qid int64 1 2.78M | question stringlengths 2 66.6k | answers list | date stringlengths 10 10 | metadata list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
53,958 | When a character does something suddenly, how can I show this instead of just telling the reader they did it "without thinking"?
Like: "Without thinking, I jumped."
Or: “Without thinking, I unbuckled my seatbelt.” | [
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"text": "Here's some options;\n\nInstinctively 'Before I even registered the spear headed my way, I instinctively jump... | 2020/12/07 | [
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53,973 | Ok, so I'm writing a book set around 10 years in the future. Obviously, them being in the future, there are more high-tech gadgets that we don't have here. Normal things that they use in their every day life is far more high-tech and sophisticated than things we use here in 2020.
Now the thing I need to know is how I ... | [
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"answer_id": 53975,
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"text": "You can use parentheses, but it’s still going to interrupt the flow of the scene. And without an explanation it seem... | 2020/12/09 | [
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53,979 | Any tips on how to write a likable character that doesn’t talk much?
He eventually starts talking more, but that’s later in the story...
**How can I make the character's development more natural?**
(He is the male lead) | [
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"text": "Making him likable; There are a lot of ways to make a character likable. You can make them a joker, somebody ... | 2020/12/09 | [
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53,985 | An obvious answer might be "because people like variety", but this doesn't feel right. If this was the case, why doesn't using a different font family (or color) for each word feel engaging? What is it about us humans that makes us attracted to this particular type of variety? | [
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"text": "Because the more variety in sentence structure and words makes it come off less repetitive. When you’re repetit... | 2020/12/09 | [
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53,990 | I am on the last edit before I send my book to beta readers for the first time, and I'm not sold on two of my characters names since they sound similar. One is Zeidric, with the "ei" sounding like "ee", not "ay," and the other is Xandria. They both have the same sound at the beginning of their names, so I was thinking ... | [
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"answer_id": 53991,
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"text": "Once it's been through copyediting before publication you shouldn't change character names. Until then, you can... | 2020/12/10 | [
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53,992 | In my novel, twenty years from now, a physicist/computer scientist has created a machine version of himself, an artificial general intelligence that integrates the physicist's personality, memory and consciousness. This concept doesn't sit well with computer scientists. One objection is that an AGI is almost a blank sl... | [
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"answer_id": 53994,
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"text": "**Do What Feels Right:**\n------------------------\n\nIt's the future. Scientists haven't made real AI, so they can... | 2020/12/10 | [
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54,016 | I am currently writing the second book in my fantasy series that I plan on publishing, and I have asked a similar question like this before concerning a different character. I couldn’t take answers from the question I asked earlier though, because even though the questions are similar the situation is very different.
... | [
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"text": "I don't think you need the family death scene in the first book, but if you think you need it then you can add... | 2020/12/12 | [
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54,022 | So I'm currently writing a story and I have two questions about it.
Is it possible to emotionally connect with your audience when your writing in third person point of view?
Secondly, I want to write the main character's (an eight-year-old girl) point of view in 1st person but I want to write her mother and other imp... | [
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"text": "I don't think you need the family death scene in the first book, but if you think you need it then you can add... | 2020/12/14 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54022",
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54,025 | My character is looking around for someone, a bit scared. What can I say instead of, “My eyes darted around, expecting him to jump out from somewhere.” | [
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"text": "You could say, My eyes...\n\n> \n> Swept the surrounds/surroundings\n> \n> \n> scanned on every side/all over\n> \n> ... | 2020/12/14 | [
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54,032 | I'm writing this YA Fantasy novel and I've already summarized the whole story and ending, but I really want to add more characters to it. I Have two main characters dealing with two main events in the story, and both of the characters have friends/companions. None of them need another friend to join their group, but I ... | [
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"text": "You can have all the characters you want, but how they interact and stuff is up to you. If you think you need... | 2020/12/14 | [
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54,036 | I'm currently writing from 1st point of view, and I understand that since the character's viewpoint is limited, I can't talk about other characters' actions and reactions unless she sees it. My question is, am I able to do something like:
>
> I sat in the front row directly in front of Ms.Lee's desk.
>
>
>
>
> W... | [
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"text": "Yes\n\nI'm not going to do critique of your writing, but the general idea is, as long as you stick to 1st person ... | 2020/12/14 | [
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54,044 | I think that we all know what archetypes and character tropes are. They're mostly just a carbon-cutout for a character. Oftentimes, as authors, we use these to make our characters distinct. But at the end of the day, many of these characters turn out the same. For example, there's this trope where a character is a bull... | [
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"text": "Archetypes and Tropes exist for various reasons and nothing you can do can mitigate the fact that your characters will... | 2020/12/15 | [
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54,050 | I am putting together a 'playbook' which contains resources related to a key growth driver for the operations team of my company.
It is a series of playbooks designed to provide resources / guidelines / standards. So the first release had foundational stuff, the second has the latest priorities, the next one will have... | [
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"text": "I would say 'omnibus', but that only qualifies if you publish all 'playbooks' into a single compilation. If it... | 2020/12/15 | [
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54,054 | My character is named Buteo, he is one of my story's protagonists. He is very neat and organized. He really does not like change. He keeps to a schedule. Buteo is a perfectionist when it comes to himself, but gives a lot of leeway when it comes to others. He gets upset and embarrassed if he feels that he has let someon... | [
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"text": "Yes, your correct, every character needs a flaw.\n\nYou have given us a list of traits that your character ... | 2020/12/16 | [
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54,066 | I have a character with two names. Well not two distinct names, but rather two forms of the same name. My story is set in the later Roman Empire, but the characters are Romanized easterners living on the desert frontier. They have both native Aramaic names and Latinized names.
For example, the main character's husband... | [
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"text": "Given that most characters in the *Lord of the Rings* books have at least two names, and that it is successful, I... | 2020/12/16 | [
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54,073 | I am a young author writing a fantasy series. I am re-writing a chapter that I wrote a few months ago because it’s an earlier one, and I didn’t really know what I was doing, so it sounded bad. Anyway, one of the characters breaks his leg, and the first person narrator is describing it, but I’ve never broken anything be... | [
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"text": "It all depends on the level of fracture, the place of the wound, and the number of fragments you've got. Bones get br... | 2020/12/16 | [
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54,090 | Today I have a question about writing a long period of elapsed time.
I have three main characters who each get their own chapters from their POV. Two of those three characters do not need much attention in my book for some time. I'm talking about 4-6 months here. The two characters have settled into a routine, and it ... | [
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"text": "It's done all the time:\n-----------------------\n\nI wouldn't worry too much about this. Characters leave the main ... | 2020/12/18 | [
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54,097 | I'm a young writer who has been writing a story centring around a teenager's life and how it's changed via the coronavirus. She was skeptical about the legitimacy of the Pandemic until an important family member is hospitalized. It talks about her and her struggles towards the media, family, and people as a whole.
I r... | [
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"text": "Every writer has to take inspiration from somewhere, and if this topic interests you and makes you want to write, the... | 2020/12/18 | [
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54,100 | This may seem a bit confusing but basically, my character has these magic powers that come out when she’s angry or scared. She can do quite a few things such as explosions (more like invisible blasts), telekinesis, hydrokinesis (controlling water), making blood inside people explode out of them, etc. She can only do th... | [
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"text": "This should be easy.\n\nStart by asking yourself; What makes ME scared? Spiders? Creaky doors in the dark? Ge... | 2020/12/18 | [
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54,106 | I'm sure that somebody is going to point me to [this](https://writing.stackexchange.com/questions/36604/how-much-indirection-is-too-much) question, but my case is different.
So I and my best friend are currently writing a science fiction novel that has many plot twists and "objects" that appear frequently throughout t... | [
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"text": "Short answer; probably should be okay\n\nSlightly longer answer; ask betas if unsure\n\nLong answer; If you a... | 2020/12/18 | [
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54,108 | I am a young author writing a fantasy series. I’m re-reading the manuscript of my first book and noticed something about sun elves. I know this question is a little long but bear with me.
Sun elves are one of the eight kinds of elves in my fantasy world. Since they’re sun elves, and the sun is fire, I decided to make ... | [
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"text": "Short answer: No.\n\nI'm a Black person, and I think I can tell you from a literary and minority standpoint ... | 2020/12/18 | [
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54,112 | I am writing a story that involves a creature that is specifically not humanoid. Instead of appearing as a human, it is more of ageless energy that exists in the core of a planet, can communicate with the protagonist and other humans of the world, and is able to manifest in various ways, such as a smoky mist or jagged ... | [
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"text": "There's a few things I can think of that can help.\n\n1. Communication method. You say you think you'll have ... | 2020/12/19 | [
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54,116 | The series I'm writing is a horror comedy, where the first book follows a satanist trying to sacrifice the protagonists to The Devil. In the second book, the protagonists confront The Devil face to face, and kill him. I have a wonderful idea for character drama and arcs I would like to explore in the third book, but I'... | [
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"text": "There's a few things I can think of that can help.\n\n1. Communication method. You say you think you'll have ... | 2020/12/19 | [
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54,123 | I am a young author writing a fantasy series. My story is unpredictable, but there is absolutely no plot misdirection whatsoever. I have tried writing plot misdirections in my story a few times, but I can never stick with it because I know it’s a lie and just can’t seem to make my characters obsess on a problem I know ... | [
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"text": "If you're planning to write subsequent books, I'd start by making sure you know the entire plot from beginning to ... | 2020/12/19 | [
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54,127 | I want to keep this brief, but the protagonist in my story is a prejudiced adolescent. Her views are outdated, but the whole point of the story was to have her improve.
I know flawed characters are ideal, but people don't tend to like characters with a sense of prejudice, because it's looking at another group of peopl... | [
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"text": "Big changes often come because of people we know or believe in. You can achieve this by creating personality conflict... | 2020/12/20 | [
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54,138 | So my character is a competitive dancer, and the competitions she attends are a heavy part of the story. I'm writing her second competition, and I realize that I'll have to describe the routine whenever she competes. How do I do that without making it repetitive? | [
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"text": "Cumulative Sentences are a great way to show continuous action without it getting tedious and boring. They work because... | 2020/12/20 | [
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54,144 | This is probably one of the most strange questions I've ever asked. But what is a high-tech way to open a door? I'm at a part in my novel where one of the MCs who we'll call A, are breaking a different MC, who we'll call B, out of prison, they have the key, but they don't know how to open the door. I could just make it... | [
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"text": "Rube Goldberg Fun:\n------------------\n\nSo you need to get through a door in the rear future. The question is, how... | 2020/12/21 | [
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54,145 | I sent a book proposal to a publisher back in June 2020. The publisher responded that they liked the book and it went through successfully the first round of review. There is a second round of review to which the book has been ‘in limbo’ for several months. I have reached out to the publisher for a status via two email... | [
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"text": "> \n> There is a second round of review to which the book has been ‘in limbo’ for several months.\n> \n> \n> \n\nI... | 2020/12/21 | [
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54,148 | When working with journalistic sources who, fearing for their own safety, must not be identified, how can one cite them in a way that retains credibility?
Are there technical solutions to this, perhaps some kind of anonymous key-based trust system? Or some older techniques that journalists have used in the past? | [
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"text": "The classic method is to have a policy of the news organization that requires more than one employee to talk to... | 2020/12/21 | [
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54,157 | In my story, I wanted to play with the idea of the protagonist taking a hero-to-villain arc, and the antagonist taking a villain-to-hero arc, with the POV's switching to make the previous antagonist into the protagonist/deurotagonist either half-way through the story, or in a second book. Would this be too confusing fo... | [
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"text": "It sounds like an interesting idea. Usually with something of this sort, there's no answer possible based just... | 2020/12/22 | [
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54,164 | I am writing a comedy horror series. The first book was set in a basement, the second book was set in a Ski-Resort and the third book was set in Italy, meaning that each book’s setting was progressively bigger and more exciting than the last. However, I do not know where to go next, as every other setting I envision fo... | [
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"text": "The obvious answer: Another dimension, a dreamworld or an alternate reality.\n\nOf course, that just defers th... | 2020/12/22 | [
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54,168 | I am writing a book that I plan to self-publish through Amazon's self-publishing service.
My book is non-fiction. Searching Amazon.com, I could not find any other book with my title, yet it seems a fairly generic title, and I'm very surprised it isn't taken yet.
Is there a larger database somewhere of all books in th... | [
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"text": "A quick Google search can go a long way, and [ISBN Search](https://isbnsearch.org/) mentioned by Alexander may be usefu... | 2020/12/22 | [
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54,184 | I asked this question on the English Language & Usage site but I thought it useful to ask here, too, since it is a writing issue.
I'm writing a book that's primarily set in America; my protagonist is half-American, half-British but speaks with a strong British accent and uses British dialects (e.g. she refers to sidew... | [
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"text": "If you write the characters speaking their national dialects, then the question is what dialect the third per... | 2020/12/23 | [
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54,188 | I am writing a story that revolves around a number of characters that have superhuman abilities living amongst normal people, akin to they myriad superhero comics or many urban fantasies out there (e.g., *The Mortal Instruments*, many shonen manga). The main romantic relationship in this story focuses on two people wit... | [
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"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "Power corrupts, but it doesn't have to:\n---------------------------------------\n\nFor an interesting reference, y... | 2020/12/23 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54188",
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54,195 | So I am currently writing a book, I have recently had a lot of writers block and don't know how I want my story to reach it's big ending. But also within this problem when I do have my book ready I don't even know how to start in the publishing world at the age of 14. and then the last part of my question is what shoul... | [
{
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"selected": false,
"text": "related; [Is it okay to publish a book at a young age?](https://writing.stackexchange.com/questions/18591/is-... | 2020/12/24 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54195",
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54,208 | How do I stay focused and start with my outline and manuscript? I have a plot in my mind since 5 years and haven't even started my first word on it yet! | [
{
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"text": "To stay motivated, you have to have a reason to write. Whether this is just because you want to or hope to ev... | 2020/12/25 | [
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54,211 | I'm writing a YA fiction book. How do I make the character different, yet understandable, and what are your suggestions for keeping track of information you have placed in your book? For instance a timeine or smthg like that. | [
{
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"text": "Keeping characters different; write down your characters traits and have it nearby. When you have another cha... | 2020/12/25 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54211",
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54,224 | I have 3 stories that I rotate between when writing the new chapters, one of which I just recently finished the first chapter. This new story('Tech Vs Magic'\* ) seems really good to me right after finishing the first chapter. I thought I was just on a 'writer's high' sort of thing, but now it's 2 days after finishing ... | [
{
"answer_id": 54230,
"author": "Willeke",
"author_id": 35978,
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"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "There are a few methods of writing several stories/books at the same time. \n\nSo far you have used the 'every nex... | 2020/12/26 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54224",
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54,239 | I've been struggling with this one for a long time and it's really kept me from moving forward. My main character starts off as a queen consort, and the death of her husband and her stepson (co-kings) are supposed to serve as the inciting incident. But I'm struggling with whether to introduce her husband and stepson al... | [
{
"answer_id": 54242,
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"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "What is 'better' is entirely subjective. You need to consider what your story looks like, and at what powerful po... | 2020/12/28 | [
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54,240 | In the story I am currently writing, the culture has an obsession with unique names for each individual person. For some poor saps, this means ridiculously long, quintuple-hyphenated names.
Of course, while normal in this world, it can become a bit of a burden on the reader. Though the MC would be used to parsing thes... | [
{
"answer_id": 54243,
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"text": "While I imagine it might be annoying to the reader, maybe readers will get used to these names and simply skip ov... | 2020/12/28 | [
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54,250 | I'm new to writing, as I'm currently working on the first draft of my short story. However, I was wondering when to keep descriptions brief and to the point and when to describe things in depth, using metaphors and everything. For example, if a character is stepping outside of their house, should I just mention it in o... | [
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"text": "I would recommend keeping it shorter for most things. Of course, if you are writing a mystery novel, then lit... | 2020/12/29 | [
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54,252 | Oftentimes, when trying to write, I run into trouble comming up with all I intend to say, barely managing to author the main points. As to whether this is due to some cognitive defect, or due to some other issue, I do not know. But concerning this, I ask you for insight, if maybe you are able to help me advance my writ... | [
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"text": "I have a ton of ideas, many of which are just variations on each other. Adding one option just creates an exp... | 2020/12/29 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54252",
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54,262 | I'm writing a script in which I need to use a Spanish phrase historically used by a group of people to refer to themselves. The phrase is "Los Americanos Olvidados" or "The Forgotten Americans". The people who used the phrase were of Mexican-American descent.
The person who will be reading the script does not speak Sp... | [
{
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"text": "I would use the original phrase once, alongside its translation, for the introduction of the concept, and then use ... | 2020/12/30 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54262",
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54,263 | Edit: I'm a bit new to the site so I'll be fumbling around trying to respond properly, but thank you all for so many great responses!
xxx
This is a bit of a touchy one for obvious reasons, but the narrator of this story is a haughty academic who thinks himself better than everyone else, and he's explicitly racist & c... | [
{
"answer_id": 54265,
"author": "JRE",
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"text": "You need a counterweight - a character (or characters) who have to deal with the fallout from the main character's attit... | 2020/12/30 | [
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54,267 | For example, if I am stating my character's thoughts in this way:
*That was scary!* He thought.
Can I switch to saying something like the below further on in my story?
He thought it was scary.
Or should I maintain consistency by using only one of the two methods throughout the entire manuscript? It's just that whil... | [
{
"answer_id": 54268,
"author": "JonStonecash",
"author_id": 23701,
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"selected": true,
"text": "The job of the writer is to provide something of value to the reader. And it is the reader that decides what is... | 2020/12/30 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54267",
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54,275 | I've found that songs draw some people into something, so I was wondering how to cite a few lines from a song to draw someone in without making it look horrible.
Example:
>
> Somehow we have forgotten how to make a house a home
>
> - Big and Rich “That's why I pray”
>
>
> | [
{
"answer_id": 54282,
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"text": "You do it the way you would use any quotation at the start of a chapter. Reduce the margins on both side so it ... | 2020/12/30 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54275",
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54,293 | I am writing a story where one person A is narrating a story to B. In the story, there are conversations between characters, C and D, of the story. How do I then write the dialogue between A and B and the dialogue between C and D which is being narrated by A to B in a way which is grammatically correct and smooth for m... | [
{
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"text": "I would recommend having A paraphrase C and D's dialogue instead of repeating it word-for-word. That way, you don't... | 2021/01/01 | [
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54,303 | I've written a short story in which a prosecutor in a case gets romantically involved with a witness for the prosecution, and is subsequently investigated due to the fact that he is in a relationship with a witness, which could possibly motivate him to be more persistent in prosecuting the accused. It's not so much a *... | [
{
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"text": "I think the closet words are dispute and difference of opinions. You could also try 'opposing interests' or 'co... | 2021/01/02 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54303",
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54,312 | I am writing a book based on true events and characters. The issue I am having is with regards to conversations that some people may or may not have. I was thinking that a disclaimer something like a book based on true events and characters and I wonder if this would be enough to say "based on".
Would this cover it or... | [
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"text": "This is going to depend heavily on just how extensively you're referencing the real-life people & events in questi... | 2021/01/02 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54312",
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54,313 | I am writing a personal statement for my college application, and I wanted to use particular words in the beginning of each paragraph that resonate with the main content of the paragraph.
Excerpt:
>
> **Escape-pause-escape.** From an apparent distance, I observe the child
> who chargingly escapes from her mother’s h... | [
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"text": "I can't speak to the grading standards of your target college, but I'd assume it's acceptable as a creative choice... | 2021/01/02 | [
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54,318 | I've realized that most of the short stories I've been writing recently are almost entirely dialog. The stories hinge on relationships between characters and associated conflicts, so it felt natural to write them almost entirely as conversations between those characters...but I worry whether readers would get bored wit... | [
{
"answer_id": 54319,
"author": "Henry Taylor",
"author_id": 11221,
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"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "You've chosen to limit your readers to a single sense during their journey through your story. Limiting them t... | 2021/01/03 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54318",
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54,333 | I’m trying to write a Sci-Fi novel in one year and I’m wondering how many words I should write per week. I’m shooting for a total of ~90,000 words by the end of the year.
In terms of when I can write I’ll say no Sundays, not till after 4pm on weekdays and all day from July through September.
This will be my first novel... | [
{
"answer_id": 54334,
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"text": "It is not that simple. Do you want a very rough draft or a finished novel?\n\nAnd it will depend on your ex... | 2021/01/04 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54333",
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54,335 | Minus the obvious tropes like 4th-wall-breaking, pop culture references, or lampooning the source material that wouldn’t be usable in a serious novel, would you still be able to take a fantasy novel seriously if the characters talked and just generally interacted with each other like they were in an abridged series (i.... | [
{
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"text": "Depends on your definition of \"serious.\" If you mean will people be engaged with the plot and have emotional reacti... | 2021/01/04 | [
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54,338 | I'm looking for a simple program that takes as input text files, allows me to tag them on a relevant paragraph or subsection, and combine those tagged text snippets in files corresponding to each of those tags. For example:
```
[idea] "this block contains an idea and where I stumbled on it"
[booknote] "this block is a... | [
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"text": "Depends on your definition of \"serious.\" If you mean will people be engaged with the plot and have emotional reacti... | 2021/01/05 | [
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54,344 | my primary interest is video game development and I picked up writing (short stories) as a secondary skill. Because making games is a visual art that encompasses a bit of painting, cinematography and environmental design, I tend to think in terms of visual techniques when writing. However there is one specific techniqu... | [
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"text": "So to start, your scene in the Hijrp Potfeq Film did in all likelyhood not play out that way in the book (To be perfe... | 2021/01/05 | [
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54,353 | I want to use large excerpts from an old book in the textbook I am writing (e.g. 500-1000 word chunks at a time taken). These will serve as primary sources for the students to analyze.
The first version was originally written in Spanish in the 1500s.
It was subsequently translated into English and I can find various ... | [
{
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"text": "If this is a theoretical legal question it should be asked in the law forum of SE.\n\nBut if this is real t... | 2021/01/06 | [
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54,354 | I have a character who one of their primary character quirks is supposed to be that they are very involved in Internet subculture. They're a programmer who spends a lot of their spare time on certain imageboards and social media, and they're a bit of a memelord. The character is young but this quirk is unique to them a... | [
{
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"selected": false,
"text": "Look to Cyberpunk:\n------------------\n\nThis depends on how close to realistic you want to be. The more realistic... | 2021/01/06 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54354",
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54,365 | ["Anglish"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linguistic_purism_in_English) is a variation on modern English that avoids or replaces all words that have non-Anglo-Saxon roots.
I'm working on a story where I'll need to convert a lot of dialogue (just for a single character) into the Anglish register of English – omitting l... | [
{
"answer_id": 59372,
"author": "Sciborg",
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"selected": false,
"text": "Some handy resources I dug up for Anglish learning and translation include:\n\n* **[The Anglish Moot](https://angli... | 2021/01/07 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54365",
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54,367 | I'm not really sure how to describe this, but whenever I write I tend to start off okay-ish but as I progress it all just falls downhill. I think it's because I get too ahead of myself with my ideas and try to write it down all at once, which just turns into gibberish and it's a whole lot more telling than showing, whi... | [
{
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"text": "Sounds like you're mind is writing faster than your hand, which gets frustrating sometimes. There are a few t... | 2021/01/07 | [
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54,371 | To clear some things up, I define partner fighting as combat in which two people of the same side are fighting alongside one another as a pair against another person/other people. I haven't been able to find much on the internet about this, so I was wondering how one is supposed to write this? I'm less asking about POV... | [
{
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"selected": false,
"text": "The main thing you should focus on when writing partner fighting scenes is the flow of your writing.\n\nWha... | 2021/01/07 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54371",
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54,376 | I'm writing a 7 book series and I wanted to use the name Rulh in my series. However, I've seen this name used before in *The Dark Elements* series by Jennifer Armentrout.
If my Rulh is a totally different race with different traits, would that be okay? Granted, I am not over 18 yet and I'm still learning about these t... | [
{
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"selected": false,
"text": "Be a good Kalkiite!\n-------------------\n\nIt sounds like you are NOT trying to use the Rulh character as a base. ... | 2021/01/07 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54376",
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54,410 | I'm not exactly writing historical fiction or realistic, but I want my story to be "accurate."
For example, let's say that my character got into a car crash after being chased by the police. He gets severe injuries and the police arrests him. This never happened personally to me, or was a event in the story.
But in r... | [
{
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"text": "Research is how you find out what you do not know. \n\nLook at the acknowledgements in many books and see ... | 2021/01/10 | [
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54,413 | How can I replace, say, 250 out of 1000 words in Microsoft Word?
For example, 'happy' is written about 1000 times in my document. I want to replace only 250 of them with the word 'joy'.
So is there a function or way to do that at once in Microsoft Word? | [
{
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"selected": false,
"text": "The quickest way is to do a \"Find\" (Ctrl+F) and cycle through each individual instance and select replace when you ... | 2021/01/11 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54413",
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54,425 | How do I make my writing sound like a college textbook, a newspaper article, a scientific journal, a blog post, etc, professionally? | [
{
"answer_id": 54429,
"author": "Mary",
"author_id": 44281,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/44281",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "Practice pastiches.\n\nPick examples of the style you want to emulate, and then write something like that. For instanc... | 2021/01/11 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54425",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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54,431 | I'm new here and have been writing for around two years. I'm still fairly young, and I developed a love of writing around 6th grade. I've gone through many trials and errors, and I have a story I'm currently working on that's a little bit different than the others. I have clear characters and scenes and a general plotl... | [
{
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"text": "It will be easier with more education and more experience. Also doing the actual writing will make it easier to ... | 2021/01/12 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54431",
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54,433 | I've been worrying about this for quite a long time.
So, for the past year or so, I've been working hard on a story I'm very passionate about. My biggest concern of them all is copyright issues.
I'm not going to bore you with the details, but I was wondering if there were resources(people or online. Technically, this... | [
{
"answer_id": 54440,
"author": "dweeblet",
"author_id": 48133,
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"text": "This is a tough question to answer because, in many situations, there just *isn't* a way to be sure of something l... | 2021/01/12 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54433",
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] |
54,439 | I want to indicate that the setting of a story is Los Angeles in the 2030s, but I don't want to specify the year, and I don't want to write it as Los Angeles, 2030s
The Possibilities
1. Los Angeles, 203- (an en or an em dash)
2. Los Angeles, 203x or 203X
3. Los Angeles, 203\_
4. Los Angeles, the fourth decade of the ... | [
{
"answer_id": 54441,
"author": "Erin Tesden",
"author_id": 48340,
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"text": "The one I have seen used typically is the second option: \"Los Angeles, 203X\". However, this is mostly used if... | 2021/01/12 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54439",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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] |
54,456 | **Is it ever appropriate to use italics to emphasize parts of dialogue to show which words the speakers is putting emphasis on?** I used to do this quite frequently, but I was told that this was a sign of bad writing. More specifically that it's a red flag to many publishers that the only writing experience the author ... | [
{
"answer_id": 54457,
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"selected": false,
"text": "It's not that it's always a bad thing - and to directly answer your question it can be appropriate to use it.\n... | 2021/01/14 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54456",
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54,462 | I want to publish **multiple large text books**, each one **about 480 pages long**, this is print on demand (POD) on IngramSpark. The content is **basically text** and a few black and white images. Another important aspect is that the text is already written (it is a compilation). Currently most of the work is distribu... | [
{
"answer_id": 54464,
"author": "Dylan Kinnett",
"author_id": 5599,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/5599",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "Like you, I came to LaTeX from a background in HTML, web development, etc. I was able to learn it, but as with ... | 2021/01/14 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54462",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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] |
54,471 | Is it possible to teach yourself how to line edit and copy edit if you are the writer? I read others work, but the styles of a writer can be confusing. I need to learn how to edit to be a good writer. | [
{
"answer_id": 54473,
"author": "Ceramicmrno0b",
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"selected": false,
"text": "**Line editing**; TBH, I didn't know what this meant and had to do a quick google search to figure out what y... | 2021/01/15 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54471",
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54,479 | My current piece in 3rd person involves lots of internal dialogue because the character is somewhere they can't speak in the local language. I've been advised not ever to use 'I' in this perspective, even when expressing the person's thoughts. For example:
>
> "Oh god," she thought, "why can’t I think straight?"
>
>... | [
{
"answer_id": 54482,
"author": "DWKraus",
"author_id": 46563,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/46563",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "Wordless thoughts on the matter:\n--------------------------------\n\nChallenging question. I would say that in thi... | 2021/01/16 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54479",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/48409/"
] |
54,486 | *Follows up this my question ([How to choose ideal number of main characters?](https://writing.stackexchange.com/questions/42984/how-to-choose-ideal-number-of-main-characters))*
I want to write a book / series about 4 friends from school. A little inspiration comes from *The Middle* series. But I do not know, how to h... | [
{
"answer_id": 54487,
"author": "pro writer",
"author_id": 48416,
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"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "Au contraire!\n*The Big Bang Theory* will show you exactly how to do it.\n\nThere are 4 main characters, and 4 o... | 2021/01/17 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54486",
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54,489 | I want to post somewhere the pilot chapter of my planned book, to earn feedback and tips what should I improve. DondaSS when a TV orders a pilot and then reviews it, if it will attract people. Could you please advise me about websites that exist for that purpose?
I know about fan fiction websites, but these ones usual... | [
{
"answer_id": 54491,
"author": "DWKraus",
"author_id": 46563,
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"selected": false,
"text": "Frame shift - Challenges Ahead:\n-------------------------------\n\nI think what you are looking for is an alpha re... | 2021/01/17 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54489",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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54,496 | I have a story where one of my lead characters is a headstrong young woman. In terms of personality she is hyperactive, energetic, and charismatic, but at the same time these traits make her arrogant, insensitive, and tone-deaf. One thing I have noticed is that headstrong female characters are often criticized as being... | [
{
"answer_id": 54504,
"author": "A.bakker",
"author_id": 42973,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/42973",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "**Miry Kae**\n\nPersonally with the examples you give, I like Korra... but I hate Rey... and that's not because sh... | 2021/01/18 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54496",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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] |
54,497 | People like proactivity and boldness. Indeed, this has been suggested to be why readers are often drawn to charismatic villains over heros, people are more drawn to the proactive, goal-oriented villains who often behave in a socially dominant manner and this is why [readers will often white-wash or outright ignore the ... | [
{
"answer_id": 54526,
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"selected": false,
"text": "Could you define introversion as you understand it, because it seems to me you are conflating introversion with \"shy... | 2021/01/18 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54497",
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54,500 | I have my MC and her love interest. One is a prince who is a fugitive of his kingdom, the other a street urchin who has a scarred past. Despite this, the MC falls in love with the love interest after much trial and tribulation. But their class difference and the MC's background prevents her from truly confessing her fe... | [
{
"answer_id": 54502,
"author": "DWKraus",
"author_id": 46563,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/46563",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "The World is Not Enough:\n------------------------\n\nHow important is it to the story that the two EVER voice thei... | 2021/01/18 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54500",
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54,501 | I'm writing an urban fantasy series in which like many urban fantasy series there is a magic-and-powers system hidden from the broader world that the supernatural phenomena of the series run on. However, **I'm having trouble providing exposition as to how this world works.** Like many of these series, there is a relata... | [
{
"answer_id": 54506,
"author": "JonStonecash",
"author_id": 23701,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/23701",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "The most important question is, why does it matter what the details of the magic system are?\n\nIt may be impo... | 2021/01/18 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54501",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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] |
54,510 | I am writing a historical fiction book. I do not have access to historical records/documents/historians so I tend to skip chapters saying I will write them later because I do not have the resources to get accurate descriptions of the setting, clothing, etc. for that chapter.
Is this good practice? I fear that I will m... | [
{
"answer_id": 54512,
"author": "Joe Kerr",
"author_id": 47497,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/47497",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "It should be fine for you to skip certain chapters until you have research material as long as you:\n\n1. Have an o... | 2021/01/18 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54510",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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] |
54,518 | I am making a continent for a RPG that I am planning to run. I am currently running one on a different continent in the same world. That world has Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Halfings and a handful of other less common / well known races. I wanted to make this other continent feel substantially different in flavour from th... | [
{
"answer_id": 54521,
"author": "user2352714",
"author_id": 43118,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/43118",
"pm_score": 5,
"selected": true,
"text": "I wouldn't say you have to. There are lots of settings out there that have no humans at all and very substantial... | 2021/01/19 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54518",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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] |
54,519 | How do you integrate numerology in poetry? I was thinking of using numbers in the first four verses. For example, write a poem about war and make sure that the first four numbers matches the year World War II started. I thought about doing this, but this is a very superficial way of adding meaning. Is there a better wa... | [
{
"answer_id": 54538,
"author": "David Siegel",
"author_id": 37041,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/37041",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "The [Wikipedia article](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numerology) defiens \"numerology\" as:\n\n> \n> belief i... | 2021/01/19 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54519",
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54,552 | I’m writing a novel and one of my characters speaks in poetic verse, should I format her dialogue differently to my characters who communicate in the traditional manner? | [
{
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"text": "I don't see a problem in differentiating one character's dialogue.\n\nHowever, if you do decide to differen... | 2021/01/20 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54552",
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54,553 | I always wanted to write a book, and finally after so many years, I started writing one. But when I told my friend about the idea of my story... he said that it sounds too similar to Hijrp Potfeq. I don't know what similarities he found.
My protagonist belongs to one of the three last magical kingdoms of world and is ... | [
{
"answer_id": 54554,
"author": "Ceramicmrno0b",
"author_id": 46506,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/46506",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "*Contains Hijrp Potfeq spoilers*\n\nBased on what you've given us, I can see why your friend may confuse it w... | 2021/01/20 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54553",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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54,555 | I have to write essays in two examinations which will be conducted soon. Those exams need essays to be written in 250 words. The topics are given on the time of the exams and are usually anything based on government schemes, matters of national and international importance, or anything that is often in news, etc. Last ... | [
{
"answer_id": 54558,
"author": "Joe Kerr",
"author_id": 47497,
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"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "Here is one such format that you could use when constructing your essays:\n\n1. Have a good opening statement and ... | 2021/01/20 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54555",
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54,556 | I'm using the [writer's workbench](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Writer%27s_Workbench), which is a collection of tools that helps identifying errors in my writing.
One tool, 'Diction', tells me that the word "implement" shouldn't be used, and marks every use of this word ("implementation", "implementing", ...). The 'S... | [
{
"answer_id": 54562,
"author": "David Siegel",
"author_id": 37041,
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"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "When \"Implement\" is used in sentences such as\n\n> \n> We need to implement our policy as soon as feasible.\... | 2021/01/20 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54556",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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54,564 | I'm currently writing a book that goes much, much more than the average word count. (My children's novel is at least 80k words). My targeted audience would be 8-13 years old.
Will an agent reject a well-written story with a unique concept just because it's too long? | [
{
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"author": "Joe Kerr",
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"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "**They shouldn't.**\n\nIf your story is high-quality, entertaining and unique, it won't matter how long it is beca... | 2021/01/20 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54564",
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54,586 | I am writing a textbook serving a very niche field.
There was one textbook for the subject area, but its fallen out of print 10 years ago, and I think the info is 30 years out-of-date. I found the author was heavily biased, hasn't kept up with the recent research, and the design no longer appeals to the audience of yo... | [
{
"answer_id": 54600,
"author": "pro writer",
"author_id": 48473,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/48473",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "NO!\nNew editions or competing books are necessary to keep sales going.\nBut only if there is still a market. K1... | 2021/01/21 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54586",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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54,590 | In my novel, I have two main protagonists, a father and son, who each have related but separate arcs developing in tandem. Each learns from the other over the course of their stories, culminating in the father’s demise which in turn leads to the son’s triumph. My question is; is it a good idea to have one Aristotelian ... | [
{
"answer_id": 54592,
"author": "JonStonecash",
"author_id": 23701,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/23701",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "If that is the story, then that is the story.\n\nHaving said that, revealing the rise and fall of each charact... | 2021/01/21 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54590",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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] |
54,593 | The scarlet king is an ancient deity intent on crossing into our reality from a second dimension. This demon will be born to a human bride, hiding itself within the soul of the human child until it is ready to take the body for itself. An organization known as the SCP foundation has contained this child and uses it to ... | [
{
"answer_id": 54594,
"author": "Mary",
"author_id": 44281,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/44281",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "There is no cut and dried answer. Some writers can't pull it off at all. Others can put their characters through the w... | 2021/01/21 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54593",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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54,603 | I really like how CreateSpace can print on-demand books, even just one copy, at an affordable price, in a form factor that is readable. Simply printing on copy paper produces a book that's hard to turn the pages, because of paper cuts, etc.
But I need a set of books printed for family use only, the material would only... | [
{
"answer_id": 54607,
"author": "pro writer",
"author_id": 48485,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/48485",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "First off, Create Space is not the epitome of quality if you believe all the complaints.\n\nSecondly, there are ... | 2021/01/22 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54603",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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54,612 | I'm writing a story about these detectives that are mythical creatures and go on a journey to save the five (or is it six I can't remember) realms. Some of the things I'm concerned about are:
"The Magic Stones" - Is that too close to Infinity Stones from Avengers?
One of my characters is an adventurer/archeologist - I... | [
{
"answer_id": 54615,
"author": "Leviathann",
"author_id": 45042,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/45042",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "Firstly, I think it would be funny if the characters couldn't remember if it was five or six realms.\n\nBut serio... | 2021/01/22 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54612",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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54,622 | Character design in visually oriented works (comic books, film, television) is often a useful shorthand for making characters stand out and be memorable in terms of their appearance. For example, Girth Vedur in *Star Wars* is often cited as one of the most memorable villains out there in terms of his character design. ... | [
{
"answer_id": 54623,
"author": "DWKraus",
"author_id": 46563,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/46563",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "Thank You Beta Reader:\n----------------------\n\nWriting is about what you see in the mind. You can paint not just... | 2021/01/22 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54622",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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54,627 | How do you credit someone for coming up with a general design of a vehicle without designing every little aspect about it? Let's say you make a video and you want to credit the person who came up with the general design of a vehicle while also crediting the artist for putting in his own little touches.
I want to credi... | [
{
"answer_id": 54629,
"author": "pro writer",
"author_id": 48494,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/48494",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "What did they actually DO?\nYou can credit that.\n\nWere they a manager? Credit them for that aspect.\n\nWas thi... | 2021/01/23 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54627",
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54,637 | I have been working on worldbuilding, plotting out, and writing characters for a science-fantasy series for over 4 years now, and I feel the time has come to take another stab at writing the actual thing after my first draft. The problem is I have expanded the world, plot, and character cast so much since that first dr... | [
{
"answer_id": 54638,
"author": "pro writer",
"author_id": 48512,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/48512",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "There is no good way to do that.\nDid you have a long arc on the series?\nIt may still be too long to put it int... | 2021/01/24 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54637",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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54,649 | If I have one quote but I broke it up into two separate sections in my essay, how would I cite it? Even though they're the same quote would I need to cite it twice? I know an ibid would work but I'm using MLA. | [
{
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"selected": false,
"text": "I would use:\n\nThe first time you use the quote, put \"\\_\\_ \" said \\_\\_ source \\_\\_ (insert footnote w/ref... | 2021/01/25 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54649",
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54,650 | I'm writing a series that has to do with vampires. My middle name is AhurakB, and I personally find that name really, really pretty. I wanted to add it to my book as the name of the main character but I remembered that one of the dopplegangers in The Vampire Diaries is named AhurakB. I don't want to get into trouble or... | [
{
"answer_id": 54659,
"author": "hszmv",
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"selected": false,
"text": "I use this example a lot because it touches on this when it deliberately was used, but I know of two characters who w... | 2021/01/25 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54650",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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54,653 | In my novel, while the main characters are building the plot and driving it forward, there is a subplot with a gay couple. One of the gay partners is best friends with the female protagonist.
At the end of the story, I plan to make the antagonist and male protagonist get into a situation where the antagonist is going ... | [
{
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"author_id": 43118,
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"pm_score": 5,
"selected": false,
"text": "Kind of yes? The big problem with Bury Your Gays in literature is that the gay characters' death mostly exists ... | 2021/01/25 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54653",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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54,661 | About 10,000 words written in the book, I'm out of creativity to write the rest.
If I were to write the last chapters, I would write without concern, but the medium is "cloudy"
What to do?
what I find strange, is that for another book I have ideas, I have the characters all described, but for the current one I don't k... | [
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"text": "Kind of yes? The big problem with Bury Your Gays in literature is that the gay characters' death mostly exists ... | 2021/01/26 | [
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54,662 | The elements of style provide rules for writing succinct prose, saying that rhythm is important "all things being equal". I want to write succinct, flowing prose. So, how do I achieve these two goals at the same time? Do I just focus on clarity, hoping that rhythm will result? Or do I polish for rhythm once I have made... | [
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"text": "To have rhythm and to be succinct together imply poetry, at least in my opinion. I recommend reading not poetry per... | 2021/01/26 | [
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54,680 | I've seen many people say I should know what my character's goals and desires are. But I've also seen people say I should know what their needs and wants are. I looked at the definitions, and they are somewhat similar, but also a bit different, but I'm struggling to understand what that difference might be.
Are these ... | [
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"text": "These are all fairly similar concepts, and all of them will, to some extent, serve as motivation for a character's actio... | 2021/01/27 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54680",
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54,685 | What are the best rules for **scientific papers** to decide whether to put a sentence in **simple past** or **present perfect** tense?
**Example**
[Shapiro et al. (2012)](https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms1742) use present perfect in the following sentence:
>
> In this study, we **have uncovered** an important ... | [
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"text": "This bleeds into a question of personal taste — there's no editorial stanard dictating one form or another — bu... | 2021/01/27 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54685",
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