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Do acknowledgements have to come after the table of contents? I am preparing a non-fiction book for self publication via Amazon, Print on Demand, and other online services. Currently, my book has the following sections: Title page Copyright Dedication Acknowledgements Table of contents Main body Bibliography ...	Most of the books I've read and checked have Acknowledgements before the Table of Contents.
When should I use italics in scientific writing? I noticed that proper nouns, such as names of theorems or techniques are often set in italics in scientific writing but not always. Are there rules about it, for example each proper noun should be set in italic the first time it occurs? A contrived example There are ma...	Italics are used to emphasize words in general writing, but in technical writing you may have to use them for other forms of distinctive treatment.
Whether to describe personality of a character or let the readers deduce it based on the actions I am facing this situation where description of the personality of a character is quite important. Is it good to describe the personality traits or shall I let the readers deduce it based on the action. Is this description ...	If you want to, you can have another character describe one or two traits, but I would let their actions (and if it's first person, their thoughts) describe the rest.
what is the best way to make money on the side as a beginning author? I am a new author and as I am writing my novels, I need a little revenue.Are there sites that would pay for articles being written?Any suggestions would be great! <Q> I advise against writing as a side job for a writer. <S> To write your novels (or...	on guru.com there is always a bunch of people paying (not very much) for ghost writing, this is a way to sharpen your writing skills and make a little money on the side.
If not in the prologue/intro, where would a hook be? For many stories I have seen, written or otherwise, a fight or some intimate moment is used to hook the reader. It is done A LOT, if not every time. Does a hook have to be in the beginning? Are hooks even needed? <Q> Hooks can be: <S> book cover blurb book or...	A hook in the first sentence or paragraph is most necessary for new books by unknown authors. And if you do open with a violent conflict, but the reader doesn’t give a damn who wins or loses, it’s a bad hook.
3 short stories that can be turned into a novel. Should I pick the one with best reviews? I wrote 3 short stories a long time ago, and I realized there's still room to expand them. Recently I made the decision to write a novel with the purpose of starting a writing career. So my plan is to pick one of the stories and t...	If Sushi Break is a story you feel you can run with and take it much further then it would be an excellent choice but if you're only considering it because of how well it did forget about it.
Must protagonists be flawed for satisfying character evolution? Many screenwriting theories hold that the protagonist should be flawed at the story's beginning and overcome this flaw by its end. Now, there are stories where the protagonist is thrown out of a seemingly normal, happy and functional life only by the inte...	It's dubious that you can create a truly interesting story with the protagonist being absolutely perfect, unless you think it as some kind of satire, where that perfection is actually a flaw. Without flaws there is no difficulty in resolving the conflict.
Writing dialogue for a non-English speaker in English? I am writing a story that features an illiterate Indian woman. Of course, while there are things only Hindi can satisfactorily express, I was wondering what would be a good way to construct dialogues for someone like that- an illiterate woman in her forties, world ...	Look at the sentence structure and anything peculiar to the language, and use those as starting points.
Best Tool to Create User Guides We are planning to create a user guide for internal use only. It's 150-page document in Word for a self-developed SW tool. The user guide will require constant update. No translation is needed. We would like to have - an easy-to-use interface for the tool- easy to update- good functional...	In the past, I've used a wiki for this type of work.
Is it a bad writing practice to end a paragraph with question? I'm not sure where I picked up this habit. Here are two examples: I pictured An-Mei’s slim fingers running across their smooth surface, her hand, and then the body connected to it. But try as I might, I couldn’t recall her face. All I saw were scattered...	I say when you feel the desire to end with a question mark do so.
Craft group exercises or chapters in critique groups? I am an aspiring writer who feels blocked in terms of writing a novel because I am lacking knowledge of craft. I have taken two continuing education type writing courses in the past five years: ED2GO's "Write Like A Pro" and University Wisconsin-Madison continui...	Read, and read a lot.
Switching from past to present tense to increase narrative speed? In German, traditionally narrative texts are written in the past tense. When the pace of the action picks up, the narrator can increase immediacy and urgency by switching into the present tense. Is such a tense shift acceptable in English also? Example...	However, a common place where I've seen transition between present and past tense is when the story is primarily written in the present tense and then, when characters think about things past, the tense will switch. No this is not appropriate in English.
Can a plagiarist sue one who plagiarized them? I sometimes write rather vicious satirical pieces that heavily reference (arguably - but possibly beyond the point of plagiarism; definitely the same setting, the same characters, strong references to events) the works upon which the satire is written. Expectably, authors...	Even your Fair Use defence could crumble if your work falls short of parody, which it sounds like it might. The author of a derivative work (fanfic) certainly can register their copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office.
Jumping between points in time in narrative Is it acceptable for a writer to jump back in time for a whole chapter? I don't mean a flashback, I mean more like, for example, chapter 5 happening in 25/06/2014 and then the next (Chapter 6) happening in 24/06/2014? I would be using this to explain how certain thing came ...	Yes, it's possible to do this, but it can be tricky to set things up so they're not confusing to the reader. It's also advisable, although not strictly necessary, to restrict the switches to different groups of characters in different locations.
Is this title suitable for a chapter section? Suppose I am writing a chapter about some deep technical subject (say, for instance, "boolean variables"). This theme is riddled with idiosyncrasies and misunderstandings, so I would like to present the most confusing topics and to straighten them out. My question is: is th...	The title isn't very eye-catching, but it's a common enough turn of phrase and there's nothing wrong with it, as such. "Ins and Outs" sounds like it's more about GPIO pins.
What are some strategies for surprising the reader? I'm writing an action scene and I'd like for the POV and the readers to realize something at around the same time. Specifically, why another character is physically stuck and unable to escape an advancing danger. If the readers figure out that it's the POV's fault be...	A common approach is to give the detail, but to disguise its significance. When I think about books which have truly surprised me with unexpected discoveries, they are usually books that avoid obvious genre tropes.
Good tools for writing (game) manuals and sourcebooks As I had asked in another part of Stackexchange (didn't know about this part until some comments there) I'm writing manuals (mostly for computer games, but in addition to this also for tabletop games, pen and paper rpg games) and sourcebooks (world books for tableto...	I also use LaTeX for my writing, using a template to split sections into separate modules with a defined plot guide and a handy "things to look for" checklist at the top of each module.
What are the ethics of using real-world house addresses in historical fiction? I am editing a novel manuscript for a client of mine. It's a historical fiction set in 1948, so not that long ago. The main character lives in a house above a cafe that I believe is fictional within the real city the novel is set in. At one ...	If a real historical figure lived in a house that is there to this day, use it. And if you don't need to give an address, give a real description of the building without pointing its exact location.
Can novels have twist endings? Can a novel have a twist at the end? Sure, a short story can be well written towards a not-so-obvious twist, but a 200+ page novel...can you suddenly whip it around at the end and change the ending just enough to surprise the reader? <Q> Novels frequently (usually, even) contain plot twis...	A twist in a novel has to have a narrative purpose.
Where can I find a good online thesaurus? Usually I just use the synonym suggestions at dictionary.com (or its tie-in site thesaurus.com) but it's pretty lame. Most of the synonyms it suggests are basic and well-known words I already know. In the interest of writing novels, for instance, sometimes it's nice to be able ...	The 1911 version of Roget's Thesaurus is online and searchable.
Handling an Inauthentic Character One of my main writing projects centers around a character rich with vices. Probably chief among them is self-interest, followed by dishonesty. When I say dishonesty, I mean more than lying to get by. This character is close-lipped about her past, goes by a false name, generally attemp...	To a large extent, whether a character is plausible or implausible depends on how well you justify it in the story.
Should I write Internet slang as it is spoken or as it is written? I'm writing a sci-fi novel where some of the characters are computer hackers. In some of the conversations they use the term "owned" which has a broad set of meanings in English. So I wonder if I should write the word as "pwned" like most of the hackers...	My general rule with slang is that if it's in quoted text (e.g. dialogue), it should be spelled colloquially ( pwned ); otherwise, slang in prose should be written properly, when possible ( owned ). So, when you write a representation of spoken language such as dialogue you must use what the person would actually say. ...
Can I change between the use of past tense to present tense for the story being told by a character in first person? My story is told by one of the characters and frequently uses the past tense when describing events. But occasionally I feel like some of the events should be told in the present tense, and I switch betw...	Personally, I think it's best to avoid tense change in the same section of the story. However, in stories where the POV changes, it may be ok to change the tense.
How do I cover a lengthy time period with only a few interesting details? I'm writing a book about my three weeks of travel in Belize (is that even enough time for a book?), and I'm wondering how I can cover the first day and build a foundation without being boring. There were only a few interesting details at best on ...	You might intersperse your travel with the basic history and geography of Belize (the interesting parts).
Tension built upon whether the main character will commit suicide or not. Problem: I'm using first person narrative I'm writing a novel, called Animal Suicide, about a girl who tried to commit suicide but then postponed the plan after a phone call she received. Everything OK. But then I realized...wait a minute...this ...	A ghost story can be written in first-person, and have the narrator die at any point -- including before the story begins, partway through the story, or at the end.
How do I cite or give credit to a statistic on a website? I'm not even sure if I need to since I often see statistics on website and blog posts without a source. Do I need to? And how should I do it? From what I've seen when the source is mentioned, people usually do it one of these ways: Blah blah blah 922% (Name ...	Whether you're directly quoting a source or summarizing its contents, it's important to cite that source. Cite in text the first few words of the reference list entry (usually the title) and the year.
Do Decimals Bounded Between 0 and 1 (inclusive) Need a Leading Zero? For a variable bounded between 0 and 1 inclusive, [0,1], should I use a leading zero when quoting a number? E.g. the probability of rain is 0.5 or .5 (I realize this should technically be 50%, but I hope you accept the premise of the question). An...	If the quantity could be greater than than 1, include the leading 0. Unless you have a very good reason not to, you should include the leading zero.
Needing to Believe the Story Is Real I am writing a series of interconnected metafiction stories revolving around epic fantasy tropes. The basic premise involves gradually building up an epic narrative and then breaking it down, and the interaction between the original story and the deconstructed one. As such, the fict...	The way to do that is simply to portray the characters as consistent, well-rounded individuals that appear to have a genuine personality and free will, even if they're "stuck in a fictional world."
Should I specify the time/date at the beginning of a scene? Example: That's when the thought hit me: I had to find out. I had to solve this mystery. And so, I decided to call off my suicide plan. At least for the time being. (Next chapter) The first place I decided to visit was the Forensics Department / I decid...	The other thing I would do is use descriptions (also mentioned by Lauren) that show what time it is. We usually don't need to know the exact minute of the time, though novels will of course vary.
Is my opening chapter too short? I've just started writing my first proper novel, I've written short stories and started to write before, but never really had the motivation, but now I have a new, interesting storyline to write about, and I've just set the character and established some relationships, introduced the se...	Because if you know what you're doing, and your only concern about your opening chapter is that other books have longer chapters at their start - well, then that sounds like a pretty strong opening to me :) Too short" isn't a problem. The first chapter of the story I am currently writing is about 4000 words, ignoring t...
Alternate universe vs. historicity: how to set the threshold/expectations? I'm working on a novel which is set in the late 1920s, and the protagonist is a minor Lord in England. I wrote the first four chapters and handed it to an American friend, whose criticism largely consisted of how poorly I understood English soci...	There's of course the brute-force way, saying it up front ("(Title) - An Alternate History"), but that's a little clunky.
How to describe a scene involving a shift in the environment due to forbidden magic? Background/scene for question : A character witnesses his wife killed before him. While holding her, he begins screaming her name. With each time he utters her name, the world around him shifts as he uses magic he was previously unawa...	I can't call specific examples to mind right now, but I've seen this sort of "wait, the world is not quite as it should be" situation handled by sharing the POV character's inner dialogue as he gradually notices peculiarities.
Books on character development Are there any good books to learn about character development for mystery/thriller genre fiction? For example, when to introduce the character(s), how much background info to give about each character, how to make the character evolve through the struggles etc etc. <Q> I would suggest: ...	For a more general description of character develpoment in a plot i highly recommend Larry Brooks' Story Engineering
Which social media platforms should writers use to build a readership? As a writer of YA science fiction and fantasy action romance, using social media to connect to my audience, which are the most important and most "converting" (i.e. turning visitors into readers) social media platforms today? <Q> Every author and b...	I use my blog, Facebook, and Twitter the most.
Copyright issue when referring to a textbook I'm currently writing a little book which explains all equations that first year students will use. There is a law that requires many assumptions and I have referred the student to the page in the textbook that explains the assumptions. Is this safe to do? I'm worried that I...	The rules here are not hard and fast, but if you quote three paragraphs from a 200 page book, you are not likely to get into trouble. There is also the "fair use doctrine" that says you can quote small sections of someone else's work. If you provide an explanation and want your readers to refer to another textbook, the...
Book translations for a student I am a 5th grade teacher at a private school. I have a student whose primary language is Chinese. He has come a long way in learning English, but he still struggles with reading and comprehending the language. I am looking for an easy and cost effective way to translate his text books...	Microsoft Word, for example, has a translate command.
Should the opening of a short story mirror the ending? When I was in school, my English teacher told me that a short story's beginning should mirror its ending, or at least the conclusion should in some way parallel the starting point of the story; but I was never told why. Is this a well accepted rule of thumb or is ...	A story's ending should mirror its beginning, because otherwise, you have probably begun or ended you story in the wrong place. Readers won't stand for you ending the story before you resolved the primary conflict, and if you continue for long after its resolved, then the main tension is gone and the reader doesn't rea...
How to research and discover topic popularity and trends to determine topic selection for article writing? I have been asked to write various technical and non-technical articles about computer usage, Windows usage (perhaps some Mac and *nix as well if they let me), Windows repair, and various other technology and comp...	The first thing you need to be aware of is what your target audience is.
Story without any character development whatsoever? Is it possible to write a story with one single character and no development of that character at all. <Q> You can always have a character who doesn't develop; flat Disney villains come to mind. <S> But the flat character is generally in opposition to the hero/ine, wh...	Normally, when the main character remains static, that character is actually a catalyst character and the world or characters around them are the true protagonists. Some development must occur to have a successful story, even if it's a change in the audience's understanding rather than one inside of the story itself. H...
How do you know when there's something missing in your story? You always hear about what has to be removed. Usually unnecessary stuff that doens't contribute to the plot. How about the opposite? How do you know when your story is lacking something? Say, more description, chapters, characters, or elements in the plot. <...	In any case, for many reasons, you should give your story to someone to read and give you quality feedback.
Is it legal to share an index you made from someone else's book? There are some books published without a back-of-book index, which I feel is a dreadful shame. As part of my research I decided to create an index of one such book. Doing so is legal for my own use, and would be illegal (I guess) if I tried to sell copies...	If your index doesn't contain any of the original work's text, I fail to see how it could be considered copyright infringement. According to US copyright law, copyright in an index exists separately from the original work that is being indexed, although upon payment of the fee to the indexer by the publisher or author,...
Writing an Ending: how to prune away the Wrong ones? My protagonist introduced herself to me through a sequence of set-pieces. She has a very specific altruistic goal, and the conflicts she enters are with other characters who have well-defined agendas. The arc of the plot is established... except for the last act. ...	In conclusion: to find your plot's most satisfying conclusion, find the question that your protagonist most needs to answer.
How to write realistic injury scenes? I'm currently writing an apocalypse themed story. As with the territory, death and/or injuries happen. I'm wondering how other writers write these scenes realistically as far as science, medicine, and biology are concerned? Meaning, if I injure a character's eye, knowing what ...	Considering you are describing situations where serious injuries happen without the proper equipment (or people) available to treat them, there is a field of expertise very familiar with this problem: military field medicine.
Screenplay format: Can character names be shortened after the first mention? For example: TED DIBAR , (40s) swings his cape to the side, as he approaches Felix. Do I need to continue to use the character's full name, or can I shorten it in subsequent mentions? <Q> For example, if you tell the tale of Robert Willi...	All the screenplays I have seen always use the form of the name that the character is known by to the audience .
What are some tricks for managing debilitating writing anxiety/phobia? For the past 4 years, I've developed a severe problem with writing anxiety. It's become so bad, that I had to drop out of my first university because I wasn't able to keep up with the course work. I've tried to manage the problem on my own, but with...	Seeing someone enjoy your writing can really help reduce anxiety. Begin by being less perfectionistic in other areas of your life. Try rearranging the sentences in paragraph, or taking one sentence out of each paragraph to make a new story with the same words. Write as much as you can in ten minutes, and then walk away...
Are the following passages examples of tense change? Are they allowed in fiction writing? We reached the place a few minutes later, which turned out to be—a record store? The room was tiny but nice. Simple, and with the comfort and coziness of the countryside. Plus it had everything we needed: a closet, a basic table...	An alternative is to just tell the story entirely in present tense, as it happens. Technically, anything is allowed in fiction writing, if you can do it well. As is, there aren't any tense changes.
Writing "X, Y, and Z" vs "X and Y and Z." Example: The forest was so dense I was practically swimming through it. A dark, murky ocean of shrubs, trees, and bamboo shoots. The forest was so dense I was practically swimming through it. A dark, murky ocean of shrubs and trees and bamboo shoots. Is the effect differ...	One and is just the standard end of a list, several and s are repetitive, and repetition conveys monotony and sheer volume .
Writing a short story with a secret code I want to write a fictional short story where part 2 is embedded in part 1. Has anyone heard of this or tried this? Any ideas of resources would be greatly appreciated. Edited for Clarity: Imagine a story where every letter could be turned into another letter (or every word i...	The technique is described but not (as far as I know) actually used in Daniel Manus Pinkwater's young adult classic " Alan Mendelson, Boy From Mars " in which a dictionary hides not one, but two separate coded messages describing how to develop psychic powers AND transition to alternate realities.
Consequences of autobiographical stories whose events are potentially illegal? I have been writing erotic stories that are based on true incidents in my life. Since some of those incidents (which occurred many years ago now) have been of questionable legality, I am unsure if publishing them could lead to my facing any ...	First of all, writing about illegal stuff is no barrier to publication.
Can prologues and epilogues change POV from the main text? I have completed my book. But I'm stuck writing the prologue. I've written the story with narration by the writer (not from the point of view of any of the characters). But I don't feel like that works for the prologue. I thought I could have one of the chara...	Prologues are prologues because they break from some element of the book proper--different time, different place, different narrator POV, different something.
What are frequently used arguments for recognizing bad writing styles in fiction? I ve heard randomly of remarks used to explain why a writing style is bad. for instance by the argument that a writing style is bad because of the usage of adjectives. Could you provide further examples of those frequentively used argum...	Use more exposition -- describing things as they happen in front of the reader than you use narrative -- telling the reader what happened.
How much information should a narrative sentence contain ,from experience on average, for good readability? While randomly browsing, i noticed fiction writings contain much more comas in their sentences as lets say sentences in chats or instruction leaflets. just for contrast simple sentence: i live in mülheim. c...	In general, it is usually a good idea to avoid superfluous descriptions of things which have no bearing on the actual story. Aim at expressing the character.
What's the difference between purple prose and vividly descriptive writing? Elements of Style describes purple prose as "hard to digest, generally unwholesome, and sometimes nauseating." In short, it's ornate, contrived and breaks the narrative. There's plenty of advice on how to avoid it, but my question is geared ...	Here's a tip: go through your dictionary with an El Marko and black out every adjective. Sometimes purple prose is an attempt to impress the reader with how smart the author is. Always remember; when in doubt, read it out loud to yourself or to someone else. Be sure to always double check your work and have a Thesaurus...
Am I using too much dialogue? In some of my writing, nearly every paragraph is pure dialogue, with very little exposition or description. On one hand, I feel like it flows smoothly, with little distraction, but on the other, I'm concerned that I'm failing to exploit my medium (the written word) properly. OTOOH, most ...	Without an example it's hard to tell, but if you feel like you are writing too much dialogue in proportion to the rest, then perhaps your gut is telling you to dial it down a little.
Why am I getting so many words per page? (Note that I use OpenOffice but this question should apply to MS Word as well) It's common knowledge that the average word count for a page is around 250. I understand that this is heavily dependent on the final formatting of the work, and doesn't necessarily apply to a manuscr...	If you have significantly more or fewer than that on average, your document is likely not formatted in the standard manuscript form.
Should I write my novel? I am a guy whose passion has always been fiction writing but in college I decided to go into software engineering because my parents were in a bind and they needed help financially. Now I am decent engineer but I have always been a better writer. My parents are taken care of and I have a family...	If you enjoy the craft of writing, yes.
Is pantsless writing practical for NaNoWriMo? Those of you who like to just sit down and write what comes out, you all are known as pantsless writers. — KitFox We have a question on preparing for NaNoWriMo , but what if you start a NaNoWriMo manuscript without much of a plan, how do you determine what happens next...	Write up various scenes, in random order, as your inspiration for them gets fleshed out in your imagination.
How to indicate that a single letter was removed from a quotation Suppose a source text says: 1 Timothy 2:4 says that God desires all people to be saved. Now suppose I want to quote it like this: It is possible for God to "desire all people to be saved." Notice that I used 'desire' instead of 'desires'. How do ...	Bracket the whole word, or bracket where the missing letter(s) would be.
Should I use ellipses or em dashes to denote pauses in speech? I flipped open its latch and peered inside. A—gold tooth? I flipped open its latch and peered inside. A ... gold tooth? Was it an elephant? No, elephants didn't frequent beaches. It was—a whale! Was it an elephant? No, elephants didn't frequent beaches....	em dashes are usually used to denote an interruption or sudden change — whether in dialogue, thought or narrative — ellipses are for pauses, again in all respects.
Commas at the beginning of a sentence: should I follow convention or intuition? An example from my own writing (Mother and daughter are burying their deceased dog): As planned that Friday, Mom and I underwent Choco’s burial at my home in __ (yes, she kept him in a garbage bag for three days). We dug a hole in the ...	But for longer sentences, omitting commas tends to damage either the meaning or the rhythm, so I find it's best to keep them.
Changing main character within a trilogy, is a good idea? I am writing the first novel which will be part of a trilogy. For plot reasons, I am considering to change the main character in the other two parts (will be the same in the last two books). But I don't know if it would be a good idea to change the main charac...	If you've ever read Darren Shan's Demonata series you'd know that switching characters can work effectively, as he uses three different main characters who meet up at the end. Since your reader knows the main character is dead, seeing someone else in the lead won't be a shock, and having it be someone they're already f...
How can I turn my short story into a novel? I just wrote last week about Sleeping Beauty but a different version of it. (I changed the characters, and the conflict, and mostly everything except the fact that one of the main characters is cursed and must fall asleep, only to be woken by true love's kiss. In this case I ...	Another approach you might consider for your first novel-length work is to assemble a collection of short stories with a common element -- setting, characters, or theme.
Where can one go to find police procedures I'm writing a novel that involves a crime (in the USA) and need to know the proper police procedure and timeline for the events. Where can I find accurate information to help me? More specifics--A natural disaster occurs in a slightly bigger mid-western city. The main chara...	One source that you may want to check out for general reference is Police Procedure & Investigation:
When to use normal caps and small caps in fiction? Sometimes I don't know which one to use. For instance, what kind should I use when referring to the stamping on a t-shirt? Mark wore a t-shirt that said, SAVE WATER, DRINK BEER. <Q> All caps is for shouting. <S> Small caps could be used as a stylistic device at th...	Similarly, and again distinctly for alternative fiction, small caps formatting could be used by the author to symbolize any unusual communication including alien-languages, magical-incantations and even thunderous voices from the heavens.
Offline Tool for finding identical/similar phrases in a text? I'm searching for a tool which finds and lists identical phrases in a long text like a dissertation. The goal is to find repeating texts which have been created accidentally by copy/paste. It necessarily has to be an offline tool, as I don't want to use...	NLTK is a toolkit that integrates a whole range of language manipulation, sorting and tagging tools
Is there a book title generator that takes an input and outputs plausible titles with related words? There are a couple book title generators out there (Google will find them for you). Unfortunately, none of them seem to take any input . That is, they all generate titles by assembling words from a database, and the us...	I was just now looking for the same thing and came across this tool that worked for me: http://www.adazing.com/book-title-generator/
Is replacing "this" with "a" allowed in fiction? Example: "Exploding whales?" My date stared at me as if I had given him some bad news. He'd taken me to this fancy Italian restaurant. "That's what your thesis is about?" I'm not sure why, but this sounds better to me than a . Can I use this in this way in f...	You have a first person narrator, you're trying to convey a sense of character, and this is commonly used in this way by (some) people in informal speech, so it's perfectly okay and appropriate to use in this situation.
Difference b/w Abstract and Introduction writing for a research paper I was slightly confused with differentiating Abstract and Introduction writing for a research paper. What is the difference between these sections? They seem to be similar. <Q> It reports what the paper is for, what you did and the conclusion. <S> E....	An abstract should cover the whole paper.
How can I trust that the proofreader and designer of a book will not plagiarize our work? My friend and I are writing a book in English in the Electrical Engineering field. At this stage, we need someone to proofread our texts and also to design the layout of the book, so we will need to entrust them with our manuscrip...	In addition to "Work with reputable proofreaders and designers," as Standback correctly notes, you can also add a non-disclosure agreement to your contract.
How does one become lucid in Copywriting? I am an Advertising Undergrad and wish to become a copywriter. My writing skills are above average but I can't seem to regularly create the same quality of writings everyday. What should I do to consistently write and create good content? <Q> One good way to answer the question...	The one thing I added to Webb's idea was to write in one sentence the unique selling proposition of the product. Consistency comes with practice and keeping conditions relatively the same daily. Research find out everything about your subjectWrite Short Design blog pages with drag and drop controls
How does one get Fanfiction "Published"? When the final chapter of " The Legend of the Sword of the Day and the Sword of the Night " was translated to English I kept hearing on the chatroom where it was posted that we had best read it now before the author asked the translation to be taken down off the site. The Autho...	If the original work is still protected by an existing copyright, then the only way any form of fan fiction could be published would be with the permission of the original author or copyright owner.
Software for keeping track of book edits? So I'm writing a new edition of an old textbook, and I need some way of keeping track of what needs to be done, and what I have done. I could use paper - but I tend to lose that. Or even a plain text file, but that would get confusing. Is there any software which is helpful...	Tracking - GIT http://git-scm.com/
"And" vs "with" in description lists When should I use the former or the later? Examples: It was a bird. It had a black head and wings and a golden underbelly. It was a bird. It had a black head and wings with a golden underbelly. I went inside the building. It had small, windowless rooms and shelves of all ...	While the use of with is quite appropriate to describe an attributeof an attribute, and can often suggest that, it can be usedfor other purposes, especially when there is no semantic ambiguity.
The etiquette of updating News Posts - Help please! I do updates on our UK Charity's website ~ Our "Latest News" Posts show the wrong tense for events that are now past. I want to update the tense in those articles butI I'm told (by Ms B) this is not 'accepted practice'. She says that from her long experience in maint...	One solution I've seen used well: Update the original article only to add a link to a more recent article, which describes the event after it occurs.
What label to use in an article for a group of equations? Writing an academic paper, one might use different labels for different entities. For example in MS Word, Figure, Table, and Equation might be used for figures, tables, and math equations, respectively. Equation labels are typically placed to the right side of t...	If they are one equation with subequations, label each subequation consecutively with letters: 1a, 1b, 1c, etc.
Is the following "shortening" allowed in fiction? I know you can write stuff like this: Head on pillow, I glanced at the clock. My mind made up, I went over to the counter. How about following: And with that he put on the climbing shoes, the harness, and attached himself to the rope. Everything set, he thre...	While not everyone might choose to write in this way, it isn't incorrect and may suit your particular "writer's voice."
Use of realism in a fictional setting I am writing a fictional novel. It is set in many fictional places and the book will have it's own set of rules of physics. However, I feel that if I lose the sense of realism too much there will be no relation between the book and the reader and I will lose their attention. Will I...	Even in fictional world the genre matters, for example in science fiction you are expected to warn the readers of the changed parts in advance, in fantasy having the setting consistent with itself is sufficient. I think, as long as your characters are credible, lacking realism will not be a problem for stories set in a...
How do I get publishers and agents to read my full book? My problem is that my first few chapters are decent but the last few chapters of my book are superb writing that is capable of becoming famous. How do I get publishers and agents to read my full book? <Q> Rewrite the first few chapters and make them superb. <S...	Consider dropping the first few chapters. Hook your readers from the first sentence and don't let them go until the very end.
How can I ensure my POV character's writing isn't too sophisticated? I am writing a piece which features two POV characters. A conceit of the story is that the POVs are writing their chapters, so each one reflects not just their personality, but how my characters would actually write. One of my POVs is very sophistic...	Then it's just a matter of consistently choosing words for that character that're similar in complexity. For your more extreme characters, it's just a matter of polish.
Getting My Rights Back Back in the late 90's I wrote a picture book which eventually was published in 2002 by a big name publishing house. The book was critically acclaimed, won an award, and went through a couple of printings, before finally going out of print around 2006. Since then, I've tried a couple of time...	In some cases you can terminate the transfer of copyright and get your rights back.
How to copyright ideas? I'm a phd student in physics/math who has some ideas about how these phenomenon occur. However, I do not have the experiments and mathematical theory done yet to support these ideas, and it may take years to get them done to publish a paper. How can I get copyright these ideas (hypothesis?) Can...	Ideas can't be copyrighted.
Can a Town/City Sue an Author for a Bad Portrayal in Fiction? Lets say we choose a random town off of google maps on which to base a story where the local authorities (we won't say police, or whatnot, but local authorities) perform an investigation that is completely off-protocol and basically corrupt. Or something l...	Provided that you do not write in a way whereby specific public officials could make a case that you are attacking their personal behaviour and reputations, then whatever you think about a place is your own business. One form of "protection" that has been used by some authors and publishers is to slightly "misspell" th...
How can I write a thesis statement and stay on topic in a persuasive essay? Recently I was made to write a persuasive essay about whether or not this quote by W. H. Auden is true: Machines are beneficial to the degree that they eliminate the need for labor, harmful to the degree that they eliminate the need for skill...	An on-topic thesis would be Auden is correct to say that humanity is helped by machines reducing the need for labor because of A, B and C, and correct to say that humanity is hurt by reducing the need for skilled labor because of X, Y and Z . It will also help you to stay on topic if you are constantly re-reading your ...
Any advice on how to learn DITA for technical writing? My situation is such that I will be looking for a new job next week as this contract ends. For a tech writer, it is good to have DITA on the ole' resume. So, I just wanted to know if anyone has a site or book or tutorial on how to learn Darwin Information Typing Ar...	For a more hands-on introduction, you might consider downloading and installing the DITA Open Toolkit .
Using Present Tense to describe a Fact on a story that uses Past Tense newcomer here, and I have a question. I have a story that starts with the sentence, ' the ocean is vast '. However, I'm actually going to write my story in past tense form but changing that 'is' to 'was' sounds off to me. I feel that saying 'the ...	The choice of tense in this case is determined entirely by the particular statement being made and is entirely independent of the rest of the sentence, paragraph, or story.
How to write a conversation Conversation is the thing I have most difficulties with while writing stories. How do I write a conversation so it will be clear who said what, and in a way that's not like a court transcript? Should I start a new line with each sentence of dialog? Just one paragraph? Should I use quotation...	You may start a new paragraph with the same speaker if it's clear that the person is continuing to speak, like if the person is giving along speech.
Resource for someone better at editing than writing (I had a previous question, closed as too opinion-based, about being a better editor than writer. I wasn't able to rescue that one, but I thought I'd take a try at a related question.) I am an excellent editor, well able to work with someone to bring out the best in...	A good editor should also be a good writer.
How to deal with online comments to published pieces? I mainly write for academic journals (and creative writing for my own amusement), but from time to time, I publish opinion pieces in various mainstream magazines and newspapers, for which I am modestly compensated. Recently, some of my pieces have generated a large...	If you want to engage in a online discussion then it has to be your own decision. For one thing, you have to be extraordinarily disciplined to avoid responding emotionally to criticism.
Skipping the action scene My novel has a lot of fighting scenes. It's natural since its about a war.The problem is that people don't read books for fighting scenes. Numerous fighting scenes is just bad writing. J.R.R. Tolkien decided to knock Bilbo Baggins unconscious rather than to write a single one (although I did r...	You shouldn't skip action scenes because you have some irrational belief that writing too many is "just bad writing," you should only skip the scene if it serves your story . By all means, detail the scene with every move made.
How to write a character who uses a lot of smalltalk without boring the reader? Since a lot of what they say is by definition irrelevant to the plot should I just skim over it? I'm worried this might make their manner unclear to the reader and I don't want their impression of this character to rely solely on the opini...	Keep reminding the reader, exposing them to bits of the small talk now and then, but just not enough to bore them. If you don't have a really good reason, just don't do it.
Quantity of Writing Needed to Find Representation For a TV Serial I have reached a point in writing a TV serial where I'm considering looking for an agent to represent me, but I'm not sure how much I should have to show in order to do so. Obviously in order to find representation for a film script you need to present t...	As far as the writing portion goes, you've got enough.
How to write a "strong" passage? By strong I mean causing some reaction on the reader (not necessarily goosebumps, maybe just a small wow ). I'm having this problem right now. Example (the bolded part): "He told me about how squirrels collect and store nuts for the winter. Nothing unusual. What's interesting i...	Bottom line, it really depends on what you want to say and saying it in a way your audience can relate to.
using a literary agent I have read numerous books on the pros and cons of getting representation with a literary agent. Would any of you care to give advice on whether or not an agent is a good idea? I understand they work off sales percentages, but are there other issues I need to be aware of? Thank you. <Q> Keep in m...	Overall I would suggest trying to submit to an agent, as you are more likely to be able to get published.
Using ideas posted on social media: is it ok? I have a question about copyrighting. I was scrolling through tumblr the other day and someone had posted an idea that said something about people seeing in black and white until they meet their soul mate - then they see in color. I really like this idea and would want ...	Ideas are not protected by copyright.
Starting Out a Novel Would it be more effective to the reader to start out a novel explaining the setting and scenery or, introducing the characters? <Q> Readers are different and enjoy different things. <S> And stories are different and require different beginnings. <S> That said, most people are more interested in ...	Both setting and character should be introduced bit by bit, as the story begins to unfold. All three -- character, environment, and "problem" -- make up the story, and they can (and in my opinion should be) present right from the first paragraph.
How to structure a sentence containing long code examples? In the context of a technical manual, I need to write instructions guiding users through several standard manipulations. When providing examples of these manipulations, I have written a short sentence containing "before" and "after" examples which appear in (po...	I approach code in text in the same way I approach dialogue: the code is a quotation from another "speaker", so I set it off from the surrounding text.
Commenting on blogs and forums I'm working on a project for company's upcoming book. We thought it would be cool for me to ccomment on blogs and forums as one of the lead child characters. Do you foresee that as being a problem, especially if the blog targets Tweens? And what if I only commented on adult targeted blogs...	The problem I see is what you probably intend: that young readers will believe this person actually exists. I think it is unethical to abuse this basic human need and simulate it to sell a product.
How to decide the position of short phrases? Example: As agreed, we met at Shangai Train Station the next morning . Eventhough it was just seven, the place was terribly crowded; people wererunning and lining, jostling and shoving. A sign that the Mid-Autumn Festival wasapproaching. As agreed, we met the next morni...	Readers tend to give more emphasisto the information they findat the ends of sentences. Your opinion counts the most. This is a matter of opinion, especially since the meaning is the same.
Prologues with no protagonist - How can they work? It is my understanding that novels should generally start right off with the protagonist. The story is about the protagonist , after all, not something else (This obviously changes a bit if the PoV is not the protagonist, but that is beside the point). It is also my u...	A prologue without a protagonist can be foreshadowing events using irrelevant characters that interact, speak, or otherwise see events happening that foretell the story ahead, and hint toward the evil of the story or share exposition. You can have different characters, settings, time period, POV, and other things that ...
Pieces missing from my narrative I have this (IMHO) cool idea for a general storyline I want to write about, and one or two ideas for characters. However, I'm really struggling to go about fleshing it out. It's like having a string for a necklace with two big beads at the ends and one or two minor beads along the way...	Basically, play around with the plot and characters you have

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