against him? There's a reason Superman had Kryptonite. Every character needs flaws in order to be interesting, or else there is no conflict at all. A character that is overpowered is called uber, and in both RPing and writing it is considered a bad thing.



So you have a story that revolves around war and battle, so what? There are a lot of good war stories out there, but the one thing they all have in common is that they don't just show the hero when he's killing the enemy. War is about way more than just knocking around bad guy skulls. Any fight is going to involve questions about morality, first of all. "Is all this killing right? Are the other guys really that bad? Is it worth the lives we lose?" All of those are potential internal conflicts for the protagonist. Grief for dead comrades is another good one, and disagreements with the commanding officer. You show the soldier while he lies in bed, reading a letter from his wife. You show him while he's shaving, eating his meal with his friends, or crying over his dead brothers. You show him as a person, as a human being, with all his flaws, his doubts, his fears. There is more to people than meets the eye; there should be more to your characters than just a soldier.

And once you have interesting, dynamic characters in an appropriate setting and good backstory, the rest will write itself. Get a loose outline of the plot together, decide how you want the story to end and how the characters will be changed by it. Then find out where you want to start and just put pen on paper. Characters will be fleshed out as you go, the story will progress by itself if you let it. All you are there to do is guide it in the right direction, and keep your characters in check. Make sure everything they do is believable; if you can't see yourself doing it in their shoes, they shouldn't be doing it either. After all that, the only thing to do is have fun with it. Enjoy the story, and your reader will enjoy it too. The only way to get better is to practice; if you've never written a bad story, you won't know how to write a good one.

Hope some of those cliche pieces of advice help a little. If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask, and once you get that story started, let us know and post it up here. I'll do my best to take a look and give a review, and I'm sure some other people will as well. :thumbsup:

if it isnt action-ee enough add humor if its funny we will read
even a boring non humorous story can still be good at least i like some if its still good

Thank you very much. I will actually bookmark this page whenever I need to re-read some of the advice. I already have a few ideas for the story that can match with conflict without battle. A man who struggles with an abusive father, but tolerates it all for the sake of his mother. And then slavery is introduced into the tale and he is shipped into a different country, knowing if he escaped he would die and otherwise be unable to return to his mother.

*Cracks knuckle* I better get started. Thanks again Darkom, this is the second time your advice helped me out.

Glad I could help, my friend. I'm sure there are plenty of people that would give you the same advice. And that sounds like a good story idea; I can't wait to see what you do with it.

Speaking of, I've got my own story I think I might start on. It's been too long since I wrote something in TES.

Most definetly. As a vet of the forums, you should definetly write one.

Hahaha, I wouldn't go so far as to say that, but thank you. If I can get some time and inspiration together, I should be able to start on the first chapter shortly. I was considering a Skyrim story, but I think I'll stick with the two things I know best: assassins, and elaborating on historical lore. Queen Morihatha sounds like a good place to start... :happy:

Assassins sounds good, as well as history too. I would like to read your story and I can humbly say that I would even draw some inspiration as regards to the flow of it and such. I wrote a few chapters in a story regarding Cyrodiilic politics and history, with the main protagonists being young siblings raised to learn deception, manipulation and power through chaos to achieve their goals. The story itself would span four centuries. But it's too grand to put on a website right away. It's best to study lore before entering such a large scale. But as for your story, assassins would definetly be a good addition. Now a days we see lots of cliche silent, dark killers with no real backstory to them except the "X killed my parents so I seek revenge against X and X".

Don't be scared to throw in some parts of a story that have no conflict what so ever. If you already have conflict and fighting in it sometimes it is wise to give your character a break for a little bit. Put in description of let's say a walk or maybe traveling from one point to another. Put detail into it, not too much (sometimes being too descriptive can through your readers off and bore them.) A story is made of three things in my idealism. 1: some kind of situation that grabs your readers into the story making them want to know more (I.E Conflict, romance, past struggle, mystery). 2: Imagery of the world inside your story, the description of the wild life, landscape, plants, ect. 3: A characters self image or maybe flashbacks of the past or something to fill your readers want to gain more knowledge of what your character is about. If you want an example, I've started a Fan-fic you could look at the beginning and the second post to get an idea. http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1297464-mourne-skyfeather-child-of-valenwood/ The beginning is more or less a subtle descriptive scene going into a conflict, then to a more self conflict with the character once I get the next part finished.

Love and especially lust are two of the most powerful motivators of human behavior. For all mammals in fact. No matter what genre of story you are telling, sci-fi, horror, mystery, etc... a little amore goes a long way to add spice and interest. Not to mention an element of uncertainty and conflict in addition to whatever the actual plot is. For example The X-Files, which was filled with the big question of will Scully and Mulder ever hook up? While it had nothing to do with the plots of the episodes, it generated a huge amount of interest in the fandom. That is because no matter how strange and unique a setting you have, one thing people can always relate to is wanting to jump someone else's bones. :wink_smile:

All of those things are important, I most certainly agree, but that's not all there is to storytelling. I'm sure you didn't mean to say that there is nothing else that can be included in a narrative, but I think a few big ones deserve at least a passing mention. The first thing that comes to mind is character development; the only thing separating a protagonist from a side character is that they usually make some kind of gradual change throughout the story. Whether this is a realization of some kind of truth, or a simple shift in morals, the big characters should change as they story progresses. If your character is a coward to begin with, as you near the conclusion he should begin showing signs of bravery; then, with the climix, his new confidence plays an instrumental role in ending the conflict and wrapping up the story.

Characterization and development is, in my opinion, essential to draw the reader in; if they don't empathize with the protagonist, they won't care whether he succeeds or fails. Likewise, if they don't recognize the antagonist as a "bad guy", they won't be happy when he finally loses. Not that you need a black cloaked evil villain, just someone to oppose the protagonist and (usually) lose in the end. It just wouldn't be a very good story if the protagonist goes around killing innocent people; no one can empathize with that, unless there is a very good reason for the murders.

Another thing I'd like to mention is theme. While it is often overlooked and undervalued, the theme of a story is very important to writing a lasting narrative. A story can be well written, exciting, and full of excellent characters, but without a message or moral it lacks the depth to be a truly great tale. Stories need to make a point; they need to give the reader something to think about even after the final page is turned. It's easiest to recognize in children's tales, where usually they actually state the moral at the end, but the principle remains the same for any piece of literature. The reader learns the same lesson as the protagonist, without having to endure many of the trials and hardships involved. Like I said, it's not essential, but it can turn a really good story into a truly great story, and is something writers should be thinking about once they understand the basics.



I couldn't agree more. The more conflict you have in a story the better (to a certain extent, of course). And all conflict- all storytelling, really- basically boils down to a description of the human condition. The One Story, the story of us, as a species, and how we think and behave and react. To love, to lose, to fight, and to die, all are part of that great epic that is humanity (thought some might claim that it's a comedy ). You can tell it innumerable ways, in an infinite variation of settings, characters, and plots, but in the end it's all talking about the same thing. It doesn't really affect how we write- in fact, everyone uses this idea without even knowing it- but it is an interesting concept all the same.

Well said Dark, No I wasn't implying there was nothing else to a story it was late at night and I didn't feel like typing a whole page on the subject. But you said it all in your post.

Thanks once more. And one last question: I already have written an entire story and I am on the final chapters, is there a way to redeem the character if there is already some sort of development?

Edit: Yes, I know antagonists are not always the villain or considered "Evil". My characters are often anti-heroes than villains, but some do show some "noble" and "heroic" traits considered good by the general population and the readers.

I suspected as much. And thank you.



Well, to be honest, a true redemption should really be planned from the start, in order to foreshadow and set it up correctly. The whole story has to be written in a fall-and-redemption mindset. I would say just finish the story the way YOU want to finish it, don't let any of us tell you what you need to do. It's your story, and you can end it however you like. If the rest of the story is interesting and well written, then I'm sure the ending will be just fine as is.

I tend to use anti-heroes myself as well; my very first story featured an anti-hero quite heavily, to the point where he was really just a villain (he was also an uber destructo-mage-assassin, but that's besides the point ). And if you are going to make a point about morality and the blending, subjectivity of right and wrong, then I would say go for it. Anti-heroes can be tricky to pull off, but when you get it right, they are some very interesting characters. No one is a knight in shining armor, and I hate when the main character in a story can "do no wrong"; I'd prefer to see protagonists with more of a gritty, down to earth feel.

If you want to see a few anti-heroes done right, I'd take a look at some of the recent fantasy series. Lewis and Tolkien did incredibly well with a hero archetype, but Stephen King creates a lasting impact with the depth and realism of his characters (see Roland of Gilead). Fantasy writers these days don't pull any punches, and with good cause. The darker, more realistic fantasy that is catching on is an improvement in my opinion. Not to say it's an entirely new idea, but it seems to be becoming more and more prevalent. A few other authors that have done extremely well with their characters (and some of my favorites) that you might want to look into if you haven't already are Anne Rice, Brandon Sanderson, George R. R. Martin, Glen Cook, and Frank Herbert. All are incredible authors; if my writing is a tenth of what they do someday, then I will count myself a lucky man.