Activity for Neil‭

Type	On...	Excerpt	Status	Date
Answer	—	A: When to use the em dash (—) in fiction writing? Punctuation marks, like words and paragraph breaks, are tools. Overuse of any tool will make your writing inelegant, but using the proper tool at the right time will help you generate pages that are well crafted and precisely assembled. In fiction, as in other kinds of writing, you'll still want to ... (more)	—	over 11 years ago
Answer	—	A: Spiritual elements in a science-fiction novel There are a few ways to answer this. Which answer you use depends on what you want to achieve - something lacking in the original question. Does the work already exist and you're just trying to categorize it? Or are you in the planning stages? For this answer, I'm assuming that there are deities or ... (more)	—	over 11 years ago
Answer	—	A: Knowing When To Cite? General in-text citations like Lauren suggests will almost certainly be sufficient, particularly for a short, informal paper. However, if your paper is longer or a more formal paper (for example, a report as opposed to a shorter research essay), a little more rigorous citing may be in order. But neve... (more)	—	over 11 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is the following piece of text comprehensible and written in good style? (Note: The current edit of this post fixes some of these issues.) Clarity of objectives It's unclear, exactly, what you want people to critique; the way the post is written implies that there will be text other than the question and the question's title, and that this text is what you want people t... (more)	—	over 11 years ago
Answer	—	A: Which language to use when writing a multinational story In general, it's my opinion that a story should pick a language and stick to it. Even though many people speak multiple languages, having a book in more than one language means you're limiting yourself to a subset of possible readers. Ask yourself: What purpose does it serve to the story and charact... (more)	—	over 11 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is it really necessary to add things like "I thought, I wondered, etc," in first-person narrative? It's absolutely okay to leave these out. You'll be making the text more concise and the reader will have less work to do. The only time you want to use tags like "I wondered", "I thought", "I worried", and so on, is when they actually add information, or clarify the situation. For example: > My frie... (more)	—	over 11 years ago
Answer	—	A: Cutting down on paragraph size Paragraph length isn't the problem here, although the paragraphs could stand to be broken up a bit. The biggest problem here is a problem of focus and organization. A paragraph should have a fairly concise point; it's not simply a container for sentences. The main problems here are those of organiza... (more)	—	over 11 years ago
Answer	—	A: If I'm going to hire a copyeditor, do I need to do any proofing myself? Nobody is perfect, not even proofreaders. But first, let's get some terminology straight: Copyediting is a catch-all term for editors who revise, make changes and suggestions, and so on. Of course, as editors go along, we mark up any typos they find on the proofreading level. But it's not the focus ... (more)	—	almost 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to separate scenes in a chapter? Scrivener exists, in part, to put manuscripts into standard manuscript format. The # mark it uses as the default section break is, frankly, a little puzzling to me. (Apparently this is standard for SFWA format, see the comments.) Manuscripts in any variant of standard manuscript format will separate... (more)	—	almost 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: Coming up with names for species in fiction? Rather than focusing on generating names - a process that's usually somewhat arbitrary - perhaps examine the purpose of these names in your story. There's a school of thought that goes like this: World building is an exercise whose purpose is to help the writer tell a good story. Correspondingly, th... (more)	—	almost 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: How does joint authorship work? There seem to be two general approaches to this: - One person writes the work, and the other starts revising it heavily. There might be significant problems that the second author needs to address. There might be significant expansion of the work. - Both authors agree on a general outline or plan, ... (more)	—	almost 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: How do I stick to one story? This could be a problem with discipline on your part. Nobody can help you follow through on commitments except yourself, but perhaps the problem is that you don't have a commitment of any sort. Maybe that's not it; maybe you get writer's block? Maybe you follow the rule of thumb, "when you get stuck... (more)	—	almost 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: How can I deal with an overload of writing projects? The priority of a writer is to get stuff written and in a shape where it can be read by others. (Assumedly, submitted, sold, to agents/editors, etc.) Your goal is to get stuff written. (Whether quality or timeliness is your primary goal is something you'll have to work out for yourself.) The advice ... (more)	—	almost 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: Giving something an alias Without context, this question can only be answered in the most general ways, but even though I'm not a tech writer or tech editor, I've researched the issue a bit. I hope this will be helpful. Any tech writers or editors here, please feel free to comment or correct any errors -- or both. The questi... (more)	—	almost 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is it OK to use a single parenthesis after each number in a list? Asking for a ruling on a point of style like this is generally pretty futile in English. There is no central authority. However, style manuals or internal style sheets can provide guidance, even though different ones will have varied answers. Which answer you use depends on what document you're writ... (more)	—	almost 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: Do parentheses inhibit clarity? Do parentheses inhibit clarity? They do and they don't, it's all down to individual use. When used well and skillfully, parentheses fulfill a function that no other punctuation or construction can quite imitate. Their function is similar to em dashes (a woefully overused punctuation mark) and can als... (more)	—	almost 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is it more advantageous to have an excerpt or a plot summary critiqued? Critiquing specific text is important, but you can always improve the writing. If the book has structural problems, weak characters, or sections that don't mesh with each other, then these larger issues need to be addressed before you worry about the language. It sounds like you don't have a clear i... (more)	—	almost 12 years ago
Question	—	How to handle screenplay revisions in Final Draft? I need to revise a screenplay in Final Draft, and I'm finding that the revision features in the program are poor. Are there any ways to introduce revision features in to Final Draft, similar to Track Changes in Microsoft Word? If not, what kind of workflow could give me the same benefits of keeping c... (more)	—	almost 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: How should I use phrases such as "uh huh"? People generally speak with "um" and "huh" peppered throughout their speech. Their meaning can be defined in a general sense, but that meaning may not always be consistent, and some of their meaning will be encoded in body language. (Nods, facial expressions, gesticulations, and so on.) For example,... (more)	—	almost 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: How can I search for words by meaning/definition? Does the OneLook Reverse Dictionary work for this? You still need to winnow down your search phrase, but it might work. (Information from this answer.) However, good ol' Google will sometimes do this as well; just type in "word that means" and the rest of a short phrase. For example, here's the sear... (more)	—	about 12 years ago
Question	—	How can a practical learner get up to speed on APA quickly? I'd like to learn the APA style guide, so that, in addition to the fiction and general non-fiction I work on currently, I can start accepting academic editing jobs. However, I know very little about the details of APA and I don't know what the best strategy is for learning it. I also understand it's ... (more)	—	about 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is it a bad idea to have all the action in the beginning and all the dialogue in the end? After reading the entire piece (from the link you posted), I'd say the story feels like it's all cut of the same material, so you don't have anything to worry about in terms of most of the dialog being at the end. There are some rough edges here and there - how did more beers get into his bag? "Jun l... (more)	—	about 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: A tricky serial semi-colon (I'm answering this from a point-of-view of readability. If your corporate communications are subject to any internal style sheets or style guide such as AP or Chicago - since you have a policy on the serial comma, I'm inclined to think they are - please also consult those. If this does get migrated ... (more)	—	about 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: how to cite CD-ROM resources (Turabian) I'm assuming that you're talking about doing citations in the style of Kate Turabian's book \A Manual for Writers. (If that's not the case, than this answer may be incorrect.) The Table of Contents for the seventh edition of the book is online here, and while I don't have access to it, any good libr... (more)	—	about 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: How best to handle revealing a main character's name midway through a long story in close-third person? The issue here is that you want to avoid an identity disconnect between the reader and this character. If the reader is connecting to this character only through their name, then this is not only a problem of identification but also one of a lack of style and characterization. You have a couple of wa... (more)	—	about 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: Can I write reference books about a fictional universe from an existing franchise? A book discussing copyrighted and trademarked works can unquestionably be done. It has been done, many times; search on Amazon for unauthorized guide to and you'll see books on everything from Buffy to Barbie dolls. The only question here is, how much trouble is it to get permission? Do you even need... (more)	—	about 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: How can a new writer make a realistic estimate of his work rate? Estimates of how long work like this will take are always guesswork. One can make some excellent guesses when one is experienced, but even then, it's advisable for one to take several factors into account: - The difficulty of the material. Have you seen any of the text you'll be translating? If you ... (more)	—	about 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is it acceptable for a tech book to consist of only 2 chapters? With the disclaimer that I'm neither a tech writer or tech editor: Scientific and academic books are generally organized by function. Unlike a narrative book where the chapters are broken down by feel or by narrative rhythm, a scientific or academic book has a certain amount of material to cover, an... (more)	—	about 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: Not knowing a character's name. Would this be frustrating for the reader? Your worry is a valid one; the reader could be frustrated by this. However, this is something that can be taken care of in later drafts. You may need to shore things up a little to clarify the mystery character and their relationship to the other characters. Since we don't know much about your proje... (more)	—	about 12 years ago
Question	—	Slow openings: What is it about this Neil Gaiman opening that pulls the reader in? I was blogging about opening lines the other day, and looking for examples. I came across the opening to American Gods, and realized that it's neither flashy nor something that will grab the reader in an obvious way, but it's quite effective and hooks the reader into the story very well. I'm just not... (more)	—	about 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: How does one avoid bland, generic fantasy while they write? If everything you write is sounding like overused tropes and clichés, it may be that you're simply showing your influences. And when you see your writing, all you're seeing are those influences. Hence, it feels less substantial to you. What, exactly is "bland, generic fantasy" to you? I suggest you ... (more)	—	about 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: How can I put something in book format without "publishing" it? Is the purpose of doing this for your friend to see their words "in print", or for them to see that someone considers them good? (i.e., you.) Or perhaps it's something else entirely. Whichever option you choose, you'll have to get the rhymes in shape for printing/publication, if they aren't already.... (more)	—	about 12 years ago
Question	—	Is Scrivener involved in the editorial process, or is it strictly a writer's development tool? Is there any reason that an editor should know how to use Scrivener? I generally see manuscripts after they're out of draft but before proofreading. (I'm an editor.) However, I see a lot of talk about Scrivener on this site, and I'd like to know more about what it can do. I've read the developer's ... (more)	—	about 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: Where should index and glossary appear in a report? The answer is for you to do what the universoty or your department requires. There is no universal answer to this. For academic writing in English, one would likely be using the APA Style Guide or the MLA Style Guide. (See this question for more on style guides in general.) Different departments may... (more)	—	about 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: Proof reading service You'll want a copyeditor who specializes in academic writing, if possible one that specializes in journals. Please also note that, when the writer's first language isn't English, some journals require ESL editing before acceptance. (more)	—	about 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: What to do when characters disagree with the plot? Let me see if I've got this right: You've got two characters who are telling you what to do (or what not to do). And you think that's a problem? Writing believable characters who want to write the story for you is a goal that many would-be writers never achieve. Congratulations! My suggestion would... (more)	—	over 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: How can I improve my written communication skills the soonest? You have several choices, and which one you use depends on the length of the document to be written, the subject matter, and your personal preferences. All sections here are examples of the technique they describe. Outlining The outline of this answer would look like this: 1. Introduction - mentio... (more)	—	over 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: Other options for "had had"? Rewriting to avoid "had had" is almost always a good idea. It reads even more terribly than it sounds. The easy way out is to use a contraction: > I'd had enough of this nonsense and was ready to move on. ...but that's a little cheap. Depending on the context of the quote, you have several options... (more)	—	over 12 years ago
Answer	—	A: What's the proper etiquette/format for updating a blog post? When in doubt, ask yourself: "Would my readers care if they didn't know about this change? Would they think I was trying to deceive them by not pointing it out?" If the answer to either of these is yes, note the change. If not, and you're simply making the reading experience smoother and better, make... (more)	—	over 12 years ago
Question	—	Why do ebooks often mimic the layout of the printed page? I was recently editing a novel destined to be published primarily in e-book form, and made a list of pre-press instructions, to be followed when the final text is agreed upon. Some of these instructions were only needed because the text mimics the printed page, sometimes to the extent of having colum... (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Question	—	What are widely-used UK-English style guides? In the UK, what are the equivalents to Chicago Manual of Style, the Associated Press style guide, Yahoo, APA, MLA, etc? Most importantly, what are their intended audiences? (AP is used for journalists, Yahoo for the web, APA for academia, et cetera.) I'm specifically asking about style guides that a... (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Answer	—	A: How can I strike a balance between setting and plot? The same problem applies to writers who wear their research on their sleeve. Did you ever read a novel and realize that half of it could have been pared away, that half the book was unnecessary scenes were the writer just wanted the reader to know all this cool stuff thei found out? ( Cough Neal Step... (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Answer	—	A: How Much Exposition is Too Much Exposition Is there a good reason for the expository sections to be in the book? If you were to remove them entirely, would the book suffer? If the answers to both of these questions is "no", then I suggest removing these sections entirely, or at the least paring them down. However, things are rarely so simple... (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Answer	—	A: Quoting text from a country with different internationalization In academic writing, following style guides is particularly important for citations and notes. Are you editing to APA style or another style guide? I'd absolutely check that first and do as the style guide instructs. Your department may also have a style guide for you to follow. (I don't have a cop... (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Answer	—	A: Does Wiktionary supply what writers need in an online dictionary? Here's the perspective of an editor who does some writing on the side: It depends on what you need in a dictionary. When editing UK writers, I usually use Cambridge, I think I'd continue to use that or Merriam-Webster when trying to convince a writer, I do not think the word you used means what you ... (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is P.S. (Post Script) still useful in the age of email? The postscript is indeed of limited use, but it might still be useful when one has something else to say, but doesn't want to compose the email all over again. People still do compose letters from time to time, and send them on paper. I do it maybe once a year, and I can see it coming up where I hav... (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Answer	—	A: Dashes vs. Commas vs. parentheses? None of these are correct or incorrect, but my optimal way to say it would be without parentheses or dashes; the former are hard to use well, and the latter are overused in modern fiction. > When Bilbo sat down for his third meal of the day, he noticed the table was broken. Parentheses can be enorm... (more)	—	almost 13 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to attract the average reader to an "intellectual" novel? "Intellectual" often means a labyrinth of language. (Try reading any doctoral dissertation.) Try this instead: > “The universe changes gradually, from one condition to another, without any abrupt changes.” Same concept, same meaning, but more fun to read. If you want poetic imagery, you could use s... (more)	—	about 13 years ago
Answer	—	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 refer to "Earth" (formerly "New Earth") and to "Old Earth". Using a slightly different version of the w... (more)	—	about 13 years ago
Answer	—	A: What are effective ways of working with a nonfiction editor? While it's difficult to say without seeing the writing in question (and the editor's comments), I've tried to answer this in a general sense, assuming the editor in question is reasonable and can be approached. If you're faced with, say, a proofreader who's doing rogue line editing, you have a major ... (more)	—	about 13 years ago

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