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Real, serious and based on personal experience idea, but no previous practice. Where to begin? Since my childhood I have had a secret dream to write my own story or even a novel. I have always enjoyed reading books and writing compositions. However, I never had enough courage to start writing my own story except some f...	I think the best way to learn (as others said) is to just to write.
Is it better to have a deadline? A lot of writers I admire say: "I didn't know how long the story would be." Me too, I'm the kind of writer who don't know where (and when) the story is going to end. So I'm confused—is it better to have a deadline? By better I mean: more likely to finish something. And that something...	If a deadline forces you to finish something, and make you finish something more often, it will lead to better quality of your writing.
How to convey that the POV character does not understand what's said in dialogue? The general advice is often to focus on the content of what's said in dialogue and just write it in the reader's language, largely whether the characters would use that language or not in-universe. See for example the answers to this r...	I would refine the advice thus: Translate the viewpoint character's experience into the language of the reader.
What's a word for a person who took a very rough story and made it into a book? I have written a book. Well, actually, my mother-in-law told the story of her experiences as a German forced laborer in the Soviet Union after World War II. This was given in German and recorded onto audio tape about thirty years ago by m...	Authored by (your name).
Is it unusual to use product placement within a fictional novel, and what are the legalities around this? We intend to use the name of a well known brand within our novel and have written to them to gain permission to use their name. They have got back in touch today to say they would be honoured for us to do so. It do...	So, if you are intending to use a name brand in your book, and in a favorable light, check to see if the company offers a contract for authors, and if so, send them at least the pages before and after their name is mentioned, and the page it is mentioned on. On the other hand, you usually don't need permission, because...
What are these extra phrases added to the beginning of sentences called? I find that my students are using a lot of these phrases at the beginning of their sentences: First... First of all... To begin with... All in all... The other reason is that... Above all... At last but not least... Taking all the reasons...	I would suggest it would be simplest to call them introductory phrases .
What symbols are used after difficult words in a text to refer a reader to a glossary for a definition? What symbols used after difficult words in a text to refer a reader to a glossary for a definition? I'm really looking for the most commonly used / accepted symbols and I am wondering whether certain symbols are sp...	In cases when there is a remark about something that needs to be made, a footnote is used.
Create and using a custom version of a part of an existing mythology In my story, I've decided to create some legends, myths, and prophecies for one of the species I used. I don't think there is any problem with this even if I haven't created this species. But one of these legends is a rewrite of the legend of Fenrir,...	One possibility is that your readers may think that you got the original tale wrong but that I think is a risk you can take for the rest of your story should clear that doubt from the readers' mind. Also, if it is a new species, I am sure your readers will give you some room and not create a problem about it. I'd have ...
Usage of commas in poetry I wrote a piece of poetry for one of my short stories (the main character, Eri, writes poems). It's the following: Eri, did you feel the earthquake last night? Are you really sure your apartment's alright? In which planet where you wandering when it came? Is reality and the world as yo...	You need the comma to separate the clauses.
Software to organise world building? There were a couple of other questions about this, but they were asked many years ago, so I thought I'd start a new one. For a long time, I used Wiki on a Stick to organise my worlds and allow for easy access. That software is no longer supported and doesn't work with more recent b...	I use the Gollum wiki. Google Sites is extremely user-friendly and best of all, it's free!
Do publishers take the time to look at works from writers who have no qualifications or experience in the industry? We are currently in the process of writing a debut novel. Although we are still in the early stages of writing, we both feel we have the creativity and perseverance to see this through. What we don't ha...	If your writing is clear and readable and interesting and coherent, they don't care whether you learned that in school or later, or whether you were a great writer in school but your teachers were idiots, or whatever.
Are collection of short stories more likely to sell than single short stories? I'm about to finish a short story (9000 words). But since I already have another two (7000 words and 6000 words), I was wondering whether I should publish the work as a mini collection of short stories. I thought about this because I've neve...	From everything I've read on the subject, the collection will sell better. Note that short stories are much more difficult to sell than full-length novels.
How to depict Australian characters In my working novel, a character encounters an Aussie. Having nigh-zero knowledge of how to make dialogues in an Australian accent, I just opted to describe that he talks without any hints of an accent. However, after reading it a few times, I noticed that it would flow better overal...	In general, most Aussies tend to shorten/contract words, use informal and colloquial terms, and drop parts of sentences as though implied.
Is it possible to write a novel completely devoid of dialogue? I am in the process of writing a novel, and I'm just trying to get some ideas and thought on this. I am not sure yet if I want to completely remove all dialogue, but at this point I feel that dialogue would wreck the characters and the image I am trying to ...	The following French novels have no dialogue: À rebours ( Against Nature / Against the Grain ) by Joris-Karl Huysmans (a classic)
What steps to follow in thinking through the writing of a conclusion? I am teaching some students how to write a 5-paragraph essay. Their writing is coming together, but when it comes to conclusions, they get lost. They have difficulty assembling the ideas for a conclusion. I can show them a list of ideal features, sho...	A restatement of the thesis statement, using some of the original language or language that "echoes" the original language.
Should I edit the first draft until I'm totally satisfied or should I leave that to the third draft? After having waited for three months for the first draft of my novel to "cool off," I've finally decided to work on the second one. But now I'm presented with who options: 1) edit the this first draft until I'm totall...	May Vary question; there is no one right answer. My suggestion would be to go through the draft once more, fix what you think needs fixing, and then find a beta reader and/or an editor for the next round.
Is it a bad practice to end sentences with phrases like: "...and went over to it" or "...and did X to it?" I often find myself writing stuff like this: Eri's eyes scanned the room, stopping at the bookshelf. She went over to it and, as if she were searching for a secret passage, she examined each of the books. ...	I don't feel describing character actions in this nature is a problem unless you are doing so frequently to the point that you find yourself doing these so often that they popup far more than you would like as you review your own writing, then in that case you could attempt to add more describing/showing what you are l...
Worried that my opening is not gripping enough This is the beginning of a novel I'm writing (not the final draft): The hiking trail consisted of pairs of uneven stone steps. On both sides, tall coniferous trees extended tall into the sky, like an army of giants guarding the forest. From between their trunks an omin...	Especially with a short story, you want to establish the main character and the story's central problem in that opening sentence.
Using P.S. in a formal email I had a quick question in regards to using P.S. I just finished writing up a formal follow-up email for an interview. I touched over a lot of information and brought up some new topics. Anyway, I have noticed some issues between my email and their email in getting/receiving replies. Somet...	"A postscript can be effectively used to express an idea that has been deliberately withheld from the body of a letter; stating this idea at the very end gives it strong emphasis."
How to indicate emphasis in plain text manuscripts Some short story markets (e.g. Daily Science Fiction) request manuscripts in plain text. How do you indicate emphasis in a plain text manuscript? <Q> There is no universal answer to this, as there are many ways of indicating emphasis in plain text. <S> In the case of ...	Either underscores or asterisks around the words, I would think. Your best bet is to read the submission guidelines of the publication that you're submitting to, as each may have different requirements.
Where to put counter-examples within a 5-paragraph essay? I am tutoring some students in the very basics of writing a 5-paragraph essay to present an argument, in preparation for more advanced academic writing. I am instructing them to include: An introduction with thesis Three body paragraphs, each with statements...	In my humble opinion, it's a good idea in a persuasive essay to at least acknowledge counter-arguments. I believe (and notice) that the most effective location is just before the Conclusion , if the alternate opinions are elaborative and has a measure of being the devil's advocate .
Am I breaking the "show don't tell" rule in the following passage? Then, as if sensing my presence, the girl turned around. She looked young. Probably sixteen or seventeen. She had long black hair, crimson red lips, and a skin so pale it made me wonder whether she had blood at all. But what struck me the most were h...	The fact that the narrator can't describe them -- except by their effect on his perception of her face -- makes them quite unusual.
How to retrieve the number of copies sold for a specific book? I'm doing a research and I'm would like to know actually how many copies of a specific book has been sold until now. I really don't know where can I find this number and what is the more accurate way to get an accurate value. A pratical example: How man...	Books that identify first editions for the rare/used book trade, such as FIRST PRINTINGS OF AMERICAN AUTHORS (Wilson Quarto PS88 .F57x 1977), may contain this information. Check biographies of the author and bibliographies of works about him or her.
Who can help me to describe the text line from my story in slow motion? This here is a line of my story: As we were in the middle of our conversation, I saw a blinding light heading straight for us, followed by an abrupt honk. Mom screamed as if she saw a ghost, and her scream was interrupted as a powerful force hit ...	In my experience, the "slow motion" of an accident is accompanied by a kind of detachment, so that afterwards, it seems as if time both sped up and slowed down.
Is my serial-killer novel horror or crime? I'm writing a novel which centers around a serial killer and his victims. I'm having a lot of trouble deciding whether it belongs in the horror genre (it's a disturbing, horrific slasher, and a lot of the book works on horror and dread) or in crime (because a lot is about the ...	The angle that you're most excited about is probably the right one to pursue.
Best way to convey an immediate change of scenery Okay, bear with me. Think of it like this: My character is stuck in an situation whereby every time he sleeps, he wakes up at a different time (as in the past/future, not 8:00am), in a different environment. He may close his eyes and open them in a future where human c...	Write what he thinks about those sensory details. The waking trigger could be different each time.
Can you use a company's name as title for a short story? I'm writing a short story about a girl whose boyfriend is doing in internship in another city. She goes to visit him every week. But the guy always call at the last minute, saying he can't come and gives her some lame excuse. So every time, the girl ends up sitti...	If the story puts their shop in a good light, they should be glad to provide it (free publicity/product placement) and you'll be in the clear legally.
In a thriller, should my famous cities be familiar, or fresh? The bigger, and more famous, a city, the more it tends to show up in thrillers. The biggest ones - New York, London, Paris, Tokyo - have been set-pieces in any number of thrillers, and I can assume most of my readers have read other novels using them for set...	: Think of the city as yet another character in your story, a live, feeling character in one of primary roles. I think the reader won't feel cheated as long as you don't make a big geographical mistake.
How do I write for webcomics? I want to start a webcomic. For this, I expect I'll be doing a lot of writing. I once had someone draw a webcomic based on my writing and it was a nonsensical mess. The art was good, but nobody knew what was going on at any given moment, even with narration boxes. My question is: How do I...	I suggest -- from the perspective of a reader, not writer, of comics -- that you not think in terms of "a lot" of writing, but rather think about how to boil down your story into comic-installment-sized chunks of mostly dialogue and simple action.
Exercises for improving 3rd person perspective writing Recently I started writing a story. Two equally important protagonists, omniscient 3rd person narrator, a rather sweet romance. And it was not good. The interactions felt shallow. Despite the ability to get into mind of any of the characters, I was rarely getting...	If the story you want to tell best matches the advantages that a particular point of view offers, then go with that one. I suspect the main problem here might be that you're conceiving of your narrator as dry and neutral and transparent.
tools for writing scripts It has been a long time since I last tried to write a play, and I hated it, not the play (which became a short story), but writing one. The word processors made working with script layout a pain, and I detested marking which character was speaking. I still prefer prose and poetry, but I was wo...	Final Draft is the most common one that I know of.
Should I switch to present tense when the narrator is talking about one of his habits? Example: Without lifting my head from the pillow, I glanced at my watch. Two inthe morning. Sleep still seemed faraway. I'd been staring at the mazepattern on the ceiling for hours, occasionally switching to theintricate window fra...	Writers should stick to one tense.
When do I explain my created world scenario in a prologue vs. letting it unfold in the story? Let's say I'm creating a unique world for my book. New planet, maybe new species, complex society with complex rules, history, government, and so on. Some of these details are absolutely necessary to understand the plot of the...	The story starts with action depending on the setting too much that the reader would be completely lost without some kind of intro.
How can I get my romance through a two-year breakup? My story calls for the main characters to break up for at least two years, before getting back together. (In this particular case, the breakup is for ethical reasons - the relationship began when the two were therapist and patient) How do I keep them apart but still...	If you're writing in the third person, you can try to combine both stories during the time.
Should I avoid "lecturing" my readers? I just noticed I have the tendency of "lecturing" my readers now and then. Examples: I almost let everything out. But, funny, I didn't do it. I didn't want him to feel bad. Which made me wonder if maybe I enjoyed punishing myself. Maybe we all have that secret wish. Maybe th...	Lecturing from an omniscient narrator would be bad, IMHO, unless it were very clever lecturing. I think the passages in Italics are perfectly fine; since the narrative is first-person, you are showing that person's inner life and motivation.
Using capital letters for shouting I respect that with the power of language, we don't necessarily need to capitalise anything, because a description of how a character is speaking is more powerful. Take my example: The hooded man took another hard right through a thin gap between twostalls, forcing Rett to speed up...	I'd be fine with all caps here.
Do romances need to have a happy ending? Is a book labelled "romance" expected to a have a happy ending? I've heard advice that "romance" novels are meant to satisfy, well, a desire for romance, and so an ending without a "happily ever after" disqualifies a book from the genre. And indeed, it's hard for me to recall ...	It's entirely possible to write a successful, acclaimed book that satisfies some genre expectations, yet violates (important) other expectations.
How explicit can violence and sex be in a YA novel? Many of the most popular YA novels are pretty brutal, rape and murder are a common ingredient. Many show teenagers having sex. But how far can you go, before you cross the line into adult fiction, simply by being too detailed or too extreme? I'm writing a novel about...	If it's too graphic for a 13-year-old to be watching in a movie theatre, it's probably too graphic to be published in the YA category. Sex in particular, is more often alluded to than shown at all.
Where should I put a minor action within a piece of dialogue? Which is more appropriate: The air carried a bitter chill, but was clear and unpolluted. “Oh wow,” I said. “I know how Black Friday has a reputation for crowds, but this takes it to a new level!” “That’s why we don’t usually go shopping on Black Friday, ...	There are no correct choices, only the ones that work.
Using a pen-name: possible legal issues My question is about publishing under a pen-name.Does it have to be registered as a trademark?If it's not registered as a trademark, can someone sue a writer for using it? Because every name you pick is surely also someone else's name. (Every name I could think of returns thousan...	That being said, here is my opinion as a non-lawyer: if your pen name is not being used professionally by another writer , and you’re not using the name of someone who is famous for another reason, you should be safe.
Method for handling non-canonical fantasy fiction I started writing a short story that involved demonic possession. The nature of the possession is symbolic. The story is an allegory. When I shared the initial draft among some friends, I had feedback that included some questions about which plane the demon came from, a...	In a situation like this, I'd probably use what's often called a "lampshade," which is where you make an unusual or strange event more acceptable to your audience by pointing it out. Unless it's published on a fan-fiction website or otherwise marked as a fanfic, I would generally assume that a work put before me was 'o...
Is it good to publish a novel online for free? I am not after earning money but to spread knowledge about something for free. But if money is neglected, what else can be the disadvantage of publishing it online? <Q> There are a few potential disadvantages that I can see: It isn't necessarily a solution to the biggest...	So no matter how much you know about your topic, if your website doesn’t look professional, many readers could think your content isn’t as good as something in a book. There are lots of business models you can look at: support via donations or "pay what you want"; popularity can open new opportunities for employment, e...
Plain translation or cultural adaptation? I've written my first novel in Spanish, my native language. The main character is Spanish and starts in Madrid, then goes to Zürich and ends up in the Alps. I've tried to get it published with no success so far. Independently of the self-publishing idea, my "Plan B" is to tran...	If part of the book's arc is that you take a very ordinary, unexceptional character, and place them in exotic circumstances, then I could see a good argument to change your character to match the origins of the probable readers.
Does the word 'bazaar' instead of 'market' seem more catchy? Under what specific condition should I use 'bazaar'and what famous writers have used it? I know some Indian writers have, but does someone know any notable English writer who has used that word? <Q> When I hear market, I see a teeny tiny bit of organization, ...	Looking in the dictionary , the word bazaar is a marketplace especially one in the Middle East .
Rewriting an existing story (fable) to fit it within my fantasy universe My antagonist sends my protagonist a note that says "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil". Obviously, this is the story of the the three wise monkeys, but I'd like this to relate to something different in my fantasy universe. I've written a...	People are more forgiving for crappy original stories than to crappy retellings - but if you write it well, you have nothing to worry.
Humor in a fantasy setting I'm creating a story based on the D&D Forgotten Realms campaign. Considering the main adversary in this case is a balor demon named Bob, an ally of the adventurers is a gold dragon named Joe, etc. How can I add humor to this story without destroying the action? Can you also add some examples...	But another great option for humor -- whatever the dominant trait should be, this guy has the opposite.
Is it legal to name a character in a story after a disguised trademark? I'm writing a sci-fi book series. As a true nerd, I want to use some characters to "do homage" to famous scientists, acronyms for experimental methods, and (here's the question) trademarked instruments. All would be disguised somewhat; i.e., they...	The specific issues you are dancing around are "Trade mark dilution" and "Libel and slander". I have never encountered such a rule or law that prohibits the use of names derived from reality that you already altered.
Is it okay to mention a person's nationality and accent only once or twice in a story? For example, if you have a guy who is an Indian (from India), and you say something like, Sukant answered in his Northern Bhojpuri accent, "Yes. It is indeed true. Many people come into my store but not everyone for buying some...	So - balance, and rather err on the side of "too little accent", than on the side of "too much accent".
What is the difference between an ISBN and an ISBN Barcode? Is the ISBN the same as the ISBN Barcode or are these 2 different things? I want to publish my own books, so need some clarification. Which one will help me save on my publishing cost? <Q> (picture can be found here: dLSoft ) <S> 978-3-16-148410-0 is the I...	ISBN Barcode is a unique commercial book identifier barcode.
Balancing character levity in a serious narrative I am looking for examples of authors who manage to have sarcastic/funny characters exist in a very serious, end of the world type of scenario. The issue I am trying to resolve is when I write character dialogue several are quite sarcastic, and rarely serious but find...	One method I have seen was where a character was constantly making smart remarks (many of which were very funny), In scenes where the author wanted a more serious tone, the jokes told were not as funny, as if the character was trying to break the tension, and not doing a very good job.
How to start a technical book? Well, I am a experienced software developer and looking at question made by friends that are learning, questions over the internet and StackExchange, I noticed that I eventually could help more people by writing a book. Not an advanced, a book for beginners that should be fun and nice to ...	Start by simply compiling a list of topics that you want to cover.
Can I use parenthesis in a conversation I wrote a dialogue as follows: Then he said to her: "I told you I won't do that! (And I think you shouldn't either)". Somebody then asked me: How is a speech in a parenthesis? I'd like to know if you can understand that it is something said in a lower tone, as if it didn't b...	Second of all, no, it isn’t really usual nowadays, though back then it was more usual. First of all, yes, it is correct and used in the older books.
Best way to write an article professionally Is there any widely accepted step by step method for writing a creative article in a professional manner. I want to improve my English writing skills in relation to creative article writing. I read some related sites like:- Write Articles Well-Researched, High Quality Arti...	Put related points next to each other, try to eliminate redundancies. You can also try outlining . My advice is to write first in your native language, then put it through a translation program, then fix the translation.
How do I write a proper cover letter? I'm an engineer with a fair knowledge of the English language. I can converse with people in English and write as well, but now I'm interested in learning to write cover letters and blogs. I see plenty of books on writing letters in different ways; however, I am still left with the...	In brief, you don't need header information in an email (addressee info, date, sender name and address, etc) and length isn't as big of a deal in an email, although you still should keep an email cover letter short. In general you want to start by stating the position you're applying for.
How do I find mistakes in grammar and style in my own writings? I am no expert in the English language. Things I need to improve are clarity, style and correct use of grammar. Any tips would be helpful. I am writing a large document and plan to proof read it myself. What are the best tips you have. I am also looking f...	Read your work out loud. Verify each time that you are using the correct word. Be critical; fix anything new you find. Get someone else to read your work, preferably a native speaker.
Using LaTeX with publishers? Background: Im working on a rather long instructional book, and have just started trying to use LaTeX. The book doesn't have any scientific notation in it, and most of the diagrams I made in other software and rendered to still images. This will be the first thing I submit to publishers. It...	I believe there are a few scientific journals that accept LaTeX code as submittals, but they usually require you to use their specific LaTeX Class (document type) rather than the "standard" LaTeX classes (book, report, article, letter etc.) For scientific manuscript submission I don't see any benefit in using (La)TeX, ...
Why do writers use "said" instead of "asked" when someone asks a question? I often see writers use "said" instead of "asked" when their character asks a question. e.g. From The Hobbit : “Where else should I be?” said the wizard Is it a mistake that hasn't been caught by the editor, or is it acceptable to ask a qu...	Said is always appropriate as a dialogue tag, whether it's a question or a statement, and asked is fine as well when a character is asking a question.
What software can I use to write a book with lots of photos? I am writing my first book. It is a book with the history of my village.I have read that most people use MS Word, so did I. The problem is that my book contains lots of pictures. This has increased the size of my Word file to more than 300MB. This makes it (...	The Novel Factory software is specially designed to let you add pictures to your novel manuscript and notes files. For importing images, use Link to File.
How can I broaden my understanding of my characters? A problem I have when writing is that all of my characters behavior and speech ends up mirroring that of my own. As a result nearly all of my characters end up being practically indistinguishable from each other, they aren't unique in how they talk. I want to give m...	The best and most reliable way is to make sure the characters' responses are different because the characters are different. Go through your "interview questions" or find the email surveys which go around and practice interviewing someone else's characters. Write journal reviews of how the characters felt about the sit...
How to highlight a main character among several points of view? After some time outlining quite a complex story, I came to the conclusion I need more than one point of view to tell it all. However, I need to have one of those points of view's character as the protagonist, to make him stand out among the others, to mak...	I also have multiple POVs in the story I'm currently working on, each mini-chapter switching between main characters and supporting ones, and the way I try to convey who the protagonist is is by making her related to all the conflicts that take place, whether her role in each conflict is central or minor. A classic met...
Does this opening relate to the message? This is now my third attempt of writing the opening of my book. I took What's advice and tried to send a message to the readers. the message was: What makes us strong is our courage. In the story, the protagonist was weak and finds himself being beaten by strong people. Later ...	Don't try to perfect the beginning, before the book is finished! Beginning with the fight would, imho, be a strong entrance that is true to your theme.
Which font should I use when I'm writing? I know most people want to see courier, well, at least that is what I think (correct me if I'm wrong.) I would probably never be able to finish a novel or any kind of book for that matter (not skilled enough to try) and my current platform is largely web based. In the world of...	When I write the book, I pick a font that I find visually pleasing, personally.
What non-WYSIWYG, non-proprietary alternatives to (La)TeX exist for the humanities, journalism, and other non-technical disciplines? I see all over the web that LaTeX specializes in correct presentation of mathematical formulas, used widely in science, engineering, math, and other highly technical fields. I would like...	If you're looking for a step up from Markdown but not as complex as LaTeX, take a look at MultiMarkdown .
How do you describe a methodology of writing? How do you describe your methodology of writing? I am submitting the outline of my novella for a competition and this is one of the requirements: The outline must include a summary of the Novella as well as the methodology and approach. <Q> John's advice is correct: seek...	Provide a rationale for subject selection and sampling procedure. Proofread until it reads just how you want it to sound.
What are the tool choices for producing technical documentation in PDF and web site ready HTML? My company currently maintains our technical documentation (User's Guide) in Google Docs. With each release I produce a PDF that we host on our website. Here are the features of Google Docs that work well: Collaboration: ...	We've used WebWorks ePublisher , which outputs to several kinds of HTML formats (e.g., WebWorks' own HTML output, HTML Help, etc.).
How can we make compiling release notes less chaotic? Each of our software releases is accompanied by a set of release notes, which include short descriptions of the following: new features, important or breaking changes to old features, and important bug fixes. New features are pretty easy; people know what's happeni...	Your developers would have a set of automated tests for all reported bugs and documented features, and any necessary changes would require a change in said test, which could automatically note a change for the release notes. Try to automate as much as possible. Instead of non-technical people assembling the notes, have...
Standalone book, followed by series I'm toying with the idea of writing a single standalone book and then later follow it with a series, in the same world with some of the same characters. Are there any examples of this? I couldn't think of any. Also, is this a good idea? Any major detractors to doing this? <Q> It ...	I don't know of any series that starts with a pilot and continues with a series, except the Rama novels by Clarke (who wrote the first volume alone and as a standalone) and Gentry Lee (who persuaded Clarke to turn this into a series and cowrite it) that Lauren Ipsum mentioned, but I have the feeling that some first vol...
Can I write same scene from 2 viewpoints? I'm writing a romance novel and want to include some scenes that are described first from the female protagonist point of view and then from the male. Will readers think it's a waste of time (as the same events are described twice) or is it a legitimate thing to do? <Q> (See T...	A varying viewpoint can be a useful component of the story, but only if there is some plot advancement. John Scalsi Did it in Zoé's Tail where he retold events from an earlier novel from another perspective (the earlier book was told from the father's point of view this one from the daughter's). Long as you're doing so...
What does a character in a short story/novella/novel really do while "soliloquizing"? What does a character in a short story/novella/novel really do while soliloquizing? Are they talking to themselves or thinking silently? An example of this occurs in Jane Eyre , where the titular character "soliloquizes" somewhat le...	Unless the author tells me otherwise, I always picture the character going about his business half talking to himself out loud and half talking to himself in his head.
How to write engaging and relevant backstory Currently I am trying to craft a fantasy story, but I am having trouble creating a realistic backstory that can explain character actions well. How can I fix that? <Q> Backstory does not need to be either engaging or relevant. <S> If it were both, it would be "story." <S...	You need to understand your characters better, otherwise manufacturing a history will highlight your lack of understanding rather than justifying motivation.
Character development in a story? I am working on a book for fun and have thought a lot about character development. Is character development as important as the actual dialog of the story? For example, I was reading a book this weekend that was written by one of the biggest legal thriller writers at the moment. The ...	knowing your characters is very important.
Referencing the process of writing the novel as a part of the novel's plot I am writing a review of a novel, which I guess is postmodern in a nonstrict way. And I need help with terms. How do you call a technique when the main character is the author of the novel and along the plot he writes the novel itself, discu...	"Metafiction" is the literary term describing fictional writing that self-consciously and systematically draws attention to its status as an artifact in posing questions about the relationship between fiction and reality, usually using irony and self-reflection.
Is an Introduction and a Prologue good or bad, especially in middle grade fiction? Is it bad to use an Introduction and/or a Prologue in Middle Grade Fiction? I have a lot of information that is useful, but the information in dialogue will sound fake and way too much info-dump like. I liked the way Jurassic Park does...	If your story has an unusual setting, premise or unusual characters/any other unique aspect in the novel, then it would be nice to include a prologue.
I'm a new author and I have three projects with complete drafts. Which one should I focus on first? I'm a new author and, for some strange circumstances, I ended up finishing three stories (first drafts): Ghost Earthquake Eri misses an earthquake that hits her city. She doesn't remember what she as doing at the tim...	So work on the one you think will attract a wide audience (so far I think that the Earthquake one is very promising) and try to get it published, but work on the other ones as well. Ghost Earthquake has the most straightforward and attractive plot.
Why doesn't everyone publish public domain books? Are there any restrictions in publishing of material with expired copyrights? For example, Oliver Twist is a famous story by Charles Dickens , and people still buy the book. I would think that the cost of publishing (especially online instead of hardcopy) is low com...	For publishing online, the costs are low.
Should I have an introducing paragraph in every chapter of my description? I'm about to write a technical description for an industrial process. The description will follow logical blocks, or blocks from the PFD of the process. This a sales document aimed at (mostly) engineers. My idea is to have a short paragraph at t...	Ideally, you would use the chapter's title to clearly indicate what the chapter is about. A summary is not necessary if the chapter is only a few paragraphs.
How to display URLs in a textbook? I am writing a textbook which contains some lists of recommended Web sites. Unlike the question How should be the format for literature references that are websites (URLs)? , these will not be references. For example: Here are some magazines about geography:- Canadian Geographic (ht...	If you're writing a table of "useful websites" with the URL in a distinct column, you can instead omit much of the url and include only the optional subdomain, domain name, and TLD.
How to reference a figure from text in a technical document I'm preparing technical documentation for some software. For the installation, there are lots of screen grabs and they all have Figure x captions. What's the correct styling and means of referencing figures from text? For example, if one step says: Click ...	Whatever you do, be consistent -- refer to all of your figures as "Figure N" and use that same text in the figure captions.
How do I calculate wordcount for a manuscript? When I submit a manuscript, I'm supposed to include a wordcount. I understand that this is not simply the number of words in the document (as calculated by Word or Google Docs wordcount tools), but something else. I've found different and contradictory explanations of ho...	Other variations exist, and they're all fine - wordcount is an estimate, not a precise calculation. Before using general advice you should first check if the place you're submitted has a preferred method of calculation.
Marking a chart that is not based on real data I want to include a chart in my thesis to visualize an idea but the chart is not based on real data, it just helps me to explain a concept. How can I label it so it's not confused for actual data. It is similar to this famous RUP hump chart which is also just educated gue...	The graph will have a description with it.
Does excessive use of prepositions make writing unclear? This site's writing reports claim that excessive use of prepositions makes writing unclear. For example: "The principle of keeping nouns and verbs as close to each other as possible for the benefit of readers has many benefits" However, it's not quit...	Looking for prepositions and cutting them out won't help, but looking for prepositional phrases will let you simplify the structure of your writing.
Using "he/she" instead of "it" for animals I'm writing a short story. The main character is visited by a strange black bird during the night (first draft): I glanced around but there was no sign of the bird. I didn't spot it in any nearby trees, street poles, or roofs. It had dissolved into the darkness. Just like ...	Most people, I suspect, would use "it" in this case, but if your character is the sort to identify with or anthropomorphize animals, they might prefer to think of the bird as "he" or "she".
Difference between an 'Abstract' and an 'Introduction' in a feature article? I have to write a feature article for school. However, I'm confused how an abstract [a summary of my points] is different to an intro [Where you outline the points you're going to be elaborating in the body paragraphs] Original Example: Titl...	An abstract is a quick summary or overview of the entire piece.
Struggling to writing in English I always struggle to write my ideas in English. Structuring my work/idea when it comes to writing leaves me blank. Even when I'm very clear about what I want to write, I will still struggle with putting it on a paper. I'm more comfortable when it comes to speak in English and people ha...	The key to good writing is rewriting.
How should I capitalise headlines for professional Web writing? (Sentence case vs title case) I'm often uncertain about how I should capitalise headlines for professional writing on the Web. The two options I'm talking about are: Just capitalise the first word and any other words that would needcapitalising in a nor...	The case of your headings doesn't matter as long as you are consistent in the way you head them. It's all about how easily your site visitors can navigate your site and read your content, so it is good to adhere to what readers are used to.
How to write to accommodate subsequent automatic translation The texts I am writing will be translated by people who are not experts in the topic and in some cases by a machine with next to none human editing afterwards. What strategies should I employ to ensure that the final reader will be able to make sense of it? ...	Use explanatory headings and summaries, and limit each paragraph to one idea Make sentence structure unambiguous Avoid long sentences with a complicated structure Avoid empty verbs and ‘nominalisation disease’ Always use the same term for the same concept You can't guarantee the reader will make sense of your translate...
What is a good tool for organizing story notes? I'm working on a fantasy series and have been keeping a Word document full of backstory, character/location information, and other world-building elements. At 160+ pages, it's reached the point where it is difficult to search for a topic if I want to go back and edit it. ...	Scrivener exports as Word and text, so you're not stuck in a proprietary format, and it has a full-screen environment if you need to cut out distractions. I needed a tool that worked on my iPad, iPhone as well as on my Mac, and not having experience with Scrivener, I used Storyist.
How do I search for tick marks not smart quotes in Word? I'm doing a proofing check of a book prior to submitting to publication and want to make sure it's as neat as possible before doing so. Recently, I've had to merge two versions of the document - from Pages on iPad to Word on a PC and I need to check that none of...	In general, if you just want to make sure your quotes are all the right "smart" quotes, you can rely upon Word to automatically convert to and from smart quotes in its find and replace box. You can search for a particular UTF glylph by entering its decimal representation after a carret and a u in the "find" box, when "...
How to travel in a government restricted setting? So my fantasy story starts out with two characters travelling by foot through endless woods. They can't take the roads because of an oppressive like government, but the woods are apparently safe. But I realized that doesn't make much sense. Why not have the government p...	Governments that want to control a wild area usually cut an aisle through the forest and patrol and watch that.
Quotes or no, for Hiccup I have a character unleash a monster hiccup in a scene. I'd like advice regarding whether or not it should be in quotes. Here's the scene, in summary "Hiccup!" Jane tried not to look embarrassed. [Characters carry on] "Hiccup!" This time, she was embarrassed. [Conversation turns to focus o...	Now, if she did something to show that she were embarrassed, you might want to write that. If you really feel the need to have whatever noise she makes expressed as dialogue, I would write it as "Hic!"
When opening a book I hear a lot of things about how one should give the name of their character early in the writing setting etc. My question is is it ok not to name your character, not to be specific about your setting till a little later say toward the end of the first chapter. For example if it were a movie, the ...	Obfuscation can work, but I wouldn't wait until the end of the chapter to identify the character we're reading about and where he/she is. Always be honest with the reader, that's my motto. There is no hard and fast rule, really; it all comes down to your skill in the end.
Indicating a word choice you're unsure of I've often had situations where I'm unsure of the correct word to be used, either when writing or proofreading. How can this sense be indicated in writing? Someone mentioned adding a question mark just before it to indicate that the writer is unsure of that particular word. For...	When I want to mark a word or passage in a software, I change the background color .
I'm afraid of [accidental] plagiarism I've recently written a screenplay about an alien invasion. A friend immediately commented that he found similarities (some general ideas, plot devices) with Half-Life 2: Ep 2 , which I haven't even played - and from what he tells me, the similarities are striking. On the other h...	So to answer your question, you won't get sued for following a cut and dried "pattern" that "everyone" has seen before.
How should I write "shush" in a narrative? I said shshshsh! I know I could say shush, but there are times when I really have to say shshshshsh. What would be the best way of writing this. Maybe Shhhhhh? <Q> It's a transliteration of a sound, so write what you hear. <S> (however many Hs amuse you) <S> If it's a short ...	If it's one long sound you write Shhhhhhhh!
How do you call the non-writing parts of creating a text? When I sit down and put words on paper or type into my computer, that aspect of creating a text (like a novel or software manual) is called "writing": I store the content of my text in letters. But when I plan what I want to write, develop my "story", construct...	For lack of a better all-inclusive word, I call all of that "writing."
Changing a story's title to hint at story's meaning I wrote a short story here http://zecountess.deviantart.com/art/Mirrors-440990952 whose ending explains everything that is narrated before.The feedback I got from my readers is varied, and none of them are anywhere close to what I had in mind. To paraphrase Umberto...	If you can change your title to something that helps the reader reach the conclusions that you want them to reach, without being too much of a spoiler, then do it. The balance is different for every story. I suggest that you just write, not for your readers but for yourself.
Is there any structure to write a book? I want to write a book but I don't know where to start. I'd like to know if is it there any structure for a book to be written, or if somebody could tell me how to start. <Q> There are LOTS of ways to structure a book. <S> Depending on what you're writing, there may or may not ...	It depends on the kind of book you're writing.
What are the pros and cons of starting a novel with internal dialogue? I'm thinking about starting a novel by having the first sentence be internal dialogue. What are the potential problems this could raise? What are the benefits? By internal dialogue I mean something like: It's so high up here . Thought Sam while...	If it's a first-person narrative, the entire story is "internal dialogue," in a sense.
Should I make the gender of the narrator more obvious? This is the opening of a short story I'm writing: 1996 was the year I became obsessed with animal suicide. I guess you can say it became my reason to live—the sun in my sky, the very air I breathed. I talked about it the all the time: at home, at college, at p...	Men and women express their gender in such a variety of ways that you could end up just creating an uninteresting and generic character if you start throwing in some token references.
How to master literary American English as a second language? I want to learn to write fiction books (historical and science fiction) in American English. My native tongue is Russian and I speak fluently German, since I grew up in Austria. My English is good enough for technical or business communication, but I can't ...	Interacting with native speakers can also help in general, so it might help to take part in American-dominated web forums (which will have the double benefit of giving you an audience for criticising your work).

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