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Q&A

Posts tagged style

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Q&A Will I ever be able to write like a native writer?

So a little while ago someone said that I'll never be able to write on a native level because I wasn't born in the UK or America. I did, however, go to elementary school in the US at the ages of 5-...

3 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by ally‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Is my method of Narration switching from objective to subjective too complicated?

I'm having trouble deciding if the manner I have decided to narrate my story is too complicated or not. I have a story set in a completely foreign and alien world (fiction story). I then uproot my...

2 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by EveryBitHelps‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Naming a character late in the chapter but introducing him first

In the novel (3rd person omniscient) that I'm writing, there is one character that has an overbearing presence all through the story but is never seen and no one interacts with him. What I'm trying...

3 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by user96551‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Suggestions for ways to say "I'll come back to this later ..."

I'm looking for several suggestions for techniques to handle 2 similar cases ... While writing my current non-fiction book, there are a few times where a section ends with somewhat of a teaser of ...

0 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by CJ Cornell‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Habitual use of -ing follows -ed -- is this wrong?

I have recently noticed that I consistently follow an -ed clause with further action or elaboration using -ing. I feel like something is wrong here, even though it sounds and reads well enough to m...

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

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Q&A AmE text for a British literary agent (and viceversa)

Assume a manuscript written in AmE (if it matters, also assume an American MC). It would be relatively easy to change spelling, word choice, etc. to make a BrE manuscript. However, since I write ...

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

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Q&A Are there legitimate uses for using bold for emphasis within a sentence?

Is there any legitimate use for using bold to emphasize something in written speech within a sentence? I understand that bold can be used for formatting and highlighting, but I am looking to unders...

1 answer  ·  posted 8y ago by V13‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

Question style
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Q&A Description: How to apply an adjective to a list of nouns without seeming redundant?

For example, in the case of this sentence: I drove past the empty stables and servant's quarters, and after another quarter mile I entered a very large circular driveway. Is it implied t...

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

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Q&A essay writing agree, disagree partially agree

In preparation for IELTS I want to write on "It is important for children to learn the difference between right and wrong at an early age. Punishment is necessary to help them learn this distinctio...

0 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by clarkson‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A What is the best way to set a dark tone to a story?

I want to write a short horror story. What are the best ways to set a dark tone or mood to the story? Just in a short introduction, if I want to introduce a character or place as a place I would no...

0 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by Adit Kirtani Earth-2‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

Question style horror
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Q&A What corpus-based writing tools do you use?

I'm searching for a tool that would make real-time suggestions based on "real world" text. The only corpus-based tool I know of is Writefull - does anybody know of any others?

0 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by Smokey‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

Question style tools
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Q&A Efficiency or correctness in communication?

The language industry has a long tradition in the pursuit of correctness, based on manually drafted rules. However, the end goal has always been communicative efficiency, which is something that ca...

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

Question style
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Q&A How to convey (screaming) hysterics in dialogue

It happens to most if not all of us. Something extremely emotional happens to us and we're just hysterical. Logic doesn't work. You contemplate punching a wall because that will help . . . somehow....

0 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by Jake‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

Question style dialogue
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Q&A Should I worry that my storyline is very similar to another? [closed]

I've written a story about anthropomorphic animals in a noirish setting solving murders. I came up with the concept and wrote the first draft about a year ago and am planning on releasing it soon. ...

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

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Q&A 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. I...

3 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by Stu W‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

Question style word-choice
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Q&A How can a screenplay writer learn to write a novel?

I am the sort of person that is really great at coming up with amazing ideas, plot-lines, worlds, etc. for stories, but I'm not so good at putting them to paper - at least not in a novel. I'm reall...

2 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by Praefervidus‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A should I put the reference number after the dot or after a space? [closed]

I am writing my thesis. and I need to know the correct way of putting the reference. for example: this is a sentence taken from someone [2]. this is a sentence taken from someone[2]. ...

0 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by sarah‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A 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...

3 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by VoicingMyConcerns‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A 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 blo...

2 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by Ooker‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A What is the fine line between "confidence" and "presumption"? [closed]

I am about to apply to a grad school, and I have prepare the SOP for it (think it like a cover letter to apply to a job). I know the rule: show what I've got, not tell how I think I'm cool. I've tr...

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

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Q&A How should I break down a huge table of contents?

I am creating a table of contents for a book, and there are 4 ways of splitting information up. The biggest zones are 'Chapters', those can span several pages; these are bold, underlined and in lar...

0 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by J. Doe‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

Question style book
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Q&A Multiple personalities character's speach in text

I am writing about main character, which have multiple personalities. I know how i want to write them, but for reader it can be really disturbing and hard to for orientation. At the same time i wi...

0 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by Ernedar‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Are using adverbs in dialogue/action tags a sign of bad writing?

Examples from my own writing: She smiled kindly. “Maybe I can help you. What are you trying to find?” "Probably," he said apologetically, as if he were personally responsible for t...

0 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by Alexandro Chen‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Essay Writing Introduction Paragraph

How do I write an introduction paragraph when it comes to writing a simple essay for those who have no idea what to write about and I don't have a creative mind? Please explain to me step by step.

0 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by Milagros Barrios‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Mixing dialogue and action in the same paragraph?

I know you can add dialogue to the same paragraph as an action to show who's talking, but what happens when a character is making a speech and it's broken up by actions (hand movements, looking at ...

0 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by Mack‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Main noun: How do you decide where to place it?

I'm not very sure if it's called "main noun" (sorry, I didn't pay attention in my grammar class). But anyway, here's an example: I decided to start my search at the library. Why? Well, it had m...

0 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by Alexandro Chen‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

Question style grammar
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Q&A Writing Style Changed [closed]

After the death of my cousin I have stopped writing for quite some time. However the stories ideas would persist in my mind. So I decided to try and write again, but whatever ideas I have. Turn int...

0 answers  ·  posted 9y ago by Sarah‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Can a male writer write from a female perspective? [closed]

The question is pretty straightforward. Can a male writer write a first person story of a female protagonist? What limitations might he face in writing about the other gender? Should he just stick ...

0 answers  ·  posted 9y ago by June Franklins‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A What's the initial small caps rule of this book?

I want to use the same initial small cap rule of The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell. But I still can't figure it out. Some examples: TALKING HEADS’ Fear of Music is on my record player, so I low...

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

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Q&A How do I implement a scholarly citation style in an online format?

I am part of a group starting an online, submissions-based journal of critical writing specific to my field. As the writing will be academic, we will need a formal citation process. We have decided...

0 answers  ·  posted 9y ago by stila‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A A grand scheme or destiny in literature

There's one thing in literature that no matter how cliche or over used it might be, I always find very compelling. For example, when a story unfolds as if there is a larger force at work moving all...

0 answers  ·  posted 9y ago by David‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Why are the paragraphs of a document often indented and not vertically separated?

A quick side by side comparison of two layout styles: Left: no indent and with white space; right: indented, but no white space Recently, I'm seeing more and more academic-like documents which a...

5 answers  ·  posted 9y ago by Sander Schaeffer‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Should I ever repeat the affiliation of a person?

I have not been able to find an existing question similar to mine, but apologies if I've missed one. I write an academic dissertation where I mention a lot of people. The first time someone is men...

0 answers  ·  posted 9y ago by rigor‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

Question style titles
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Q&A Using Present Tense to describe a Fact on a story that uses Past Tense

newcomer here, and I have a question. I have a story that starts with the sentence, 'the ocean is vast'. However, I'm actually going to write my story in past tense form but changing that 'is' to...

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

Question fiction style
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Q&A Citation anniversary editions

How do I do MLA citations for an anniversary edition, e.g. 30th anniversary Selfish Gene. Do I treat it as a normal edition or just ignore that it is a new edition?

0 answers  ·  posted 9y ago by davik‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

Question style citations mla
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Q&A When should headers be used in writing?

When I ask the Should I use hypophoras at the beginning of every paragraphs? question, Lauren Ipsum suggests me to organize things with headers while Kristina Adams advises me to avoid headers in o...

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

Question style headlines
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Q&A How to indicate the topic has been changed without using words?

I am writing an an article to share knowledge, not novel. Usually, when you change the current topic, at the beginning of the new paragraph you would like to use some transition words such as Addit...

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

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Q&A Writing techniques or exercises to improve ability to show rather than tell?

Does anyone have any effective writing techniques or exercises that you use to help you focus more on showing the reader what you mean rather than just telling them about? I know I often find mysel...

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

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Q&A What's the proper way to cite multiple interviews across a paper in Chicago Style?

My friend is writing a paper in Chicago style and she is citing multiple interviews. The citations keep switching back and forth between different interviewees. What's the correct way to cite the...

0 answers  ·  posted 9y ago by Moshe‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Collecting books [closed]

I am trying to achieve a collection of books by the same author that I can give to my grandchildren. I have collected first editions and mostly first prints. But I am not clear that if I collect th...

0 answers  ·  posted 9y ago by Charlotte‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

Question style
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Q&A Use of dash in section numbering

I am writing my thesis report and I am doubt which one is acceptable and correct? 1- Section 1 1-2- Subsection 2 Or this way? 1 Section 1 1-2 Subsection 2 Please indicate if using a das...

0 answers  ·  posted 9y ago by Enthusiastic Engineer‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A How to cite the C# Language Specification Version 5.0

I'm currently working on my thesis and need to cite a specific section of the C# Language Specification Version 5.0. The specification is available here, but I can't find the authors and the pub...

0 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by Jasd‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

Question style citations
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Q&A How to Cite an Author Who Has a Pen Name

If both the author's name and the pen name are known, should one cite by one name or both names? If one, which?

0 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by System‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

Question style citations
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Q&A Does this dream sequence work in my introduction? [closed]

I'm writing the introduction to a story. The intro starts with a dream, then the main character wakes up, and then he and one of the secondary characters have a conversation while waiting for a bus...

0 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by Ice-9‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

Question technique style
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Q&A How do you write a character's internal monologue?

I've seen two main methods of writing a character's inner monologue One is to use italics Dean is being silly thought Sam Another is to quote the text "Dean is being silly" thought Sam Or you co...

0 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by Liath‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Changing Capitalization in a Quote - MLA

I'm writing an essay (MLA style) for class and I am quoting a whole sentence within my sentence. For example: They published a “manifesto” proclaiming that “[a]ll are welcome to walk through our ...

0 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by Shmuel‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Name of writing style or structure of novel that is in non-chronological order

What is the name of the structure of a novel that is not in chronological order but moves between characters (viewing the same or different topic)?

2 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by user8282‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Grammar books recommendation [closed]

I am learning to write better, and have read books such as The Lively art of writing and Element of Style. I realize what I am missing is the grammar books that teaches me the different ways to con...

0 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by drhanlau‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A tinyURL seen as risky by readers?

I see tinyURL recommended for news or magazine-style writing where AP style prevails--but then I see online warnings that clicking a tinyURL may take readers to sites they do not (at all) want to v...

0 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by khassall‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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Q&A Tone and directness in inviting prospective team member [closed]

I'm organising a project in the near future and am emailing people, which profiles I found on Linkedin, that I would like to work with. What I'm trying to get across is that it's going to be an exc...

0 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by ana‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭