Activity for HNLâ€
| Type | On... | Excerpt | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edit | Post #5178 | Initial revision | — | almost 5 years ago |
| Edit | Post #5156 | Initial revision | — | almost 5 years ago |
| Edit | Post #5154 | Initial revision | — | almost 5 years ago |
| Edit | Post #5032 | Initial revision | — | almost 5 years ago |
| Edit | Post #4989 | Initial revision | — | almost 5 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: How can I make description more natural to me? First of all: There is an entire spectrum between telling a disembodied story and painting every little piece of unnecessary detail. Both writers and readers have their preferences with regards to this. This is why different authors' styles appeal to different types of readers. The more you describ... (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
| Question | — |
How far into a speculative novel should one go before introducing the central conflict? By speculative, I mean mostly science fiction, fantasy or intrigue. For example Neal Stephenson's Anathem, which is a 900-page book, goes well past the 200-page mark before the central conflict begins to take form. Works such as these have universes that need to be explained to the reader before the... (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
| Question | — |
Does this passage convey an appropriate mix of seriousness and levity? The following is a standalone passage from a collection meant to deal with topics of psychology, philosophy and self-help. The question is: Is the quirky style helpful in driving home the point, or does it take away from the seriousness of the topic? Or does it come across as satire? Or, more simply... (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
| Question | — |
How does one include sign language in a dialogue? If one character is using sign language and lip reading while the other is speaking normally, how do you represent the lines of the former? Quotations with "he signed" attribution or italics? E.g. > "When did you first feel the pain?" asked the doctor. > > Two days ago, signed the patient. (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Attributives in dialogue 'Asked' is generally not considered a said-bookism by most editors and readers AFAIK. In fact, I always use it when a character is asking a question. Because something like "'But how can that be?' he said." sounds wrong to me. An aside related to comments on @LaurenIpsum 's answer: I only use the fo... (more) |
— | almost 13 years ago |