Activity for _X_‭

Type	On...	Excerpt	Status	Date
Answer	—	A: How to make a grieving father less vengeful and see reason? Before we even consider redemption, you should consider the credibility of your character. We consider any murderer to be deranged and in need of either correction or assistance. For a non deranged person, to be able to kill another human being, for whatever reason, takes a significant amount of emo... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: How do I write different factions with ideologies, philosophies, and symbolism? You could also start writing your story and retro-fit ideology and symbolism. That is how it often works in real life. It took a lot of wars to come up with the idea of uniforms and standards. Engines were invented way before car brands. Religions began as the spiritual epiphany of one or few people... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Question	—	Latin names of European places The novel I am writing is set in Europe. For the setting, I'd need to find the Latin names of places, e.g. villages and geographical features, in the regions corresponding to modern-day England and Germany. I am very flexible on the time period in which the names were in use (e.g. Latin names surviv... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Describing paralyzing fear in the first person Years ago I found myself looking at the arrow that was to strike my face. Today I can still recall the chilling horror of the nearly instantaneous realization that it could go through my eye socket and kill me. It lasted a fraction of an instant. The rest was the cold, mechanical observation of the p... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Sentence starters for summaries? I imagine that there is a broader issue with the style of such summaries. I'd suggest reading abstracts from articles on the subject. The journal typically imposes a strict limit on the number of words. You may notice that the style is typically extremely terse, with very precise language and devoid ... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Finding resources for sci-fi writers on Quantum Mechanics Internet is a trove of information. In more than one occasion I've found Khanacademy to be a good place to jump start a subject. https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/quantum-physics I haven't checked this one, but from prior experience with other subjects I'd expect it to be rather easy to f... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Re-reading and making changes to current work that makes everything worse? I used to have the same issue. Even if I planned ahead of time, I would read again my previous session and find myself editing it. There were multiple reasons for that. First, in between sessions I fleshed out certain ideas better, or I came up with new details, or simply one additional line of dialo... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Should I cite a source that cites an older source? In scientific academic settings, the original article should be preferred, read and cited, and an effort should be made to do so. It is however acceptable to refer to a more recent one under certain circumstances. For instance, you may cite the recent article if: - the recent article offers a comple... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is it ok to use "aluminium" in an otherwise American English text? If it is a scientific article, or scientific text, then by all means use the most precise term. In this case that would be either Aluminium or Aluminum. Pick the one that you prefer and be consistent in your text. If it is for fiction or a vulgarization essay, then unless you have other reasons to d... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Story that's too depressing? Yes. Yes. And yes. When I write, my rule of thumb is: if I start wondering whether something is too much, too off, or too something, it probably is. The author is the mind and motor of the story, and they can tell the same story in a dark and gritty tone, as well as in a lighthearted and happy mann... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: What meta-properties should a character have in general? If this is your first attempt, then you actually you don't need anything special, just behavioural loops. Even one would suffice. Your character will start as fully circling in one loop. As they try to break it, they fall in the next one (or back to the first one) with excruciating internal pain. A... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: First quarter friends As the author, you have full foresight of events to come in the plot. You know in advance which characters will be with your MC, where, why and when. If you decide to write about them it is because they have a meaning. Generally, you don't describe every single person that ever happened to be within... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Little disjointed scenes Expanding on Cyn's last paragraph. In the case of bootcamp, you can skip it entirely and just give a summary at the end. The important element is making the reader know what all the boot-camp brought to your character. As a matter of fact, the knowledge could have come from having trained for many y... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to write a joint book with each writer writing a character? The simple approach. All you need to agree is what is the status quo at the end of the first part, which, incidentally, will be the status quo at the beginning of the second part. It is like a journey in which you take a coincidence somewhere. You need to be at a certain place at a certain time in... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Dots in lists with mixed-width items If the elements are independent sentences, as in your example, then you should use full stops. An example: > In the present article we prove that: > \ our model is correct. > \ The model by other authors is not correct. Such model also shows some other issues, discussed below. > \ Collecting d... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: How can I make my character sound Scottish? Besides the spelling and specific vocabulary, you could make your character Scottish by making him culturally Scottish. This is not about the way you write his speech, but about the content of what your character says. 1. Jokes. Make his jokes about Others (e.g. Frenchies, Londoners, Eskimos, etc...... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Convincing argument about something I don't agree with The main issue is that you have created a stock villain without depth. You have given him a son in the hope to give him a voice, but there is nothing to voice because they are both just extreme stereotypes: the fascist-dictator and the naive-dreamer. You need to rework your villain. Give him a purpo... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Crafting an organic female platonic relationship One key difference between a friendship and love is the sense of longing. You can show a friendly relationship when the two characters are together, but it is in the moments of separation that you can show the reader that there is much more than what meets the eye. A reader does not need a definitio... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Dystopia that isn't cliche This is an addition to Cyn's crucial point that the center is the story and not the theme. > [...] dehumanization of others through the oppression of mutated humans by a fascist dictatorship When summarized like this, if you ignore the "mutated" part, it is not just clichè: it has been the object o... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Character is onscreen for three seconds I think adding more text about an anonymous and irrelevant character would destroy any tension you may have built. You have some anonymous character, who is taken prisoner in the event that MC's party need a bargaining chip. This anonymous character is thus defined enough from the perspective of the ... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Formating of table explanation in email to colleagues A few suggestions. 1. For starters, I'd put the deadline in the email subject as well (and keep it in the email body too), e.g. 2. I'd try to edit the table so that column titles are clearer to the user. If that is not possible, I'd try to to have an explanation of the column titles in the spreads... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Character growth when the entire story is actively working to prevent it? There are two issues being raised: 1. How to plan character growth? There is nothing to plan. Growth happens under any circumstances (except perhaps coma, hibernation and the likes)! Your MC is above all a human being. She has the capacity to understand, analyze, think and plan. She can choose her ... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: A Market For Long Narrative Poetry? A most unwelcome answer 'Tis too late, said one. Not here, said another. Then silence, or rather Mystery not yet undone. There is an unspoken thought, an obvious sky-ridden star: absolute, earnest by far. 'Tis the answer you sought: of words twisted a... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Where to put a description of software tools used in a thesis? I would check with your department on the standard structure of a thesis. Typically these questions are addressed in the relative documentation. If your thesis includes a methods section, then, by all means, list your software tools there, including how you used them, and make sure you conclude each... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to Write about Events the 1st-person Protagonist Hasn't Witnessed? One more option is to write them as hypotheticals. "If I had known that..." > If I had known what terrifying events were unfolding while I sat in the cafè! Twenty miles from Pittsburgh, on the other side of the planet, Mary was dialing her sister's number. The phone rang twice, and quickly Susan ch... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to write a "state of the art" chapter I imagine that you Master Thesis is about something, which is presented in a consequential manner. I would take the same order in which you describe your work and write the state of the art, point by point. For instance, imagine you were to describe a new electric car engine. I'd start with a state ... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to keep track of characters' location, within a longer narrative? In a first draft characters are where you need them to be, as many times as you desire. When writing the first draft, either I have planned it, and I know already where everybody is, or I haven't planned anything, this there is no need to keep track of location details. I'd also add that in my firs... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Effectively conveying an unreliable narrator > How can I convey her inner conflict and inability to trust herself in an effective way? You have to first make the reader be willing to trust her, then voice her inner questions, and only finally start showing a ever increasing amount of factual contradictions. At first, pose her as the unique un... (more)	—	almost 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Why am I asked to revise this statement? I think that the statement is very generic. It could be used on just any review in any topic. Make it more specific. Or remove it given that it is essentially content-free For instance, This chapter is about {name of topic}. It accounts and evaluates {specific names of works, main ones if too many}.... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Phrasing to balance immense speed with boredom When bored, the mind often just wanders in thoughts of its own. The repetitive scene can be a moment for the character to express his/her thoughts, or for the author to introduce flashbacks. You can use the boredom as an excuse to digress away from current events. Examples: Character thoughts: "...... (more)	—	about 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to balance respecting diversity and avoiding tokenism at the same time Great characters need not be perfect, but they will definitively strive to achieve perfection. If a reader is caught in the detail of all the meat and eggs that your characters eat, rather than dragged along by their enthusiasm and determination towards reaching their goals, then your characters are ... (more)	—	over 6 years ago
Answer	—	A: Writing what my family may not want to read I would normally advise to write it as you think it should be written. It is your artwork, made out of a piece of your most personal experience. Having reached the point that you feel you are ready to share it, you should provide it as it comes most natural to you to tell it. This means writing in th... (more)	—	almost 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is there any chance a medieval princess can join the army? If so, how will she be treated amongst the men? In general, no In German medieval times, it sounds unlikely that a princess, i.e. the daughter of a living king, would be able to join the army in any credible manner. The main reason is that she would not have the authority to partake such a decision, nor she would be considered able in terms of fi... (more)	—	almost 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Should the narrator use pseudonyms in writing? Real name \> Fake name That is true if and only if the narrator is supposed to know the real name of the character. For instance, in a first person narrative, the narrator may not be privy to such information, hence they will be stuck with the name that they think to be "real". If the narrator disco... (more)	—	almost 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Two magical realities, ours isn't one of them. How do I stop my readers from getting confused? Three questions, whose answers may help avoiding reader's confusion: 1. Why should the reader care? You have attempted to lay down the foundation of a new grammar for achieving something. To simplify with an example, you have invented a hammer. Why should anybody care about this hammer if there are... (more)	—	almost 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Blog Timeline for mini stories The most obvious, simplest and platform-independent way to achieve your request is to format the blog title entries as: > YYYY-MM-DD : title Another alternative is to alter the publication date. This works very well if all your blog entries are about events in the past. I have used this approac... (more)	—	almost 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to Paraphrase a narration which is written by a first person perspective If the point of view is the same in the two types of narration, then keep it so. If it changes, then adapt the text accordingly. In your example, if you wish to rewrite: `I went there.` and keep the same point of view, then `I made my way to that place.` If instead you wish to change the point o... (more)	—	almost 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: At what point does a POV character noting their surroundings go from showing/telling to an infodump? One alternative is to "postpone and dilute". It is in fact likely that a very small amount of all the infodump is needed to get the scene running. Add the other elements as you go. To think of a parallel, think of looking at a painting. Mona Lisa, for example. At the first pass one may describe it a... (more)	—	almost 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Where does the question mark go in Harvard Referencing when quoting a question with a citation at the end of a sentence (not itself a question)? Independent of the Referencing system, your option (1) seems the most reasonable: 1. you are quoting the question correctly and entirely, i.e. the text inside the double-quotes is exactly the text you wanted to quote. 2. you are closing your sentence with a full-stop, and that is correct given that ... (more)	—	almost 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Using internal monologue for more than one or two characters Maybe a third person omniscient narrator would serve you better. This narrator knows the inner streams of thoughts of every character in the story, hence it can expose them in the narration as required by the story without really changing the POV. This is likely less prone to generate confusion in th... (more)	—	almost 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: Giving the narrator a personality that doesn't gets tiring It is not the personality, it is the style Following on the OP's generalisation, a narrator can be divided in at least two parts: - the persona - the narrating style The persona is the entity itself, which is part of the information that is being passed. In a novel it would be one of the character... (more)	—	almost 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: How do I format dialogue for an AI chatbot in a screenplay? I would inspire myself to existing chatbots These are just two examples that came to mind, I hope they help: - Emacs psychotherapist a rather old one, asking questions on the previous statement with the purpose of making the user think about their issue - A.L.I.C.E. a more recent one, not particular... (more)	—	almost 7 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to write repeated actions this is a slight variation on one aspect of Erk's answer. Place yourself in the situation of your character. You're forced by fear to go cautiously from cover to cover, perhaps moving slowly, careful not to make any noise. On one hand the tension is immense. On the other hand the repetitive nature o... (more)	—	almost 7 years ago

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