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Q&A Ethics of incorporating a supplier's technical documentation into one's own documentation?

A company, M, buys components from company, S, to build into their product. Company S has technical documentation regarding safety and maintenance available in many languages and publicly available...

2 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by paul‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question legal copyright technical-writing ethics
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Q&A How to create a functional document for in-house reference?

I'm the only technical writer in my company with 2 years of experience. I have been assigned with a task of creating a functional document for a web-based (FMCG) product which has been around a lon...

2 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by Ashvita‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question technical-writing
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Q&A Is it OK to omit the following "grammatical rules" in fiction? [closed]

Okay, I'm not sure if they are "rules" or "grammatical", but here they go: After a while our necks began to ache, so we sat on the rest chairs behind (us). I liked it here. The air was fresh ...

1 answer  ·  posted 10y ago by Alexandro Chen‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question fiction creative-writing grammar
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Q&A How do I tell my short story?

Based on this outline, I'm not sure how to to best re-tell this story. In particular, I'm not sure if I should tell the story as a first person "narrator," or in the third person? What are the adva...

2 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by user13617‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question grammatical-person short-story
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Q&A What are the reasons behind Writer's block?

I read the question Help! I've got Writer's Block which explains solutions to the problem. I was wondering why someone gets writer's block? Is it anxiety? Is it due to the fact that the mind is ...

5 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by user80772‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question writers-block writer
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Q&A How do you decide whether to use the infinitive or -ing version of a verb?

Example: Three months had passed since she started to avoid me. Three months had passed since she started avoiding me. Right now, what I do is to search for the phrase with the most resu...

2 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by Alexandro Chen‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question fiction creative-writing grammar
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Q&A Direct thoughts

The most commonly given advice for using direct thoughts seems to be to format them in italics. I am not really satisfied with that, however. I haven't seen this used anywhere (granted, I do not re...

2 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by Gwen Ives‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question style
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Q&A How do I punctuate a statement that a character is ordered to say in a future scenario?

How do I punctuate a statement that a character is ordered to say in a future scenario? I don't want to use speech marks because its not a quote or a dialogue. My thinking may be wrong though. It...

1 answer  ·  posted 10y ago by nicholas ainsworth‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question punctuation
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Q&A How can I make believable motivations for antagonists?

I am writing a book. However, I can't quite wrap my head around making my character do bad things, while still making their actions and/or motivations for their actions believable. Here is an exa...

3 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by Keychain1‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question novel fiction characters motivation antagonist
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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 10y ago by Alexandro Chen‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question style creative-writing formatting format
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Q&A Should I use ideas for my story now, or in a sequel?

I have built a world in which to write my fantasy book, and I'm currently writing my first book about it. I have it all planned out and am in the process of writing it. I have plans for a further b...

2 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by Mike.C.Ford‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question fiction planning ideas
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Q&A Are there times when delayed character development is acceptable in fiction?

In my screenplay, I have my female protagonist wear Prada, and perhaps drop other hints of her character, but not act like Miranda Priestly for the first two acts, until she gets a promotion at the...

1 answer  ·  posted 10y ago by Tom Au‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question fiction plot character-development
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Q&A Methods for creating slang

I am interested in creating slang or a vernacular for a particular group in my story. I want it to be distinctive and a definite marker for in-group/out-group, but not incomprehensible. I'm not loo...

2 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by Lauren Ipsum‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question language
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Q&A Should "plot" or storyline be the main determinant of what goes into a story?

In writing a screenplay, I created a bunch of scenes, with about twice as much material in total as I needed. So the job was to cut things down to size. In so doing, I found that a number of scene...

3 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by Tom Au‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question fiction plot screenwriting structure
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Q&A Is mathematical poetry a form of poetry?

One author considers this mathematical statement by LeRoy Gorman entitled “The Birth of Tragedy” as a form of minimalist poetry: (!+?)^2 Is this mathem...

2 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by user13880‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question poetry creative-writing
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Q&A World Building vs Story Writing

Note, this might be off topic and belong on World Building SE? I have always been far more interested with building the world my stories take place in than the stories themselves. I will spend lar...

3 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by Towell‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question fiction planning
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Q&A Should I write "what do the data show" or "what does the data show"? [closed]

I wonder what the proper way of writing this question is: What do the data show? What does the data show?

1 answer  ·  posted 10y ago by Asimov4‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question technical-writing grammar
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Q&A How to start writing a book?

I'm new to writing and I'm still young (preteen young). I want some advice on writing and help. How am I gonna start my book? What is the best way to begin writing a book?

2 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by System‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question fiction creative-writing
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Q&A Constructed Language - spelled like it sounds?

Note: This may be more suited to Worldbuilding SE. I believe it belongs here, because it is about how to write a conlang, but if not, please feel free to move it. I am constructing Elvish. In my ...

2 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by Thomas Myron‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question language constructed-language
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Q&A How often do I need to footnote a paragraph based on the same source

If I'm writing a paragraph that discusses a topic and the entire paragraph is based on the same source (assume the same page too). Do I need to footnote every sentence or would the first sentence ...

1 answer  ·  posted 10y ago by WebUserLearner‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question notes footnotes
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Q&A Do you capitalize common nouns (e.g. beach party) if they're part of an event name?

If I am writing an event invite for a [Company Name] Christmas Beach Party, should the Beach Party be capitalized?

1 answer  ·  posted 10y ago by Lauren‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question grammar
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Q&A How to create good character names? [closed]

I find that a problem that I run into quite often is the fact that I can't create names that sound real, but also have a nice ring so that they fit the character. Does anyone have any suggestions o...

3 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by Ally Hess‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question fiction naming characters
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Q&A I am an unestablished author with a decent book. Should I publish online, or try to find a 'real' publisher?

As I understand it, 'breaking into the business' is expensive in terms of time. If I have a decent product should I put in the effort, or is self-publishing (e.g. with Amazon) enough?

2 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by horse hair‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question
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Q&A Dealing with quick shifts in emotion

I have a character that, by design, quickly jumps between emotions. To put it into human terms, I have pictured scenes where he will, literally, within the span of a sentence, go from hysterically ...

1 answer  ·  posted 10y ago by Jake‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question technique style emotions
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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 10y ago by Reed‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Question style dialogue formatting format