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Is this ununderstandable character part of the conflict? By "ununderstandable" I mean that this character I'm thinking of isn't human. He's more of a devil sort of thing. Of course he still has his motivations, goals, etc, but he's more of a tool rather than a force in the story. He just wants his thing and has basical...	In your story, if this demon-like being is the most personified force opposing your protagonist, he will be seen as antagonist and, consequently, a part of the conflict. Sometimes the character is one who is so vast and complex, so old and foreign, that he can only be grasped by the other characters but never really un...
How can I highlight changes in HTML output from Flare, based on branch diff? We use Madcap Flare for a large documentation set, with HTML output. (Flare source is a very HTML-y XML with some Flare-specific additions.) We use git for source control and new work is done on branches. This means that at the end we have ...	One way to very quickly get a navigable WYSIWYG dif of two HTML documents (old and new) would be to open them both in Word and use the compare documents function.
Would it be believable to defy demographics in a story? My story is set in the US. Would it be believable to the reader if I deviated from the norm that is also supported by demographic data? How many of the following deviations can I get away with? A female character marries an older guy and have a child before s...	None of your examples are outside the norm, meaning they're all things people wouldn't think were unusual. Some people marry young, some marry old, some don't marry at all.
How to collect scattered ideas on various topics in to a blog post/ writing article? I try to write on various Q&A sites, but now I am thinking about having my own blog website. The main thing is that I don't know exactly what my niche topics would be for blogs. I write on various scattered topics. Among those: how to ...	If you just want a personal blog, there's no right or wrong answer as to how to set it up . If you really want to focus on one specific topic you should write a few posts and see whether you can find a common denominator to all of them.
Do I need to convey a moral for each of my blog posts? I'm thinking of starting a blog. I'm confused about whether giving a moral in each blog post is a good idea or not. Will it sound like a lecture to my readers? Will they see it as monotonous and eventually not return to my blog website? FYI: I'm trying to write ab...	But overall, no: you don't need to convey a moral.
Symbolism of 18 Journeyers In my story, 12 year old Ruth has visions from another place and time which lead her to gather a group of kids for a quest. She is told there will be 18 kids, but she can only find 17 with the specific requirement. They travel together and, upon arriving, discover a stowaway. This boy know...	You can find ways to emphasize the 18 by the ways in which you can factor 18, and indirectly that is how you can geometrically arrange 18. It can have meaning; you could use this early in the story as an excuse to pair some characters that become friends; perhaps two kids with the same birthday. If you're hoping to mak...
Writing a Novel based on a Self-help Guide Book I just want to be clear on this before I do any sort of writing with regards to the subject. So I have an idea for a novel that shows a person trying to obtain his objectives using the lessons and ideas of a famous (and real) self-help book. My question is, do I still n...	If you are using the exact title or exact quotes or ideas from the book, you will have to ask for the writer's permission as otherwise it would be considered as copyright infringement and plagiarism. If you're using some general ideas, that are not specifically his (not imposed or put forward only by him) then you can ...
Is there a place for an epilogue in a standalone novel? By definition, an epilogue is an additional chapter after the end of a book. Also, it literally means "additional word". I can imagine a need for an epilogue in a series of novels when there is a need to prepare for a sequel. But are there situations that one wou...	An epilogue is also common when the story is presented in the form of a narration. Epilogues are especially welcome if your story is strongly focused on characters, and throughout the story they (like most of us) have thoughts about their future, plans and fears.
Personal or impersonal in a technical resume In CVs or on Linkedin profiles there are often spaces dedicated to past experience. In those sections, one is supposed to describe what work he/she did and what skills he/she acquired on previous workplaces/projects. In this context, is it better to describe the experienc...	The personal style has one big advantage, especially for people who are a bit shy about "selling themselves".
How can I safely use "Thalidomide" in my novel while respecting the trademark? Thalidomide is a tricky one, as I am referring to its disastrous past regarding birth defects; however, Thalidomide is still used as a immunomodulatory drug today - and even though its used under another name, I'm worried about using the tra...	If all you're doing is mentioning that a character has a disability caused by thalidomide, even if it were a trademarked product, you're probably fine, as it is well-documented that these cases happened.
What is special in API documentation compared to general technical writing? The title says it all: what is special in Application Programming Interface documentation compared to general technical writing? What aspects should I take care of? <Q> API stands for "application programming interface". <S> API documentation...	All technical writing should be clear, give good examples, etc.
Is it acceptable to use props I saw in a movie in my story? I was watching a movie and, in multiple scenes, the characters were using a set of coffee cups that I haven't seen before. I realized my Main Character is the type of person who would have and use such a set. Is it acceptable to use those exact ones in my nov...	If the design on the cups is something done by the set designers or artists employed by the movie, then they own the copyright on that design, as part of the copyright on their movie. If they were objects unique to a particular movie setting, like the lightsabers in Star Wars, you'd raise a few eyebrows at least, but t...
In a professional email you need to quote something from a business document. How do you write this? This is in a professional email. I'm quoting from a business document that was sent to the person that I'm writing the email to. I need to clarify something, and to do so I need to quote from a section in the document....	Cite it exactly like you would a source for which you have a full name, except the name is "Anonymous."
How to write character's emotional reactions in a screenplay? Question : When writing my screenplay, I frequently find the urge to describe a character's emotion. However, I have read somewhere (I forget where) that this should be left to the actor to some extent, the actor should understand the story enough to know h...	If the emotion is important to the story, state it succinctly.
Sending manuscript to multiple publishers As an addendum to this question , I have written a children's picturebook, and as I understand it, the process of sending off a manuscript and getting it reviewed is expected to take 3-6 months (I am based in the UK). Is it bad form to send the manuscript to multiple publishe...	If you are lucky enough to get multiple requests for your manuscript, each of those counts as a submission. Publishers expect that you do. And you mustn't submit to publishers before you submit to an agent.
Shortening a title without changing its meaning Essentially, I want to change: Managing a lot of people is a very difficult problem to: Lot of people, difficult problem I understand that when you shorten a title, it will become more vague, but sometimes, I feel like when you shorten it too much the meaning become...	It's fine to shorten but only when the reader can fill in the blank.
Fleshing out the character motivation from the plot I decided to give a try to the snowflake method. The idea is that you gradually expand the story from a blurb into a full draft. This question stems from the character-characterization step, but it applies in general to the understanding of a character. I am at the p...	Vengeance doesn't work without context, unless you want to write a character who wants to avenge everyone from the wrongdoings of everyone else . In order to feel real and interesting, characters must be complete - they can't be just props that spring up into motion as the plot happens. Maybe a possible solution would ...
Is there a "writer's room" for poetry? Is poetry always a solo endeavor? TV scriptwriting is classically done in a Writer's Room, where the show-runner outlines the main plot/character beats for a season, they and senior writers break out those elements into individual shows, then one or two writers create the draft, ...	Many great poets have been birthed out of a community of poets who may not directly collaborate, but whose work informs each other in significant ways.
Creating character imagery without describing their physical looks This is more for my own curiosity than anything else but I was wondering if when reading about a character with no specified gender and no description of their looks, does the choice of words used to describe their personality affect what your mental im...	Beyond gender readers will start to form an image based on things we know about them -
How to write about trauma I never experienced So, in a story, I have a girl who has been ritually abused and raped by her father for being born, as he wanted sons to continue his bloodline. Thing is, this sort of thing has never happened to me. Feeling worthless every day? Yes. Trying and failing to measure to impossib...	Try to read more about biographies of victims who have gone through such unfortunate traumatic experiences and bounced back and try to build an emotional connect. A good writer may end up writing something which a reader can completely relate to but the writer might not have ever experienced it. Doing some research is ...
Is a tag line useful on a cover? I am playing around with cover art ideas and have some that are quite interesting. I have added a brief tag line, not quite a subtitle, to the cover to indicate the genre. Frankly, the artistic photo of the guns that I am thinking of using should clue people in to the fact this is not a...	In short any tag, like any blurb, should be carefully chosen to attract those likely to approve of the work, and give a reasonably honest idea of the kind of book it is.
Is Social Media Science Fiction? I am writing a science fiction story (actually a screenplay for a film, but I imagine that for the purposes of this question the same rules apply) and I have been told that it isn't really science fiction. It's a series of vignettes with an overarching plot about the snowball effect, an...	Oxford Living Dictionary defines science fiction as: fiction based on imagined future scientific or technological advances and major social or environmental changes, frequently portraying space or time travel and life on other planets. It isn't science fiction, it is just Contemporary fiction, aka Realistic fiction.
How to create a consistent feel for character names in a fantasy setting? Recently while doing some world-building for a role-playing game with a friend we were seriously struggling with naming character consistently. By consistently I mean make the names feel as though the belonged to the same culture or race. We had...	Pick one name, and morph its phonemes to fit each of your particular languages to paint a picture of a shared history.
How to avoid drifting into a different genre? My intention is to write a novel that falls into the "contemporary fiction" genre. Also, maybe, the "family drama" subgenre, if such a thing exists. I have a plot point that puts one of my characters in legal trouble, in turn, this affects the protagonist and requires a l...	Use the details your story requires. To directly answer your question, I think the straight answer is: If you don't want to get into details about the legal case, then ... don't. Firstly don't get too hung up on the genre
What benefits might there be to membership in a Writer's Guild? I live in the publishing hinterlands. I was reading some query letters that worked and one thing they had in common was mention of attendance at a conference. What benefits could a membership give one that would be worth the price of admission? Do they a...	At first, it seemed like it was worth the price tag: I went to a few meetings, heard some fairly interesting talks from professionals in the business, and even had my agent contract assessed FOC via an SOA lawyer . For writers this may include trending topics, changes in publishing procedures, networking help, and so o...
How to handle characters who are more educated than the author? This is inspired by a few things that have been breaking my immersion when reading Worm . The main protagonist is a teen, and most chapters are first-person POV, so grammatical casualness fits. I don't expect her to use subjunctive, and her use of "anyw...	So an adult constantly around many kids, if they are paying attention, will pick up on the lingo, and may themselves slip into usage of it, sometimes as a joke with their peers, sometimes talking to kids, etc.
How to format quick flashes in a screenplay? Question : In my screenplay, the main character occasionally suffers quick flashes, like visions. I have been unable to assert if I am formatting these correctly. Please also note the single and double line spaces, where I have tagged my 'QUICK FLASH' and 'BACK TO SCENE's a...	I think you're correct in that there isn't necessarily a right or wrong way to do it, what matters is that someone reading it is able to follow it easily. If these visions are occurring a lot throughout the scene and form a continuous scene on their own then you could also use an intercut: introduce the scene headings ...
What is a more techy Technical Writer job title that isn't cutesy or confusing? I have been hired as a Technical Writer at a firm who needed multiple types of writers: A few people were hired to write content for the average website reader interested in our product, such as a Product Manager, and user documentation, s...	As suggested in this answer , some use Programming Writer.
How can I introduce the names of fantasy creatures to the reader? In the story, these fantasy creatures are everyday animals that most people in the story already know. How can I introduce them in an natural way that instantly makes readers remember their names? The story is in comic book form, so that might open up a ...	The easiest way is to have someone say the name while looking at the animal and having a frame in your comic where the animal is the center. If you have an animal that plays the role that cats play in our real world for example you could have someone angrily say "Get the damn qutie from our table!" Comic books give you...
How to find the right literary agent in the USA? I want to publish an English language book in the USA as a foreigner. Someone told me that the USA is mainly interested in American subjects, so anything else is quite hard to sell. Besides the fact of what America does towards non-American books written by a foreigner, ...	Getting an agent is a numbers game, and the more options you have, the better. I suggest you look for books on related topics to yours, specifically .
At what point does an interesting analogy become a distraction? I've written a book. My question is if it is in bad {taste, karma, policy} to use an analogy that is disrupting to the reader's stream of consciousness. The quote in question is this: Like a banana at an ice cream party, we decided to split up. This s...	Just because you think something is funny doesn't make it a good idea for the scene you are writing; "funny" is not always appropriate.
Is my book too weird to be published? This question may have already been answered, but I'm just making sure. So, I'm just making a silly book for fun. It's short (compared to other books) but I'd say it's decent. However, let's say I wanted to publish it. Would it be too weird to publish? The book I've been writing ...	I'd say, for a short book, pitch it as a young children's book. No guarantees in the publishing business, but weird isn't a dealbreaker. Any silly or weird or odd story can.
Is it ok if some of my city names are the same as the ones in other books/series/video games/ pieces of work? My book has a few place names that are also present in other pieces of media, for example, one of my cities is called "Manalin" and I just found out that there is a planet in Star Wars also called Manalin. The ...	You could trademark them, but unless it is a major central location, no one will do that. Legally you ought to be in the clear, especially in places with real-world parallels.
How to tell people you write smut/erotica/porn So, I am a person who writes titillating stories. Problem is, I want a way to tell people what I write in a way that doesn't seem like I'm some sort of pornstar or filmmaker. Because "I write porn/erotica/smut" is typically frowned upon, how do I tell people without being ...	If you write erotica, call it erotica. If you wish to deal with specific categories of people who have specific keyword triggers, then you could work your way into a fancy description of your activity: "I write stories for adults only."
POV - 3rd Person Rules and Exceptions? I'm stuck on a POV question in a short story I'm writing. The entire story is written in 3rd Person, but not omniscient - I guess it's either "distant limited" or "deep" (I'm not sure exactly the difference and where my story lands, maybe someone can help). That said there are onl...	You cannot randomly change POV in the middle of a paragraph just to get in that one critical snipe at your main character. For your third example, yes, only what the boy can hear is fair game.
Writing "hahaha" versus describing the laugh When posting an excerpt of my book on a critiquing site, someone commented on my use of "hahaha" inside the dialogue instead of just having a laughing verb after or before it. They said it took them out of the reading. Obviously, this is subjective, so rather I will ask this...	If the laughing comes during the dialogue, you can use a laughing tag.
Is there an online tool which supports shared writing? I want to write a short story (and maybe later a book) together with a colleague from work. Is there an online service which we can use to do this in a convenient way? Useful features would be (not all necessary): write at the same time and immediately see what...	This sounds like Google Docs, perhaps combined with Trello (for the Kanban board and calendar view), would do for you. GanttProject offers everything I need, only used it offline though. Depending on what you use for writing, you should consider git. Another alternative (if you are not afraid to use LaTeX) would be Ove...
Can monster/beasts be in a psychological horror I am working on a psychological horror with an extra element. Monsters, and I don’t mean ghosts. My characters will face suspicions, distrust, paranoia and emotional disturbances. They will deal with these issues while trying to stop and survive these monsters in an empty...	I would highly recommend you watch the Twilight Zone as a good number of the stories are Psychological.
How to find different meanings behind metaphors used in speech writing? I'm looking for ways to discover what others might think when they hear or see a metaphor used in a speech. I tend to think a certain way. I have certain prejudices. I think we all do. If I use a metaphor, I'm pretty certain that it will invoke the...	Write what you want, show it to people you trust, revise, then show (or read) it to a more diverse group of listeners, especially those similar to your expected audience. You can ask for feedback specifically on your metaphors, if you like, asking what the group thought.
What kind of metaphor is "trees in the wind"? What kind of metaphor is "trees in the wind"? I saw God in the Forest Teachin' Tai Chi To the trees in the wind Bowing to the sea Excerpt from http://www.bensollee.com/panning-for-gold What I find odd is that the reference is "trees in the wind" and not just a word...	More explicitly stated, the metaphor is that the trees move to and fro in the wind because God (using the wind) is teaching them Tai Chi.
What is the most important characteristic of New Weird as a genre? Recently I've stumbled across China Miéville's novels. Apparently, they fit in a genre called Weird Fiction , or to be even more specific New Weird , where the "new" is used to distinguish new writers from literary sources as Lovecraft. Yet, in my op...	If I had to redefine it, I'd call it Contemporary magical realism, but with a horror-influenced sensibility. New Weird exists to overturn cliches and twist the traditional."
How to write a vulnerable moment without it seeming cliche or mushy? So, I have a kinda loudmouthed character who's always the first to fight and first to go on the offensive (This is a fantasy, so she fights a lot.) But, later in the story, she comes across someone she truly fears, and finds that she must fight that p...	For example, if I have a sad, crying character but I don't want the typical "sad, crying" character to be depicted, then I search for words such as: sad, crying and I look at the synonyms to those words- Essentially, you have the character express at length in narrative (protest too much) There is a trick for this in T...
In one book can one narrator be in present and the other in past? I'm currently planning a book series that is told from the first person perspective of 5 different characters. I have a different voice for all of the characters, but I think that 2 of the characters should narrate in the present tense and the others in ...	It depends on the tense(s) of the five stories in relation to each other and the overall setting, I've seen narratives set in the past in the present tense when telling it in the first person after the fact, and it's quite effective.
When writing an error prompt, should we end the sentence with a exclamation mark or a dot? When writing an error prompt, should we end the sentence with a exclamation mark or a dot? I am writing an application for iPhone and I have some error prompt in my application like "Your password must be 8 character long with a...	As an end user, an error message with an exclamation mark feels insulting
I have a dialogue that I can't write directly. What would be a good alternative? My attempt at the current writing challenge features a flock of sparrows. Since the actual "dialogue" between two sparrows would sound like a bunch of cheeping, I need another way to show what they're saying. Here are the options I've ...	Just use English, in quotes, like any dialogue.
How can I make some of my chapters "come to life"? In my current WIP, I re-read through some of my chapters, and they seem completely dry and dull. I need to add some oomph to it- it seems my descriptions, and just plain storytelling (in some of my chapters) are mundane. What should I do to give it some excitement to k...	Also remember most scenes should have their own arc, with rising and falling action, climax and resolution. If I couldn't find anything to get excited over, then I would change the scene , or get rid of it entirely. Put conflict in every scene.
Why am I getting a strange double quote (“) in Open Office instead of the ordinary one (")? Why am I getting a strange double quote (“) in Open Office instead of the ordinary one (")? Every time I type the double quote, I get the weird version instead of the ordinary one. How do I get the normal one instead when I typ...	According to the OpenOffice wiki , you can change this behavior by opening the AutoCorrect options, clicking the “Localized Options” tab, and un-checking the “Replace” option in the “Double quotes” section.
Should I explain the reasons for gaslighting? I have an ambiguous script situation, 2 co-protagonists begin gaslighting the MC. They each have ulterior motives which they don't say. The reader is intended to infer the lies through contradictory statements, and the abrupt character change. The shift is so extreme it...	Your goal is for the reader to gradually figure out what is going on. This and other stories like it are designed to make her not trust herself when she drinks (because she might harm someone) and to destroy any potential support she may have. I'd avoid ever using the term "gaslighting."
Does every chapter have to "blow the reader away" so to speak? I amended some of my chapters so that they're more intriguing and engaging for my readers. But there's one particular chapter in which one of my beta-readers stated, "It's intriguing, but it doesn't blow me away like the first two chapters did," <Q> No, not...	Not every chapter needs to blow the reader away If you don't think you can further deliver mind-blowing writing, then you may want to consider revising the initial premise. Chapters are parts of a bigger work where there is an expectation of both continuity of scope and uniformity of perception.
Past vs. present tense when referring to a fictional character What would you write when referring to a fictional character in a non-fiction work? e.g. Tom Sawyer is a boy, he has no parents, he goes on adventures or Tom Sawyer was a boy, he had no parents, he went on adventures. <Q> Tom Sawyer's friendship with Huckle...	If the non-fiction work is an essay or similar analysis of the literary work, I would use present tense.
A flower's head or heart? I’m currently writing a story and one of my characters is a butterfly. In one of the scenes, she manages to run away from a bunch of hungry lizards and hides into a flower; let’s say a Zinnia. When describing the scene I wrote: “……she dived into the Zinnia’s head and hastily rolled into t...	Both "head" and "heart" have other connotations; using either of those terms might pull the reader out of the story.
Is it a bad idea to have a pen name with only an initial for a surname? My name is Ana Novkovic and I'm about to start writing and all that. I really really don't like my last name Novkovic. It's so hard to pronounce and I worry it would just distract readers and not look good. I am considering using the pen name Ana...	Using the initial for the surname may actually be more distracting for the reader, because it seems like a deliberate attempt at hiding identity, such as is done when writing tell-all books about some long-held secret. You can publish under any name you choose.
How do we write a movie script with a view towards establishing all of the visual symbolisms and how they should be interpreted? How do we write a movie script with a view towards establishing all of the visual symbolisms and how they should be interpreted? Often, movie scripts often only have dialogues and some very ...	You might fit your symbolism into dialogue (which the director may cut, if it isn't critical to the story).
When two first person POV characters meet NOTE: I've seen this question asked when the POV is third but not first. I write psychological thrillers that move quickly and focus heavily on what is going on in the mind of the protagonist. As such, I write in present tense, first person POV. This hasn't been a problem up ...	It's not uncommon to have the same scene told first by one character Answer : Here's my instinct: I'd keep 1st/1st, but recommend looking at the voice of each character and making it as extreme and distinct from the other character's as possible.
Would it be a copyright violation if I made a character’s full name refer to a song? I want to write a realistic fiction book similar to Thomas Hardy’s works, where he used techniques and Biblical references (they were also called allusions) to make his writing more meaningful, and to prove points about Victorian socie...	It might not violate copyright, but that doesn't mean that it's a good idea.
Using “sparkling” as a diminutive of “spark” in a poem How would you react if you saw the word “sparkling” being used as a diminutive of “spark” in a poem? Although poetry does allow for potentially unlimited flexibility, as a non-native speaker I wonder if it sounds awkward. Ideally, I would be glad to see any examp...	If I were to come across this without any context, I would probably read it as a verb or adjective (sparkling water, sparkling like a firework, etc).
Alternatives to Second-Person POV Narration I am someone with no formal writing background, who has come to love writing for the fantasy adventure role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons (fifth edition) during my free time. I am currently running the adventure that accompanies the Starter Set for 5th Edition Dungeons a...	I'm not a RPG player, but it sounds to me like you are engaged in standard fiction writing with a 3rd person neutral narrator; perhaps unlimited (knows what all characters think and feel). Basically you need to turn your attention away from the player characters to give your players the room they need to interpret the ...
How can I portray a resentful character without making them overtly angry? I am writing a fiction story about a elite unit, SFD (Strike Force Delta), during the Third World War. The war is basically extremely variable, it lasts from 2025 to 2030. I like to call it the 'mixing pot war' because all of the theaters of the...	The assumption that the character may react in anger imbues the character with resentfulness. You need to really get into this particular character's bones, be that particular character.
Term for a character that only exists to be talked to I just saw a two-person play where one character did the majority of the talking and the other seemed to exist only to give the other character someone to talk to. I've seen this happen in books and TV as well, and sometimes a normally strong character will take thi...	If the person only asks questions, you could also call them the querent .
What's it called when the bad guy gets eaten? Is there a specific name for the plot device in which the story's "Big Bad" has a cunning plan to use some monstrous being to further their diabolical machinations. This may be something summoned from elsewhere, brought back from banishment after earlier issues, or even the...	The Sealed Evil in a Can will inevitably turn on the one who freed it — sometimes sooner, sometimes later. In Frankenstein the protagonist had created a creature that backfired on him and ruined his life.
Is it stylistically sound to use onomatopoeic words? I'm writing a non-comedic fantasy novel, and I find myself using onomatopoeic words, like "SLAM!" and "TWISH" (for the shooting of arrows). To my knowledge, onomatopoeic words are almost only used in cartoons and comic books/manga. Perhaps also in cinematography whic...	You can use onomatopoeia in any genre - at least you certainly can if you're using a first person narrative; I'm not completely sure about third person, but I wouldn't.
How do we handle pauses in a dialogue? How do we handle pauses in a dialogue? Let's say that character A speaks and then after a pause character A speaks again. How should we separate the two moments, should we write two lines of dialogues or should we cut the two lines of dialogues with a brief description? For exam...	Amadeus's solution is a good one, but if you really want to keep these sentences within dialogue, without filling the gaps with anything else, you can also use ellipses to indicate pauses within speech.
Should you avoid redundant information after dialogue? Should we avoid repeating redundant information after a dialogue and is there a way around this? Sometimes, you feel prompted to write the description of an action that follows a line, but that also seems to be redundant, and it leads to some pretty bad prose. How ...	If there's nothing new to tell, you don't have to make it up:
Ambiguous sentences: How to tell when they need fixing? A story of mine has the following sentence: Alyssa was possessed by a sudden, fierce urge to snatch the teacup out of her sister's hand and dump the contents into her perfectly arranged hair. On further reflection, I realized this sentence is ambiguous: I ne...	Unless the reader is analyzing the text word by word, the flow of the material should carry the reader along so quickly that the (potential) ambiguity is disposed of before it is even recognized by the reader. If the object pronoun, ‘her’ in this case, doesn’t have a clear antecedent then the sentence will be ambiguous...
What is a self expression article called? I've been blogging for a while and I only write my thoughts and opinions on topics such as world peace, social matters, art & culture, and various other topics. I want to make a living writing from those articles and I want to know the name of those type of articles so that I c...	In a magazine, they're articles. I'm used to seeing them called "opinion pieces" when they run in a print newspaper. I've heard them called 'personal essays' when we were assigned them in class.
When to finally reveal plot twist to characters? In a post-apocalyptic novel I'm writing (which is the subject of many questions I've asked on Writing.SE), I recently cut out my entire Chapter 10-11. I was revealing the MC, Eris' finékinesis (death-force manipulation) to her love interest, Caspian, and her accidental ...	: Put the reveal at the halfway point, assuming you have a bigger twist waiting for the climax.
Is it okay for a chapter's POV to shift as it progresses? I have this duo in my novel, they're always together in chapters. Usually the story alternates between them within their plot, though mostly leaning to one of the characters, as he's one of the MCs and he's pretty significant to the plot and world. Though, sin...	To me it generally feels a little awkward when you have a whole novel written predominantly in one POV, but then one part of one chapter shifts the POV.
Can I modify and turn my published short stories into a novel? I'm writing some short stories that are all connected and are set in the same universe, because I planned to put them together into a novel later. My question is: If I publish those short stories, can I later modify and extend them into a novel, even if the...	Unless you have a contract with a publisher that legally prevents it, you can do whatever you like with your own work. It's actually pretty common for writers to turn a short story (or several) into a novel.
Has anyone ever written a novel or short story composed of only dialogue? The participants describe everything needed for the story to continue, within the conversation. The environment, the emotions, everything. The reader gets to "see" it all through their words.Has it been done before? EDIT: I have written 5 chapte...	The most recent example I can think of is World War Z which, as it is "An oral history of the zombie war", can be considered to be a piece of almost pure dialogue.
Trivial non-dark twist in dark fantasy I am writing a rather dark, grey fantasy story. It is supposed to feature a twist that turns the antagonist's goal to not to be evil at all (just misjudged) and really trivial (despite requiring large dose of effort). The protagonist changes for the worse, but I still get the feel...	This works quite well if the "twist" is that the protagonists initially thought that the "unexpected side-effect" was actually the antagonist's main plan all along - while the antagonist may not realise that they are the cause, or even be completely unaware.
Do we have to introduce the character's name before using their names in a dialogue tag? Do we have to introduce the character's name before using their names in a dialogue tag? I am wondering if we can use the names without saying it's a man or a woman, and then making the characters introduce themselves and name them...	You want to be clear, but you definitely can identify a new speaker without any description and just "blah blah blah," Charname said.
How to write references? I am writing a document for my project, and some information is from another website, I didn't copy the text but use their data, do I need to write that website in references? If so, how to? And that website is not in English. Thanks! <Q> If the website is a journal, it will have a name that ...	If the authors of the website produced the data, then cite them like you would the authors of a work published on paper. check whether their data has a specific licence that would require a specific type of reference (e.g. copying part of the licence for derivative work).
How to avoid unconsciously copying the style of my favorite writer? I've been reading and writing for a long time. Last year, I was introduced to Haruki Murakami. I don't know if it's case for every writer trying to figure out their voice, but for me, once I read his novels, I clearly and determinately said, "These a...	: Write something in Murakami's style. If writing a Sherlock Holmes story, pepper it with "Elementary, my dear Watson" (which Doyle never wrote).
How to foreshadow to avoid a 'deus ex machina'-construction The plot in my story revolves around a certain ability of the MC that is normally not available, unless the circumstances are just right. Therefore, it is not mentioned in the story as a solution to the MC's problem, as the ability is considered to be somethin...	Another idea would be the following: If the special ability of your main character activates under certain circumstances, let them get into similar circumstances and nearly , but not fully activate the power. You needn't reveal that the character has the ability, but you need to reveal the fact that the ability exists....
Is the MC in first person singular always all knowing? While writing a first-person singular novel, is the MC all-knowing? How do we handle plots which do not include the MC, like something happening with others but not including MC? Will it be taken as granted that as the story has already happened MC knows it all. ...	In a past-tense first-person narrative, the narrator has the benefit of hindsight, and will know things they shouldn't know at that point in the narrative.
Shifting tenses in the middle of narration I am writing a short story where the narrator is recording a message to his daughter about some tragic event and in between the narration, the narrator sometimes tries to address directly his daughter. Basically, the narrator recounts his story in the past tense, since it hap...	So long as it's done in a way that isn't confusing to the reader, and so long as there's some level of consistency and order to it, there is no reason to avoid a change in tense.
Why do most authors shed their LitRPG elements as the stories go? Is it a genre convention? In almost all the LitRPG stories I read, the start of the stories is full of system messages, +1 here and there, even damage prompts saying "Goblin hits Hero for -8 HP". Classes, skills, experience points galore. For those that...	It's an anti-realist convention intended to make things less tedious and annoying for both the reader and the writer. Current practice for attention-calling literary elements --I'm thinking primarily here of things like accents and dialects --is to start out with enough to give the flavor, and then to assume that the r...
(Self-)publishing a book using copyrighted material - adaptation for younger readers I have written and drawn a children's book. It's an adaptation of the Hobbit condensed into 32 pages aimed at 4-8 year olds (can be read to and read by children). I had the book printed for private use (it was a Christmas present) but ...	If you re-told the story in your own words, told essentially the same story but didn't copy any of the words from the original book, you're PROBABLY safe on copyright grounds but would still be open to trademark violation. You could talk to the copyright owners, but my guess is that given the popularity of "The Hobbit"...
What kind of name should a fantasy author go by? I'm currently in the middle of writing several fantasy books and, even though I'm not done with any of them, I can't stop thinking about how my name will appear on my books once they are finished. I remember reading somewhere that authors should go by names that are sor...	If you want to use your name, just use your name. If you write for the pleasure of writing, or if the content of your writing is important to you, then your pen name should not matter.
Do living authors still get paid royalties for their old work? Do authors still get paid royalties for their old works? For example, If I decided to buy a copy of the "Odessa File" by Frederick Forsyth or "Kane and Abel" by Jeffery Archer, do the authors get paid royalties for them? Another example would be me buying ...	A publisher pays the author royalties in exchange for the rights to publish their work.
Author and Illustration owner I paid an illustrator to do the art for my picture book and I now own the artwork. Am I then allowed to submit to agents as an author/illustrator? How does this work? <Q> No, that would be dishonest. <S> If you say "I am an illustrator", that means that you draw illustrations. <S> The fact...	You can say, "I wrote this book and I also own the copyright on the illustrations" or something to that effect. It's at-the-least unethical to claim their work as yours , even if you have legal ownership of it.
Lost my ‘magic’ concerning characters I love creating characters, and for me it’s been the joy of writing for however long I’ve been doing it. I have maybe three or four unfinished projects which house characters whom I love, and they’re like little pieces of me and those around me. (I’m working hard to finish one of t...	Sometimes, it helps to step back and try to let your characters write the story instead.
Should I stick with American terminology in my English set young adult book? I am writing a book that is set in England, but because I would get the book published in America I don't know what terminology to use. My main character is in the equivalent of 7th grade but in England they would call it Year 8, which might b...	If the entire book is simply set in a foreign country you would use local terms but translate prose to American English when appropriate.
Anthropomorphic animals in romantic relationships with other species Basically I’m wondering whether it’s totally weird or if people wouldn’t give much thought to it. I’ll use Zootopia as an example. If the main characters (a fox and a rabbit) were in a relationship, would that be really off putting? <Q> I think people...	If neither character is human, then I don't think any of your readers will even blink an eye (so long as both are humanoid and mammalian at least).
How to write a non-fiction book? I've heard that in order to write a non-fiction book I need to write notes and then put them together to make a book, but I'm writing notes from possible 4 completely different books, so when should I start turning these notes into a book? Should I be in a hurry and write as soon as po...	To answer your question, you should start writing as soon as you have completed your story arc.
Doubt about the concept of "true (or complex) character" Following the answer of @Cyn and my comment (on Doubt about a particular point of view on how to do character creation ): I would like to know more about how to "know" more about a true alived character. Now, if you think a little bit, the one will find a parti...	They are a person in your head, the action comes from how you see that person. Your fully realized character has an entire life story, not just what you plan to write about them in your book.
Male viewpoint in an erotic novel Most erotica today is written by and for women, and bestselling erotica is narrated from a female point of view. The "male pornographic gaze" that sexualizes the female body has been considered offensive by the predominant culture and mostly eradicated from contemporary mainstream lite...	Borrow liberally from male-oriented (often Japanese) erotic literature.
Is there a better way to introduce acronyms through a dialogue? Is there a better way to introduce acronyms through a dialogue? One way of doing it, is to mention what the acronym stands for at the beginning and then use the acronym afterward, but that's a bit weird and unnatural, because people won't say "National Aer...	If you are writing fiction and you are referring to a real world acronym that your characters would all know, just use the acronym.
What techniques authors use to keep track of their cast? There is a problem as stories progress (especially in never-ending web novels) where the cast of characters keep growing. Some webnovels I follow are in the hundreds! Is there a technique for authors to keep track of their cast of characters? <Q> The only techni...	Make a list of all your characters and write down enough to remind yourself of the personality of each character.
Research Paper Summary: How much should be citations versus original thought? I'm finalizing a single-paragraph summary of a multi-page research paper for school and I was concerned when I noticed that most of my summary was in my own words. I mean that most of what I wrote was not citing the original paper's author bu...	If all you are doing is citing an information source to support an assertion, make the assertion in your own words and cite the source in a footnote. When I taught ENGL 100 and Technical Communication, I advised students to quote only for Poetry or Precision -- if there's no other way to say the sentence without losing...
How do you use the interjection for snorting? How do you use the interjection for snorting? I was told that "snort" is an onomatopoeia, but I disagree. "Haha" and "Heh heh" would be onomatopoeia, because they are pronounced the way they are written. The act of snorting sounds like you are exhaling hair like "Pshht", bu...	I'd just use "Snort!
Is it the right call to title my romance a 'legend'? I am writing a book and I plan to call it "Legend of (name of the protagonist)". But I'm writing in first person (protagonist). Searching the meaning of the word "legend" in google I get: "a traditional story, sometimes popularly regarded as historical, but unauthent...	If you have written a legend, telling it in first person is perhaps a mistake.
Bad to start story with VR/non-real scene? I'm coming up with an outline for a cyberpunk story. I want to establish (at some point) that the main character has marksmanship proficiency by starting my cyberpunk story with a VR sequence, in which the character is firing arrows as an Elf/Orc/some other fantasy race (akin ...	It can cause a reader to lose interest. I wouldn't do it, the opening of a book is to show the actual normal world of your Main Character, and quickly (like within four pages) have them interacting with some one else, even a walk-on we won't see again. There's nothing wrong with starting your story with a fantasy VR se...
I’m having a hard time deciding whether this is a redemption arc So I have a character in a dystopian novel I’m working on by the name of Tyler. He’s inspired by Alex Høgh Andersen’s portrayal of Ivar the Boneless, and his death... is interesting. He’s, for the most part, an antagonist in the story, and I really felt b...	Whether it's redemption or not depends on what made him a bad guy to begin with. All this is, is a man sticking to his core motivation, and the consequence thereof costs him his life.
Is there a way to make editing enjoyable? I have my first draft more-or-less complete, and I've been working on editing it now. There is one big problem: I hate editing I find editing to be so draining. I'll open up a chapter to edit and it'll turn into a endless spiral of finding problems with my writing. Badly worde...	By having a set goal to accomplish and working towards it I have found editing to be less arduous and more enjoyable. Before continuing a story I sit down with a cup of coffee and re-read the last chapter or two - to get myself back into the zone. You have to be selective, and decide what can be cut, what can be assume...
Using a prominent phrase from the title of a film in the body of an article, essay or paper, without referencing the title I'll start with a clear example. You are writing an essay about the film The Wizard of Oz . Following the rules of titles, you put the film title in italics whenever you use it. But then you use...	When referring to the person or the character you would NOT italicize.
Is the phrase “You are requested” polite or rude? I along with my guide wrote a research publication, which had to be sent to a journal for the purpose of review. My professor wrote the cover letter of the paper as follows: Dear Editor in Chief You are requested to review the paper "Title of the paper".... Thanks ...	Perhaps "you have been requested" would fit better, as it is a passive phrase that removes some of the causation from the request. If you look at suggested cover letters for writers to submit to editors, for example, they'll say things such as "I’m submitting this to be considered for publication...".
My pen jams up every minute or so whenever I write, what could cause this? I've been having an issue for the past few months where I'm writing along merrily and then my pen stops up and refuses to put ink down onto the paper, and the only thing that will get it working is a few seconds of intense scribbling. I'm using ...	I would also suggest having cheap paper handy to scribble on while getting the ink flowing again.
In which sections of a research report is it appropriate to include citations? I have been doing some research on citations and haven't been able to get a clear answer on this. When writing a project report, in which sections is it appropriate to include citations? In this context sections refers to; abstract, intr...	Citations can go anywhere in an academic journal article, even in an abstract or title:
Where can I go to have my writing reviewed both in terms of style and technical content? I would love to have essays reviewed both in terms of quality writing and in terms of its content. I have researched a few sites but this service does not seem to exist. <Q> I've never used any online service for reviewing, editing...	If you want your writing evaluated, apply for a relevant university course and use said writing as a part of the work you produce for that course (e.g. a university assignment, a thesis, a research paper, etc).

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