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Activity for justkt‭

Type On... Excerpt Status Date
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Question How would I find a publisher who is accepting unsolicited manuscripts from authors?
This question on finding an agent has an answer linking to this post which really tears into literary agents. I'm not sure if it is justified or not, but it got me thinking about a the alternate route of finding a publisher to whom I can submit my work unsolicited and without using an agent. How woul...
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almost 13 years ago
Question How can I put something in book format without "publishing" it?
I have a friend who has written a series of great nursery rhymes. I would like to put these rhymes into a book as a gift for my friend, but I don't want to give up my friend's first publication rights. Is there a service I could use — perhaps like one of those photo publishing books or something alon...
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almost 13 years ago
Answer A: How to develop a story for a novel?
For book resources, there are many out there. Here's a small sampling: - On Becoming a Novelist by John Gardener (and he wrote several other books on writing like The Art of Fiction) - Aspects of the Novel by E. M. Forester - Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott - On Writing by Stephen King There are a coup...
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almost 13 years ago
Question Is it possible to figure out the ROI of an MFA?
Given that there are a few jobs where an MFA (Masters of Fine Arts) in creative writing is preferred as a writer or editor, is it possible figure out the ROI (return on investment) of acquiring the degree? Obviously there are a lot of variables in figuring out the ROI of any degree - how much is the ...
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over 13 years ago
Answer A: World Building critique: Building an SF society off a tangent of "Adaptation"
Given your paragraph description, I have to admit to being somewhat unconvinced along a few points. 1. You set up a direct connection between the regime's oppressive control of its citizens and a lack of purpose, but I think you need to nuance that connection more closely. The currently much-analyze...
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over 13 years ago
Answer A: First conversation scenes I've written (looking for errors, conventions, and improvements according to writing standards)
You are using adverbs and to tell us how the characters are acting and feeling. Instead consider showing us their body language. Help me hear them speak. Let me see for myself that Luna is nervous and Dr. Aide is worn out, jaded, or whatever it is that he is. From a grammar perspective (although tho...
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almost 14 years ago
Question Signs of Bad Character Development
When creating a character, what red flags would show me that I'm creating an unbelievable or unsympathetic character? I know that to be believable and sympathetic a character must not lean too much to a single extreme or be a caricature. Besides paying careful attention to character traits when readi...
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almost 14 years ago
Question How to avoid hearing "that's me!" from your friends when they read your characters?
I recently asked about getting inside of someone else's head for writing good characters who are noticeably different from myself and received some great answers. One answer suggested that you should absolutely not borrow traits from friends. On the other hand, over on a question about how to develop...
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almost 14 years ago
Answer A: Correct spelling errors while writing or after you've finished?
It sounds like you are struggling between two possiblities: 1. Fixing typos but having your concentration on the forward movement of your writing broken, or 2. Moving on but facing a daunting task of catching all of your errors during editing and re-writing. Personally I would be driven crazy by no...
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almost 14 years ago
Question What makes first person plural a tricky narrative voice?
I absolutely loved Joshua Ferris's debut novel Then We Came to the End. Critics highly praised his use for the first person plural as a narrator. The work is set in an office and the "we" used represents the group of employees. I can think of several ideas that seem like they would be candidates for...
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almost 14 years ago
Question What are some examples of modern original plots?
In a comment on this answer, a valuable community contributor suggested that it is possible to be totally original in writing, despite the fact that other valuable community members have stated that it's not. Since the comment was in the context of asking about original plots, it got me wondering if ...
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about 14 years ago
Question What should be in a cover letter for short story submission to a magazine?
It's been about five years since I last submitted any of my work for publication, and my memory of what I was taught then to put in my cover letter is getting rusty. What kind of information should I provide when sending a short story to a small literary magazine?
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about 14 years ago
Answer A: Choosing character names is a constant difficulty
Another writer friend of mine went through NaNoWriMo last year, writing furiously to make her 50,000 words, without naming her characters at all. Naming isn't easy. Sometimes a character will have a name that fits, perhaps, but often not. If you find it difficult put it off. Don't let it get in the ...
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about 14 years ago
Answer A: Decide on a theme/overarching meaning before writing a short story?
Rather than focusing on a single point as if you are writing an essay, you may want to focus on an ethos you want to create. View your story as world-building (this is something you will find Orson Scott Card, author of Ender's Game reference frequently). The world you are building will reward certa...
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about 14 years ago