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16.1k posts
 
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Q&A Good Examples of and Practices in Code Documentation

I noted in this question: What is the best way to learn technical writing? ...that a rated method to learn how to write technical documents is to imbibe good examples. Can you recommend any exam...

1 answer  ·  posted 10y ago by Stefan Piskorski‭  ·  edited 4y ago by Monica Cellio‭

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Q&A How do I approach rewriting an entire user guide in an agile environment?

I'm tasked with rewriting an entire user guide that hasn't been updated for years at a company and I am the only technical writer on the team. Only release notes were sent out all these years. The ...

2 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by john_doe‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Secespitus‭

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Q&A What are the benefits of including complete working code samples in documentation

When documenting software API so others know how to access the various methods, what data structures are used etc, I like to document each bit in detail and also include, regardless of the coding l...

4 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by Lefty G Balogh‭  ·  last activity 3y ago by Monica Cellio‭

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Q&A What things should one highlight as good in beta reading feedback?

When I read people's manuscripts to provide feedback, I can easily identify areas worth improving. However, feedback isn't all that helpful if it makes the writer give up, so good news needs to be ...

3 answers  ·  posted 7y ago by J.G.‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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Q&A Can a fight scene, component-wise, be too complex and complicated?

Okay, there is some preliminary information for you to be able to answer this question: There is a sword of great power, a McGuffin, and a destined one who wields it. The destined one has two compa...

5 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by A. Kvåle‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Amadeus‭

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Q&A Should you write character description points in bulk or spread them out?

I've heard a lot of people saying they skip descriptions if they are written as one bulk list, but others say it's important that we let the reader know what the character looks like and include al...

4 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Klara Raškaj‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Mark Baker‭

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Q&A Outlining the climax made me lose interest in writing the actual story

I am a discovery writer. I wrote more than 50% of my first novel's first draft. I got really confuse about some aspects of writing, so I took a break and analysed my plot. I've started developing...

4 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Sangeetha‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Amadeus‭

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Q&A Is publishing a book around the age of 14 possible?

I'm currently in the beginning stages of writing a book. I'm not very far along (I have the lore for the universe written and about half of the outline) however I am genuinely pursuing this. I want...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by Carlie‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Mark Baker‭

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Q&A Choice of words on writing

Novice on writing here, except few academic reports. I've got an idea to write a blog about my travel experiences, Although I speak Queen's English, I wish to write this blog for anyone interested...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Vishwa‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Secespitus‭

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Q&A How to show powerful emotion in a character trying to hide it?

This question deals with showing the emotions of characters when those characters are actively trying to hide their emotions. If the emotion is something subtle, like apprehension or annoyance, you...

3 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Thomas Myron‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Prahara‭

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Q&A Action scene pacing and clarity

I am using, for action scenes, this three act format which allows me to control pacing and create order in hectic environment: Action - analysis - reaction Johann fired (action) his pistol and mi...

1 answer  ·  posted 4y ago by Prahara‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Mark Baker‭

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Q&A Writing "light hearted" lead characters

For some reason, when I find myself writing a male protagonist, I seem to default to the brooding, gritty kind of man that could easily find his place into a noir novel. Those characters are often ...

2 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Liquid‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Prahara‭

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Q&A Which parts of a character's plan should be revealed beforehand?

Two characters (one is a PoV character) come up with a plan to break a third out of prison. They succeed, with only minor complications. If I describe too many details of their plan beforehand, it ...

2 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Evil Sparrow‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Razetime‭

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Q&A How can I shorten a piece of writing without losing its original essence?

I need to know how to make my writing more brief without maring its original meaning and message. I have been struggling with that for a while, and still cannot do that. It simply seems to me that ...

3 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Stacy‭  ·  last activity 2y ago by Olin Lathrop‭

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Q&A Letting a (secondary) antagonist leave mid story - Should it be avoided?

I have a powerful antagonist perform important functions within my story. At the midpoint, he just leaves. Several Plot developments depend on this character. I tried replacing him with other char...

4 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by System‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by celtschk‭

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Q&A Basing my protagonist on myself

(I asked another question about this novella here.) In a novella I'm writing, I explore the lives of a young Hispanic woman, Ramona, and her brother, Rafael, in an Orwellian-esque future America w...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by weakdna says reinstate monica‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Amadeus‭

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Q&A What genre would a fictional eyewitness account of a real historical event fall under?

I've written a short story about a true historical incident which involves a very famous person in history. The incident is true as are the people involved in it. But the story is a fictional eyewi...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by srini‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Mark Baker‭

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Q&A How to convey the anatomy of a humanoid race?

I am writing a extra-terrestrial high fantasy novel. The story is completely set in an alien world. No visits from Earth and no visits to Earth. My characters are humanoids, who look like elves...

4 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Sangeetha‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by DPT‭

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Q&A How to "Start as close to the end as possible", and why to do so?

Kurt Vonnegut has 8 tips on how to write a good story Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted. Give the reader at least one character he or...

6 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by theonlygusti‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Amadeus‭

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Q&A How to make a villain fall in love?

How do you show the softer side of a rough person without loosing the gruffness? I have a character that was the antagonist in one story and will be the protagonist in another where he will fall i...

4 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by poeticvampire‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by ArtOfCode‭

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Q&A Avoiding racist tropes in fantasy

I'm interested in starting a pleasure project: a fantasy story, along the lines of a witch delivering a prophecy to a king about a dangerous and deceitful foe who will overthrow him, and the king e...

9 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by weakdna says reinstate monica‭  ·  last activity 2y ago by James McLellan‭

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Q&A How to deal appropriately with an inappropriate sexual relationship

Part of the character arc for my main character from Can I conceal an antihero's insanity - and should I? is that she is a sociopath, prepared to do things that normal people would not. Part of he...

5 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Monty Wild‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Amadeus‭

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Q&A Telephone Conversations

The Situation: I am writing a short story. My POV character is listening to another person having a telephone conversation. The POV character only hears the one person speaking and not the response...

3 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Walter Sanville‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Prahara‭

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Q&A Resolving moral conflict

Conflict is one of the most important things in driving a story. I’ve been working on my particular story for a while now, and I finally seem to have worked out a good plot, and by that, I mean the...

8 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Grace‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by Amadeus‭

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Q&A Replacing Amazon's ISBNs

I published many paperbacks with Amazon ISBNs. Everything was perfect but some books became too popular (sold well) and it was the beginning of my drama. I completely lost control (long story). Th...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Eve‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by DPT‭