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Q&A Has standard manuscript format changed since 2011?

This question was asked in 2011: Do editors still expect Courier font in book submissions for publication? A couple people said they found a monospace font helpful to have space to insert editing ...

0 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by aparente001‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A How can I get in the Habit of Writing with Twists?

I've always felt that my writing is very sequential. It's a chain of events. This happens, then this happens, then this happens, and so on. Not to say that the events are boring, but I just always ...

3 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by Thomas Myron‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question fiction plot outline
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Q&A Characterization: is there any guidance for writing "the romantic interest"?

I've recently been researching and discussing characters and character roles, mostly off the back of feedback on a romance story that described the "love interest" (if that is the correct literary ...

2 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by Bella Pines‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Dynamic characterization: How do you show development/change in an inherently flawed character, like a psychopath?

I got an idea for a short story recently following a traumatized boy who has developed antisocial tendencies and lack of empathy, and ends up in a psych ward. I want this protagonist to have a me...

2 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by JStrange88‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Expressing large numbers in dialogue?

For example the scene takes place in the future and the year is 24,356. Would it be written as: "The year is 24356," said Bob OR "The year is twenty-four thousand, three hundred and fifty...

2 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by Osiris93‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question dialogue numerals
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Q&A Am I guilty of bad 'as' writing?

I am trying to use more action tags to supplement the 'He said. He asked.' dialog tags. But, now I have read several blogs suggesting although 'said' is invisible and can be sprinkled as liberally ...

2 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by Richard Stanzak‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A How to refer to clothes without modern words ? (e.g: t-shirt)

This is a constant struggling point of mine. Most of my settings take place in fictional worlds often inspired by various parts of human history. For instance, one of my stories is located in an A...

4 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by Ctouw‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Characters with very long names or titles

My story is bilingual Spanish and English, revolving around an emperor and his lover. My main character is royalty and it is fitting for him to have a long name, but he transitions from one title...

1 answer  ·  posted 8y ago by JasperRuberté‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question naming
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Q&A How much humour can you afford to have before losing a serious atmosphere?

Background When I first tried writing fantasy - a long long time ago - I wrote a book that was meant to be really serious and intense. However, I wrote it in a way where the characters joked aroun...

1 answer  ·  posted 8y ago by Daniel Cann‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Print runs, unsold books, books by weight and do authors get some compensation for unsold?

I got couple of good definitions of the traditional Print run. One of the disturbing things mentioned in one of the definitions that many a times 50 percent of them are destroyed. How it was destro...

1 answer  ·  posted 8y ago by shirish‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question
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Q&A How can I describe technology while avoiding problems with scaling?

Worldbuilding chat has pointed me to this stack because it's less about defining the technology and more about how to express these definitions in a relatable and realistic way. A pretty frequen...

2 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by Nzall‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A How should formula variables be formatted in narration?

Say, I mention the following equation in a novel/short story: (Direct Cost / (100 - Desired Profit)) * 100 How should I format that in narration? In capital letters? Italics? First variab...

2 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by alex‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Curbing Self-Indulgent Writing

I have written both professionally and on an amateur level for several years. A lot of it basically fell into my lap, and it hasn't been my primary profession for a couple of years now. I have some...

3 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by aga‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A How to get a derailed book back on track?

Before I started writing my fantasy story (80,000 words so far) I had a pretty strong outline prepared. Within the structure of my plot, I wrote relatively organically and my characters started to ...

2 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by Rapscallion‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A How do I add more characters into my story?

I am new to the site, so please let me know if I'm not following proper format or etiquette. I am beginning a story (only 4,000 words so far). I am having trouble adding in characters that can be ...

4 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by treesandstuff‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A How many subjects in the same story is "too many"? And is it too bad?

The story I'm currently writing is a framed story where a recurring-depression-suffering writer that lost his wife [killed] in a war tells his life story in a symbolical fantasy world. Throughout t...

1 answer  ·  posted 8y ago by Yuuza‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A How do I turn a premise into a story?

My brain is probably just broken, but it has a question. It tends to invent odd scenarios that become quite interesting. It also knows that the story will only be interesting to others if it has ...

2 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by user23680‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A What other kinds of writers are there besides plotters and pantsers?

In a comment to an answer of mine Mark Baker has suggested that the common, dichotomous view of writers as either "plotters" or "pantsers" or something of both might not be complete and that there ...

2 answers  ·  posted 8y ago by System‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question terminology process
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Q&A Is it best to make a description metaphorical, or upfront?

Background I've had this question for a really long time. A lot of my work seems quite 'floaty' and 'old style' because I describe things in a very metaphorical and surreal way. For example: H...

1 answer  ·  posted 8y ago by Daniel Cann‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A I am familiar with the Monroe Motivated Sequence, which is used for speeches. What are some other frameworks which make the outlining process easier?

I am familiar with the Monroe Motivated Sequence, which is used to persuade people to take an action. This may be utilized in a speech or a piece of writing. I am interested in learning about other...

1 answer  ·  posted 8y ago by Ebony Maw‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question planning outline
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Q&A What is a reasonable rate for proofreading a manuscript in terms of sales percentage?

If offered a percentage of profit for an ebook (e.g. after Amazon's cut), what is reasonable charge for proofreading a somewhat specialized non-fiction manuscript, written by someone whose first la...

1 answer  ·  posted 8y ago by user23721‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question proofreading
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Q&A How does one write a misanthropic character likeable?

Let's say the character has over the years grown to dislike humans because he had many negative experiences with them, and is disappointed in humanity itself. How does one write such a character wi...

2 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by DarkYagami‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question characters
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Q&A Pay rate and terms for writing book series under contract

I have a guy that runs a very successful punk/oi! record label in LA. He has asked me if I'd be interested in writing a series of books for him. 60,000 to 80,000 words per book in the series. I am...

1 answer  ·  posted 7y ago by Jonathan‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Can this sentence have the same detail and yet be simple to comprehend? [closed]

While inside the weatherbeaten maternity hut lit by a single candle, out of the dark shadow of its mother's womb, the most unusual child ever seen in the village was delivered; and while the...

3 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by Nirav‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question fiction style clarity
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Q&A What is the difference between Tension, Suspense and Mystery?

Can you define the differences between Tension, Suspense and Mystery in fiction writing? Some resources says tension is how much you care about a character but I cannot imagine how it is possible...

1 answer  ·  posted 7y ago by pencilCake‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭