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How best to set goals for annual performance reviews? At my company, we have annual performance reviews and also a process where we set goals for the year. When it comes time to set goals, we are expected to create them on our own. I'd like to use them when the performance review comes around as something to point to a...	In writing performance reviews and performance goals, the general advice I received over the years is to focus on items which improve your value to the company and contribute to the overall company's performance. Just pick sufficiently vague and easy to hit "SMART" goals Save items which document how you have contribut...
How to professionally decline a promotion when I want to quit? I've been offered a promotion as several people have left/will be leaving. I've been looking for other jobs and have asked for some time to think it over. Unfortunately, I'll have to give an answer before the interviews have been completed. Although I lik...	Explain, in a professional manner, that you would require X salary to accept the role and that you find the extended notice period to be unacceptable since it effectively seeks to curtail (or at least hamper), your career and future employment prospects.
Accepted job offer but did poorly on assessment test I was interviewed by a company and was offered a job. I accepted the job offer and salary and the starting date was also agreed upon. The HR person present during the interview told me that they will take an assessment test before an actual job contract can be signed...	The thing with assessments given before a job is that unlike tests and exams you might encounter in an academic setting you often have no real gauge of what "doing well" means - and that can mean you think you did horribly when the reverse is true.
Telling my coworker who does the rostering that once again she has put me on a night I can't work I work casual, and I also volunteer once a week on Tuesday nights. I have volunteered longer than I have worked in my current occupation, and everyone I work with knows that I volunteer. I told my coworker, at the workpla...	Use whatever is the normal informal but written communication path, such as e-mail or a sticky note on her desk. Or even better, tell her about your unavailabilities for the upcoming roster at that time: You may want to talk to the other staff letting them know that although you normally can't work that shift, if they ...
How to prepare team for layoff? Our team consists of about 15 developers, we basically act as in house dev ops and think tank for our company. Our performance was fine until recently, but slowly it started to decline, and so did our creative resources. Whoever had potential to get promoted or refresh their skills did...	I would suggest that you do not go into the specifics as to why they are being laid off -- it simply doesn't matter at this point. Are there still opportunities to retrain, if so you can remind them of that.
Switching from software developer to infosec/pentester About a week ago I had a chance to observe the workflow and talk with team of incredibly talented and young hackers,they were pentesting our system and dug up 4 security holes within a day.What I saw was nothing less than awe-instilling,their skillset was extremely...	I would say that the main characteristic is being curious, and investigating how things work, which could then lead to results like those (or not, they might not have found any hole, too). You are not old at all to do that.
I've given a very simple coding task but I'm not quite getting what asked, how to be more effective/efficient? I'm leading a small subproject in my company, and I've never lead any project before in my career and this miniproject according to my manager is supposed to be an exercise on leadership. I did a task breakdo...	Set your engineer a challenge: Produce the minimal code to meet the requirements. Make sure that you understand the constraints the developer is working under Make sure only clean code goes into production so if this developer leaves the company, you don't get stuck with a ton of tech debt.
Giving References For New Job I applied for a software developer position and they are asking for references. I finished school not too long ago, and my past experiences are internships, that happened between 1 and 3 years ago. I pretty much lost contact of with all of them, but I'm linked with them on LinkedIn. Do I ...	Unless you have already obtained their permission for this specific instance of using them as a reference, you should always contact them to obtain their permission.
Cost Centre to Profit Centre: How to personally gain I am a Software Engineer in a very Sales focussed company. Software Engineers are Cost Centres, Sales are Profit Centres. A product I built and own now accounts for sizeable chunk of the company's revenue, and by most accounts kept the company running during the ini...	If you came up with the idea, or wrote the specifications that made this product successful, then you can make a strong argument. The easiest way to do this would be to go to a competitor, explain how you can make them money, argue for a bonus scheme, then take that offer back to company
Is uncertainty about what to work on normal? I work as a Software Engineer. The team has bi-weekly sprints. For the past 2 months sprint planning has been basically impossible to do. The manager himself doesn't know if we're going to start a project the following week or not. I wonder if this is a fairly common occurr...	This could be a sign of a lost product vision, disappointing market sentiment analysis, attempts by the people shaping the work to delay decision making, slow approvals process, lack of priority from the powers that be, or just a slow down.
How to make a meaningful eye contact with a webcam? Zoom meetings are a new normal in these interesting times. I have been reading on how to make them better. One tip is when you are speaking, to make sure you look into the camera not at your own thumbnail. Trouble is, I find this hard, trying to make a connection w...	I've seen teleprompters for this use case as well as simple 1-way mirrors that you hang on top of the monitor and covering the webcam, so that you see the person talking on top of the webcam's lens.
Joining a startup. What should I know? I got an offer from a start-up (in Silicon Valley) which I believe has a really bright future. The team I am going to work with are very talented, and most importantly friendly. I believe I am going to learn a lot from them. This was my first offer and because I have not seen oth...	By far the most important thing to know about startups is most of them fail.
What if a company contacts you around your recruiter? A few weeks ago, I was working with a recruiter for a role and right before the last interview, the company canceled and told the recruiter that they hired someone else. Two days later, the company contacted me saying that they were unable to afford to hire me with ...	Going around a recruiter is not a professional nor ethical thing to do at all for a company.
Is it ethical and do you bill hours when there is a severe lack of timely access from the client? I have a client with whom my hours are capped at 20 hours a week. This client is not timely at all, neither with giving me access I need nor with responding to emails. Last week, this left me only able to bill 13.5 hours b...	In a nutshell... if your waiting prohibits you from performing billable work for other clients or prohibits you from pursuing other activities, whatever they may be, then you should bill for it.
Is it normal for people to take things personally when rebuked/disagreed upon in a startup environment? I've had experience with two co-founders (from two different startups) name John and Adam . Both of them 'rage quit' the company when I did not agree with them. John got so upset with me (the founder) when I did...	In the startups I've been a part of, I've met some people which seemed to be really wanting in their ability to compromise, or to react proportionally, or pick their battles. It would not be the norm for older mature people.
How to ask how hard work will be without coming across as lazy in interview? When interviewing for a new job, how can I phrase a question to determine how hard I would be expected to work? For example, how can I find out about things such as unofficial small breaks? I really hate being in the same building all day (or ...	If you highly value flexibility in the start time, then ask what time folks start their work and what happens if they arrive a bit later. When interviewing, you ask to chat with your future peers. Ask about the work culture and how is it a regular day in the office.
What is considered the day I “voluntarily leave” the company? The day I give notice or my last day when notice period ends? What is considered the day I “voluntarily leave” the company? The day I give the notice or the day I actually leave the company? Background is I have a payback agreement with my current employer ...	For purposes of a payback agreement, it depends on your last day on the job. So give your notice whenever you like.
How to correctly say, "I know this job is a step down but I'm desperate for a job in the current market so I still want it"? I'm applying for a job which is a step down from my most recent job, which I got made redundant from. The job market is so brutal that I have no choice and I'll take any management job I can get ...	Spend some time doing research on the company, and on the type of position you're going for, and see how it will help you in your long term career path.
What are some online guides for starting writers? I've always wanted to start writing (in a totally amateur way), but whenever I want to start something I instantly get blocked having a lot of questions and doubts. Are there some resources on how to start becoming a writer? I'm thinking something with tips and easy e...	I have found that the best advice for a beginning writer is to just sit down and write . As a spec-fic author, I use Critters , one of the larger online critique groups.
How do I find an agent? I finished my novel, and everyone I've talked to says I need an agent. How do I find one? <Q> I have to add a few things to Randomman's answer : <S> If you have that list, check if the agents are reputable! <S> Google them. <S> There are a lot of black sheep out there. <S> Go to the homepa...	Instead look at the published books in your genre, make a list of their authors, and then find out who represents them .
Lists of Suggested Magazines to Submit To I recently began writing poetry again. I would like to look into submitting my poems to a magazine. Where can I find a list of literary magazines through which I could sort to find a possible fit? <Q> You can find them in most major bookstores. <S> They come out once a year...	Writer's Market publishes a few different books, including one for poets, which include listings of publishers, agents, magazines, contests, anthologies, etc.
What is a good daily word count goal? As a NaNoWriMo participant, I've been trying to meet a rather ambitious 1667 word/day goal. I've heard that professionals do a lot less, but the first two days of this month, I actually wrote 5000 words/day, so I know it's possible. Quantity over quality? What's a reasonable, susta...	You need to write every day and find the best wordcount for yourself. I think 1,000 a day is pretty good, if you're consistent.
How do I write a synopsis? I have to write a synopsis to submit to an agent. Are there any guidelines for writing a good synopsis? <Q> Most important part is, reducing the story to the core plot. <S> Some say you should only need three pages to summarize your story, some say one page should be enough. <S> Impossible? <...	One thing that helped me was to look at each chapter and write down the big plot elements that happened in that chapter. But if you can reduce its core to three sentences , then you are on the right track.
Jumping on the Zombie bandwagon Is it too late to jump on the zombie bandwagon? There are loads of stories about the possible popular outcome of an apocalypse, is it possible to squeeze anything more out of it? Or, maybe it would be a good idea to make a parody of the genre after it's all squeezed out dry? <Q> Is it ...	It's never too late to jump on the zombie bandwagon.
Where can subject matter experts volunteer to work on proofing the technical details in fiction? I am not a writer (yet!), but I have been working in the computer field for over 10 years and would love to put in some time volunteering my services as a subject matter expert (SME) for programming and computer related sto...	I'll have to agree with the simple, "No," regarding the existence of a one-stop experts forum for consulting work, but depending on how well rounded your skills are across some specific disciplines there are a few very satisfying ways you might be able to volunteer your services.
What are the most common style manuals? From Wikipedia: A style guide or style manual is a set of standards for the writing and design of documents, either for general use or for a specific publication, organization or field. The implementation of a style guide provides uniformity in style and formatting o...	To add on to TML's answer: Journalists generally use the AP Stylebook . CMOS (Chicaco Manual of Style) is the style guide used by 90% of publishing houses. The House style of CUP and the Society for Editors and Proofreaders . The Apple and the Microsoft style manuals (do not have the exact names with me to provide) are...
How do I involve my audience with my story? I am writing for a video game, and I have noticed that there is a gap between plot and gameplay. Most times there is a plot to a story, but it takes place either only in cutscenes or in reminders of your objectives. The gameplay is separate from the story, thus the player fee...	Include as much of the character development as you can in the gameplay animations and mechanics. You could try looking at and playing the Assassin's Creed series by Ubisoft Montreal.
Third-person objective in action scene I'm telling a story in third-person objective, the first part being basically an objective description of events around a certain character. I got to a brief action scene, and it fell flat. What the character does is of interest to the progression of the story, but the more inte...	If you need the character's thoughts but want only action in the first part, there is no reason not to use 3rd person limited.
Are there any places to have community story development? Are there any places or ways a group (general public or individually invited) of people can individually contribute to a communally developed story? For example, a website or collaboration tool (besides Word files emailed back and forth). <Q> The largest commun...	There is a Facebook group called Indie Writers Unite which has an ongoing thread that is attempting to do this.
Should I start writing on paper first or start directly on the computer? If I have an excellent idea for a story, would it be wiser to write on paper first or start directly on the computer? There are many different reasons for beginning stories on paper as well as on the computer and I'd like to know about the differe...	The other reason I use paper is that it forces me to go over the text at least once in order to find major problems while entering it into a computer.
How do I go about finding a writing group? Any websites that list writing groups by geographic location, or genre? Should I try libraries or something? Fan forums of a favourite author? Are there "virtual" writing groups (by email or chat or whatever, as opposed to in person)? <Q> I've heard about "virtual" writin...	Libraries and other community spaces often offer writing workshops so it might be a good idea to look there too.
Best Way to Develop a Daily Writing Routine? I would like to go about making a habit of writing to a journal or blog on a daily basis. What techniques or patterns have been the most useful in accomplishing this task? <Q> Start a Seinfeld calendar. <S> Basically, you have a calendar set up somewhere that you see ever...	Find a window of time that you can block out and that is convenient for you to use, and then schedule that time to write.
Using slang as a narrator - pros and cons Is it advisable to use slang and euphemisms as a narrator, in addition to the main characters who use it? Are there arguments for and against it? For example, if I were to write about street thugs and their exploits, would using slang in the narration bring the reader closer t...	It depends on who the narrator is. If the narrator is of a particular rank or class the writing should reflect that (but beware of overdoing it.) Using dialect or slang can work very well, but it usually doesn't.
How deeply should I study the background of a community before writing about it? By "background", I mean the dialects, habits and culture of the community. Also, I wonder if it is even possible to write about a community without being a part of it? I am only asking this in terms of writing fiction. <Q> Two suggestion...	It depends on your intent; if your work be it fictional or factual, hangs on details about this community, its customs and practices,then you need to research scrupulously. So you don't need too much investigation, in the end it should suffice, that you know a little more than most of your readers.
How to share the work, if writing fiction in a team? How should one split up the work between two people? Should one write the even-numbered chapters and the other the odd-numbered? Does each person tell the story from the point of view of a different character or write different story-subarcs? In general, how do one o...	As long as you have a reasonably firm outline, this allows each author to work relatively freely, and in such a case the differences in style may actually add to the flavor of the overall story.
Is there an accepted (or 'correct') way to write translations/subtitles for different materials (videos, articles, books, etc)? There are many ways to go about translating various materials. For example, while subtitling videos from a different language into english, is it better to (or more acceptable) to do a literal...	Literal translation could confuse the viewer.
When and how often edit the style and content of a story? An early story I did I edited again and again to make it better. But in the end, I got the feeling the result was worse than before. Recently I tried to write (short-stories) in one go and only check for wrong spelling and grammar. What is a good amount of edi...	Edit it until you're comfortable with the result.
How to keep the reader engaged throughout the novel? Some authors (a la Dan Brown in The Da Vinci Code) use an expected twist and unanswered question at the end of every chapter. Some (a la Stephen King) build deep characters that simply draw you in. What ways (besides just telling a genuinely good story) are there...	In character-driven fiction, the thing that draws the reader in is the protagonist's wants, needs, fears, dreams, hopes, and loves. The trick is to not let them wait for too long, or they'll get bored or uninterested.
Spelling style in academic papers When an article is submitted to a conference or journal, is it better to use British or American spelling? Does it have to be according to the conference or journal's style (based on where it is being held or who hold it) or is it up to the writer to choose and stick to one style? <Q> ...	I'd think that the writer wouldn't be expected to change his or her writing style based on the style of a particular publication.
When the second person view is not an uninvited guest? It is very strange to read the narrative from second person, but there are examples! Maybe there are a number of situations which are good for using second-person view? <Q> "You're reading the advertisement: an offer like this isn't made every day. <S> You re...	Choose your own adventure books often use the second person.
How can I get started screenwriting/playwriting? I have some experience writing stories, but would like to beginning screenwriting. Are there any online guides to show how to get started and transition into writing for the stage, where ideas need to be presented through dialogue and props, rather than narration. <Q> Sc...	I would say start by reading some scripts. Stuart Spencer's The Playwright's Guidebook is the best book I've seen on the subject.
What can one do to get the most from limited writing time? I do make an effort to write every day, and usually succeed, but I just have too much going on in my life right now to give my writing the time it would like to have. When I do have time, blog posts, tech papers, etc. try very hard to crowd out the fiction I...	If you do a little mental prep before you sit down--thinking about where you left off and what you're going to write when you start, then you can maybe use your bits of writing time more effectively.
Is there a Market for Poetry with a Fixed Verse Form I find that when I structure my poetry according to an accepted form such as a villanelle , sestina , or sonnet I am able to think more clearly because of the boundaries of the form, and believe my best poetry is in fixed verse form. I'm concerned that fixed ver...	The Lyric , "the oldest magazine in North America in continuous publication devoted to traditional poetry", is one periodical that accepts formal verse.
What linguistic tools do you use? I've got a Flip Dictionary , a Thesaurus, my trusty Strunk&White, and I use the almighty GOOG(le) should I ever be unsure of the definition of a word. What does everyone else use? Is there some handy reference that I'm missing? I'm not really concerned with style books...I see we've ...	I find the Oxford Collocations Dictionary very useful.
Switching POV: Should it ever be done at all? When I started, I had a nasty habit of hopping from perspective to perspective to perspective. I forced myself down to one perspective per chapter, but I still wonder if it's acceptable to do it at all . There are plenty of good authors who never switch and plenty who do, ...	Having multiple perspectives to the story give you a range of views, and therefore a better understanding of the story and it's characters.
A rhyming dictionary worth bookmarking online or purchasing? Has anyone come across any really good rhyming dictionaries? If so, what makes it worth having/bookmarking? (eg. completeness/ease of use/absence of really sketchy suggestions) <Q> http://www.rhymezone.com/ <S> You just type in a word, then select one of ...	http://rhymebrain.com works well for most words, and also provides near-rhymes.
What are the best authors to read if you want to get better at humor and comedy in writing? I’ve read humor like Three Men in a Boat and PG Woodhouse, but those comes nowhere close to folks like Dave Barry or Rory Blyth. What are some sources, blogs, books, articles, authors, etc. that you should be reading if you ...	I also recommend you read joke books. If you want modern writers, try Terry Pratchett, Simon Rich, Allison Silverman, Woody Allen, Steve Martin and Billy Kimball. George Carlin (he's the best), Eddie Murphy, David Cross, Bill Hicks, Dane Cook...
Should I translate my own writings into a second language I also know well? Nabokov was very discouraged when he translated his Lolita into Russian. And he spent half a year on it. So should I try the translation myself? <Q> I would always seek help from a professional translator, no matter how proficient I deem myse...	By being able to do the first translation yourself you can be sure all the little things that make it through, that way some important piece of characterization doesn't get lost. If you want to do it because you think you'll get something out of the creative experience, I'd recommend you go for it--with help from a pro...
How much sex is allowed in a non-romance novel? Exactly how much sex would would most publishers allow to be in a today's novel? Does it vary from publisher to a publisher? I'm not talking about romance novels where apparently everything goes. I think explicit scenes could be cut if needed by a publisher, because I don...	It's also going to depend on the genre of the book and who you're targeting. I know this doesn't answer your question as to how much different publishers allow, but as far as the actual content of your writing, it will be stronger if you only hint at it than if you go over the sexual acts in great detail. If you can cu...
What techniques do you use to invent snappy turns of phrase? We all know clichés are bad[1] and that fresh, inventive and "fitting" phrases will delight and entertain our readers. What techniques can be used to invent such phrases? Sometimes they just "fall out" while you're writing, but other times require intense ef...	If you're writing in your own original world, try to think of the kinds of things that are present in that world. : Divide a piece of paper into three columns Write nouns randomly in the first column and cover it Write verbs into the second and cover it (same amount as nouns)
Are "morning pages" useful? I've found an interesting private online journaling website: 750words.com From "About" section of the website: I've long been inspired by an idea I first learned about in The Artist's Way called morning pages. Morning pages are three pages of writing done every day, typically encourage...	Besides what you can learn for life from morning pages, this habit is very useful for developing creative writing skills.
What helpful writing exercises do you use? The two I do most are dialog and description related. When I meet a person or I'm just sitting people watching, I try to write their description in my head as if I was describing a character in a novel. I focus on the physical - tall, short, weak chin, high cheek bones, etc, e...	Grab a random book, flip to a random page and pick a single sentence from it (assuming that it makes sense). Write a story starting with the opening sentence. Try writing a piece of extremely short fiction in which you manage to convey an interesting character in 55 words or less Write your dreams down.
Is there a rule of thumb about the number of pages a work of fiction should have? To be considered a "real" book, is there a rule of thumb about the number of pages one should have? If it has too few then people call it a short story (e.g., Fahrenheit 451) and if it has too many then it's either a Magnum Opus or split ...	Layout and font choice can change the number of pages a book has without changing the length of it.
How do you track random thoughts and ideas? If you're like me, you get story ideas anywhere and everywhere. If I'm at a computer, I'll write down the idea in onenote or outlook or scrivener (depending what's open). If I just have my phone, I'll send an email to myself, or use the voice recorder app to spew some thought...	When the notebook is full, I go through it page by page, digitizing the ideas that are "keepers" (and transferring those I want to mull some more into my new notebook). Of course, if I happen to be at the computer, I will often just throw things right into my notes file Pen/paper is nice, and if you use that, I'd recom...
How to go about breaking up a looooong YA story? A while ago, I played around with a short story idea in a genre I don't normally write (Young Adult fiction). The story took on a life of its own, growing quickly to a novella, and now is definitely a novel, trying to stretch itself to a series. The story itself is goi...	Once you know the normal length you can shoot for the first book to hit around that mark, then go from there. Being a recent graduate from the Young Adult market, I strongly recommend that you divide it in such a way that each standalone book ends on some kind of incredibly surprising cliffhanger, or an ending that has...
Where is the best place to "twist" a series? I have plans for a fantasy trilogy in which the main characters defeating the threat in each book simply makes way for the new threat of the next book. This way, the main characters can continue to grow and take on more powerful threats as the story progresses. The way I h...	I think the best way to go about it, at least in the case of your first book, is to hint that there is something bigger in the background.
What to do about readers reading into things? I have certain people in my life who insist on reading way too much into my writing. As it is, I do my best to avoid giving my characters initials or names or appearances that coincide even a little with anyone I know. Still I get "clearly $character was modeled after $...	If they have a sense of humor about it, tell them it's all wrong and given them the craziest explanation you can think of, but from the sound of it that wouldn't work for these people. That's hard to say, there are always going to be people reading more into things then you intended.
How do you track submissions to publishers/markets? What tools (software or otherwise) or procedures do you use to track the progress of submissions to publishers or other markets? How do you reduce the chance of accidentally (and embarrassingly) submitting the same thing twice to the same market? <Q> For tracking shor...	I use a combination of: Sonar 3 (a submission tracking tool); and Tagging submitted files in a Subversion repository Sonar 3 is a nice little desktop app that let's you define stories, markets, and create "submissions".
Should I avoid modern words/phrases in fantasy writing? When writing, I tend to want to use words or phrases that have meaning in the real world, but wouldn't necessarily have meaning in the world in which I'm writing. For example, in a fantasy world, a character can't (metaphorically) "rocket across the room" because...	Characters wouldn't say "rocket across the room" but you can; instead of thinking you're translating from ancient English, treat it as your contemporary telling of an ancient story. Yes, you should avoid using modern words in fantasy because they can break the immersion which readers are experiencing.
What makes a great writer's space? If you have a usual or favorite place to write at home, what makes it so good? I like having multiple places to write -- sometimes I find a change of scenery helps break a block -- but my most-used space is my desk at home. Big, clicky ergonomic keyboard, a good spot for my tea, and...	I also prefer to be comfortable when writing and am not the type of person to fall asleep just because I'm reclining on a couch. Well, even without studying some dubious horoscopic sciences as feng shui, everybody at least feels that having your own work place for each kind of work you're doing is a significant efficie...
Tools for generating characters' names I found this name generator: http://www.fakenamegenerator.com And I'm wondering if maybe there are others? Has anybody found this kind of tool useful? What about tools for fantasy names? Should I think up names in a creative way, as answers for this question are mentioning? <Q...	Serendipity also does good names for fantasy stories. I just use the wiki list's most popular names database: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Most_popular_given_names which gives you a breakdown of names by Region and country. Naming Sourcebook by Sherrilyn Kenyon, as well as BabyNamesWorld .
Would it be plagiarism if you use a changed scene? If I read someone else's scene that describes a situation in my own work if adapted to fit my characters and plot, would it constitute plagiarism if I so use it? <Q> Plagiarism : <S> The act of plagiarizing: the copying of another person's ideas, text or other creat...	Technically, stealing an idea is plagiarism just as much as stealing their words.
Writing for an Audio book. What are specifics? What are specific requirements, a writer should follow, when writing something that is going to be (or just can possibly be) not only read but listened as well? <Q> When you write a book, you're writing for the eye. <S> When you write an audio piece, you're writing for the...	The best advice I can give: read aloud what you've written. Some specific tips Be concise and keep sentence structure simple.
Is discovery or outline writing connected to personality type (e.g. MBTI)? I'm on a bit of a Myers-Briggs spree at the moment (which is dangerous, because it is so easy to read way more into it than you are supposed to). For those of you who are not familiar with it, it is a personality test based on theories by Carl ...	Psychological research suggests that personality type is correlated to word patterns (Pennebaker & Graybeal, 2001).
Fictional diary for a novel When it is appropriate to use the diary form for a novel? Which are the most effective published examples? (I mean fictional diaries, so not Anne Frank's diary). <Q> Diary form is used when a deep immersion of reader is wanted. <S> Yeah, we all want to immerse readers into our universes,...	With diary form you can reveal only one point of view: of character who keeps a diary. To answer your question about published examples, some of Sue Townsend's Adrian Mole series are deceptively clever and very funny all in diary form Examples are: Bridget Jones diary Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes Notes from the...
How do you vary dialogue within stories? How do you vary dialogue within stories? I often find myself writing "'sentence/dialogue' said character", and it sometimes gets really repetitive. How is this managed? These are the only words that I can think of that can be used alternatively, but I don't find this problem wh...	Try to get to a point where the reader can understand who is speaking at which time, and avoid the use of 'said' after the first couple of lines.
How do you map out your storyline? There are various ways for mapping out the storyline that you will use for a story. One of them is to create a bullet-point outline, which would theoretically be useful because of the hierarchy system that you can make, but as it goes along you can't really visualise how the story goe...	Lots easier to do it electronically; index cards, etc., are okay. I create create a document for each plot point/scene, view them on the corkboard, and drag the cards around around. My favorite tool is Scrivener .
Are there any good magazines about writing? As in all other fields I'm interested in, I love to have a subscribtion that makes sure some hugely inspirational material gets dropped into my mailbox once in a while. I'm not looking for magazines that prints stories submitted by users, but rather one that focuses on the pr...	Writers Digest is a fine magazine; another to consider is "the writer" - http://www.writermag.com/
When to accept an editor's rewrite request? So there's an editor who has accepted a story of mine for publication... but he wants me to change the ending. Normally I'm pretty open to editorial changes, but in this case the proposed changes alter the timbre of the piece by changing the ending from a "downer" ending to s...	Of course, there are cases where an editor's view of a story differs vastly from the author's; sometimes you might disagree with an editor's concerns entirely, and then you'll need to decide whether publishing the work is worth the harm you feel is done to the story. You don't need to view this as a "take it or leave i...
What are some good instruction manuals for writing short stories? I'm looking to learn how to write good short stories, what are some good instruction manuals I should use to learn from? <Q> I like the Modern Library Writer's Workshop by Stephen Koch. <S> It's not limited to Short Stories, it covers fiction in general....	For more recent short stories you can pick up the last couple years of "Best American Short Stories" - which collects the best short stories by year. This one's kind of "out there", but unbeatable if you'd like to take the organic, from-the-heart, not-the-head kind of approach: Robert Olen Butler's From Where
What are the most appropriate types of degrees (or kinds of schooling) that a would-be successful writer should aim to obtain? What kinds of schooling should a teenager, trying to decide on a college, consider, if she is looking to grow to become a successful writer? <Q> There are about 1,000 times more English majors ...	Even if she does not want to do this, in general the aspiring writer should focus on the liberal arts in the oldest sense - a focus on getting a broad education and seeing how different disciplines interact.
Can someone explain set pieces? I was using a book in a writing group that talked about set pieces, but I never really got a clear idea of what it is or how they're supposed to appear in writing. My impression was that you have a few major scenes that you work up to and away from. Would this be accurate? How much ...	A set piece is a big moment in a story, usually quiet a bit of the story builds up to it
How much time do you spend writing one page on average? I'm writing a technical book about one programming technology and would like to compare how much time other authors spend on one page (on average). I rarely write a page and am done with it, quite usually there is a lot of restructuring, refining and formatting go...	On books that are strictly how-to, without having to provide tutorial-style exercises, I can run through a printed page of a Visual QuickStart Guide (with layout) in about an hour.
What are the usual methods for getting a daily word count? Do, normally, only words which are eventually to be kept count, or do you also count rewrites? For example, if I rewrite a 50 word paragraph 10 times, is my daily count up to 50 or up to 500? <Q> Why does it matter, if your word count is 50 or 500 after a rewri...	If you want to see how much effort you're putting in or you have a goal for each individual writing session to say "this was a successful session" or "okay, this session is done", count the words you typed. To answer to your question, I personally count only the initial revision.
What should be in a cover letter for short story submission to a magazine? It's been about five years since I last submitted any of my work for publication, and my memory of what I was taught then to put in my cover letter is getting rusty. What kind of information should I provide when sending a short story to a sm...	In this letter (like in every cover letter) you should describe your story and yourself shortly and you should put in there, why they should publish your story.
Do you always revise your stories or do you sometimes move on? When you finish a story, say a short story, not really intending to publish. Do you go back and revise it or let it be, starting on another story? <Q> It is almost always worth editing. <S> Even if it's Murder She Wrote / Star Wars crossover fanfiction ...	Furthermore, if there is a market out there for your story, you may realize that after a few revisions, it's worth trying to publish after all.
Do you use the word "that" too much? I find myself using the word "that" too much. How do you really know when you need that "that" word there? Like just now. I don't think I need "that" there. Do you have words you overuse? <Q> Plenty of writers have little tics like this. <S> You may find a turn of phrase that ...	The time to remove your Needless Words is during the edit process.
How long can a writer expect to write before publishing his/her first novel? By "How long" I'm assuming from the time they actually start trying to actively publish to the time they finally get published. For example, I've been writing since I was 10 years old - but if I ever (finally) publish a book one of these days,...	The variables are endless, and each difference can change the equation by years.
How do you convince your publisher that your story is good? Any suggestions on how to convince your publisher that your story is good, and that it would be a good idea to publish it? <Q> If the publisher does not want to publish your story, then at least one of these is true: <S> The goodness isn't in the text. <S...	Also make sure that they are accepting manuscripts. The publisher has reasons that outweigh the goodness of your story (e.g. more than enough stories that better fit their needs). Start a blog and post an excerpt from your story in serial form on the blog.
Using a world created by someone else for your own fiction What is the procedure if you want to set a story in a world created by someone else? If, after reading someone else's novel I came up with some neat plot that would fit into that novel's world, but would be a separate story from the original, with maybe some pe...	You have to ask for permission, there will be legal contracts, because the world's "owner" wants money, your story must really fit and must not disrupt anything the owner wants to do in the future. If the world created gives you inspiration and makes you sit down and write for hours, then go ahead and do it.
Good books on writing for comics? Me and a friend of mine has been thinking about joining forces and make a comic. She is an excellent drawer/illustrator while I perform better in the story/character/writing part of things. I guess the best way to start would be to throw ourselves into it, but I like to read about thi...	One of the best books you can read on the subject is Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics .
What genre is my writing? I'm working on a couple pieces that take place in imaginary worlds. They involve made-up cities, countries, rivers, history, etc. However, the level of technology and the social structures in the made-up world are similar to our own contemporary world. The characters drive around in cars and ...	If supernatural elements are paramount to the story, call it Supernatural Horror.
What should I do to promote my books? My publisher currently does a lot to advertise my books, but what can I do to help spread the word? ETA: Here's what my publisher said they do to promote their books: "Dreamspinner invests 10% of our income on marketing and promotion. We have tables at events one to two times per...	You might consider approaching local bookstores to do readings and/or signings.
Is it so bad to end up with a "done before" plot? I'm not delusional about the nature of the science fiction novel I'm (very) slowly working on. A brief run down might be as follows: Set 10's of millennia in Human's future but in a neighbouring galaxy Discovery of ancient artifact Artifact turns violent on the dis...	To make something that is essentially the same feel so new and different by the subtle ways you change it. Everything has been done before. Oh no, it's not bad at all. If you ask me, so long as you trust your own story to be worth the read, go for it.
What genre is a book in an imaginary world but no other fantasy element? I'm trying to figure out what genre the following is, if any. (I asked a similar question, but this is different now, and more detailed.) The story takes place in an imaginary world. It's more or less like our own mid-century world, except the c...	You're story does have some fantasy elements, but is dark as in the way of thriller and horror. If the world is clearly, inherantly imaginary, blatantly contradicting real-world history or metaphysics, and the story relies on these deviations, then that's inescapably fantasy. When trying to pin a story's genre, that's ...
How can multiple viewpoints be used without breaking the flow of the story? I'm currently writing a story in first-person that has a connection to a series of external events - things that the main character has no way of knowing but are vital to the progression of the overall storyline. I've been toying with two ide...	The idea is to have a flowing description of a situation/event that naturally moves into the different characters experience, giving the opportunity to add their vital bits to the plot. An idea: instead of re-hashing the same scene(s) from different viewpoints, let them feed progressively off each other. Put a brief th...
Examples for books that don't use (traditional) chapters? I'm a big fan of Terry Pratchett, and he doesn't use chapters (mostly). Are there any other authors who tend to not use traditional chapters or chapters at all in novels? <Q> I read an interesting novel by Lionel Shriver called <S> We Need to Talk About Kevin...	To the White Sea by James Dickey has no chapters. As long as your prose, plot, and characters fit your reasoning for the unique pacing a book without chapters provides, it can be a great decision.
How would a source be referenced in the typical paper/book? Let's say I have at my disposal some kind of searchable content with all the references from many books and papers. How would a source reference would be typically written/formatted? Is it dependent of the subject? If yes, how? Some clarification: I want to k...	In general, if there are only a few sources to cite, it's done in footnotes or parenthetical citations.
What makes first person plural a tricky narrative voice? I absolutely loved Joshua Ferris's debut novel Then We Came to the End . Critics highly praised his use for the first person plural as a narrator. The work is set in an office and the "we" used represents the group of employees. I can think of several ideas...	I think it's hard because it's hard for readers to relate with a group of people. The biggest problem is the same as with first-person singular: just as you can't have scenes in which the first-person singular character is not present, you can't have scenes where the whole group, or at least most of it is not present.
What book review sites allow authors to send a copy of their books for reviews? Since I'm published with smaller publications, getting reviews is often one of the best ways to make sales. But what professional book review sites out there will write a review in exchange for a copy of the book? I don't want ones that'll ...	I have used LibraryThing with both of my fantasy novels and gotten some reviews as a result.
How much should I describe things or persons, that are not important for the story? I discussed a book with a friend, and he disliked that the author described a person who is dying shortly after and has no further effect on the story over a page or more. The same would go for things; if I describe a room, should I inc...	Don't describe things that aren't important for the story. Think, Stephen King vs Dean Koontz; Stephen King is big on describing things in deep detail in all his stories.
Do multimedia-objects work well in electronical publishings of fictional writing? Electronical publishings could include multimedia, like videos or music/soundsnippets. How well does that go together with fictional writing? Could that add something to the atmosphere? Or would it distract the reader too much and should ...	Readers also get frustrated if things don't work properly, so insert multimedia and having it break, will lose you readers. If it's going to make the reader stop reading, don't do it.
Should freelance writers keep their online business separate from offline? Freelance writers have a lot of opportunity to write online, but in some cases the rates are less than the same writing project might command offline. Assuming that there are enough advantages in taking online writing gigs to offset the disadvan...	I don't see why a freelance writer would need an online/offline business. And in today's market, it's extremely hard to work as a freelance writer without an online presence unless you live in a big city - Seattle, New York, Chicago, etc. - where there are a lot of publications based.
If you get an advance do you ever have to give it back? Do publishers give you an advance as some sort of earnest money for your manuscript? If your work doesn't sell very well do you have to give the advance back to them? Do they ever just buy your work and you get some money plus royalties? thanks. <Q> No. <S> T...	If, for some unforeseen reason, the book is cancelled between the time the contract is signed and the publication date, the publisher may request that any paid-out portion of the advance be repaid.
Will e-books prevent books from going out of print (and rights from reverting)? In the old days, books went out of print shortly after it stopped being profitable for the publisher to print new runs. My understanding is that good contracts had clauses that caused the rights to the book to revert to the author once it ...	Most of the contracts I've signed say my rights will revert back to me when the book goes out of print.
How to sell novel excerpts as short stories Occasionally I've seen novel excerpts published in short story venues. They're usually sections of a recent or forthcoming novel that also hold together as a self-contained story. Alternately, sometimes an author starts with the short story, which is later expanded into a n...	In this case I would say that you pretty much have to have the book sold before you can even think about getting at excerpt published in a magazine.
What are the advantages of incorporation for a writer? I have heard of some (rather successful) writers incorporating - that is, creating a corporation of which they are the sole member. What are the potential advantages (or disadvantages) of doing this? As this probably varies a bit by location, I am specifically in...	The IRS will, if you tell it to, treat your LLC as a "disregarded entity" -- which means you are taxed as though you're a sole proprietor, report your business income and expense on schedule C but still get the legal protections that come with having an LLC.
How do you meet a writing quota? As a parent with a full-time job, I usually have a limited amount of time to write each day. What are some tricks I can try to reach a specific word count in a specific time (e.g. 500 words in an hour). I know I've seen some things like this posted on NaNoWriMo forums, but it seems l...	The fast you can type, the more you can write in a short amount of time. If I wasn't able to do that, then I would try to add an hour at night after everyone else went to bed. One of the tools that I have used for NaNoWriMo is Write or Die .
What are the benefits of being a slush reader? I've heard a few people recommend doing time volunteering as a slush reader (for a small press magazine, say), as the experience can be helpful for your own writing. What benefits do you get out of the experience of being a slushy? Are there any cons (other than that y...	You'll be exposed to some good writing as well and know what you should do in your work. what doesn't You see all the stupid mistakes writers make when they submit and get a pretty clear idea of what not to do
What tools do you use for your writing journal? I usually keep a notepad and pen with me at all times. So, if I'm out thinking about a story and a scene or a bit of dialogue comes to mind, I write it down for recall later. I also keep a list of things that need to be added or changed in the story in other places. Say, ...	I collect ideas on paper and often do my first drafts there. I love using OneNote for a quick cache of ideas. I personally love spiral notebooks when I'm out and about.

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