Write a controversial opinion

[anthrodisiac]

Feet should be outlawed.

I'd say I stand by it, but, well...

 

[SadieGirl06]

He will leave his wife for me

 

[Statius]

Feet should be outlawed.

I'd say I stand by it, but, well...

Well, I mean I kinda need mine for hiking, working, etc.. however I'm all for a ban on bare feet in public

 

[Whanmore]

Authors have some responsibility for how readers interpret their stories.

Thats deep

 

[anthrodisiac]

Well, I mean I kinda need mine for hiking, working, etc.. however I'm all for a ban on bare feet in public

"Need" is such a strong word.

 

[NuclearFairy]

Prosthetic feet are still feet!

 

[Statius]

"Need" is such a strong word.

So what? Surgical replacement with paws?

Actually, that may work. Four legged critters do get around easier, huh I may be on board with your banning of feet for paws after all

 

[Statius]

Prosthetic feet are still feet!

See above, please

 

[anthrodisiac]

Prosthetic feet are still feet!

As long as they aren't foot shaped, I'm okay with it.

So what? Surgical replacement with paws?

Actually, that may work. Four legged critters do get around easier, huh I may be on board with your banning of feet for paws after all

Works for me! No Pause for Paws!

 

[ericalauren]

Feet should be outlawed.

I'd say I stand by it, but, well...

I had a classmate who was freaked out by ears. She always wore her hair down, and wanted all people to cover their ears, too. She was bizarre.

 

[anthrodisiac]

I had a classmate who was freaked out by ears. She always wore her hair down, and wanted all people to cover their ears, too. She was bizarre.

Oh, I didn't realize we went to class together! How've you been?

 

[TheLobster]

She was bizarre.

That's indeed very eary.

 

[FemaleMasochist_TWOB]

Stances, interests, contradictions, conflicts, crises, the prerequisites for resolution, the action, and the ultimate success—or failure.
If you want a novel to be a truly satisfying read, you must force characters to clash over their unyielding standpoints. They need to tear into each other, even fight to the death, executing their motives with every conceivable method and ruthless efficiency.
From there, you tailor their behavioral styles to their archetypes: the comic relief, the ally, the mentor, the antagonist, and so on. Someone delivers the comedy, someone carries the tragedy; someone is reckless, and someone is wise. But in the end, the protagonist must absolutely be the one to resolve it all.

 

[FemaleMasochist_TWOB]

Then there’s the establishment of primary and secondary conflicts, the narrative trajectory, and logical branching that looks like a decision tree.
All of this architecture serves one singular purpose: Anticipation. Instant gratification, delayed gratification, and the lingering regret of unfulfilled desires. You must anchor the emotional ebb and flow at every single plot node, making the novel's emotional volatility entirely controllable. By the end, it should map out as a clear emotional trend line, much like a stock market chart.
At the lowest dips of this chart, you strip the protagonist of something, subject them to crushing setbacks, and force the reader to desperately anticipate their next move. Then, at the highest peaks, you finally satisfy that anticipation, triggering a massive dopamine release. You make them addicted to your story, just like a narcotic.

 

[FemaleMasochist_TWOB]

Then comes their motivation, their past traumas, and what they desperately crave. You use progressive narrative to construct a three-dimensional figure until they radiate a true 'character glow.' There is no absolute evil, no absolute justice, and certainly no bullshit ideology. Villains need their own godfathers and saviors, just as heroes need their darkest, most unmentionable executioner's blades.
The grand villain’s wickedness must be driven by an ideal, a burning desire—even a martyr-like devotion. It must be so purely evil that, to an outsider, it merely looks like a tragic clash of idealism and opposing stances. Conversely, the hero’s goodness must be purpose-driven, even selfishly motivated. This fleshes out the character, granting you infinite room to expand their side-quests and plug any plot holes.
When you build a character who is already dazzling halfway through the process, readers will devour an entire book just for them. They will organically form cult-like fandoms and spark wars against rival fanbases—like those endless debates over power scaling or cross-verse tiering. But this is a good thing. When fans clash, the ultimate beneficiary is the author.
More contradictions, more conflict—it skyrockets your reader stickiness, conversion rates, and retention rates. They will even extend their tolerance, giving you the grace of the 'Golden Three Chapters' rather than judging you by the harsh 'Golden First Glance'. And your revenue? It will scale exponentially.

 

[Husky_Embrace]

Well, I mean I kinda need mine for hiking, working, etc.. however I'm all for a ban on bare feet in public

That reminds me of a guy who has no legs after his knees climbing the mount Everest. He had prosthetics to help him up the mountain.

It was a motivational thing. "This guy has no legs and did it anyway. What's your excuse!?"

"My feet hurt."

 

[MelissaBaby]

He will leave his wife for me

Then he will leave you for someone else.

 

[MelissaBaby]

Emma Stone is the most overrated actress in the history of overrated actresses.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Then comes their motivation, their past traumas, and what they desperately crave. You use progressive narrative to construct a three-dimensional figure until they radiate a true 'character glow.' There is no absolute evil, no absolute justice, and certainly no bullshit ideology. Villains need their own godfathers and saviors, just as heroes need their darkest, most unmentionable executioner's blades.
The grand villain’s wickedness must be driven by an ideal, a burning desire—even a martyr-like devotion. It must be so purely evil that, to an outsider, it merely looks like a tragic clash of idealism and opposing stances. Conversely, the hero’s goodness must be purpose-driven, even selfishly motivated. This fleshes out the character, granting you infinite room to expand their side-quests and plug any plot holes.
When you build a character who is already dazzling halfway through the process, readers will devour an entire book just for them. They will organically form cult-like fandoms and spark wars against rival fanbases—like those endless debates over power scaling or cross-verse tiering. But this is a good thing. When fans clash, the ultimate beneficiary is the author.
More contradictions, more conflict—it skyrockets your reader stickiness, conversion rates, and retention rates. They will even extend their tolerance, giving you the grace of the 'Golden Three Chapters' rather than judging you by the harsh 'Golden First Glance'. And your revenue? It will scale exponentially.

...

Alternatively, they could just fuck.

 

[SimonDoom]

Emma Stone is the most overrated actress in the history of overrated actresses.

Oh, that's a touchy one. I think she's very appealing. A good movie star. I would agree she's probably gotten more accolades for acting talent than she deserves.

 

[StillStunned]

He will leave his wife for me

Don't sleep with a married man and expect him to leave his wife. If he's already getting what he wants from you, he won't be in a hurry to change anything.

 

[SimonDoom]

Feet should be outlawed.

I'd say I stand by it, but, well...

What would you prefer? Hooves? Oven mitts?

 

[StillStunned]

Getting back to the OP of "controversial opinions about writing":

You don't have to finish every story. And you don't have to finish a single story to enjoy writing.

Also: it's possible to have a serious and balanced discussion about 2P.

 

[KatieKulka32]

Don't sleep with a married man and expect him to leave his wife. If he's already getting what he wants from you, he won't be in a hurry to change anything.

Dating divorced men is a better play. They are often eager to not be alone.

 

[TheLobster]

You don't have to finish every story.

But conversely, the girth of your WIP folder doesn't correlate with, uh, your other girth.