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Q&A Overuse of bullet points

I collaborate with someone who insists on making every sentence (or two) in a business document into a bullet point, by prefacing it with a bullet. This is typically done across a multi-page docu...

1 answer  ·  posted 11y ago by Conor‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Should paragraphs split over pages in thesis?

I am writing a technical thesis with quite a few figures, tables and equations. These items break up the "flow" of the document. To mitigate this some journals suggest placing such items at the top...

1 answer  ·  posted 11y ago by Toby‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Why are license agreements, disclaiming letters and others written with capital letters?

We know that reading sentences with capital letters is hard. I noticed that some documents are still written with capital letters. Why are license agreements, disclaiming letters and others written...

2 answers  ·  posted 12y ago by kiss my armpit‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A APA Formatting - Changing Adjectives in a quote

Should I change "our" to "their" in this quote? If so, how? As stated in their 2011 Annual Report, Siemens’ identity and corporate culture is defined by their vision to be a pioneer, which is base...

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

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Q&A Is the order of appendices according to their references fixed?

Is it really necessary to place the appendices in a book in the order in which they are referred to, or is it possible to have a "logical" order, i.e. place them in an order which would be chosen w...

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

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Q&A Using Glossary Instead of Footnotes (for translation/transliteration)

I am writing a technical report with keywords which are mainly English. I am using a Glossary at the end, which describes translated keywords. Is it a replacement for footnotes or I should just kee...

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

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Q&A 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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Q&A How does one include sign language in a dialogue?

If one character is using sign language and lip reading while the other is speaking normally, how do you represent the lines of the former? Quotations with "he signed" attribution or italics? E.g. ...

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

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Q&A What software can handle both revision control and layout?

I'm desperately looking for a book publishing solution that can handle revision control and layouts. My issues/requirements are as follows: Typists are extremely non-technical and I would like to...

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

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Q&A How do I sign a (formal) email?

My email client includes a signature beneath the text of my writing. Currently it is of the form: ------------ John Doe Acme Widget Company 123 Elm Street Metropolis, USA phone:222-555-1212 email:...

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

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Q&A When should one use a section sign (§)?

When I asked this on English.SE, the question was closed; it was suggested that I ask on Writers.SE instead. To be clear, I mean the section sign § (utf-8: 0xC2 0xA7), which is available via \S in ...

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

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Q&A What is the proper way to write a date containing two days in a row?

I have a presentation that will go from August 4th to the 5th. On my title slide I'd like to list the dates in the most concise and simple way possible. What's the best style? I currently have: A...

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

Question formatting format
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Q&A What is the use of "Ends." to indicate the end of a document?

I recall seeing the word "Ends." placed at the end of documents to indicate that, obviously, nothing else follows. Is this acceptable standard usage? It feels rather archaic (not that that's necess...

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

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Q&A Adding breaks in a novel—spaces, asterisks, or a chapter break?

I am editing my first novel and wherever I find a natural break in the story, I add a few spaces. I want to go back and adjust what types of breaks those are, but how best to represent those spaces...

5 answers  ·  posted 12y ago by J. Leigh Hunter‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Italicizing and adding accents to Spanish words in an English novel

In my current novel I have a few characters who speak Spanish. The book takes place along the Texico border, so it happens frequently. I know that in more foreign Spanish, or when someone speaks a ...

1 answer  ·  posted 12y ago by J. Leigh Hunter‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Formatting blog posts like the pros

I am new to writing. I have seen Jeff Atwood's blog and I am really impressed how he writes. I have seen a similar manner on wordpress docs too. I am still confused with some issues while writing. ...

2 answers  ·  posted 13y ago by fuddin‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Should I indent the first line of the first paragraph in a chapter?

I was reading a thesis report of a friend and I noticed that he didn't indent the first line of the first paragraph in each chapter. I don't remember noticing it anywhere before until I saw it ther...

2 answers  ·  posted 13y ago by Lipis‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A How it's better to format links to Internet in a text written on paper?

Links are useful to add additional information or second meaning or special flavour to certain words. This is especially useful for informal texts. Example: [Some programs](wiki://Metasploit_Proje...

2 answers  ·  posted 13y ago by Vi0‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Do writers use highlighting to clarify ideas in their work in progress?

In programming we often use syntax highlight in order to have a better picture of what the role of particular bits of code is (using different colours). I wonder if writers do something similar - ...

2 answers  ·  posted 13y ago by Alexandro Chen‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A When should I use punctuation with bullets?

When writing bulleted items, what are the rules for placing periods? Presumably bulleted items that aren't sentences wouldn't require punctuation: Orange Apple Banana But how about sentence bul...

2 answers  ·  posted 13y ago by el2iot2‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A What's the indent rule of poetry?

I've seen people indent their poems like below: Writing on wall It was just plane writing on wall I must have taken it a serious call She was on and off repeating same thing There wa...

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

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Q&A When should a chapter end?

When writing a novel, when should I end a chapter? Note that I'm not talking about chapter word-count (that topic was discussed here). I'm interested to know when should I end my chapters conceptu...

2 answers  ·  posted 13y ago by Ido Tamir‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A How should dialog be formatted?

Is there any "official" rule that I should keep in mind when formatting character dialog? Line breaks, placement of quotes, mixing dialog with action descriptions etc. For example, I want to build...

1 answer  ·  posted 13y ago by Ido Tamir‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A What's the best way to show a foreign language in a manuscript?

What's the best way to show a character speaking a foreign language in a fiction manuscript? Should the foreign words be italicized and include a translation? Should it just be included in the sent...

4 answers  ·  posted 13y ago by Ralph Gallagher‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Can I include diagrams in essays for complex topics?

I know that it breaks the general format of essays and that you should generally not include diagrams in essays. I just find it hard to keep clarity for parts that can be misunderstood, if interpre...

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

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Q&A How do I mix linear and non-linear "choices" in an interactive novel?

In my interactive novel, I'm trying to keep the word count between choice prompts fairly short and consistent, but that means sometimes breaking up longer text into a few sections…. I've been usi...

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

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Q&A Multiple ways to emphasise words

tl;dr : I need a way to emphasise the names of special skills without it becoming annoying or it overlapping with the formatting already present in the story. I'm writing a story in an RPG-like ...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by Not A Vampire‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A How do I cite/reference multiple lines of cuneiform translations in MLA?

I have a text from the Nebonidus Harran inscriptions that I want to specifically reference in my paper. The quote looks like this: …(But) the sons of Babylon, Borsippa, 15. Nippur, Ur, Er...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by Zachary‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Does it make sense to put a hyperlink into an answer within an interview?

Some media did an interview with me and published it - and I see a hyperlink inserted into my answer. I provided them the link separately but didn't expect to see it inside the quotation marks. Wh...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by Petr Blazek‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A How should I set the inside margin for my 5x8" book with Createspace?

I've been going round in ever decreasing circles over the setting up of the margins for my novel, which I hope to publish with Createspace. I know what the Top, Bottom, and Outside margins should b...

1 answer  ·  posted 7y ago by Snippit‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Can I add Drop Caps to my manuscript in the Storyist program?

I have a manuscript that I'd like to add Drop Caps to at the beginning of each chapter. I currently have it loaded into my Storyist program on my Mac-book Pro. Does anyone know how I'd go about a...

1 answer  ·  posted 8y ago by Joshua A‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Using font to highlight a god's speech in dialogue

At one point in my story, the characters are addressed by a god. In the ensuing dialogue, this god has a more archaic way of speaking, but even so, I'm wondering if it might be a good idea to visua...

1 answer  ·  posted 4y ago by Llewellyn‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A How to display a duet in lyrics?

I wonder if someone can tell me whether there is a convention when laying out a lyric to show different parts (or even a chorus). In my novel, there are a number of poems and lyrics. They are set i...

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

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Q&A How to convert dialogue in to paragraph?

This is my first time writing a novel. In my novel, there is a part of the married life of my protagonist who is a woman. I don't have any experience of married life so I have taken inspiration fro...

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

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Q&A Distinguishing between unreliable frame narrator and narrator of framed story

I'm writing a work which is bookended by a frame story with an unreliable narrator. How do I prevent confusion for the reader when the frame narrator interjects? In the framed story, the character...

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

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Q&A End-of-line hyphenation - how should it be used?

End-of-line hyphenation is the process of breaking words between lines to create more consistency across a text block. (source) A long word is broken across a line-break by means of a hyphen. It he...

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

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Q&A How to stylize notes/book-passages being read inside my story?

In course of joining a friend of mine during her NaNoWriMo escapades, I tried myself at actually writing a story set in a world I'm building. I've found there are certain rules when writing a nove...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by dot_Sp0T‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Everything I write ends up being a rhyming poem, or lyrics maybe

I have been writing for awhile and decided to write a memoir, except I can’t seem to write anything but poetry. However, I don’t know for sure if poetry is the proper term. My work uses cuss words,...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by user33502‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Trying to figure out the correct type punctuation for dialogues

I'm currently writing a story which so far is going well, but I reached a point in the story where I don't know how to proceed. When a character is talking, I write their dialogue just like this: ...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Anguis Nox‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Do writers copy other writers?

Good artists copy; great artists steal. This famous Picasso quote often reminds me that the best artworks are rather a mix of many other artworks instead of something completely new. Walt Dis...

4 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Ąžuolas Lomonosovas‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Is blending a largely illustrated book like James Gurney's "Dinotopia" and a dramatic and more serious plot a bad idea?

So, I don't know if any of you have heard of Dinotopia by James Gurney, but it's written in a format with large pages, and lots of illustrations: While it is not exclusively a children's book, an...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by SealBoi‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Awkward language translation

So I’m currently writing a book that takes place in Finland, though I am American and speak English. My main character’s name can be used as a play on words, and people use it to mock him throughou...

2 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by T.Alb314‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A The Good, the Bad, and the Semicolon

I completed my novel and an editor friend graciously offered to assist me with formatting. As a former scientist, I am more familiar with technical or academic writing, so formatting fiction can be...

4 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Richard Stanzak‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A How to format Facebook chat in a novel?

When I write a chat dialogue in a novel, how should I format it? Since it is not direct speech, it obviously needs no quotation marks, but should I use italics, repeat the names, or how else is cha...

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

Question formatting format
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Q&A What symbols are used after difficult words in a text to refer a reader to a glossary for a definition?

What symbols used after difficult words in a text to refer a reader to a glossary for a definition? I'm really looking for the most commonly used / accepted symbols and I am wondering whether cer...

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

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Q&A Manuscript format: Straight or curly quotation marks?

I'm writing (or at least trying to write) a novel, and using standard manuscript format: 12-point Courier, double-spaced, 1-inch margins, etc. I'm using Google Docs, which automatically converts s...

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

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Q&A How to format multiple inner voices, differentiating the text from dialogue? and omnipresent inner voice

For the occasional use of inner voice, Italics are usually recommended. However I have a protagonist who is speaking with himself all the time, and Italics use quickly becomes tiring and distract...

3 answers  ·  posted 9y ago by Reed‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A "Empty-space" vs "three-dot" scene break

What's the difference between the two? I've seen both in the same book. For example in the Bone Clocks by David Mitchell: Space breaks: He’s clever, I realize. First he makes you grateful. Rig...

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

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Q&A Bullets vs. Numbering: which to use when?

A writer can either choose to use bullets or else stick to conventional (or in certain cases non-conventional) numbering. Are there set guidelines about when to use what? Is the use of numbering pr...

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

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Q&A Listing names with titles

Normally when listing a group of people you would simply separate each with a comma. Please send the memo to Jason, Sarah, and Courtney. However if you want to include the title of each pers...

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