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Q&A

General Q&A about the craft of professional writing, editing, and publishing. Questions about all types of writing are welcome -- fiction, technical documentation, scholarly articles, poetry, scriptwriting, blogs, and more.

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Can Bridging Conflict Work When the Answer is Known?

The title is a little vague, so allow me to explain my question in depth here. If someone can think of a better way to phrase the title, feel free to edit it. First off, my definition of Bridging...

1 answer  ·  posted 9y ago by Thomas Myron‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Avoiding passing time by switching PoV - Viable method?

I once wrote a short story that was around ninety pages. It encompassed approximately a month. Since it was a short story, there were necessarily parts of it where days, weeks even, went by without...

1 answer  ·  posted 9y ago by Thomas Myron‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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How/When to include twists when developing plot.

Disclaimer: This is a new question, not an extension of my other questions concerning twists. When I develop fiction, I start with a premise and a theme. I have a general idea of where I'm headed...

1 answer  ·  posted 9y ago by Thomas Myron‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Multiple sentences in a parenthetical phrase - How do I punctuate properly?

I keep on running into this problem. I will have a parenthetical phrase (which is something set off by parentheses, rather like this, for those of you that do not know), but I need to include multi...

1 answer  ·  posted 9y ago by Thomas Myron‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Unofficial Fan Fictions - How can I Secure Them?

For a long time now, I have been writing fan fictions based off of the storyline of a board game. I have posted these fan fictions on a website dedicated to the same board game. I am not the only w...

2 answers  ·  posted 9y ago by Thomas Myron‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Should I use hypophoras at the beginning of every paragraphs?

Hypophora is a figure of speech in which a writer raises a question and then immediately provides an answer to that question. I am about to write a Statement of Purpose. In the SOP, I need to...

2 answers  ·  posted 9y ago by Ooker‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Should my query lead with the detective, or with the crime?

In a lot of detective or mystery novels, the detective is the POV character and the protagonist, but the initial hook has little to do with him. Some crime has been committed, and the detective is ...

2 answers  ·  posted 9y ago by Standback‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Killing the protagonist - should it be done?

I am an aspiring author, but I have written several short 'test novels.' With each of those, it became increasingly clear how you have to develop the main character, the protagonist. After all, the...

7 answers  ·  posted 9y ago by Thomas Myron‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Series: Is there a disadvantage to the number of books?

I'm an aspiring author. Though I am fairly certain of the answer to the question below, I figured I would make sure, or at least collect opinions, since I have not 'been there.' My question is th...

1 answer  ·  posted 9y ago by Thomas Myron‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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What is the difference between a complication/twist and a situation?

I have recently read an article (The Complete Handbook of Novel Writing, chapter 7) concerning plot twists, or complications. It discusses the difference between twists and mere situations. The con...

1 answer  ·  posted 9y ago by Thomas Myron‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Can I plug a loophole in my magic rules without rewriting the whole novel?

I've gotten feedback for a complete draft of my WIP fantasy novel. Overall it's looking good, but a couple of friends noticed a significant loophole in the system of magic I use in the book. The bo...

5 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by Standback‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Is my serial-killer novel horror or crime?

I'm writing a novel which centers around a serial killer and his victims. I'm having a lot of trouble deciding whether it belongs in the horror genre (it's a disturbing, horrific slasher, and a lot...

2 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by Standback‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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In a thriller, should my famous cities be familiar, or fresh?

The bigger, and more famous, a city, the more it tends to show up in thrillers. The biggest ones - New York, London, Paris, Tokyo - have been set-pieces in any number of thrillers, and I can assume...

1 answer  ·  posted 10y ago by Standback‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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When do I explain my created world scenario in a prologue vs. letting it unfold in the story?

Let's say I'm creating a unique world for my book. New planet, maybe new species, complex society with complex rules, history, government, and so on. Some of these details are absolutely necessary ...

1 answer  ·  posted 10y ago by Lauren Ipsum‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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How can I dig conflict out of an optimistic SF-nal premise?

I frequently have ideas for what could be called "optimistic" science-fiction premises - imaginary technological or social changes which I think would create an unusual and interesting setting, and...

3 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by Standback‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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A cross-[What] kind of romance?

In the scientific taxonomy of Living Things, you have: Life Domain Kingdom Phylum Class etc. down to Species, and maybe thence to Breed. If I were talking about my neighbor's dog who is half ...

3 answers  ·  posted 11y ago by Lauren Ipsum‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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My story portrays a process, not a conflict - how do I make the process my focus?

My current WiP is a science-fiction piece which is less about characters coping with a particular problem, and more about the process they go through in reaction to the SF-nal catalyst. My story is...

3 answers  ·  posted 12y ago by Standback‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Where in a CV should I mention a relevant but unpaid (volunteer) project?

I'm writing up a CV (my secret identity is a mild-mannered software engineer); there's a volunteer project I did (related to my undergrad studies) that I want to describe, and I'm not sure where to...

1 answer  ·  posted 12y ago by Standback‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Is there a name for this kind of sentence structure?

I've seen this construction quite a bit, although only in the last five years or so. It's a transcription of a way of speaking, where the speaker is emphasizing something by using a verbal full sto...

1 answer  ·  posted 12y ago by Lauren Ipsum‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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A tricky serial semi-colon

A serial comma is used to separate a list of items: For breakfast, we had ham, eggs, and toast. A serial semi-colon is used when items in the list have commas: For breakfast, we had ham, ...

3 answers  ·  posted 12y ago by Lauren Ipsum‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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How does one present spoken dialogue as a secondary language to signed speech?

I was starting to leave a comment on this excellent question when I realized I had come up with a second question which was equally intriguing. If you're writing a story where 95% of the communic...

1 answer  ·  posted 12y ago by Lauren Ipsum‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Is Scrivener involved in the editorial process, or is it strictly a writer's development tool?

Is there any reason that an editor should know how to use Scrivener? I generally see manuscripts after they're out of draft but before proofreading. (I'm an editor.) However, I see a lot of talk ...

2 answers  ·  posted 12y ago by Neil‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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I'm not a great pantser; what kind of preparation do I need for NaNoWriMo?

I'm very appreciative of NaNoWriMo's "your first step is writing a crappy first draft" credo, and I like the motivation that NaNoWriMo encourages. I'm precisely at the point where what I feel I nee...

1 answer  ·  posted 12y ago by Standback‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Sympathetic portrayal of devout, rule-abiding characters

I'm having trouble portraying religious, devout characters as protagonists or viewpoint characters. When I try, I get the sense that the reader - not sharing the characters' beliefs - will have tro...

4 answers  ·  posted 13y ago by Standback‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Editors: Edit on first read, or read and edit on second round?

I edit novels (among other works). I was having a discussion with someone (not an editor) who didn't understand my technique. What I do is read through the document, and the moment something occu...

1 answer  ·  posted 13y ago by Lauren Ipsum‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Getting an editor after the second draft

Losely related with my latest question: Should one invest in a professional editor before querying? I've finished - not without sweat - my second draft. While I'm satisfied with the overall result...

3 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Liquid‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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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 writer...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Liquid‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Can one start the second draft when the first lacks a proper ending?

I'm close to ending my first draft, literally being to the last or second-to-last chapter. I'm suffering from a strange form of writer's block, though, since I can't seem to come up with a satisfyi...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by Liquid‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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How can you make up a convincing dialect?

I often need to introduce one, if not several, made up dialects. We're talking about fictional worldbuilding: so any real world dialect is ruled out. They can be used as a source of inspiration, b...

0 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Liquid‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Avoiding cliches when writing gods

When writing fictional polytheisms, it's tempting to draw inspiration from the existing ones. In ancient religions (I'm mainly thinking of the Greek/Latin, Egyptian and Norse pantheons) there are ...

6 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Liquid‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Helping my beta readers help me

My beta readers are family and friends - people who read a lot, but do not write. They are people whose opinion I trust, and who are genuinely trying to be helpful. (And I haven't found a writing g...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by Galastel‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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When do you stop "pushing" a book?

Let's suppose you have finished your novel, through all the appropriate stages of drafting and editing needed. You begin submitting the book to various agents and/or publishing companies, but none ...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Liquid‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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The unknown and unexplained in science fiction

Science fiction has been defined as a genre where the "incredible" elements are "recognizable as not-true, but also as not-unlike-true, not-flatly- (and in the current state of knowledge) impossibl...

7 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Liquid‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Having multiple epilogues

According to Wikipedia, An epilogue is the final chapter at the end of a story that often serves to reveal the fates of the characters. Some epilogues may feature scenes only tangentially rela...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by Liquid‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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In a series of books, what happens after the coming of age?

I'm writing a novel focusing on a single character POV. For many aspects, it can be considered a coming of age story; along with the usual tropes of the hero's journey, my protagonist gradually lea...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Liquid‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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What are some good historical sources for writing medieval battles?

This question popped into my mind after criticizing the strategic choices in a recent episode of a famous fantasy television show (coffs). A lot of genre fiction (mostly fantasy, even if we may ca...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by Liquid‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Is a stroke of luck acceptable after a series of unfavorable events?

The protagonist sets out on a journey to reach a goal. But the further he gets into the story, the clearer he understands that the odds aren't in his favor. He experiences loss, frustration, anger,...

3 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Liquid‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Can a third-person narrator ask questions instead of the characters?

In novels, when the PoV follows a particular character, is pretty common that we get to hear his/her thoughts. Sometimes, those thoughts take the form of questions that the character ask himself: ...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by Liquid‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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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...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by _X_‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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English words in a non-english sci-fi novel

In the modern world, english is a well-estabilished technical and scientific language. Some terms have become so commonly used that they are accepted in my native tongue (words like "computer", "PC...

4 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Liquid‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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The three acts and their relative length

Let's take for granted that the 3 acts structure is relevant and exists. This, of course, is an assumption. How the three acts relate with the length of the novel? In a standard book - let's say 5...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by Liquid‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Future battlegrounds

What makes a battle scene tense and visceral is the immediate danger and the fast-paced action and reaction. For that, the human soldier needs to be on the battlefield, in the action. Here's the p...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Galastel‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Characterizing a sentient robot: inhuman PoV

Following the previous question: Characterizing a sentient robot: sensory data I'm writing a robot character with a particular PoV. In the previous question I wanted to talk about sensory data;...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by Liquid‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Characterizing a sentient robot: sensory data

I have a sentient robot in my novel. Truth to be told, I have many. Sentience is somewhat cheap to achieve, meaning that there are multiple artificial beings that can be considered sentient by our...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Liquid‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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How to include external references when writing internal documentation?

In the IT industry, we often write a lot of technical documentation meant for internal use only. Those documents are often stored in an internal wiki and accessed when the need arises. The conten...

3 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Liquid‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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What should tie a collection of short-stories together?

Short-stories are a nice format to write. If you have been an aspiring writer for at least one year, it's quite probabile that you've got at least three short stories drafted out, sitting in some d...

4 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Liquid‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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How can I write humor as character trait?

I have a character that likes to make humor, puns and jokes. Humor should work here as a character trait; something really peculiar to this particular char. He says a lot of puns because he find ...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Liquid‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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When is using a simile better than giving a literal description?

Definition of simile : a figure of speech comparing two unlike things that is often introduced by like or as (as in cheeks like roses) Similes are nice tools that every narrator has (eve...

3 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Liquid‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Using substitution ciphers to generate new alphabets in a novel

A substitution cipher is a method used in cryptography to encrypt the meaning of a text. In the most common form, a substitution cipher changes every letter in the target text with another, making...

3 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Liquid‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Introducing a character in the third act?

I'm well into the third act of my novel and I'm introducing a new character that will play a part in the ending and an even bigger part in the roughly sketched sequel I have in mind. Now, I'm pre...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by Liquid‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭