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How many errors should I expect from a proofreader? I hired a proofreader (typos, commonly confused words, minor grammar issues etc) to look at my work, which I plan to self publish. She found most typos, but from a 66,000 word novel, missed about 10. Things like using 'its' instead of 'it's', 'you' for 'your' etc. I ...	If you ask a proofreader to take on part of the role of a copy editor as well as proofreader they will make mistakes.
How many short stories make a collection I would like to know, from someone who has marketed a collection of short stories (or is otherwise knowledgeable in these affairs), about how many short stories a publisher is looking for to constitute a collection. Let's assume all the short stories are between two and ten page...	So I figure a minimum of 130 pages total, including frontmatter and backmatter.
Using dashes in writing dialogue Does anyone use em dashes (or two hyphens) to denote speakers in dialogue passages? Joyce does this as does William Gaddis. Many others. I practice it, but my only "conceptual understanding" is that the dash-dialogue format allows you to group a character's entire range of actions, thou...	An em dash inidicates a special kind of pause — perhaps a pause for thought, or a digression — that isn't really represented in any other way.
How can I help a writing-phobic but competent student develop their writing? I am a professor in a science department and I am working with a student that has significant anxiety about writing, such that they have opted to receive a lower final grade rather than turn in required writing assignments. In discussing the ...	Your student will benefit from learning that no writing is perfect on the first round.
Can you reprint screen shots of a game application or program without permission? It seems pretty normal to see screenshots of MS Word, steps for "this is how you generate a template". I don't think Microsoft would object. But I'm not sure about reprinting images from in-game scenes for specific games, like Diablo II...	My hunch would be that a specific screenshot of a game in action, created by yourself, would be considered 'an original creative work' and would therefore not be restricted by the game publishers copyright rules.
Converting Word pages to book pages, for novels? The title says it all. How can I gauge how long my novel would be, if for example I've written 400 single-spaced pages of size 12 Times New Romans in Microsoft Word? <Q> I cheated once: I pulled a book off my shelf and recreated it (in InDesign, but you might be able to ...	The standard way of calculating word count, aside from simply using the "word count" feature of your word processor, is to format your document in standard submission format and then multiply the number of pages by 250.
Non-cheap ways to make villains evil? Do you have any tried and true techniques to make villains of your stories truly hated by the audience? I mean, frequently it's "eh, sure, that's bad, he's got to be stopped" but the audience would rather observe the villain more, learn, maybe try to get them to change their ways....	The villains I absolutely hate are selfish and self-serving, but they are also cowards. I want them to thrive and then fall.
Are music lyrics copyrighted? I tried to find copyright information about music lyrics, but it is too confusing, because it is related to the usage. There are lots of websites providing lyrics, but it seems they are somehow illegal (though no complaint against them). Most of them put copyright notice that the copyrigh...	Yes you require permission from the copyright holder of the lyrics in question to reproduce them in a book.
Is it a bad writing practice to start sentences with a verb? I realized I start sentences with the , he , she , it , after and then all the time. So I'm starting to use verbs instead. Here is an example of something I wrote: Erin left out a sigh. "Why am I thinking so much about this?" She decided to forget ...	If you are struggling with variety in your sentence structure, I think you should make it a writing exercise to begin sentences with verbs.
Looking for a verb that means "making something looks very simple by ignoring its complexity or details" I'm looking for a verb that means "making something looks very simple by ignoring its complexity or details". Here is the text that I'm composing: "Reducing" complicated social problems to bad influence of media o...	I think oversimplification is probably the best choice to replace reduce , but you would have to alter the construction of the sentence slightly to make it work.
Where to find editors to hire for tech blog? Recently, I secured a job with big MNC. Now, I want to concentrate on it and appoint 2-3 editors to look after mildly popular tech blog. Can you guys suggest where should I search or post to hire part-time/full-time editors? <Q> From what you have so far stated in the quest...	There are several job boards particularly aimed at experienced bloggers, editors, and other on-line content workers.
Peeking through character's mask Normally, I specialize in strong, determined, uncompromising, extroverted protagonists, "If the laws of physics are against us, too bad, they need to be changed." I'm pretty good in getting them right. But this time I tried at someone opposite: a character who is introverted, shy, unce...	What will become a significant plot element, what will keep us interested in The Stranger, is how you allow his inner struggles to surface through another character's eyes. On the contrary, if the character, whose initial impression is introverted, emotes too strongly early in the story, that won't make sense, and he m...
Text Editors. Suggesting & Tracking Changes to Plain-Text Documents Many word processors are capable to tracking and displaying changes made to a document. Those changes are typically displayed in special markup supported by the editor. E.g. But when using a plain text editor (like Microsoft's Notepad), is there a ...	Now, there is at least one system, CriticMarkup, designed to give plain text writers functionality that is similar to Microsoft Word's "track changes" feature.
Correct word for "Pulling some one into work, with continuous effort"? Please consider the below excerpt. 'How long is your break?' I shouted. A group of labourers sat under the banyan tree near the main campus building. 'It's two-thirty, lunch ended an hour ago' The workers tightened their turbans. They picked up ...	In use - Doris..
Switching from past to present tense? I'm thinking of writing a novel where my character narrates flashbacks through the hardest times of his life written in past tense, leading up to the present tense. I was considering switching to present tense only directly before and throughout the climax of the book so that the r...	I think that beginning with a series of flashbacks might be difficult for the reader to follow if there was no sense of what they are moving towards.
Combatting Excessive Familiarity Of Writing Since writing my last question, I've been able to write a handful more items and have tried to nail down some more specific items I can ask about improving my writing. This issue became readily apparent. In writing programming code, I've found that it can be really easy f...	If you need two weeks, then write for two weeks and don't look at anything you've written until 14 days have passed. Have some other person to read it and point out shortcomings. Some things your ears will notice better than your eyes: unwanted repetition of words and phrases word choice
How many different words are in the average novel? I realize there's going to be a bit of variation here from one author to the next and depending on length of the novel, but the range shouldn't really be too large. The thing is, I really have no idea where the middle of that range lies. 5,000 words? 10,000? 20,000?...	90,000-110,000 (though the limit 120,000 is often mentioned too) : IT DEPENDS on a huge range of factors.
Very simple markup language for writing fiction I'm using a plain text editor (Vim) to write a fiction piece (chapter book), and I'm wondering what markup languages others use for such a task? I'm looking for something exceedingly simple, it does not have to be powerful at all. Minimum requirements would be supporting ...	Markdown is almost certainly the way to go for simple formatting.
How to number the equations in an academic paper? I know that the figures and tables are numbered consecutively throughout thewhile paper. What about the equation numbering? Suppose I have four equations in the paper, but I want to number only two of them. Is it appropriate to do it? Any advise is very welcome. <Q> I ...	The general rule that I often use is to number all equations that will be referred to in the text.
Writing exercises to practice the art of giving unique voice to characters? I've read many blogs which teach you how to give a unique voice to each of your characters. I feel I understand how to do it, but I think I'm a little stuck in the voice I've been using since I started writing. I was wondering if there are som...	An exercise might be to compile a back history on your intended character and put them in a small "situation". Writing verbatim forces you to ignore your own voice and just be the pen, or more to the point, the ears.
How do authors gain strong familiarity with archaic and extremely rare words? I keep thinking about this because I've lately been reading Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy, and it's just ridiculous. I have to look up 1-2 words per sentence sometimes, something I'm only used to doing for Joyce. Apparently McCarthy is ...	Reading older books with unfamiliar words will give you a larger number of new words to learn, but more words to look up.
Suggest any good text editor for Mac for writing in multiple languages I have been using iBook author , for a time and the simple Mac TextEdit along with openOffice TextDocument . And I recently downloaded Evernote in expectation of more (but that's something else and not writer specific). I also have been lookin...	I use Marked for the publishing right now Unless you're technically-inclined, I'd recommend just using Scrivener. Give a try to IA Writer too. Emacs supports Unicode and bidirectional text (Arabic), etc.
Software for collaborative writing for a small team I'm working on a writing project with a friend, and we're looking for some kind of (preferably cloud-based) project management and version control software so each of us can see how far the other has gotten on tasks and can review each others' documents. Does anything...	I've used GitHub to share work in progress while collaborating with a friend. Perhaps there are other open source hosting sites that offer free private projects or lower fees, and support other version control systems.
What structure should I use for each article in a technical travel guide? I am writing a technical guide for travelling and I'd like advice on what kind of structure I should use for each article. I have the articles written, but when I wrote them I didn't use a particular structure. Some articles offer information,...	I have seen quite effective layouts where articles are thrown in with mixed “media” like recipes, lists, maps, things to do, drawings, opinions…
What software do you use for writing and then structuring a book? I'm looking for good software for overseeing and rearranging the structure of a book. I have used Scrivener before, but found its exporting functionality frustrating and the software itself somewhat clunky. What are the alternatives? I have a load of ...	For the first draft, I find Google Drive to be the best: I can access and edit my text from my Mac, iPad, and even iPhone.
What work better for the following piece of writing? Past or present tense? I'm writing a short story but I'm not sure whether to write it in the past or the present tense. This is the opening paragraph: Sophia was awakened by the rattling sound of her washing machine. She groaned, rubbed her eyes, and glanced at h...	Generally, past tense is easier to read, feels more natural for smooth storytelling. Maybe you could write the whole story in present tense
How to write to a famous author? I once knew a famous author, but for complex reasons I lost the privilege of his acquaintance. In trying to begin a writing career concerned with many of the same subjects as his work, it occurs to me that he might not be the only person of his ilk that I could ever hope to meet, and th...	Meet them in person at some book-signing or a conference or wherever they meet the public.
Tracing dependencies and emergent plotholes during edits The fiction I write currently hit a major snag and needs a big overhaul of a major part of the story. A whole, large thread is being injected, a second conflict running in parallel with the main one and nearly as big - maybe smaller scale-wise but possibly even...	Finally, I wouldn't necessarily worry about filling in every single perceived plot hole you find.
What's the best version control system for a book writer? I'm a writer—no programming, only prose in text files, mostly in Emacs org-mode, some in markdown-mode. I want to implement a version control system for my writing projects. I work with two types of text files: drafts (textfile-v1.org, textfile-v2.org, etc) ...	If you are using mac, you can try Drawers, which is specially designed for writers, use it to manage versions and copies of works. I use latexdiff to track changes between commits.
How to have a character be nameless for the first few paragraphs of a book? Let me first explain what is going in in the beginning of the story: My main character belongs to a tribal culture that requires their children pass a rite of passage to earn their name. So I'm kind of stuck on how to refer to the character wh...	Depending on what happens in your opening scenes, you may be able to refer to him as "the boy" or "the unnamed person" or some such. So I think you need a culturally embarrassing placeholder address which is clearly not a name, which the nickname will then supplant.
How can I express this fragment more clearly and concisely? For the 'who is this application for' section of an application user guide, I have the following alternatives, I'm not happy with either one. How can I convey both elements more clearly and consisely? What I want to convey: The business functions related...	[The application] is designed with [business function A], [business function B], [business function C], and [business function D] in mind, with the specific purpose of ensuring accuracy of [analytic metric] generated by your implementation of the [Specific Analytic Software]. For everyone who wants to control the accu...
Punctuation and capitalisation in poetry I'm writing a poem entirely without commas, periods, colons, dashes, emdashes, etc. However, near the end of the poem I name a city and I want to capitalise it. On one hand, I think it would be jarring to read the name of a city without capitalisation. On the other, though, it...	If you're writing a poem, you are allowed to throw pretty much all the rules out the window. If it's significant to you as the poet that the city name should be capitalized, then capitalize it.
Do I include the method of my research in the title? For my Masters Thesis, I am trying to find an appropriate title. The field of the research is in Forestry and Geographic Information Science (GIS).Currently my title is the following: "Determining harvest costs for private forest landowners in the Pacific Northwest...	If your research is testing a new method on known set of data, it's the method that is a must in the title, not what is being checked.
How can one plan elaborate crimes for fiction without getting into trouble? The crime of conspiracy is a limitation on free speech in the united states. Merely talking about, in fine detail, a crime can get one charged with conspiracy. It is slightly more complicated than that, for a conviction, but the point is, this...	You can't commit conspiracy accidentally, you have to intend to actually commit the crime and you have to intend to conspire to do so. I have never heard of someone being charged with a crime because he discussed a hypothetical crime for a work of fiction.
How to use parentheses Parentheses have many uses; I find myself reaching for them often. Increasingly though, I realise I can convey the same meaning without parentheses with little or only minor loss in succinctness. The benefits of not using parentheses, it seems to me, is that parentheses almost always throw off ...	Sometimes, parentheses can be vital to your essay (except when they're not). Parentheses also feel like dashes that take less time mentally to pronounce.
Not happy with format of self-published book. How to proceed? I currently have my book published on Amazon using createspace and Lulu (google weave of the ride). However, I am not happy with the quality of the product. I don't want a glossy cover, bleached white paper etc. I would like to have more control over this ...	A book designer can guide you to printers that can produce the kind of books you are looking for.
Should I write about how the character solved some riddle or let the reader solve it himself "Reaching an end to his path, Eric found a locked door, the lock was a combination of 4 numbers, and above the doorknob a script explaining the lock : 'finishing four circles, a lost day is found' " This is an imaginary scri...	You can do both by leaving the riddle unexplained at the time but later have another character demand to know how the protagonist passed the door.
Is it acceptable practice to use contractions in a fictional first person narrative for children? I am writing a children's story in first person, present tense. Aside from the quotes from characters, all of the text is meant to represent the narrator's own thoughts, and either describes what they see, do, or think, or...	As with other aspects of the narrator's diction and voice, the use or avoidance of contractions helps characterize the narrator, and indicates something about the formality/informality of the story.
How should I introduce new and complex technologies or tools? I'm writing a Science Fiction book. While this book doesn't push reality very far, there are some new technologies and tools that I have added. One tool is used more frequently than all the others, and it has a very complex system (although there are other s...	Including quotes and excerpts doesn't work well in movies, and not at all in TV shows, but it's a well-established technique in novels, so you can use it freely to circumvent the need to introduce another character or lower IQ of any of existing ones. So if you have someone who's a newbie to the MYTO system, and your p...
Words in author's native language? Why in some essays or articles there are words in the author's native language? (In other words, the essay is in English and there are some Spanish words spread out in the whole essay.) Does it necessarily mean the targeted audience is Spanish-speaking people or there is something ...	By choosing not to translate the word, the author is implying that there is a connotation, context, or idea contained within that word, in that language, that is not present in the "equivalent" word in a different language.
The value of labeling book sections My wife is beginning a novel, and she's written four chapters in under six pages. I suggested that she consider using page breaks, or lowercase Roman numbered sections, instead of chapters because a few of her chapters deal with a single event (an accident) and the hours after it (wa...	Breaking the rule of chapter length and serving a fully featured chapter to present a single paragraph of text will certainly give that paragraph some weight.
To translate a novel with Westerner's point of view I am an Easterner. I have been translating a novel, that is originally written in my native language, into English. During the process, I have also been learning about cultural things, meant to adjust my lines to the Western habit/culture because this novel is suppos...	So for me the way to go would be conserving as much as possible of this other culture, because that's probably one of the things that makes the story unique. Grammatical structures do not transfer between languages - you've got to adjust for that.
Ways to improve your writing skills As a CS major I've learned that knowing how to write is critically important , but, I'm not really sure how to improve my writing skills. I'm currently trying to write a tech blog in English, but, whenever I sit down to write, it just reminds me of the fact that my English sucks... ...	You have to read like a writer. Try writing like a computer scientist.
Is it unusual for a flashback to have a very long dialogue? This flashback is from a short story I'm writing (unedited first draft): I met Limei last summer. Our class had organized a graduation trip toGreen Island, where we stayed for fourteen days and fourteen nights.One of my friends had dragged her along. He bare...	A flashback is usually a memory.
1st person story, but the main character will die in the end and some of the story needs to be told after his death. How to solve this problem? I personally like to read stories told by the the main character, it's more "alive" to me. But the problem is that my character will die and some of the story will need to be t...	Everything is told by your main character until his/her death, at which point some other character finishes the story. 3) Switch narrative styles. Use the style which best suits you but keep in mind that the story and continuity of the novel should not be interrupted.
Which e-book formats to use to get a larger readership? I am self-publishing a free e-book which I make available in several formats: EPUB, online HTML, PDF. I create (using my own programming scripts) EPUB and online HTML from XHTML sources which I write by hand (in a text editor). Then I also convert EPUB -> PDF usi...	The two main ones are: Mobi for Kindle and Epub for everyone else. I would avoid PDF, as it poses many potential problems with e-readers(embedded fonts, reflow issues, and page formatting come to mind).
What are the advantages of different date formats in resumes and CVs? I've seen a somewhat related question, but it doesn't answer my question quite right. Say you're writing an event that happened on a single day, and you need to put it in your resume or CV. So how would you write it? For example 11/21/2013: 21 Nove...	Longer, unambiguous formats are preferred from the standpoint of being clear, but they take up more room (an issue in a resume, especially when formatting them for a single page) and can look clumsy to some audiences. Since about 1990 I always put a four-digit year to avoid any ambiguity.
How to advertise a free e-book? I've created a free e-book in online HTML, EPUB, MOBI, and PDF formats. I've created a small site to advertise this book and an other site (currently supports forums) for the community of readers of my book. Also I have a blog related with this book. Now, which directories/catalogues/r...	Basically contact them and say that you're a writer having writen a new free book and would like help getting it known.
How should I begin my research for my Military Fiction? Where can I learn about the voice procedures, military jargons, submarine communications and politics involved in navy? <Q> It's an imageboard gathering fans of all things connected with weapons of all kinds, and military is a significant portion of their interest...	The best place I can suggest to turn to with this kind of open questions - on military and weapons - is 4chan/k/ . I would advise you to get hold of a number of non-fiction naval books and start reading!
Best Practices To Learn By Reading? I've been browsing writers.se for a while and I've noticed a lot of folks state you have to READ to be able to write. I'm currently having trouble working time to read fiction into my daily routine. At first I waited until the kids would go to bed. I noticed then I would read at the...	If you want to learn how to read, start writing. If you think that you don't have enough time, either don't read or change your schedule
Visual methods of plot development? My 9 to 5 job is in an office, which has made me very adept at using flow charts and graphs to plan out my projects. Are there any writing methods which employ charts, graphs, or other visual mediums to show relation between aspects of a story? (something that is not a mind map) <...	Write a summary of each scene on a flashcard and tape them to your wall in the order they should go.
Why Use Excessively Short Chapters? Some of my favorite Frank Herbert books go 70 pages between chapters. All the James Patterson books go 2-3 pages between each chapter. I know non-fiction uses chapters to help navigate, which means chapters are dictated by the related content. What are the purposes of having extrem...	They are less intimidating and easier to digest, and they can be surprisingly addicting, because you finish one and want to immediately go on to the next one.
Is it strange if a novel starts the first chapter without one of main characters? I'm writing a novel with the following structure (I'm not very sure what's the technical term): Chapter One (based on the POV of Character C): C sees B for the first time Chapter Two (based on the POV of Character A): A hears about B...	In a situation where the main character won't be identified up-front, you could have the first chapter be more obviously a scene-setting prologue to the action of the book.
What is the proper format/style for using and properly citing code in an APA paper? I'm working on a paper that covers concurrency in Java, however to properly explain many concepts I feel code samples are basically needed. However, I don't know how to properly cite code I've borrowed, or how to properly format code ...	If an individual has proprietary rights to the software, name him or her as the author; otherwise, treat such references as unauthored works.
How to convert handwriting into text Recently, I found a short story that I had written many years ago when computers were not that common. It is 25 pages of handwriting. Obviously, I don't want to spend hours typing it. My typing speed is not good. I am wondering what is an efficient but easy way to convert it into ...	If you can read your own handwriting, then that offers a cheap and relatively painless way of getting your draft into a text file. Another option would be to record your reading as an mp3 file and then investigate the programs that are designed to convert .mp3
Do empty pages need a number? I would like to start each chapter on the right side of the book, as there are few chapters with a different point of view. I know numbering has to continue on the white page which might appear in between, but shall I print a number on it? All the books I consulted didn't start on a new p...	If you put a page number on the page, there's no ambiguity: there's no printing error, so the blank page must be intentional. The question of whether a blank verso facing a chapter title carries its page number is a question of style determined by designers (if their publishing house does not already have a fixed polic...
How do I organize a paragraph that lists several steps after an introduction? I have a paragraph like below: A hypothetical solution is like this: first, we can use a table to record entries. These entries are imported from a library. . ..... Basically, this paragraph is to talk about a solution. After the colon :...	Capitalizing, and possibly making a separate paragraph for, the first entry creates a parallel construct with all the other entries.
HTML Formatting for ebook I uploaded my short story on Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) yesterday. All went well and I am excited, given this is my first attempt to publish anything! I did some research prior to making the above attempt. Obviously, I wanted to get it right from the start. The one thing I was constantly...	You want to write eBooks, use proper eBooks tools.
Is it better to omit phrases like: after a moment, after a while, for a moment, etc? I also find myself writing stuff like this: (dialogue) They remained silent for a moment . A dog barked at the distance. (dialogue) and this: His stomach started to growl after a moment , and only then he realized he was hun...	Merely stating that a moment of time passed wastes the opportunity to convey what actually happened in that moment. Using "after a moment" isn't that bad, but don't use it a whole lot. In my opinion, the passage of a moment is better expressed by filling it with some action.
Punctuating dialogue with oneself I am wondering what the convention is for punctuating dialogue with oneself. In particular, if a character speaks to himself, do the words need to be put in open and closed quotes? Note that the words in this case are merely the thoughts of the character. Examples: How could I be...	I guess the answer on quotes, depends on how you think you should deal with the dialogue. In most instances thought is presented as italicised text. In all written English, dialogue by a character should be quoted as well as any other vocalized words.
First Chapter for Free? I am currently working on a novel, and am approximately 45% of the way through (~37,500 words / 100 A5 pages). Working full time, I am unable to finish my story within the next month, and I plan on completing it within the next three-to-five months. During this time, however, I would like to m...	If you publish the initial chapter, there's one thing you should make damn sure: That the readers are guaranteed to know up front that they are reading only a part of the story.
How long does it take to write a 1000-word news article? I write tech articles for my blog and for a news outlet here in my country (mostly in French). I've been doing this for years, but I've always thought that I was slow in readying my stories. I am not talking about the 'seek-and-collect' information phase, but t...	For me, it works really great to have a specific time of the day to write.
How to do dialogue? Whenever I'm writing, I use this style: "I don't see why I have to put up with this nonsense." I muttered. However, I see this type of writing in books: "This room is full of idiots," he muttered. Is the style I use okay, or do I have to change it to the one I see in books? <Q> If you end t...	If you want to indicate that he (or I) muttered the words between the quotation marks, then yes, you must end the quoted words with a comma.
Is it correct to use verbs like "sighed" and "laughed" as dialogue tags? In other words, is it correct to write something like this: "Oh," he laughed. "Sorry, I'm not sure what's with me today." (Every time I see something like this, I think: "How is this peson laughing an talking at the same time? But other times ...	Using words like laughed and sighed give more information about how the person is talking while using adverbs like laughing and sighing tell what the talker is doing while communicating. Definitely doable, definitely something that occurs in real life. To answer your question, it depends what you're trying to convey.
Techniques to write for a wider audience Many years ago, I wrote a short story that used specific information from my cultural background e.g. a belief that if you dream something, it is a form of a vision (superstition, some may say!). This was an asset because my target audience then was mostly people from my cultura...	You can use footnotes and very detailed descriptions but if the readers don't relate to them (because they don't identify with your culture)
In end user documentation, should screenshots come before or after the text that references them? The end user documentation I'm writing makes use of screenshots (and partial screenshots) to show the user what I'm referring to in procedural instructions or conceptual explanations of the software. However, I'm never qu...	So in my experience the norm is: text that sets the stage, then the screen shot, then details that refer to the screen shot. Screenshots can also come to the right or left of text that references them.
Is it a bad idea to use a culture-specific word in the title of a story? I wrote a short story long ago called The End of the World . I thought the title was too common so I renamed it to The Kid with the Gigaku Mask and the End of the World . But then, I found that title to be too long, so I just left it as The Kid...	Putting a foreign word or a word that is likely to be unfamiliar to most potential readers can attract attention. Also, if you want to keep "The End of the World" you can use it as the subtitle, an optional extra.
How to avoid repetition How do you avoid too much repetition both in writing and speech? I feel like I'm repeating the same word over and over again when I'm writing or talking to people. The price of this tablet is X and the price of that tablet is Y. In this example, I feel like I'm repeating "price" and ...	You can and should repeat words when your intent is to show that two things are similar.
Is the following sentence structure allowed in fiction? I'm not very sure why, but the following sentence structure came out from my mind: Disclaimer: this is a first draft. The realization just came to her now. Or perhaps, she knew it all along; it just that she didn't want to accept it. She was alone in a small,...	They are allowed because they mimic thought and experience, which are not always in fully formed logical sentences.
What is first electronic rights? I am unsure if I adequately understand the concept of first electronic rights. If I post a story on a writers' website for free but also publish it through Amazon, will it affect me? <Q> The Amazon agreement says: " You grant to each Amazon party, throughout the term of this Agreement, ...	"First Electronic Rights" means first publication in a digital format.
Opening a story with a reference to what someone just said followed by a setting description An example: Naomi's words hung in the air as I gazed out of the hotel window. The mountain lay quietly in the dark, like a calm, sleeping giant. A cluster of city lights glittered beyond. In the forest nearby, pine trees b...	Alex, the basic concept of opening with a reference to what someone has just said, followed by a scene description, is absolutely fine.
About the Author description Whether we like it or not, the "About the Author" description is a marketing tool. It contains selective personal and professional information which is deemed to have the potential to create a positive impression about the author on the readers. I have just written a paragraph about myself...	In some cases a credential could be taken by likely readers as a negative. In my opinion, the difference lies on your writing.
Variation in paragraph length I've learned that variation in sentence length is good. How about paragraph length? I always end up with paragraphs like this: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim...	Variation in paragraph length can be very useful, the same way variation in sentence length can be useful.
Roadblocks in my story: The Gladys Tribe I am writing a book and I've come to some roadblocks in the plot. Here is the basic storyline: A tribe of people live in a grand city deep inside the caves and large caverns in a mountain. Outside is so cold and always snowing that someone could freeze to death if they vent...	If the crystals and living conditions are the result of some kind of magic, you could use the rules of that magic to explain many of the other plot issues.
What steps can be taken to avoid libel / copyright issues in social commentary? I'm interested in the social, cultural, and political landscape around me, and I think I've "got a book in me" on the topic. A major source of material would be the writings of everyday people in places like Tweets and letters to the editor...	Basically, you can use short quotes of statements that others have written or said for purposes of commentary, criticism, or education without getting their permission.
Does this sound like a good description of someone falling asleep due exhaustion? Anything I can do to make it sound better? I'm trying to describe somebody falling asleep from exhaustion, in first person. I'm currently using a longer, detailed description, but is that the best way? Never had a few moments deliberat...	The long, run-on sentences work well in showing fatigue, but some of it might need a bit of a clean up.
Describing a character's panic and confusion I wrote the following: When I opened my eyes, it was still dark. Halfasleep, I got out of bed, and entered the bathroom. As I emptied my bladder, I checked my face in the mirror. For an instant, I couldn'trecognize the person reflected in it. Only when I waved my hand and ...	You want to draw your reader into the moment by relying on the character's senses and then walk them through the moment as if they were your character. The haunted eyes and dark circles underneath them made the long, drawn-in face almost unrecognizable. Have his heart race from the moment he wakes up, have him jump out...
Books for children: complexity I am wondering how complex the story can be so that small children can understand it (younger than eight). Are there any rules of thumb of how many characters can be introduced before the child looses track of it? Is it alright to have more than one plot? Finally, are there any signific...	It's important to keep in mind that children learn to read at slightly different ages and that reading comprehension/ability can vary greatly even among kids the same age.
How to become a productive/accomplished writer? I prefer writing short stories. Over the years, I have learnt many essential skills that I employ in my work. I believe (and this is my personal assessment) that my stories are of good quality (i.e have an intriguing plot, good character development, good dialogue, smooth...	If you want to be productive, carve out time to write. You're not a writer.
Does my title/opening paragraph grab your attention? Saki's Sixth Finger Saki gripped her extra finger as she peered down at the beach. The plane was reaching Phuket, finally. Watching the crystalline turquoise water and shiny white sand had somehow calmed her down. Coming here had been a good decision after all. Who ...	I'm intrigued by the title but not by the intro. Based on my (limited) experience, the more universal your story is, the better you can target your readers.
Why do authors start a paragraph in an indirect way? I found that many writers of magazines or novels say something in a way that is not straightforward and to the point. Like this: Dressed like a latter-day Steve Jobs in a tight black long-sleeve sweater, blue jeans, and white sneakers, Dropbox founder and CEO Drew H...	Now to answer your questions, starting a paragraph in a non-straight way can add spice or other connotation to the paragraph.
How do I improve my knowledge of English well enough to write in it? I have a long-term goal to write a non-fiction book: a critical book about the current state of humanity's moral methodologies and how humanity is better off dead. Much like Friedrich Nietzsche but with a persuasive writing style. To this end, how d...	To improve your mastery of a language, you need to immerse yourself in it, as much as you can.
Swearing - Censor, allude, or include? I was reading this thread , but it didn't quite the answer a question I had about creative writing and whether profanity should be used or not, in a way that is best for creative storytelling. Here's what I mean: James swore under his breath, his hands rummaging through the ...	If it's not clear to the reader that a character is angry or upset without including swear words in the dialog, there are problems with your writing. I think you need to consider the context.
Attributing quotes to fictional characters Let's say, for example, that I want to post my favourite quote from Babylon 5 somewhere: "I'm not saying what I'm saying. I'm not saying what I'm thinking. As a matter of fact, I'm not thinking what I'm thinking." - John Sheridan, Babylon 5 How can I make it clear in th...	A more-proper method is to mention the character-name in quotes, the work (or series and episode), and the author.
How to decide whether or not to accept publishing offer for short story? I am an unpublished writer straight out of college. After graduation, I sent out a few stories to a handful of places-- no more than five or six. It is now about 1.5 months later and I just received a letter from the fiction editor of a new litera...	When you're just starting, the goal is to get published somewhere, anywhere.
When to use contractions and when to use complete words? These are some passages from Man-Eating Cats by Haruki Murakami . He'd been dead set against out marriage from the start, and his tone of voice said he'd finally been proved right. He had taken a pair of scissors to every stitch of clothing she owned. S...	Contractions are generally viewed as being informal. They are always acceptable in dialog if that is how the character would talk in real life. Sometimes a contraction makes a sentence or part of a sentence seem too abrupt.
At what point can a story be considered "erotic"? I would like to ask for any guidelines that could help to determine when a story can be considered "erotic". Is it based on the words, the number of scenes or on how detailed they are? Shortly, if I talk about the story, from which point on should I say "It's an erotic ...	If you write an erotic book, it's erotic.
First person pov with more than one main chars I really love -- and most of time write in -- first person point of view . The novel I'm writing is somewhat different from what I'm used to. I have four main characters -- I don't see any of them as more important than the others -- each one of them with his own sep...	Using 1st person is a brilliant way to really get inside each character's head, especially if they are very different.
Ways of presenting a metaphor/simile/analogy This is something I wrote ( adult content —and very bad description of sex): Strangely, it didn't feel much like sex. I felt we were just exchanging feelings that we couldn't be put into words. Thoughts we could only share by joining our bodies as though they were one. ...	Another technique is to omit those words, and write it as if it were literal; the reader will pick up the metaphor.
Writing an effective summary for a story I just published my first short story at Amazon. Although many people downloaded it while in its free promotion days, no one has purchased it yet. People have praised the cover (apparently I design better than I write), so I thought maybe the summary is not compelling enough:...	You just need to change that eye catching phrases to something that fits your plot but, to do a good summary, you must create expectation and a desire to buy the book. Well, I think there's something is missing in your summary, probably the mystery of your story, the conflict. By content, your longer summaries are much...
Does a character have to define himself to be engaging? I have a short story named Cured (which asks the question "What if you could take a pill to increase your empathy?"), in which the main character (Tony) doesn't talk or show much about himself until later, although he is described by his friends. A criticism I h...	In order to engage the reader you have to make a character unpredictable and difficult to understand . True character is demonstrated by the decisions the protagonist makes in response to events (plot).
Does this passage break the rules of telling and not showing? I wrote a story called Tempo , which I enjoy (this does not mean that it is good), but that has a chunk where the main character has an internal monologue. This is usually bad, but I can't tell how bad it is or how I should go about fixing it. Here is the ...	In brief, make use of senses , metaphors, and surroundings to reveal the character's emotions or thoughts. "Telling, not showing," is not really a "rule" that applies to thoughts .
Making a female character sound more boyish/masculine There are two characters in the following dialogue. One of them (Yuki) is a tomboy. She has short hair, dresses like a man, and likes girls. I want to make her sound more masculine (but not exactly like a man). Yuki waved to the waitress and asked for another vodk...	If all else fails, make the character more confident and headstrong, and a little less sensitive and empathetic and you have a midway point between male and female conversation.
Can several related short-stories make a good base to write a novel? I've been writing related short-stories for years, but around 10 months ago, I started to think about a novel based on these stories. The same universe, the same main characters but a longer story which takes place during a longer part of their lives....	So, related stories that could be linked to a same plot, could be released as a single novel.
Is muteness appearing without explicit reason acceptable? In one of my stories, my main character was once able to speak, but after being alone for 3 or 4 years in his early 20's without speaking a word, he became mute, unable to speak at all. Is this situation credible, or would people who speak normally become mute ...	But if the point of your story is just to explore what happens to this character after he becomes mute, how it affects his life or whatever, than I wouldn't worry too much about how realistic it is. As premises for a story go, this would be far from the most implausible thing that a writer has ever tried to pull.
How to use creative commons materials? Creative commons materials are popular on the web, and people are using these materials for creating new websites, as there is no severe copyright restriction. How does creative commons copyright allow reprint in books? For example, does it allow reprinting an entire article o...	So, the CC-BY-SA of Wikipedia means you can print a book of articles, as long as you credit the authors and distribute the contents of the books under the same license CC-BY-SA.
Concept map software that concentrates on ease of use? ...and scales well? I'm in the process of writing a text game / "Make your own adventure" novel, with a fairly convoluted, non-linear plot. Getting that plot under control has proven to be a rather daunting task, and I started using a Concept Map to map out the ...	Scapple I realize this is an old thread, but the Scapple software might be a good choice (though it is not a free software, if one is seeking that).
Is it possible to establish a relation between word count and page count? I found some nice replies dealing with word counting , but my question is slightly different. I want to know if it's possible to establish a relation between word count and the number of pages in an average formatted book, so I can have an idea...	You can make an average for your book, already. It seems that the average word count for a page varies from 250 to 400, in normal books.
How detailed should I be when writing a character bio? Basically, I have about 7 or 8 characters (excluding the antagonist) who each have important roles in the story. My problem is that my characters tend to develop themselves, so to speak. I have no problem with this - in fact, I find it rather amusing - but it leads...	Write all you need to explain why your character is like that.
Third Person Multiple POV in a single scene, how to refer each other if one character does not know the name of other character and vice versa I am writing a romance novel.I have two main characters, Niranjan (male) and Jennifer.POV is Third Person Multiple (above two). I have a scene where they meet first time in a r...	What yours sounds like is a narrator that goes inside the character's head and describes things as if they were in first person, just using the 3rd person point of view. It's entirely up to you, the writer, to describe the scenes in your own way.

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