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Q&A Advice on interface text in a videogame

Can the game do math? I might suggest "X needs n more MP to do that." "You must have n MP for that move." "Dammit, Scotty, I need more MP!" [yeah, I know, Paraborg's lawyers will come after you]

posted 13y ago by Lauren Ipsum‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Source ideas for monsters in a fantasy novel?

Look up "encyclopedia fairies" on Amazon and peruse some of the available books. Pick any being and start varying it. Cross a few. Add an unexpected characteristic. (Within reason. I think even Tol...

posted 13y ago by Lauren Ipsum‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A How do I balance work with my love of writing?

Your writing career will only end if you stop writing. Period. So don't stop writing. You may not have as much time as you want, or as much as you think you need. But don't stop. Write at night, w...

posted 13y ago by Lauren Ipsum‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A What can I write to improve reader participation at this blog?

While this isn't Graphic Design SE, my first impulse is to say "Change the COLOR SCHEME!" White text on black is seriously painful to read. Make it black text, larger, on a white or light-colored b...

posted 13y ago by Lauren Ipsum‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A How to obtain a thoughtful critique of a job application cover letter?

I think you're in a bit of a bind here. I think you'll have an easy time getting "does this work for you?" feedback, which is crucial. However, I think you'll find it very difficult to find constru...

posted 14y ago by Standback‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Can my paragraph use better adjectives and descriptions?

If you're trying to capture the feel of drifting on a summer's day in a perfect green glade, then if anything you need to be even more stream-of-consciousness than you are now. Read up on Gerard Ma...

posted 14y ago by Lauren Ipsum‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Sample Metaphor for Cycling

A few examples: Pedaling uphill is like swimming against the current; downhill gives you the brief instant of going over the waterfall. Uphill is like a sweaty, physical manifestation of how I fe...

posted 14y ago by Standback‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A What exactly do I do to get published?

There's a good essay by Malinda Lo on the process. One of many, I'm sure, but that's the first good one I found on a cursory browse. I'd like to point out that knowing the general process is proba...

posted 14y ago by Standback‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Sympathetic portrayal of devout, rule-abiding characters

Show, don't tell. If the religion is that important to the character, then it will be apparent in almost every aspect of the person's life. Physically: Clothing: men and women (and don't forget...

posted 14y ago by Lauren Ipsum‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Please help me improve this sentence...

Ten years of windup. Today was the pitch. I was going to throw Hollywood a curve ball like they'd never seen.

posted 14y ago by Lauren Ipsum‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A How to make easy and fast money selling a short book (which is available for download)?

While there are various venues and services which make it possible for you to make a bit of money off your book, it is unlikely in the extreme that you actually will. The only way any of these serv...

posted 14y ago by Standback‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Is my essay on group learning clear and well-organized?

The structure of your essay is fine, but your intro is irrelevant and your conclusion is redundant. I know the advice runs "Tell 'em what you're going to tell 'em, tell 'em, and then tell 'em what ...

posted 14y ago by Lauren Ipsum‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A What are tips / techniques to manage the consistency of a plot encompassing several subplots ?

Well, here are my own suggestions - I hope they're helpful :) Keep a timeline for every character (or small group). Keep track not only of what's going on onstage, but also what's hidden from the...

posted 14y ago by Standback‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Third person POV

Depends on what your "limit" is. If you are limiting yourself to one character, then yes: the Harry Potter series is told in third person limited omniscient, and we get Harry's thoughts, but no o...

posted 14y ago by Lauren Ipsum‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A How to reword this: repeated back on him?

first of all, it's "the mistakes" he made — one doesn't make faults are revisited upon him return upon him come back to bite him in the [tuchus] come back to haunt him come home to roost beat a p...

posted 14y ago by Lauren Ipsum‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Potential confusion: referring to home planet as "Earth"

Rule of thumb: you want to avoid confusing the reader. A confused reader is not enjoying your story. But, that doesn't mean "never do anything that might confuse the reader." It means, "if you wan...

posted 14y ago by Standback‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Potential confusion: referring to home planet as "Earth"

Just from the information you've provided, it seems you're creating a convoluted and potentially confusing situation for no good reason. If, however, this is important to the story, you can always ...

posted 14y ago by Neil‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Does giving away free stories boost sales?

Tread with caution. A lot of caution. Free stories to promote the author is a marketing strategy. As such, there are situations where it can be wonderful; situations it can be disastrous; situati...

posted 14y ago by Standback‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Meretricious - A bit too fancy?

Are you saying your character is describing someone as meretricious? If that's the word he would use, by all means use it. I have absolutely no problem making the reader work a little to expand his...

posted 14y ago by Lauren Ipsum‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Is there any good time-line software out there?

Other than Scrivener :) I find Excel (or another spreadsheet program) works surprisingly well. First column: Year Second column: Month Third column: Day (Insert more columns as needed.) Last col...

posted 14y ago by Lauren Ipsum‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Software for analyzing a manuscript?

This isn't precisely what you're looking for, but it's interesting: http://www.wordle.net/

posted 14y ago by Lauren Ipsum‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Checklist for making sure your writing is Atomic?

All terms are defined within the section. Either no outside references or optional ones, or include the information so the reader doesn't have to reference anything. Any background or history nece...

posted 14y ago by Lauren Ipsum‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Help! I've got Writer's Block

You have two issues: writing, and what to write. Put aside the "what" for a second. Go get a timer. Set it for ten minutes. Press start. Start writing. It doesn't matter what you write. You can t...

posted 14y ago by Lauren Ipsum‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Hardware-based Word Processor

You could go for a small Mac laptop and try finding one with AppleCare. Apple does sell refurbished laptops with a warranty for less than list price.

posted 14y ago by Lauren Ipsum‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Does a technical writer need a technical background?

Technical writing is a three legged stool. To do it well and efficiently, you need three things: Sufficient knowledge of the user's task to figure out what they need to know and how to communicat...

posted 7y ago by Mark Baker‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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