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How to turn an unknown detail in the story into a mystery instead of a lacking detail? I mean, how to make so that an undefined information in the plot be considered a mystery, i.e. an intentional unanswered question, instead of: ー　So, then what? ー　Well, this is an unknown fact in the story. ー　Sorry but this sto...	In combination with "lampshading" the unsolved mystery in dialogue, as mentioned in the answers by Jay and Dale Hartley Emery, you can demonstrate that your unanswered question is intentional by putting it right at the beginning or right at the end of the story, i.e. at the parts of the story where readers know that th...
Connecting my plot to different locations in my world In my world, there all sorts of places that I'd like to include in my book but I have yet to find sound reasons to include more a handful of them. How can I connect several distinct locations to my plot? and What type of constraints should I keep in mind while d...	Let there be important actions and / or information at those places, that are needed for the story.
Possible To Introduce A Character Through A Dialogue? In a screenplay, would it be okay to introduce a character through a dialogue? The character in question isn't given a background (in the ACTION) in the start since his first appearance is one where he appears all of a sudden.A couple of lines later, he gets a descr...	When he appears on screen, however, the physical details must be provided right at the point that he appears, not a few lines later. If , as you indicated, the character first appears in voice over, describe the auditory qualities of his voice, rather than his physical qualities, because that's what the final audience ...
How do I get rid of the tic of paired adjectives, predicates, etc.? In technical writing, I have a tic of writing in pairs. Some examples from a recent piece: "When you speak, be sure to be clear and concise ." "Face to face conversation is personal and private ." "Great communicators know how to provide the righ...	When I'm editing technical documentation (and, ideally, when I'm writing it in the first place), I try to make every word earn its place.
Publishing Through Blogs/Story Equivalent of Webcomic? I really want to publish my work somewhere online. That being said, recently, I've had quite of an interest in webcomics--however, I can't draw, and I prefer full on writing. Is there a possible way to just start a writing blog with a similar concept, or are there ...	If you're not necessarily interested in a comic, but just want to write your own stories as a serialized blog format, there are people who have done that very successfully.
Character name and its capitalisation Nobody in my story knows the actual name of one of the characters. She calls herself 'tina. She always writes it 'tina and gets irritated if people write it Tina - it's short for something, but nobody knows what. To her, the apostrophe and the lower case "t" are important - she lik...	In English, when shortening a word by lopping off the beginning of the word, the tradition is to treat the shortened word as a full word in its own right, and to capitalize it as such. By all means, reference your character as 'tina if it means something to her, and she can absolutely insist on it.
How to write about disgusting subjects? Context : I'm starting a story with supernatural creatures and trying to make it both gory and funny. Some creatures I use are really gross. For example, one of my characters is an akaname , a toilet-licking spirit, and an other is a wendigo , a forest cannibal. I have no ...	When in doubt, lean toward the subtle and the humorous rather than the obscene and the profane.
Current best program for self-publishing? What is the best program (or programs) for layout, typesetting, and then printing (at home, or taking files to a printing shop) a book? It would need to be one which takes into account the way pages would be ordered and folded so that I could sew and bind the book myself. Than...	As for working in fiction with low graphical content you're still best using a word processor or there's also Nimble Writer . Now-a-days cheap or free programs will do just about everything you could ever want. Amazon has their own applications for design and layout for books of a graphical nature or that have speciali...
What should a literary writer read? Everyone knows that a writer should read, but the question is what ? The question I would like to ask here is: what books should a literary writer have read ? What are the critical reference points that anyone in the game needs to have exposure to? What are perhaps lesser known wo...	Read philosophies, histories, biographies, essays, and anything else of interest that exposes you to what individuals and communities think about their setting. As for specific titles, read whatever piques your interest, or is recommended based on your favorites.
For a new writer, is it better to enter contests or submit to magazines/journals? I'm a rookie writer, working on short stories thus far, mostly for practice and exposure. I need to get them out there somewhere. They're probably going to mostly fit into Sci-fi, fantasy, horror, weird fiction, etc. Genre stuff, in other...	It is tough to get published in a magazine or journal, but if you want to be a professional writer, I think that's the route to go.
What does it mean when someone says "it doesn't sound very natural"? I hear this pretty often when I say/write something, be it in text messages or emails or on any social media/forums. What does this mean actually? I am thankfully able to convey my thoughts but I do not want to hear this anymore. Are there any thumb-r...	You need to develop a sense of which words to use and where, and which kinds of sentences to use and which to avoid. "Natural" essentially means saying things in the way people expect to hear them.
Having poems published in magazines/journals Vs. Posting them online for free? Until now I have written just 2 poems. I was looking around to have my poems published. From past few days, I am looking for magazines/journals that pay and accept online submissions. After having spent a lot of time submitting, I am wonde...	The big advantage of submitting is that if a magazine publishes one of your poems, your work gets free advertising.
Can a character with poor communication skills be used to create an excellent first-person narrative? I am deciding between first and third person narration for a book (and am inclined to write in the first person). One of the limitations of the protagonist is that he is not a great communicator, and this impacts his ...	As long as the voice is consistently used, and you the author are aware of what is being left out by the speaker, a compelling story can be told.
Mobile writing: can you write substantial works on a Psion palmtop or similar? Context I've just picked up a second hand Psion 5MX with the intention of using it to fit in the gap between when not at a desk/laptop and when in need of more than just a phone for jotting notes. I've found the keyboard a little 'viscose...	I used my Psion 5MX on long trips to other countries (Europe, Africa, South America) and wrote entire chapters of some of my books on it.
How to write in a diary regularly? I have found that I've not been able to continue writing a diary on a regular basis. What tips and tricks are there to help improve and foster the habit of regular diary writing? <Q> Give money to a friend and tell them that they are not to give it back to you unless you can prove you...	So, from experience I can tell you that the best way to keep up the habit of maintaining a diary regularly is to cut yourself off from places where you can express your thoughts in the written form, be it Facebook, WhatsApp or even Stack Exchange :P
How to work on a new software feature that affects different topics We're working on a software manual with several chapters and topics and, so far, these are mostly self-contained. This means we have a dedicated chapter for "connectivity" and do not mention connectivity elsewhere, a dedicated chapter for "software upg...	Each new feature gets a high-level description of what it is and when you might use it, ending with links to the relevant places in the "main" docs.
How Much Descriptive Information Is Enough For a Locale In A Screenplay? First out, my question pertains strictly to screenplays . Secondly, it deals with a spec script . Now, there seems to be surprisingly scant information on the internet in regard to how far you should go in describing a locale . I'll throw you...	To Make It Short Directors do not like to be told too many specifics because it : wastes their time limits their creative outlet may offend their intelligence. The Power of Common Knowledge Simply base the amount of description upon how easily you can apply common knowledge.
Can an overdone theme still work? Okay, I think it goes without saying that vampire stories are really overdone. But I have a novel idea I would really like to write that has a vampire theme. I think I can pull it off if I do it in a way it hasn't been done before, but my worry is that the clear vampire theme will ward...	But if you do write a novel with an overdone theme, you should approach it from an unexplored angle.
What is a ballad? I've always wanted to write poetry, and I tried my hand at a ballad today. However, I know very little about the technicalities of poetry, and the explanations of iambic meter and structure of the ballad were confusing to me. Here it is, in full (only five stanzas). I'm not requesting feedback on th...	Technically, a ballad is a collection of four-line verses that follow a specific rhyming pattern.
Magic or No Magic? I have the majority of the story for my first novel worked out. My only problem is that I feel like I'm trying to find a way to force magic into it. There is only one point where magic is essential to the story line: A (secret) government group has been kidnaping people from the lower sector (a rea...	As such the simplest method of fixing the story would be simply that the characters and by extension the reader simply never find out if the magic that is tested is real or just exists in the minds of some powerful people.
What is the "inner consistency of reality" that Tolkein refers to in his essay On Faerie Stories? I read Leaf by Niggle, and I've ever since been recommending it to just about anyone who will listen to me. Now, I want to know how The Magician did it. I read over his essay On Faerie Stories, and while it was a difficu...	Essentially it means that they obey their own internal rules and logic.
Does a writer have any rights to a work that has been completely rewritten by another writer? Does a writer have any rights to a work that has been completely rewritten by another writer? The rewriter used the original work as a blueprint, but ended up changing most of the details and developing the work significantly....	So without an agreement that the first writer abandoned their interest in the work, or ceded interest to the second it is possible that the first writer could claim the work as derivative of their own. Copyright protects the actual words (or sounds or pictures) used to express an idea. Copyright doesn't protect the ide...
What are some good writing analyzing software programs? What are some good writing analyzing software programs? I'm on a trial right now of something called EffectCheck which seems to give you the overall tone of your work and provide charts and bar graphs of how heavy that is. For example, happiness vs anxiety. It ...	I've used the Writer's Dreamkit (the more or less stripped down version of Dramatica Pro ) and found it quite useful and insightful.
How to find authenticity in a character of color I am working on a book. I am aware that, being a white guy, I always perceive characters as white men. I want to push myself into building a character that is black. My problem is that most of the people in my world are white. The blacks friends that I have live in whit...	You can't just write "a black character", you have to write a black character in a certain culture and context. If you're writing optimistic scifi, the character's race may not have any effect whatsoever on how he sees the world or himself or how others see him.
How To Write An Unreliable Narrator? So in my latest works I've decided to make my narrator, whom is my main character as well, pretty unreliable. How do I get this across to readers? I read a few short stories online that were pretty convincing but I'm not sure I can milk it for a whole novel. Any ideas? <Q> The reade...	If you want the reader to realize your narrator isn't telling the truth, the truth must get to the reader around your narrator.
Using colons and semi-colons in dialogue I've often heard writers say they don't like using colons and semi-colons in dialogue specifically. I don't often see colons and semi-colons in dialogue, but sometimes it just seems like it's by far the best option. For example: "I told you: John doesn't work on Mondays." ...	I use colons and semi-colons in dialogue. You don't see colons or semicolons in dialogue in current fiction because they don't work for stylistic reasons.
How do I write about something which can only be felt with closed eyes? When I try to write something on paper, no thoughts or dialogues come to my mind. I just go blank and stare at the paper without writing anything. Once I close my eyes, I start to feel the things and I can imagine everything. How do I tackle this...	I have heard the recommendation that you close your eyes and record yourself speaking out loud what you want to write. You could try recording yourself and just speaking your ideas then listen to it and write out what you say. College students often record their professors during lectures then go back and write down th...
How do I write dialogue to evoke a historical setting? I want to write a novel set in the 12th century. I can learn about the platform for the story, like city life and culture of people at that time, by googling on the internet. But I don't know how to write the dialogues of characters at that time. I am unable to get...	I think if you really want to capture the tone of that century in dialogue you’ll have to put some research into Middle English. It may seem counter-intuitive to say that the amount of research you should do is determined by what you're comfortable writing, but at the end of the day it's your story and only you know wh...
Should I have my work edited by a freelance editor before seeking publication? I have a friend who is a freelance editor and I was planning on employing her to look over my novel before shopping it out to publishers. However, I don't know if publishers like this or not. Do they hear freelance editor and cringe? Do the...	There are probably some who don't care, but to some it's seen as a bit of an amateur move - the general theory is that an author should be able to get their work to a high enough level to attract a publisher on their own, and then work with the publisher's editor. As an alternative to potentially going into debt on the...
How to make horror events more interesting in daytime In a book I'm writing at the moment I have created a world with a day and night cycle. I have created a veil of mystery over this madman and this machine he's made, however, every event to do with the machine has happened at night. This machine is meant to be utterl...	If you can convey what makes your hero frightened, your reader will be too. The reason most scary things happen at night is not because it is night, but because of the things that happen at night.
Forming The Perfect Inspirational Character I would like to know what cues I can use to make a character inspirational. What are some of the traits of characters like Albus Dumbledore, Peeta Melark or Gandalf, that are quoted often in popular culture? What is common of such characters that makes them memorable and all...	Inspirational character is anyone who inspires others...
Is trying to write an entire novel in one month possible? Lately I've been thinking about trying to participate in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), where the idea (at least I think it is) to write an entire novel in one month. Is this even possible? <Q> Check out Dean Wesley Smith's blog posts on "Pulp Speed"...	It takes dedication, but it is doable.
How practical and feasible is it to work on more than one novel / story at one time? Lets say you are working on one novel / short story. As you work you suddenly get an inspiration for another piece of fiction. You feel it's a brilliant idea and you should start working on it right away. Your brain tells you to focus ...	This is the reasoning behind the creative diary; anything you're not actively working on or that doesn't fit in your current story can be set down in a scratch-pad format to come back to when you need new ideas.
Is it necessary for an article about a problem to address solutions as well? I am writing an article which deals with some of the problems of the city. Since I have a word limit, is it necessary that I have to include the solutions of the problems too? Is it advisable? Or can I just tell the problems and leave it there...	It depends on a lot on what you're trying to say; what structure and focus you give your article.
Can the title of a book be slightly modified on the cover? For example, the real title is "Cooking vegetables: Beans, carrots and spinach".But on the cover that would be graphically punchier as: Cooking vegetables: Beans Carrots Spinach No comma and no "and". I would want the full title - "Cooking vegetables...	It is not unusual for a work to have a variety of titles. Assuming you are self-publishing and have full control over the actual cover, then absolutely!
What kind of paper do novels use and why? I have a couple of translated Japanese light novels from Seven Seas, and the paper used feels different and is a darker color that that of the white office paper that I am commonly exposed to. I also seem to vaguely remember the paper in these novels being the same in the Harry...	Other papers may be used; especially for large-format books that need to maintain their shape. There is no single paper used. Because it's cheap, very easy to get hold of, and is non-archival (i.e.: it breaks down easily). The composition of the paper, how the fibers are macerated and felted or woven, what coating or s...
In what parts of a newspaper/magazine one could get an article published? If you have an article and you want to get it published in newspapers or magazines, what are the parts you could do that? I know guest column is place like that, but any other idea? If you think my question in broad, please answer it specificall...	Traditionally, the place for a non-journalist who is not hired by a magazine or newspaper to be published in that publication is the "Letters to the Editor" department.
Websites for free feedback on stories? Are there any websites or anything similar where we can get feedback from online readers (without paying for a membership or anything of the sort) for stories and other writings that are not quite finished, but are rather WIPs? As I understand, Writing.StackExchange does not enc...	There's an app called Prose that's based around sharing your work and chatting about it with fellow writers.
In a formal writing, does having a paragraph rewritten by another person make the style change noticablely? I am writing a personal statement to apply to a grad school. At first, I thought that because the role of this statement is to show an image of me as a person, using the tone I usually use when blogging - which u...	It's impossible to know for sure without seeing the paragraphs, but yes, formal writing is generally done in a "neutral voice," which tends to minimize the impact of individual stylistic differences.
I like to write but I keep stopping myself I have this problem where I always just can't seem to be satisfied by my choice of words resulting it me never getting far in writing. Almost every sentence I would think "This isn't the kind of thing I would say.." But the other part of me is thinking "This is how I want t...	Another approach for you might be to write in sprints - say, 10-15 minutes - and do not permit yourself to edit.
I'm shy to let my friends read my books All the books I have wrote, I've always been shy to show my friends. I don't want them to think poorly of me with what I write. Any advice that could help me? <Q> Some of this might sound cliche, but it's what I often cling to when I'm feeling insecure about letting anyone look a...	But, I'd encourage you to be brave and send it off for review, especially if you have a group of friends you trust with giving you constructive feedback (even if it's not what you want to hear). If you're shy about showing your friends, that's not necessarily a bad thing. You could try finding a local writing group or ...
How do publishers expect authors to use social media to promote their books? I am new to the world of writing, and was initially surprised to read on some publishing advice website (eek) that authors should use social media to interact with readers and promote their books. How does this really play out in practice? Do ...	Some publishers really require you to be "social".
A self-absorbed female character: key words and pet phrases needed I'm stumped. I can't come up with anything beyond "You're hurting my feelings" and "I'm not in a good place right now." Suggestions? <Q> Is she meant to be someone the reader/ audience sympathizes with? <S> If no, then try, "You wouldn't understand", a...	A female character can show that she is self absorbed by her actions. For dialogue in particular, you should consider what your character is thinking as she speaks.
How can I write acronyms in fiction? I'm wondering whether I can use acronyms without the period between each letter in fiction writing. Adding the period seems kind of clunky and stops the flow of the sentence a little but I don't want to remove it if it's a mistake to. E.g. would the following be acceptable in ficti...	Still, as I may have mentioned earlier, in fiction you can do anything you like, just be consistent. AP style guide recommends not using hyphens with acronyms in narrative or dialogue.
How can one establish a discipline of sticking to a writing schedule? I currently have three stageplays, a comic strip, one screenplay and posts on writing blogs (not to mention NaNoWriMo) that I have to stay on top of, and yet my mind gets scattered, although I find reading these links help. http://goodinaroom.com/bl...	When you see how much "dead" or unused time you have, you can locate the common places and set up a schedule. The only real answer here is just doing it.
Writing figures in novels I believe that most of the time, it is advised to write out figures as words in novels, rather than writing the actual figure.E.g. He's twenty years old. He lives on the fourth floor. However, are there times when writing the actual figure is best? For example, telling the time. Is it better...	Sometimes text that would usually be in numerals can be written out for emphasis.
What should you do if the events in your story happen in real life just when you finish writing it? I was finishing my novella when I heard about the terrorist attacks in Paris (I pray for the souls of the victims) . I was surprised to know that circumstances revolving around the violent attacks were somehow similar t...	Use the opportunity to write a preface or afterward that describes how you heard about the true event and the impact it had on you.
What is the purpose of using Roman numerals as page numbers? I'm in the process of writing a dissertation for my university degree. I have looked at examples online where people have used Roman numerals as page numbers for the preliminary pages of the dissertation and then Arabic numbers for the main text pages. Why ...	Answer on the purpose: "Front-matter pages are traditionally numbered in lower-case Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, iv, v, etc.), which prevents renumbering the remainder of a book when front-matter content is added at the last moment, such as a dedication page or additional acknowledgments."
Which one and why: (alphabets and integers sets) OR (alphabets set and integers set)? Consider the two phrases: alphabets and integers sets alphabets set and integers set Are both grammatically correct? If so, which one is a better style and why? <Q> Why "Alphabet and Integer Sets"... <S> A set of alphabets, aka...	My first impression is that both are wrong and that what you want to say is " alphabet and integer sets ".
Two perspectives in a non-fiction book My daughter and I thought it was a good idea to write a book about our experiences throughout her casting for a movie that she did. Her view on the journey and My view as her mother. Not sure how to structure it so that it's clear to the reader. So far we've been writing it entire...	You'd need to divy out the crucial story points and decide which one's furthered each character's story the best. You could write it as almost like a screenplay with the speaker listed flush left--but then also do paragraphs of prose, probably from your daughter's perspective, outside of the dialogue.
How to collect my ideas in one story? I start to feel that I'm mad. I make stories from everything that I see on the street. A dialogue, an interesting personality, a funny couple, a hard question or a perfect view to write about. Words and sentences are buzzing in my mind all the time. My only and biggest problem is...	Find a common theme in what you have so far and explore it for the rest of this draft while you figure out exactly what story you are telling. It's very important to turn off the inner voice that criticizes your writing until all the writing is finished. You have everything you need.
Term for stereotype stories Is there any term to describe stories where the "evil" characters are extremely evil, and the good characters are extremely good? <Q> The answer depends on the work's intent. <S> If the characters are thinly characterized and stereotyped because the work's main attraction is a sensationali...	If you're referring to older, unsophisticated stories, where the author was being quite straightforward, then "clichéd" is probably what you want.
How to describe pain in first person? (Made up character) Farrel jumps from his rambler house roof but lands horizontally and on his left arm. His left arms ulna snaps and pierces out of his skin. This is just an example because I'm having trouble with my real story (where the main character gets impaled on rebar) but ...	If you want to really give depth to the pain, getting pretty graphic with some specifics as to what's going on is also a great idea, as long as it's not so much detail that it becomes tedious.
Is it possible for characters to get stuck reacting the same way to everything? Alright so I am new here so I'm not sure if it's okay to ask this type of question, but I am wondering if it is possible for characters to get stuck in a sort of 'rut' where they react to things with the same basic physical and emotional re...	One big thing you can do is change the circumstances as much as possible whenever he's having one of these events.
Writing an overempowered antagonist? I have the principal antagonist for my modern fantasy alternate world setting. Unlike the typical antagonist, this particular character, whom I named Vritra. He weilds the exaltation of a goddess, which granted him a slow aging, stronger than average magical capabilities and fast he...	Show how he regrets the cost of his failure. The problem with Marty Stu and similar types is not their power or competence, it is that since they are never really tested, they never grow as characters beyond cardboard silhouettes. He might even occasionally have doubts about his goal being justified and back off until ...
How to replace overuse of "I" in a short story, fiction, written in the first person I am trying to edit a short story, written in the first person. I have used "I" way too many times, it stands out too much at the beginning of a sentence, but I can't seen to change it without loosing the meaning/tone of the sentence....	Consider switching the narrator to someone other than the primary character.
How do I bring my readers closer to my characters when using the third person? I've chosen to write my story in the third person due to the scope of it, but by doing so I have made it harder for the reader to feel 'close' to my characters. The narration seems to be, unintentionally, creating distance. Is there a way to...	Use "he" and "she" as much as possible without causing confusion because the reader can imagine themselves as that more so than a name. In my experience, not feeling close to characters often comes from inadequately describing what characters are feeling. Shift the narrative voice when you shift POV. Two things: 1) Be ...
What is the best use of perspective for works with multiple authors? If you have multiple authors writing an article, what is the best use of perspective when recounting experiences from different views? For example, I am writing an article with a colleague about our experience starting an organization. When recountin...	In many scholarly texts, including scientific papers, the solution I have seen is to use the expression "one of us", with or without the person's name (it is not always important for the reader to know which one of the authors had a certain experience or did something. With referencing yourself, first person is probabl...
Where can I find a professional publisher who will accept my book? I started writing a book at the end of my 5th grade year. My 6th grade teacher is totally against teen authors, so I stopped for a while. Then my 7th grade teacher inspired me to start again. I'm 13 and I wrote many short stories (all turned down by my ...	You really need an agent first, very view publishing houses will even look at unsolicited manuscripts that an agent hasn't recommended to them. If you are in the US you could consult Writer's Market 2016 for names and addresses of publishers and advice to authors.
How can I avoid using the first person in a report when directly referring to work and experiences I have had? I have been asked to write a report on the company I am working at during a placement from University (I am on an engineering programme). There was not much guidance given on what the content of the report is ...	I am a graduate from an an engineering program, and I often was taught that passive voice in technical and scientific writing can be preferred for cases like this. In your first excerpt from the assignment, make sure you describe the position you're holding and its place in the company with an emphasis on how the posit...
When is passive voice acceptable? I am working on a fiction novel and have had difficulties with the passive voice. I feel that in this case the sentence is stronger when the passive voice is used. "Born in a land without justice, sodden with the blood and tears of earlier generations, he lived........" <Q> But it...	If you are writing an academic paper, passive voice is de rigueur.
Should I write something I don't care about first? When I was 14, I had an idea for a novel but never wrote anything. I'm now 24 and just finished participating in National Novel Writing Month ( nanowrimo.org ) where I wrote a 25k word "long outline" of my novel. I'm now expanding and editing my novel. I'm very please...	I myself am writing a story I'm truly invested in, but don't expect to go too far.
Should you emphasise text within quotation marks? e.g. Bold : Click "Setting" then click "Options" . Italic : Click "Setting" then click "Options" . Or even underline? Or none quotation marks? Click Setting then click Options . Which is better/correct/preferred? <Q> Underlines are only for links...	We use bolding to emphasize code that is of particular importance in the present context."
An online resource where writers can get quick answers to questions about the real world? Detailed research is all very well, but quite honestly there are times when it would just be a better use of your time to fire off a quick question and get a quick reply from the bounteous well of Helpful People On The Internet ....	Check out the forums at National Novel Writing Month 's site.
How to make travel stories interesting? I have some good, true travel stories. Things that involve guns, explosions, and all kinds of other good stuff. I want to write them down, but I'm having trouble envisioning how to present the stories. I don't want to embellish, and it would go against my ethics to stray into ...	My advice is - use lots of dialogue, look into the monomyth structure, increase drama where possible and try to build an emotional connection between the reader and characters by embellishing the ups and downs the character is facing. There's nothing wrong with smoothing out the dry facts of your narrative into somethi...
What aspects of written dialogue are important when giving characters a unique voice? I have a project that I am working on in which I need to write quite a few fictional informal email correspondences between pairs of characters. I am not using these characters in any other context. I am working with a relatively lar...	You could try using different fonts for each character.
In English non-fiction, should I try to place the important parts at the beginning of the sentence? Main question There is a claim that I heard from a few persons (none of which were native speakers of English), which goes as follows: In English non-fictional writing, the most important aspects of a sentence should ...	There are times when you cannot "bury the lede," to borrow a term from journalism (and that is the correct spelling), and there are times when it's okay to put certain items later in the sentence for the sake of readability.
How many errata are too many? I'm not sure this is the right Stack Exchange Community for this question, but here I go. I bought a book on Machine Learning from a (I believe) popular publisher a few days ago. It's a first edition and it was first published on September 2015 (4 months ago). The point is, in the first 5...	Yes, it's a lot by almost any standard, and is a sign of inadequate proof-reading. 5 errors in 50 pages might be acceptable, depending on the nature of the errors.
How to avoid plotholes when writing stories with dense mythologies? I've been brainstorming and working on worldbuilding, structure, characters and overall story development stuff for about 4 years now. Basically spending a lot of time brainstorming strong, well developed self contained ideas, only lightly juxtaposing ...	Make the plot-holes problems your characters have to solve. : Consider dumping artifacts onto both "continents" in earlier chapters from your time machine. Later on as you progress with the writing you find you can abandon the outline and just find ways of combining the different plot elements into a richer and more de...
Will changing a protagonist into an antagonist alienate readers? It's really hard for me to write questions here without giving a complete info dump on my story. Every time I start to explain my problem, I find myself writing an entire synopsis. This is my third attempt. Basically, I have someone who starts out as a ...	The reader may be drawn in to the tragic tale of this formerly good person being overcome by the situation in which she finds herself and gradually turning evil. A protagonist doesn't have be a hero. Some people will be turned off (they don't like grey) But I think it's relatively hard to pull off.
How to write a scene where something devastating suddenly happens? I've always struggled with writing scenes like these. For example, imagine a situation where two characters, Steve and Alice, are walking down the road. Suddenly, somebody shoots Alice, and she dies immediately. There's absolutely no build-up or warning...	Classically, you could also just throw it in the middle some where and use the rest of the chapter to explain how it effected the rest of the characters. You could either do it in the beginning and wait to 'solve the mystery' at the end of the chapter to keep the reader in it.
How to determine if a story would benefit from multiple first-person POVs? Originally I asked this question: What is a "methodology" I can I use/follow to determine the ideal set of protagonists for my story? , but found that it was too vague. Specifically, I'm trying to decide if my story would benefit from switchin...	If it fits well with the story, you could develop two separate "series" of books, one from each character's POV.
Help describing dogs' physical appearance and movement I'm writing a story about a group of dogs, mongrels mostly. I would like help finding the correct vocabulary to describe their physical appearance. Remember that, been mongrels, I can't say simply "he was a Doberman" or "he was a terrier"). All of the stories I've...	Talk to other dog owners.
Can anyone think of books that contain two separate stories or two very different perspectives on the same story being told together? I fear that the question sounds vague and confusing, but I can't conjure up the words I need to say exactly what I mean without going into detail. I thought it would be interesting to h...	There are "present" events and then how the characters interpret those events from a distant future. These stories end up being connected.
Is there a way to add discovery into a short story? I'm planning on writing a short story and I'm just wondering if it'd be possible to add an element of discovery into it. I think it'd be interesting if the reader would be able to learn things about the world in the book without having it handed to them, they would ne...	I'm hoping to put elements in the story that make the reader curious, but not completely sure as to what's going on behind the scenes.
How to write a story that spans decades I'm looking for techniques to write a fantasy story (A song of ice and fire style) but the problem is the duration of the story : The first three years there are lot of plots, and betrayals. After that a good lord rules the kingdom, in his reign nothing special happens, the pl...	Go to "Part II" of your book. Start the thing in medias res , in mid-action.
Writing Action In A fictional Journal I have written a story in the form of a journal. It's about a man who is going through a separation/divorce, living alone in an unfurnished apartment; now lonely and longing for companionship. Anyway, I've always felt that the beginning (first 40 or so pages) was kinda slow and w...	The build-up, the fantasies and that moment between entries, where we just want to know if he did it or not, should give your readers enough thrills.
Writing a bad review in a tactful way I have a blog which sometimes features bad reviews based on my personal research and point of view. Please help me know how to say something critical without being too hurtful . For example, the object is a piece of software, but when I use it and check it, the software contains ...	So long as you're not mean spirited and "punch down" on the person who created the thing you're critiquing, you should be fine. Try to close with something nice.
A good idea but I do not know how to develop it When you have a good idea for a book or screenplay, but you do not know how to develop this idea on paper, what do you do? <Q> There are some good 'from idea to finished book' guides out there. <S> I recommend for example the 10th season of the Writing Excuses podcast, th...	When you have actually written something then you can develop it. Just type (or write)! You can always use an outline, but when you skip it, a better story can come out because the imagination works all throughout the book, not just in the beginning.
If I use a real location for the setting of my book - Do I have to use existing schools or can I make them up? I'm writing a book and want to set the story in an existing location, such as Manchester, England. Does that mean that I have to use an existing school from Manchester, or can I make the school up? Other place...	You can use what is there when you want to and then make things up. Another potential problem with a real school is that you then need to be extra careful with character names.
Ways to make a character snap? I've approached a point in my story wherein one of my characters has just been broken out of a short stretch in prison (around a week). Seconds before being captured, he watched a good friend of his get killed, and spends a significant amount of the week grieving his loss. Whilst incarc...	Also, when you have a group of people who think one thing or act in one way ("his friends understand..."), it's often a sign that you need to think more about the individuals in the group and differentiate their views. There might be something deeper than the story.
Is translating into another language plagiarism? I'm currently writing my Masters thesis in English. If I take some (small) German text snippets from some papers (I'm German-speaking) and just translate them into English, would this be plagiarism? Secondly, if I have some English text snippet and just change most of...	Academic writing is about developing your own thougths and research, so yes, translation would probably be considered plagiarism, since it is not your own work (beside the translation part of course). In some countries, such as the USA, you are allowed certain fair use, while in other countries there is no provision fo...
Is it plagiarism to use something from a nonfiction work and put it into fiction? I was reading about this Japanese dance style written by a man who taught it. He said that the style was uniquely Japanese and few outsiders could really dance in the style properly. He said that he guessed that people from ancient cultur...	Utilizing a mindset you notice in real life in your work isn't plagiarism any more than setting your story in a location that actually exists. If you copied it from someone else, then your paper is a fraud.
Where do you do your writing? Do you do find you have a best place to do your writing? In the movies, writers seem to live and work in places with beautiful homes (lighthouses, windmills...) overlooking a valley or the sea. I've never found that scenery did much for me, but I had one productive stint working with a co-...	If you enjoy a beautiful view, then a place where there is a beautiful view is probably the WORST place to write, because you'd be constantly distracted. I just write in my room or in my office. In my opinion, any place and any tool that works is a good one. It really depends on how your brain works, and because of tha...
Need guidance on my writing method I have decided to take up writing as a hobby. First because I have so many ideas and like creating things. Second, because I enjoy it so far and thirdly, I like the idea that if my writing is any good, others may want to read it. So my issue right now has to do with my approach to wr...	If you ever want to finish a book, it is critical that you like writing. There are many different methods to creating a plot, and none of them are wrong; you just have to figure out what works for you. A writer can get a long way by emphasizing quantity over quality.
How should I format a point-of-view character's thoughts? Can you use italics in first person if you are showing the main character's inner thoughts even if the main character is also the narrator? I was told by someone if your whole novel is in first person you don't need italics. I wrote the sentence: Zion turned...	The point of italics is to separate the character's thought from the rest of the text and avoid any confusion between what's going on in the character's mind and what's happening in the "real" world around him.
Different types of "Flashbacks" In a novel, particurlarly fiction, what are the basic ways to reveal something that happened in the past? What ways, (flashback, protagonist telling, etc.) are the most used and most effective? Specifically, what is the technical distinction between the protagonist having a flashback, an...	A personality flashback occurs when there is an aspect of a character's personality that is best revealed through an anecdote from their past which illuminates who they are, but is not itself an incident in the story.
Tips for Coming Up with a Good Portmanteau (Name Smush) In advance of the recent blizzard which struck the East Coast of the U.S., many media outlets were trying to coin a catchy name to describe the event (mainly to hashtag it on social media, let’s be honest). What struck me was that no one name really caught on — ...	It helps when the two words share letters or sounds. Blizzard2016 isn't catchy.
How do you write a good product description? Are there any rules or procedure to write a great product description. Any examples of good desciptions online? <Q> Use vivid prose to accentuate the positive, and never mention the negative. <S> You are seeking to draw buyers into wanting to but <S> the product, so you sh...	Your description will need to tell what the product is, and describe it in the best possible light.
How do I write an emotional scene? The scene is about one of the protagonist who was until now, more a cold than a warm person. However she's not a sociopath, she just mostly hides her emotions and tends to push people she cares about away. Now the scene is very important. Her sister was kidnapped and she meets the oth...	How you can achieve vulnerability depends on in whose voice the story is told, and what access the narrator (if any) has to the internal life of the characters.
Is the Concept of "Machine of Death" Copyrighted? I am a fan of the book "Machine of Death"; http://machineofdeath.net/pdf/MachineofDeath_FINAL.pdf PDF Page 452 of the above link details the copyright for the material contained within the book. However I cannot determine if the actual concept of a "Machine of Death...	the NAME "Machine of Death" could be trademarked, if that's the actual name used in the stories you're stealing from ...
Referencing real and fictional people/characters in novels - legal implications I've been going out of my way to avoid referencing famous people in my novel as well as fictional characters, but I keep seeing pop culture references in other books I read as well as in TV shows, songs etc., and I'm wondering if I'm being ...	As long as you're just making references that don't portray them in a negative light, you're fine for brands and celebrities. No one's going to sue you for it.
Third person multiple pov in a crime mystery Fellow writers, I am plotting a crime mystery novel. I have the story and gist in place. It should have the "whodunit" element. I want to use Third person multiple pov narrative(more than 6+ povs). I've seen it done (but not in mystery) by having the character name at the b...	You can simply include the killer's narrative whenever you want to spice things up.
Use double or triple minus hyphen (-) to stand in for em dash? Should I use -- or --- to stand in for — ? I've seen people use double hyphen minus, but some apparently use triple. It could be nice to use triple, since then you can reserve double to stand in for en dash. P.S. I know that em dash can be typed directly o...	If you must enter text in typewriter style, I'd suggest using space and a double-hyphen for a dash.
Describing laughter in dialogue? I'm having a problem that is not addressed by The Chicago Manual of Style or the AP Style Guide I have access to: How does a writer express laughter in fiction? I have seen no consistent answer. It seems playwriting and screenplays generally include it since actors are taught to sa...	Handle laughter not as words spoken, but as a physical action.
Why do news articles and press releases start with date and location? Here's what I'm talking about: PALO ALTO, Calif., January 5, 2016 — Example Inc. today delivered on the promise to reinvent the PC by bringing premium consumer design into a commercial-grade device From what I found , my understanding is that t...	A dateline must be where the reporter reported from. It is a newspaper era journalism technique and ultimately I think its an easy and quick way for journalists to answer two of the important 'W's right off the bat.
Redouble, double, or double again? I have seen double and double again a lot. Redouble, not so much. I found out that redouble can mean to double again, to double, or in general to intensify whether that is double, triple, quintuple, or something else. So if I want to use double again I pretty much know when to use i...	"Redouble" is almost always used in the idiom to redouble one's effort , meaning to increase the effort one is exerting.
How do I write a fitting ending for an anti-hero? My protagonist is an anti-hero. He's manipulative, cunning, kills, and sacrifices others for the greater good, which is to destroy an oppressive regime. I'm at the point where he has destroyed the regime, secretly taken over and now is destroying the secret society whi...	If it's murder: someone important to him should die.
best licensing option for freest possible sharing of lyrics while retaining the right to get paid if someone else makes money from them I would like to share many song/poetry/lyric works. I would like to share them as freely as possible, allowing modifications, use of small pieces or lines or concepts, etc.. I want t...	If you license something, you're giving people the freedom to use it under certain conditions (eg, for noncommercial purposes).
How do I describe the effects of extreme psychological trauma on my protagonist? I am working on a novel where my young protagonist has certain character flaws/issues which are the result of having survived a horrific incident as a child. The incident occured during a time when many people, including a family member, d...	The person may also be plaited by destructive thoughts or beliefs about themselves. In the book I'm writing, I am planning a critical scene where the character freezes with a flash back at a very critical moment.

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