qid int64 1 2.78M | question stringlengths 2 66.6k | answers list | date stringlengths 10 10 | metadata list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
42,327 | I am wondering if I can include fictional inventions like the power suits in Izut Mon. I believe that "power-suits" are used legally by a lot of media; however, what if the power-suit you're describing is very similar to the one in Izut Mon? Let's say there are jets on both hands and feet and, to take things even furth... | [
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"text": "Here's a common sense rule: if it has ever been mass-manufactured as a toy then it is **licensed property** and h... | 2019/02/19 | [
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42,341 | Building on my answer in [**Proven psychological or scientific means of scaring people?**](https://writing.stackexchange.com/questions/39358/proven-psychological-or-scientific-means-of-scaring-people), I'm working on a universal **horror-theme structure** for a branching-narrative series with an occult detective. I won... | [
{
"answer_id": 42346,
"author": "NofP",
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"text": "### If you want to be PC, stick to symptoms of infectious diseases, where the sense of body horror would reinforce pre... | 2019/02/19 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42341",
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42,352 | In my post-apocalyptic novel, the MC UrasMt navigates the world of survivors and grapples with her newly discovered abilities. The leader of the group of survivors, and the book's antagonist, Ezrith, had a wife named Pastea who was, unbeknownst to everyone, killed by UrasMt. I want to write a short story that centers a... | [
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"text": "That is a lot of questions. I will answer the last one.\n\nYou have a human being who is grieving and as such des... | 2019/02/19 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42352",
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42,361 | I am talking about writing a sequel to a novel that's in the public domain. For example, Wizard of Oz. As far as I know, this is completely legal; however, the issue is how to deal with the fandom that exists. There are things fans want to see in a sequel and things that would be blasphemous to them, so how should you ... | [
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"text": "First thing you would need to decide is what you actually want to do with that sequel. Do yo... | 2019/02/19 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42361",
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42,375 | I used to write poems. I was in 4th grade, so I just wrote for fun. They didn't have any figurative language or symbols. My only goal was to make them rhyme. Here is an example of one of mine:
>
> The topic was risky
>
> The judge wasn’t blank, but picky.
>
>
> My stomach was getting really funky,
>
> My mi... | [
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"text": "There is a character-building strategy that uses [Theory of Mind](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_mind) ... | 2019/02/20 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42375",
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42,376 | I'm trying to write torture scenes but I'm not really all that confident about it since I've never written anything like it before and have never really witnessed anything violent. I know the methods and steps of the tortures I want to write about but it's more the description and how to write it without going too far ... | [
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"text": "If the torture scene is happening to your MC or your current narrator, instead of focusing on all the blood and gore wh... | 2019/02/20 | [
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42,377 | (Kem uses they/them pronouns.)
I'm outlining a story about a witch named Kem who has to protect the world from evil. Kem befriends demons and other witches, but I don't want them to find a crush or anything and I want to keep their feelings for everyone are platonic or familial. I want the reader to understand that Ke... | [
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"text": "Don't write it in.\n\nWhat readers do in their own fan responses is on them, not on you, and you can't... | 2019/02/20 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42377",
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42,386 | This may be a very very stupid question but I need to ask it. I have written my dissertation in my mother tongue first, then began to translate it as I will submit it in English. While doing so I used Google Translate from time to time. I didn't copy anything from anybody, only translated my own sentences. But I also r... | [
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"text": "There is no way in which anyone would be able to present a convincing case that this is plagiarism. You have the o... | 2019/02/20 | [
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42,401 | How explicit should the scenes be? When writing any type of fiction I just skip to the day after the sex took place and heavily imply that the persons in question had sex. Is this ok? Is it better to describe the scene as it takes place and how far should you go especially if you're writing a fantasy or a sci-fi book? | [
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"text": "What you are describing is often called a \"fade to black\" (after the movie technique of fading to a black s... | 2019/02/21 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42401",
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42,405 | Around a decade ago, I had a dream. An actual middle of the night dream. An entire movie played in my head, all I had to do was write it down. I did a fair bit of research on the topic then I spent the next 10 years working it out in my head but not writing much of anything down.
Last year, I joined a writer's group a... | [
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"text": "I'm gonna answer to the question in the title:\n\nUltimately it's up to you. They are different media.\n------------... | 2019/02/21 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42405",
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42,406 | I read a lot of YA fiction, a lot of which happens to take place in schools. Recently, an idea jumped into my head for a YA-ish story and told me that it was going to take place in a school.
The idea came to me, and the only way it was working when I thought it out would be in a school setting. The way the story works... | [
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"text": "I'm gonna answer to the question in the title:\n\nUltimately it's up to you. They are different media.\n------------... | 2019/02/21 | [
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42,414 | I am reviewing some research reports and found myself diving into the black hole of technical writing style.
My question is what is the best way to write numbers in millions? I am not writing a novel or story; I working on technical/scientific/academic reports.
1. Three millions
2. 3 x 106
3. 3 X 106
Should I use m... | [
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"text": "I'm gonna answer to the question in the title:\n\nUltimately it's up to you. They are different media.\n------------... | 2019/02/21 | [
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42,418 | I'm writing a story where two lovers meet then I having one of them die at the end. I am curious to see how much imagery I should add. | [
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"text": "I'm gonna answer to the question in the title:\n\nUltimately it's up to you. They are different media.\n------------... | 2019/02/21 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42418",
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42,419 | The general rule I follow is to spell out numbers < 10. Also when use numbers before measurement I don't spell out.
For example:
1. I bought nine apples
2. We need 5 mL acid for this reaction
How about numbers before "days", "months" and "times"?
1. Seck, you already did it three times!
2. It has been five months s... | [
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"text": "I honestly think it is a matter of flow. Spelling out numbers is more intended for an audience you expect to read ... | 2019/02/21 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42419",
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42,422 | In many works of genre-fiction (I'm talking mainly about fantasy and sci-fi, but others genres can apply), and across many forms of media, the main characters ends up being *special* in some ways.
Maybe it's the *abilities* the MC has, maybe there is a *prophecy*, maybe it's something in his/hers *birth* or *upbringin... | [
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"text": "Being the chosen one implies that her fate was decided for her as opposed to deciding for herself how she is... | 2019/02/21 | [
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42,456 | **Where does one go to find out about the day-to-day of military life?** In countries other than my own? I don't mean combat - I mean the boring routine. Basic training. What kind of food is served in the mess. How soldiers address each other, how one speaks to a superior or a subordinate. Who cleans the toilet. What r... | [
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"answer_id": 42462,
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"text": "This is a hard one. You really need to go to another country and spend a couple days hanging out on base and seeing how... | 2019/02/22 | [
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42,464 | One thing that often annoys me in historical fiction or fantasy books is the dissonance between the writing style and the events and historical period described in the book. The writing is usually very modern, it's fast-paced and uses modern idioms and phrases. By contrast, I love reading works from the time periods th... | [
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"text": "In art, there are essentially 2 ways of creating a new work in an old style.\n----------------------------------... | 2019/02/22 | [
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42,466 | I am publishing a book with an American publisher. My contract allows me to make a separate contract with one particular foreign publisher for a translation in his language. That foreign publisher wants to reverse the title and subtitle in the translation. I support that idea. Two questions. Is this legal? Do I need to... | [
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"text": "That depends on what the legal wording of \"allows me to make a separate contract with one particular foreign publ... | 2019/02/22 | [
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42,470 | A while back, I redrafted my NaNoWriMo 2017 story, but it still needs another draft. This question is about one of the concerns I have.
The story takes place in a medieval fantasy setting, and the protagonist is a homeless orphan of about fourteen. As a result, she has a somewhat limited education, and at various poin... | [
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"text": "It sounds very gimmicky, to be honest. I think you should think of more different ways in which her lower educati... | 2019/02/22 | [
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42,481 | Recently, I started writing articles about different subjects I learn on my own (programming, logic ...etc).
While writing, I have this tendency to overexplain, I know that readers are smart, but I still think that there is room for misunderstanding, so I tend to repeat myself and oversimplify things unconsciously.
... | [
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"text": "Your approach might be too **fundamentalist** for general use.\n------------------------------------------------... | 2019/02/22 | [
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42,497 | As a novice writer of poetry, I am eager to grow in my understanding of that mysterious line between complete abandon within freedom of expression, and writing which acknowledges standards on what actually makes a poem “good,” set by those who have gone before.
One particular form of expression I have been enjoying i... | [
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"text": "Many poets pair their artwork with their prose, probably the most notable is [Rupi Geur](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... | 2019/02/22 | [
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42,506 | (Heavily edited in a sincere attempt to reduce subjectivity / instigation of unwieldy discussion or chattiness:) As a novice writer of poetry, who lives with folks who smile and nod with the sound of crickets chirping in the background when I tell them I have written yet another poem, I am acutely aware that I am in gr... | [
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"text": "I'm going to lean in the opposite direction of your question.\n\n> \n> ... a remote (online) poetry writing commu... | 2019/02/22 | [
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42,521 | I have three characters, who are supposed to be good friends. Athos, Aramis, and Porthos, if you wish. Instead, I have two characters who share a strong Frodo-Sam relationship, and the third guy, who is almost a "third wheel".
It's not that my "Porthos" is less developed than the other two. But he is less cerebral. If... | [
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"text": "1) *Why* doesn't Mr. Id have a POV scene until later in the story? It's your story. Give him an arc.\... | 2019/02/23 | [
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42,527 | The line between science fiction and fantasy is often blurred. And that's okay. Genre is often more about marketing than anything else. As a general rule though: SciFi has science and technology and fantasy has magic.
This excellent question explores the distinction: [How to distinguish if a novel is science fiction o... | [
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"text": "Time travel can *enable* the plot - appear as a plot device once at the start, and never sho... | 2019/02/23 | [
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42,528 | I am a happy user of an [Underwood 5](https://typewriterdatabase.com/img/gunderwood%20_7909_1494352683.jpg), an old typewriter from the beginning of the XX century. I use it to type letters, short stories, greeting cards, and labels.
I am now planning to try and type the next Nanowrimo.
On a computer I can blob out ... | [
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"text": "How about a three ring binder?\n\nIt would make it easy to insert a new chapter, although it won't solve the is... | 2019/02/23 | [
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42,531 | How could a movie be paired to coincide with a book and come out at the same time?
I would like to know if a book and a movie can be written to complement each other? Many times I hear how a book or movie has its faults one better than the other in an opinion so can a "bovie" can be written where both formats work to... | [
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"text": "This is definitely done and it's called novelization. Many of the movies you've seen may have one (sometimes more) ev... | 2019/02/23 | [
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42,534 | There are different types of time travel (they have different rules and constraints) throughout literature, so I was wondering if you could list some of them here, and which ones are best for driving forward narration without creating plot holes. I would like a list, but I don't think it's good for a Q&A website, so I ... | [
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"text": "There are basically three kinds of time travel paradoxes in fiction:\n\n* Grandfather paradoxes alter history in a way ... | 2019/02/23 | [
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42,541 | There is a prince. (Or some other person of high rank.) And there is that prince's good friend, who, naturally, holds a somewhat lower rank.
There are two ways I could show the close relationship between the two:
1. **They can maintain the rank distinction**. Soretii addresses Hamlet "good my lord" and "sweet prince"... | [
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"text": "If you can, lose the formality. \n\nBy definition, the familiar terms are, well, more familiar. Whereas formality is... | 2019/02/24 | [
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42,542 | The Goal:
---------
I am currently working on a video game project and I need some help with character development techniques. It is a character driven ensemble cast jRPG/cRPG. Therefore I want the characters to be important to the player.
The Problem:
------------
Storytelling elements in a video game, even one tha... | [
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"text": "The limitations in video game mechanics can become strengths if used carefully.\n\nCharacter developmen... | 2019/02/24 | [
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42,544 | I am writing a science-fiction short story where there are a lot of pseudoscientific ideas being dealt constantly. I was wondering how to reduce the absurdity of some of those ideas using literary techniques. | [
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"text": "In the podcast [How Weird is too Weird](https://writingexcuses.com/2019/02/17/14-7-how-weird-is-too-weird/) the w... | 2019/02/24 | [
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42,548 | I'm a self-taught programmer which means I started writing software by sitting down at an IDE and hammering out some code. When my decisions ultimately coded me into a corner I would refactor and rewrite. This was a great learning experience for me but I want better for myself now. I am starting to see the benefit of c... | [
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"text": "In the podcast [How Weird is too Weird](https://writingexcuses.com/2019/02/17/14-7-how-weird-is-too-weird/) the w... | 2019/02/24 | [
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42,566 | I find it very hard sometimes to describe a scenery, especially when the features are very bland, like you describe a city where all of the buildings are tall and look about the same or a plain with green grass with a sprinkle of green leafy trees. What are some ways of extending a descriptive paragraph? | [
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42,573 | During an in-class activity for my AP Lang class, each student did a cold read of a piece they chose, then all the students provided critique out loud and written on their own copy of the author's piece. I read a poem about my life, which mainly focused on my struggles with mental illness and sexuality. Most critique w... | [
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"text": "I think that the biggest problem here is that this was not critique. It was unconstructive criticism. That reader di... | 2019/02/24 | [
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42,575 | I am seriously wondering how to go about writing dialogues for characters whose native language isn't English and who aren't very fluent in English. It's very hard, because people have different levels of fluency, and it may also be kind of offensive to write dialogues with several grammatical mistakes. | [
{
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"text": "Similar questions have been asked in the past, for example [How do I make an ESL character so... | 2019/02/24 | [
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42,582 | I would like to followup on this excellent question which outlined differences among works for children, middle-grade, and young-adult. [What are some clear differences in theme/story between children's, middle grade, and young adult fantasy?](https://writing.stackexchange.com/questions/34700/what-are-some-clear-differ... | [
{
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"text": "Aged 10-12, my understanding of sex was \"that's how you make children\". It didn't *sound* ... | 2019/02/24 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42582",
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42,583 | I have heard there can be an allegory inside another allegory (mise en abyme), but what about 2 concurrent allegories (at the same time) and how do you insure that people don't get confused by the fact you employ different symbolisms for 2 different allegories concurrently instead of one after another?
How would you d... | [
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"text": "There are no rules. Many people read and enjoy stories without looking for or considering allegories. Heck, the Wiza... | 2019/02/24 | [
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42,587 | I have written one novel, which I believe to be in the steampunk genre. The main plot revolves around a two adventurous women entering in possession of a fabled machine, and using it to chase the mysterious villain, who seeks revenge on the world (and who, incidentally, just happen to always be one step ahead).
Despi... | [
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42,594 | What are the best ways you find to get out of your own habitual thought patterns, personality, dispositions, and culture when writing characters?
For example, we are all familiar with the Myers-Briggs personality tests and many of us with the Enneagram. We are also familiar with different learning styles. People view... | [
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"text": "Personally, if I want to make a super-realistic human-like character, then I would just write a story based on reali... | 2019/02/25 | [
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42,605 | What are the considerations one has to take into account when writing a play, that are imposed by the format of a play, a.k.a by the fact that it is played on stage?
For example, in Nvikuspeara's time, all "corpses" had to be carried off stage, because there was no curtain and no lights that could be turned off, so th... | [
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"answer_id": 42609,
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"text": "One of my favorite \"constraints\" is that the audience is more willing to accept things. If it's ... | 2019/02/25 | [
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42,608 | **Second Edit** -- to try to expand the scope BEYOND W.SE and to cover any CreativeCommons work, not just here. Deleted part about the badges.
-- Edit -- to clarify it's not quite a BLOG, more a portfolio of teaching resources I've developed.
---
My website (on a Wordpress core, but mostly a portfolio of my instruct... | [
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"text": "You wrote what you wrote, so I see no reason why you couldn’t use your own writing. However, when you start talki... | 2019/02/25 | [
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42,617 | In my *visual novel* (an interactive, narrative-based video-game), I have a detective character who decides whether he believes interviewees controlled by the player.
The detective doesn't explain his reason but it's buried in the choices. The reader can't anticipate which choice-combination will convince him (choice... | [
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"text": "In works that aren't strictly visual novels, where players/readers might not expect their choices to matter, then v... | 2019/02/25 | [
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42,623 | At least 40% of the characters in my novel appear for only 2-3 chapters and I don't really have the chance to develop them. Is this too many? How can you determine you have too many characters appearing for a very short duration? | [
{
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"text": "I have a large assortment of *walk on* characters who appear briefly. Some of them might return, but most will at... | 2019/02/25 | [
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42,634 | I'm writing a middle-grade novel in English. I have time-traveling kids from 1995 America who go to Ancient Egypt to join the Exodus. None of the kids speak anything but English (aside from a few words). The people they visit mostly speak Canaanite, an ancient form of Hebrew. (There are other languages there but let's ... | [
{
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"text": "One of my favourite series of books, The Dark is Rising Sequence, has an example I feel might be helpful.\n\nIn th... | 2019/02/26 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42634",
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42,639 | I currently spend a good deal of time over at Code Review and I would love to improve the quality of the reviews I write. Can you give me any insight into the structure or approach you use when writing a Code Review (be it on Stack Exchange or otherwise.) While I do understand that professional code reviews aren't goin... | [
{
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"text": "How you structure a code review depends on the tools you're using and the level of scrutiny that was requested.... | 2019/02/26 | [
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42,655 | Christian culture is dominant. Thus, even without being Christian myself, I can recognise, understand and appreciate references that are within that culture, like the Pietà:
>
> Sam sat propped against the stone, his head dropping sideways and his breathing heavy. In his lap lay Frodo’s head, drowned deep in sleep; u... | [
{
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"author": "Jay",
"author_id": 4489,
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"text": "Sure. There are two possibilities.\n\nOh, you used religion as the example so let's continue with that example. Similar t... | 2019/02/26 | [
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42,667 | So, I thankfully own a video-game history book which I anticipate using to write, rather, a Christian, family-friendly account of this subject. To be clear, I'm not going to be rephrasing from the book I own so much: I will be deciding on things such as how much detail of an event to write and what things to include in... | [
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"answer_id": 42668,
"author": "Henry Taylor",
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"text": "I would suggest a five foot / five minute rule.\n\nSet up a table and chair at least five feet from your word ... | 2019/02/26 | [
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42,673 | I'm writing a novel, and the plotline has military terminology and insignias. The basic plot is that there are two continents in my world: one capitalist and allegorically like the US and NATO, and the other communist and allegorically like the former USSR.
Is it legal for me to use the old military insignias of the ... | [
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"text": "***Legal* and *wise* are not the same thing.**\n\n**Legally I believe you're in the clear.** There is no trademark on g... | 2019/02/26 | [
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42,684 | I just had this sentence off my head:
>
> A crown of fire spread through the country consuming everything on its
> way.
>
>
>
What I mean by empty metaphor is a metaphor that doesn't really have any meaning or even purpose. The same sentence could be replaced with the following:
>
> A circle of fire spread thr... | [
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"text": "It isn't exactly empty; a spreading circle of fire might look like a growing crown; with high fire on the perimeter ... | 2019/02/26 | [
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42,688 | I know two ways of naming things. One is to use latin prefixes and suffixes and try to have them match the object you are naming with its definition. The other is to use metaphors based on how it looks. What are some other ways? I would like as many answers as possible, one is enough as long as it wasn't mentioned by a... | [
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"text": "It isn't exactly empty; a spreading circle of fire might look like a growing crown; with high fire on the perimeter ... | 2019/02/26 | [
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42,690 | Whatever subject I am researching for my story, the common recommendation is "talk to the relevant professionals". If I need medical information, talk to a doctor. If I need information about the military, talk to soldiers. Talk to scholars, talk to museum curators, talk to designers, dancers, security personnel. Best ... | [
{
"answer_id": 42694,
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"text": "I've got nothing on shadowing (I suspect that's a very hard sell), but for asking questions, there are two (non... | 2019/02/27 | [
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42,695 | A [recent question](https://writing.stackexchange.com/questions/42573/critique-vs-nitpicking/42574#42574) got me thinking about how to criticize poetry well and I realized I am not very good at it. I can do themes, and that's about it. And I'm not even sure that should be covered unless explicitly asked for as was part... | [
{
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"author": "SF.",
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"text": "Emotional impact.\n\nWhile critical analysis could get into a lot of factors - structure, vocabulary, form, relations to ... | 2019/02/27 | [
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42,706 | Joe is the worst. Nobody likes him, not even the so-called friends he teams up with at school, filling other students with terror. He's sarcastic, nasty, and a bit of a racist, and especially anti-Semitic. Over-all jerk.
When some of the other kids plan a boat outing just for the kids with Jewish ancestry, he sneaks o... | [
{
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"text": "When I was a kid, I was bullied a lot, and I don't usually see accurate depictions of bullying in the media. The bullyin... | 2019/02/27 | [
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42,715 | I am wondering if you could translate a book from Nvikuspeara to simple modern English and have it published somehow. As far as I know, you can translate non-English books and have them published, but I was wondering if it was any different for books written in old English. | [
{
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"text": "**There's no legal barrier to this**, all such works would be out of copyright (assuming your version isn't too... | 2019/02/27 | [
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42,716 | I am writing a story these days and I want to introduce a character who is similar to a king. This character is introduced with heavy announcements by his minions who scream out words of admiration and basically annoy everyone in their path. How do I introduce the character in such a way that the reader is annoyed by t... | [
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"text": "**Annoying the reader is almost never a good strategy**. So your focus should be on annoying the protagonist. ... | 2019/02/27 | [
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42,718 | >
> Thulos appeared behind Daxaol and shook him by the neck, which brought
> him down to his knees. Thulos kicked him and then kicked away the gun
> that Daxaol dropped making sure he wouldn't be able to surprise him
> any longer. He smiled seeing Daxaol helplessly squirming on the
> ground. He took out a cigar ou... | [
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"text": "**There's no point of view here**, which makes it difficult to care about, or even follow. (That's also probab... | 2019/02/27 | [
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42,725 | **Is there a way to have comments in different colours**, in Microsoft Word, Open Office Writer, or Libre Office? (I am currently using Open Office, and I'm happy with it, but I am open to making the switch if need be.) If that would require installing some additional widget, but won't cause the file (including the com... | [
{
"answer_id": 42729,
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"text": "In Microsoft Word you can style the text inside the comment in the same way that you can edit your main text... | 2019/02/28 | [
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42,731 | I've never written for anything other than personal enjoyment or for a predefined context before. I have ideas and partial drafts for several books and
want to finish at least one this year. My concern is about how I need to change my writing when I intend for it to be read by a larger audience, particular how do I en... | [
{
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"selected": false,
"text": "Both.\n\nIf I get an idea, I'll have a good sense of the target audience. The age group, the genre, etc. But when I'm w... | 2019/02/28 | [
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42,733 | A lot of people use Google's n-gram to see if something is idiomatic, but for a lot of non-native English speakers even that doesn't really help, so what would you suggest non-native speakers to do so that everything they write sounds 100% idiomatic? | [
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"selected": true,
"text": "Beta readers.\n\nFind beta readers who are native speakers of English and give them red pens and completed manuscripts (... | 2019/02/28 | [
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42,734 | I am a long time Dungeon Master of Dungeons and Dragons and Pathfinder. My games run in a custom world of my own making. However, I utilise a lot of the traditional lore and races of D&D.
I'm quite proud of one of my current storylines and have been thinking about turning it into a book. Of course to do this I will ne... | [
{
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"author": "Monica Cellio",
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"text": "Plagiarism would be taking exact text from the various game manuals and representing it as your own. So don't do... | 2019/02/28 | [
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42,739 | In my planned novel the main character is essentially from a less technologically advanced society and is learning about the "civilized world" beyond their village. He has above average intelligence, but everything is going to be 'new' to him. It is an entirely fictional world so the reader will also have no familiarit... | [
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"text": "There is a surviving account of the first meeting between Portuguese sailors and Japanese lo... | 2019/02/28 | [
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42,752 | The amount of research I'm doing for my novel is staggering. To the point where my spouse says I need to write a companion book (or a blog) just talking about the research! Sometimes I research for hours simply to include one line.
I live in terror of having my characters eat a food that didn't exist in that time and ... | [
{
"answer_id": 42755,
"author": "Cooper",
"author_id": 33895,
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"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "Include exactly as much detail as you need for the story to make sense. If the group complained about you changing y... | 2019/02/28 | [
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42,760 | I'm a chef. I'm also a writer. It's inevitable that I would want to write a cookbook. In fact I've probably started a dozen that I just never got around to finishing. Partly because I'm not sure how to.
Before I even get to my question I think it important to distinguish between two types of cookbooks. One is sorta a ... | [
{
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"text": "Your cookbook's primary function is being a reference book: providing clear recipes. My perso... | 2019/02/28 | [
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42,761 | **Context**
I am currently working on a fantasy novel in which one of the main characters is a nobleman and scholar, studying exotic languages as part of his higher education and translating documents for the city library in his spare time. The fact that he is fascinated by languages is important to his personality an... | [
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"text": "**A \"dictionary\" for your fantasy language should never be *needed* by the reader.** If the... | 2019/02/28 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42761",
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42,763 | My story has a group of five refugees traveling across the kingdom. One of them is preachy and pretty much useless (unused to physical labor, trying to convert the heathens in the group). She's driving three of the others (including the MC) completely crazy.
How can I show that she's turning the other characters into ... | [
{
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"selected": false,
"text": "You need to get inside her head. Everyone makes sense to themselves. She has reasons for doing things and, you might di... | 2019/02/28 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42763",
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42,765 | In one of my novels (it's a middle grade fantasy novel) the chapters average around 2,000 words. But the final climactic chapter is currently almost 7,000 words. I am considering splitting it into two because it feels unbalanced to have it as it is.
But I'm concerned that splitting it might break the momentum. On the... | [
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"selected": false,
"text": "I think chapter length matters, some of my readers have specifically complained about my chapters being uneven. Alt... | 2019/02/28 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42765",
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42,775 | **Possibly related questions:**
* [Should I add racism in my book's world or have my world have no racism?](https://writing.stackexchange.com/questions/41575/should-i-add-racism-in-my-books-world-or-have-my-world-have-no-racism)
* [Is accurate human nature required for good writing, even in fantasy scenarios, or with ... | [
{
"answer_id": 42778,
"author": "linksassin",
"author_id": 33442,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/33442",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "Fantasy racism is normal\n------------------------\n\nIn my experience of fantasy works as well as in my own wri... | 2019/02/28 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42775",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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] |
42,779 | <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word_count#In_fiction>
This Wikipedia page tells you under which classification a fictional work falls under depending on its length, so we have 3 I am most interested in, namely: novellette, novella and novel. We could argue that all of them are novels, so would you agree that the lengt... | [
{
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"author": "linksassin",
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"selected": true,
"text": "Shorter chapters for shorter books, but you don't have to.\n=====================================================... | 2019/02/28 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42779",
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42,782 | **My tendency when writing is to give every character a name.** Even the most minor ones. It says something about a nobleman when he knows every guard and stablehand by name, and it's something I want. So it's never "a guard" - it's always "Sergeant such-and-such".
Another effect that I like is that of the world being... | [
{
"answer_id": 42784,
"author": "SFWriter",
"author_id": 26683,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/26683",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "**Simple--Metrics.** \n\nCount the number of named characters and the number of acts/chapters they are in. Named c... | 2019/03/01 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42782",
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42,790 | For my Pathfinder campaign I write an update each session which I share with my players. The goal for these updates is:
* Provide a brief recap of the previous session
* Get people excited for the next session
* Be entertaining
* Provide some additional lore
Here is an example from earlier in the campaign:
>
> ### ... | [
{
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"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "give your narrative voice some rules\n------------------------------------\n\n**Who is telling this story? What ... | 2019/03/01 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42790",
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42,794 | I am wondering what are some guidelines when translating the lyrics of a song to another language, because lyrics depend a lot on musicality (rhymes, syllables), it's very hard to maintain the same meaning across languages, so should you try to keep the meaning as much as possible or not and for what reasons? | [
{
"answer_id": 42827,
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"pm_score": 2,
"selected": true,
"text": "It would be wonderful if you know the language you are translating from, if this is the case, try to f... | 2019/03/01 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42794",
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42,801 | I'm a self-published author, who is going to get a traditional publishing contract. They say it's my choice, but I have a doubt.
I have published a thriller novel, two mystery short stories, and also YA and some children short stories. If I'm going to write in different genres like thriller, sci-fi, also screenplays, ... | [
{
"answer_id": 42805,
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"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "I think it totally depends on whether you want your real name to be known for a specific genre or not.\n\nIf you... | 2019/03/01 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42801",
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42,803 | An example of the problem in an aggravated form surrounds the controversy of [France changing ‘mother’ and ‘father’ to ‘parent 1’ and ‘parent 2’ in official paperwork](https://voiceofeurope.com/2019/02/france-changes-mother-and-father-to-parent-1-and-parent-2-under-new-law/) - where the controversy suggests the new sta... | [
{
"answer_id": 42806,
"author": "Liquid",
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"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/25517",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "I think you may be overthinking the issue. \n\nIn technical writing when you name three entities with elements of a s... | 2019/03/01 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42803",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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42,810 | The character in this story is a human-demon hybrid. He is good natured on a normal day, but because of the demon genes and blood coursing through him, as struggled with certain urges his entire life. Demons are chaotic creatures that revel in destruction and enjoy causing pain simply for the sake of it. He has desires... | [
{
"answer_id": 42814,
"author": "Rasdashan",
"author_id": 32423,
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"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "I assume your character has no visible physical signs of demonic heritage - that would make the people around him... | 2019/03/01 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42810",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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42,823 | As a spinoff to this question: [Incorporating research and background: How much is too much?](https://writing.stackexchange.com/questions/42752/incorporating-research-and-background-how-much-is-too-much)
I'm writing a middle-grade fantasy novel with a historical fiction component based in Ancient Egypt. I'm doing enor... | [
{
"answer_id": 42826,
"author": "Chris Sunami",
"author_id": 10479,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/10479",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "I think, done correctly, **a blog could be a tremendous support to your book**. Among other things, it could b... | 2019/03/01 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42823",
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42,829 | I have written a book with an ensemble cast. Prior to them meeting, I simply gave each character his/her own chapter. Once they met, I narrowed the perspective to only a couple. The battle at the end, however, needs to have many perspectives. It isn't feasible to give them separate chapters at that point. What is the b... | [
{
"answer_id": 42833,
"author": "TheLuckless",
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"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/36981",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "**Best** way is the way that works... Sadly this is not a simple question to answer, as there would be a host o... | 2019/03/01 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42829",
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42,832 | One of my friends passed away about a year ago and left me some manuscripts. A rough draft and without a proper ending. I was wondering if I should finish it and how. Should I take the draft and just correct some spelling and grammar mistakes and plug the holes with makeshift sentences, or should I rewrite it all?
He... | [
{
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"selected": true,
"text": "Unless you were given written permission to finish the MSS, leave it as it is. It was probably given to you to rea... | 2019/03/02 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42832",
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42,841 | I'm not well versed in technical writing. I'm probably not going to be in a position to give anyone feedback for some time, but I would like to know how to approach it when I get there. I would also like to know how to consider the feedback I receive as I begin to develop technical writing. As a reviewer, what are you ... | [
{
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"author": "Amadeus",
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"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "I am a professor, I peer-review scientific articles; one or two per year, in fact I did one two weeks ago.\n\nThe fi... | 2019/03/02 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42841",
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42,848 | I have read the *Red Rising* trilogy as paperbacks published by Del Rey, a US publisher. (I bought these books while in the US.)
Now being based in Europe, I want to starting buying the follow-up trilogy, and noticed there are two versions of each book, one by Del Rey ([Iron Gold](https://www.amazon.de/Iron-Gold-Book-... | [
{
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"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "I've seen a few books been published exactly as they were, and also many books that have been changed according ... | 2019/03/02 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42848",
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42,849 | In a story I'm working on, humanity had sometime in the past reached a very advanced technological level (far higher than ours), but then had a devastating global war, and afterwards technology had been banned.
Now at the time of my story, those events are long gone, and have passed into the realms of legends. All abi... | [
{
"answer_id": 42852,
"author": "Amadeus",
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"selected": false,
"text": "The fact that you use \"knobs\" that turn is enough, in my opinion.\n\nAnother way would be to have a naturally sci... | 2019/03/02 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42849",
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42,856 | I am not sure what you call them exactly. I don't think it's a plot hole, because it's not related to the story itself.
Let me give you an example:
Let's say your novel is set in Italy, but everyone speaks German or English.
Is there a specific term to this? | [
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"selected": true,
"text": "Your example is an [anatopism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatopism), just as everyone speaking Latin would be an an... | 2019/03/02 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42856",
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42,857 | When writing about food, be it a cookbook or a food blog, as long as the media supports it, the use of pictures is going to make a difference in the quality of the work. So when I am writing about food where do my descriptions stop and the use of pictures begin. I don't believe it is best to leave out all descriptions ... | [
{
"answer_id": 42861,
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"author_id": 14704,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/14704",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "First, **always include a picture of the finished product.** It helps me, as the customer, re... | 2019/03/02 | [
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42,863 | I've noticed a quirk with the narrator voice of one of the two novels I'm working on. This **narrator only describes the beautiful aspects of every character's features.** You might think the women are all beautiful, the men are all handsome - this one has beautiful eyes, that one moves like a swan - a world of Hollinw... | [
{
"answer_id": 42865,
"author": "Summer",
"author_id": 30375,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/30375",
"pm_score": 5,
"selected": true,
"text": "Some people see beauty in the world outside of the perfection of conventional beauty standards that Hollywood portray... | 2019/03/02 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42863",
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42,869 | I am writing a short story, and the boxing match which comes after 2/3 of the story is likely to exceed the length of the entire story, so how do you cut the action short? Do you describe the match from beginning to end, or do you somehow describe the last 2 minutes, which is a lot more manageable? Do you really have t... | [
{
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"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "**Do the particular details of the boxing match matter to the story? What details matter? Wh... | 2019/03/02 | [
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42,875 | What is a reasonable scholarly approach to breaking down short pieces of prose? Is it word choice? Is it structure? Is it themes, and how well they are used? Use of symbolism and its efficacy? CelerFZ, rhythm, style, verbosity? Are these all on topic? Do you have a rigorous guide you use to approach short fiction when ... | [
{
"answer_id": 42877,
"author": "N. Dosker",
"author_id": 36537,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/36537",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "I think all of what you just mentioned is on-topic for that type of critique. I also like to see if the author is... | 2019/03/03 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42875",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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42,884 | I am new to the art of writing and have been wondering if there is a way to introduce the grief of loss(character dies) in my story, inturn while making the reader feel the grief. Is there a good method to go about doing this (Making the reader feel the grief a character feels)? | [
{
"answer_id": 42885,
"author": "Summer",
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"text": "The best way I know of is to make the reader feel the grief too. By this I mean you build the character so well, mak... | 2019/03/03 | [
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42,891 | I've always loved humor stories, and relish the idea of making one. But the thing I cannot grasp is the key elements of one. Are the key elements the same as a normal story (Problem, Solution, etc.)? Or are they different? | [
{
"answer_id": 42899,
"author": "Hink",
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"selected": true,
"text": "**Same elements, but funnier.**\n\nA humor story will have the exact sames elements as a normal story. You will still h... | 2019/03/03 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42891",
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42,892 | How do you deal with frustration over a publisher's choices?
* All the stories and art for an anthology are in the publisher's hands—camera ready in digital form—and approved (deadline was 4 months ago).
* Publisher decides to spend *months* hyping the book and then they will start a fundraising page. How well it does... | [
{
"answer_id": 42893,
"author": "xilpex",
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"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "A good way to cope with such unreasonable delays is to not bug the publisher but remind them here and then, in polit... | 2019/03/03 | [
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42,894 | In a piece I am writing, I want to turn an antagonist into a protagonist. I know that numerous ways to accomplish this are somewhere out there, but none of the help with a smooth transformation. Is there a way I can turn an antagonist into a protagonist in a smooth fashion? | [
{
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"text": "**current protag is a lovebird?**\n\nWell, off the top of my head I want to say write another book fr... | 2019/03/03 | [
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42,906 | An alternative "Occult Universe"
--------------------------------
I open my occult detective novel in what is ostensibly a "noir" style, but through worldbuilding I attempt to show that the story is set in an **alternate occult universe** which diverged from our own sometime during the early 19th Century, along with t... | [
{
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"author": "linksassin",
"author_id": 33442,
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"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "You're missing the explanation\n==============================\n\n'Occult Powered Technology' is not a unique co... | 2019/03/03 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42906",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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42,911 | A lot of people here aren't professional writers, but write in their own free time or for their own pleasure.
It's not uncommon, though, wanting (or dreaming) to make "something more" out of it, whether that something more is getting published or getting some extra cash in one's wallet.
**This considered, are there so... | [
{
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"author": "xilpex",
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"selected": false,
"text": "You can profit from your writing, but it will be harder to. Small publishers are more hesitant to publish your writi... | 2019/03/03 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42911",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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42,913 | **Possibly related:**
* [How can I get readers to accept more than 1 "buy" in worldbuilding?](https://writing.stackexchange.com/questions/42906/how-can-i-get-readers-to-accept-more-than-1-buy-in-worldbuilding)
Worldbuilding is a tireless art; that's what our brother site Worldbuilding-SE is for, and why as a writer y... | [
{
"answer_id": 42955,
"author": "SC for reinstatement of Monica",
"author_id": 22074,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/22074",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "> \n> How many elements can you focus on during worldbuilding?\n> \n> \n> From what I've gath... | 2019/03/03 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42913",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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42,915 | I recently [asked](https://writing.stackexchange.com/questions/42875/approaches-to-criticizing-short-fiction) about criticism regarding short pieces of fiction. What about longer works like novels? Surely no one can sit down and agonize over individual word choices in a larger work the way they can over something as sh... | [
{
"answer_id": 42919,
"author": "wetcircuit",
"author_id": 23253,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/23253",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "I tend to judge stories on the success of their **theme**.\n\n**Characters** create relatable and enviable *anch... | 2019/03/03 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42915",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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42,916 | What is the word commonly used in statistics when the thing that you want to measure cannot be (or was not) measured directly, so you assume that another thing that can be (or was) measured gives an estimate of the frequency of the thing that you want to measure?
For a (silly) example: You are interested in knowing ho... | [
{
"answer_id": 43449,
"author": "April Salutes Monica C.",
"author_id": 36670,
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"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "This is really @Amadeus's answer (so I'll delete this if s/he posts under his/her own account), bu... | 2019/03/03 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42916",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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] |
42,917 | **Related questions:**
* [Should an author have one website or two?](https://writing.stackexchange.com/questions/26423/should-an-author-have-one-website-or-two)
* [As an new author, how important is to have a personal website?](https://writing.stackexchange.com/questions/9262/as-an-new-author-how-important-is-to-have-... | [
{
"answer_id": 42953,
"author": "Galastel supports GoFundMonica",
"author_id": 14704,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/14704",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "If your website allows interaction - leaving comments etc., there is the hidden implication ... | 2019/03/03 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42917",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/25517/"
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42,923 | I sometimes post photos on my blog, like when I'm [blogging about food](https://cellio.dreamwidth.org/2048173.html). I've been shrinking the huge pictures my phone takes down to a size that fits more reasonably in a browser window -- *my* browser window, so far -- because I don't want my posts to require a huge window.... | [
{
"answer_id": 42926,
"author": "wetcircuit",
"author_id": 23253,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/23253",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "Any online image can be scaled to 100% of the width of the webpage, that means it will always fill the available... | 2019/03/03 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/42923",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/1993/"
] |
42,927 | Two other friends and I have been writing a fan fiction and we basically write a chapter each one after another every week. Now that we're nearing the end of the project, we've noticed that the writing style keeps changing and that's it's quite horrible, so what should we do? Should we elect someone to rewrite every ch... | [
{
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"text": "The first step is to work out some style guidelines among yourselves. Agree on what style you want the finished... | 2019/03/03 | [
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42,938 | Often reading analyses of books and films, I find that the analytics derive conclusions from the specific food or beverage that a character consumes. The food appears to *always* be symbolic of something.
Now, I'm not completely oblivious to what food says about a character. But here's the problem: in my fantasy novel... | [
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"author": "SC for reinstatement of Monica",
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"text": "I work with teenagers (language classes). 'Banana' is a terribly unfortunate word that will ... | 2019/03/04 | [
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42,942 | My middle-grade novel is third person with one primary and one secondary viewpoint character. Sometimes the narrator hovers a bit more, sometimes the narrator is more in the character's head.
The narrator primarily describes things the way the character might. For example one character will refer to one of the younger... | [
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"author": "Double U",
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"text": "Describe the scene from a person's point of view. \n\nYou say this: \n\n> \n> these characters travel back in time a... | 2019/03/04 | [
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42,949 | My novel so far only contains female main characters. There are some male characters, but they are few and far between, and only play minor roles.
Obviously it's hard to predict if any book is going to be successful. I just feel like if I include more male characters in it, it might be more accessible to young male re... | [
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"text": "I'm not sure that gender diversity directly makes you more marketable to a certain gender. \n\nYou are already aware... | 2019/03/04 | [
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42,957 | e*Spoilers for Green Book in the E.g. section*
I listen to a lot of music, and when I come up with stories, I often use songs as a source of inspiration.
However, what I was wondering is are songs and other artforms protected the same as writing and movies.
E.g., If I write a book about a racist white bloke driving... | [
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"text": "One aspect is originality. When you describe a plot to someone, most are subconsciously mapping it to things the... | 2019/03/04 | [
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