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Activity for Thomas Myron‭

Type On... Excerpt Status Date
Answer A: A Code of Conduct, dare I say it
I've reviewed the updated CoC, and overall it looks pretty good. I like the basic and short approach, and I like it being based on common sense and sound logic. I feel it's what every CoC should strive for. I just found a few wording issues which I'd like to bring up: >This Code of Conduct applie...
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almost 5 years ago
Edit Post #39241 Initial revision almost 5 years ago
Question Suggestion - Answer Links
There's currently no way to link directly to answers. SE has a 'share' button which does this. I use this ability quite frequently to refer to certain relevant answers.
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almost 5 years ago
Edit Post #39240 Post edited almost 5 years ago
Edit Post #39240 Post edited almost 5 years ago
Edit Post #39240 Post edited almost 5 years ago
Edit Post #39240 Initial revision almost 5 years ago
Answer A: Good exposition examples
Note: This answer uses my own examples, because I couldn't think of any examples in published work off the top of my head. Due to an ongoing bug, I couldn't post a comment asking if this format would work for you. So I went ahead and posted the answer. ##The Principle The advice to use urgency...
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almost 5 years ago
Comment Post #39223 The comment thing broke again. I can't comment. EDIT: Except I can comment here for some reason... EDIT: I can comment again. It seems sporadic. I could comment here, but not on the question I was looking at. Now I can do both.
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almost 5 years ago
Edit Post #39234 Initial revision almost 5 years ago
Question Bug - Not all Users are listed
Bug Report - Missing Users I've noticed that some users, like Thomo and Lauren Ipsum, who have made accounts here (because their profiles don't say they are ported over, just that they haven't written anything), are not showing up under the 'Users' tab. There's probably others. I don't show up, b...
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almost 5 years ago
Comment Post #39233 Seconded. I want to see them, but a note that they are meta would be good.
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almost 5 years ago
Comment Post #39232 That being said, it's my understanding that we are not transferring current upvotes over. Just starting with a clean slate?
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almost 5 years ago
Edit Post #39225 Initial revision almost 5 years ago
Question Suggestion - Comment Sections
Feature Request/Suggestion: Comments It could just be me, but I've noticed that there's a lot of space between answers. More than once, I've looked at a question and thought it wasn't answered, only to realize I hadn't scrolled down far enough. It is entirely possible that this is just me being u...
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almost 5 years ago
Edit Post #39224 Initial revision almost 5 years ago
Question Suggestion - Tag section and suggestions
Feature Request/Suggestion: Tags Tags exist right now, ported over from SE, but we don't have any structure for new questions. I'd like to see tag suggestions, like we have on SE, where you start to type and matching tags pop up. It doesn't need to be fancy, but that will keep us in the same tag ...
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almost 5 years ago
Comment Post #39220 @ArtOfCode So I have some suggestions, just for some optimizations and the like. No bugs. I'm not familiar with GitHub, so did you want me to report them here, in one separate thread, in multiple threads...?
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almost 5 years ago
Edit Post #39222 Initial revision almost 5 years ago
Question Why does the second act 'reaction' and then 'action' need to be drawn out?
I subscribe to the school of writers who like to (and often must), outline their stories before writing them. For a long time however, I did not use the 3-act structure. My mentality on that has now changed, and I find myself playing catch up. One part in particular of the 3-act structure has me ...
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almost 5 years ago
Comment Post #39219 I'm in. This place looks amazing.
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almost 5 years ago
Answer A: What makes a strong mental image?
Descriptive Words You are looking for descriptive adjectives and adverbs. If you look at the two passages you've provided, you'll notice that the first is almost devoid of adjectives and adverbs, while the second uses description, as well as an entire adverbial phrase (I think that's what it's calle...
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about 5 years ago
Question What if a dark protagonist doesn't want to change?
Dark protagonists. Heroes who are evil, pure flaws, or exhibiting only weakness or darkness, rather than strength or light. There is one basic assumption I would like to make about such characters: they are unsympathetic, meaning the reader loses patience and interest with them quickly. I believe the...
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about 5 years ago
Question How can I create deep personal stakes?
Note: This question deals exclusively with personal stakes (what the character could lose). It does not deal with public stakes (what the world of the novel could lose). In my mind, there are two levels of stakes (not to be confused with the kinds of stakes): basic and deep. Example: In the fi...
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about 5 years ago
Question Scale: How to handle a personal story set in an epic war?
In both my last writing project and my current one, I have found an unexpected problem. Both tales are focused on a single character and their personal journey, but both tales are also set in the middle of epic wars and battles. The characters are involved in the conflicts, but because the story is a...
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over 5 years ago
Question Is there a way to break genre expectations successfully?
Premise: I believe that breaking genre expectations can alienate readers. If you go into a book expecting one thing and get another thing out of it - especially if that other thing is the complete opposite of what you were expecting - then you didn't get what you signed up for. Readers generally don...
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over 5 years ago
Answer A: Are too many exclamations wrong?
Grammar is there to help The first thing you need to realize is that the rules of grammar are there to help. Following them makes your writing clearer and easier to understand. Not following them runs the risk of confusing the reader or sounding unprofessional. Your Writing. Your Rules. That being...
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almost 6 years ago
Answer A: Music & Focus During Writing
This question is opinion-based, as firstly, only you can know what will work best for you, and secondly, there is very little chance that anyone will agree on what it is 'best' to listen to. All we can do is give you some options. I myself generally write in silence, but on occasion I need to set th...
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almost 6 years ago
Question How to stay excited when writing about the necessary?
I practice my writing skills by writing fan fiction. It's a great medium: no deadlines or word goals, and you get free feedback. The only problem is that as fan fiction, there are certain things you need to include which are the design of someone else. I've found that my writing is at its best when ...
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about 6 years ago
Question How can I avoid a predictable plot?
When writing a novel, authors generally don't want the reader to know how things will end. This is especially true of mystery novels, but obviously applies to any creative story. (A few stories show the end, and then the main question is how that end was achieved. However, the principle of keeping th...
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about 6 years ago
Question Will the publisher/agent tell me what to write?
I recently read this answer, which suggested that an author's first novel will be rejected, and the publisher will instead get the author to write the novel they want to publish, assuming they feel the author's writing has potential. This is bad news for me, as I have an entire universe mapped out wi...
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about 6 years ago
Question Series: How can I get my reader to not expect any one genre?
Background: I'm planning on writing an extensive series of fantasy books. I plan on writing quite a few of these books, and while they'll all be set on the same planet, I intend them to center on different characters, countries, and cultures, and not stick to any one. Disregard for now the logistics...
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over 6 years ago
Question What do you do when your message could be dangerous?
I've long believed that for a novel (or any kind of fiction) to have a certain weight or power behind it, there must be a message. I've been writing this why for many years, and it's lent my fiction direction and purpose. However, I am now faced with a quandary: I've come across a message I really b...
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over 6 years ago
Answer A: What font is this
While a 100% certain answer would require comparing fonts until an exact match is found, I believe the font Calibri is very close to what you are looking for. It is not the exact font, as the `g`'s are different, but the look is very close. Some other close comparisons (with the correct `g`): Ebrima...
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over 6 years ago
Question Do I need to 'formalize' someone as a beta reader?
I've been writing fan fiction for several years. It's been a great platform to build my writing skills, and I feel ready to publish soon. The website I've been posting my fan fiction on is in fact a fan-site dedicated to a story-rich board game (so it's not a writing site, that's only a small sub-for...
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over 6 years ago
Question Transitioning from novel writing to screenwriting?
I've been studying writing for several years, and I feel fairly confident in my ability to write a novel. Before I take the plunge and go for it though, I was curious about a slightly different path: screenwriting. I've never really looked into screenwriting at all, but as I get closer to talking to...
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over 6 years ago
Question Fantasy novel with obvious - but never defined - sci-fi elements?
I'm considering writing a fantasy novel. While I'm striving to make the world as original as I can, and not rely on many of the popular fantasy tropes, for the purposes of this question you can assume the world is your traditional fantasy setup: elves, dwarves, dragons, magic, wizards, quests, all th...
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over 6 years ago
Answer A: How to get readers to care about a dead character?
I'm going to do something I swore I never would: I'm not going to answer the question. This is because I don't think you really need to get the reader to care for the dead character. Instead of answering, I'm going to explain why below. If I'm totally off on the wrong track, please let me know. ...
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over 6 years ago
Question Is there a term for 'The Secret Garden' and similar works?
For some time now I've been curious about how to classify a small group of literary works. They include The Secret Garden, Polyanna, and to a lesser extent Anne of Green Gables. I'm sure there are others, but I haven't read them. While I personally am not planning on writing such a story, I feel that...
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over 6 years ago
Answer A: Why do readers enjoy reading about "bad" or evil characters?
tl;dr: Due to the long nature of this answer, you can skip to below the line below. If you want the explanation, you will have to read the whole answer. Some of these answers have suggested that we secretly enjoy reading about murderers. I find this preposterous, and I will present an example to sh...
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over 6 years ago
Answer A: Can you help us read this handwriting from a leather wallet?
Welcome to Writing, ndasusers. We are unlike other Q&A sites, in that we focus only on questions which can help other people. As no one else is going to have this question, your question is off topic for us. That being said, I see no harm in giving you my best attempt. Realize that I am by no means ...
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over 6 years ago
Question Where's the middle ground between genre conventions and originality?
I've long been interested in writing a fantasy novel. Over the countless iterations I've gone through, one thing has remained clear: a quest for originality. I know some people like the fantasy cliches, but a good chunk don't. These people want imagination, creativity, and originality. They don't wa...
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over 6 years ago
Question Is it a deus ex machina if the alternative is illogical?
Background: I know to avoid Deus Ex Machinas - meaning to me a sudden and unexpected solution arriving out of nowhere to save an otherwise unsolvable problem. They are often indicative of a writer who has written himself into a corner, and has to rely on a DXM to get him out of the pickle he's in. ...
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over 6 years ago
Question How can I make sure a major twist is not disappointing?
I've been having some trouble with the ending of my current story, and I've decided that the best way to deal with those issues is to include a major twist. Due to the nature of this twist, I'm not sure if the reader will like it, or just be disappointed. Here's the scenario: The basic plot of the s...
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over 6 years ago
Answer A: How do you write a Stack Exchange answer?
I like Secespitus' answer, and I also like Sphennings' point about actually answering the question. But I didn't see an answer which combined those two things, and addressed everything I've found important. So I'll write that answer. Answer the Question Not to steal any thunder from sphennings, but...
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almost 7 years ago
Answer A: Would it be cheating to change the main character's "name" partway through the story?
Interesting question. Changing a character's name is definitely jarring to the reader (at least it has been to me). The best suggestion I've found to deal with that is to create tension about the name. If the reader spends half the story wondering what the true name is and building up to that, they'l...
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almost 7 years ago
Answer A: Should I use the real name or attempt to describe?
Edit to clarify Apparently a lot of people in the comments were confused about what I meant, thinking you couldn't use any words at all to describe things, because words originated here on Earth. That's not what I meant. However, because I did not explain my standing fully, I will do so below. I hav...
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almost 7 years ago
Question How do I handle unintentional occurences of politically hot topics?
Suppose an author is writing a novel. The novel has nothing to do with politics, our society, or any of the hot questions of the daily news. It's, say... maybe a fantasy or sci-fi novel, set in a completely different world, revolving around a completely harmless topic. Unfortunately for the author, ...
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almost 7 years ago
Question Fantasy Series - YA or Adult protagonist?
I plan on writing a fantasy series at some point. Based on what I've read, my automatic assumption was that the protagonist of such a series would be a teenager, probably around the 17-18 year range. Now I'm not so sure. Most stories which feature a YA protagonist are to some extent a 'coming of age...
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almost 7 years ago
Answer A: How to express martial arts action in fiction?
The simple answer is simply to describe the awareness of the fight. I've been doing martial arts for three years now, so I know that your mentality shifts a lot depending on what style you are using. However, there is a common theme of looking for a weakness in your opponent and exploiting it. While ...
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almost 7 years ago