A hero is a relatable "good" character who possesses noble and admirable qualities. The reader will root for the hero to overcome challenges in order to achieve the goals of the plot and have a satisfactory resolution. For example, if you were forced to choose a hero from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, you would probably select the " Man With No Name " (i.e., "The Good").
Antiheroes are often more engaging because they break some of the rules that we associate with classic heroes. Perhaps they are willing to break the law or kill, or perhaps their motivations are unsavory, such as wanting money rather than saving someone in trouble. In any case, the character is still sustained as a hero through either their intentions (they are trying to do the right thing) or the outcomes of their action (they manage to do the right thing, despite not trying). Getting back to our example, Tuco Ramírez (i.e., "The Ugly") could be thought of as the antihero for The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
Anaphora is the repetition of a word or short phrase at the start of a sentence, for emphasis. "The heat was like a blanket. The heat dripped from the walls and soaked into the floorboards. The heat and haze settled down on the world. The heat would not be moved."
A villain is an unrelatable "bad" character who causes harm to others. The reader will root against this character in their efforts to achieve the goals of the plot. If a character has neither a positive outcome nor a positive intention, then they are likely a villain rather than a hero or an antihero. In our The Good, the Bad and the Ugly example, Angel Eyes (i.e., "The Bad") is the clear villain of the story.
Allusion calls something to mind without mentioning it explicitly. For instance, someone may tell you that your nose will grow if you tell a lie, which is an allusion to Pinocchio.
An anagram is a word or phrase that, when the letters are rearranged, produces another word or phrase. For example, the letters in "listen" can be rearranged to spell "silent."
An ellipsis is an omission from speech denoted by three dots (…). If it takes place at the end of a sentence, it is three dots followed by a period.
The scanner reviews the memories from the day, and reprograms the brain to remove memories of distress or of personal behaviors that don't align with the approved list.
Science Fiction has been recently referred to as the last great literature of ideas. It contains imaginative concepts such as parallel universes, fictional worlds full of advanced technology, time travel, extraterrestrial life, and even sociocultural commentary. Below are 660 prompts to help you get started on your next Science Fiction writing ...
It's a marvelous time to be a surgeon. The latest advancements involve nanobots used for molecular surgery inside the human body. You insert them in the needed area—bloodstream, neural tissue, brain—and control them remotely from outside. One day, an ambulance delivers an unconscious woman to your hospital.
A mad scientist builds an army of steam-powered robots that attack London. You barely escape with your life, and you join up with a rag-tag group of misfits—a thief, a steam engineer, a chef, and a princess. Together, you must survive and find a way to save the city.
Mythic. The story is inspired by, or closely imitates, myths of the past. A subgenre that combines a Science Fiction setting with myth, folklore, and fantastical elements. The story can be a retelling of a myth or employ mythological tropes.