All Questions
12,888
questions
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10
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How much does having an author’s website impact the chance of a short story being accepted for publication by online magazines?
It’s fairly standard advice for aspiring authors to set up a website before attempting to publish a book, as is submitting and hopefully publishing short stories with paying markets. However, I haven’...
- 31
1
vote
1
answer
25
views
Writing in first person for fiction novel, how to portray her inner dialogue and drag it out to make a chapter long enough?
I am writing my first novel. I have wanted to write a book since I was 12 years old. I am no expert when it comes to writing, but the I'm loving the ideas I have. Currently, I am struggling with ...
0
votes
2
answers
52
views
I'm writing a graphic novel and I don't know if its too much like Percy Jackson
I'm writing a graphic novel about superheros and some of the elements of the story are similar to Percy Jackson. For example, one scene in my book is one of my characters deciding to save a kidnapped ...
0
votes
0
answers
31
views
I'm working on a horror novel, and I just want to see what other's think of my concept. So... what do y'all think? [closed]
The story I'm working on is about a 19-year-old girl in a small town very close to a local nature reserve. When she was young, her uncle went missing, seemingly without a trace, and her father made it ...
- 129
0
votes
1
answer
14
views
Citation for webpage's heading-less introductory section?
Many webpages have an initial introductory section. Unlike later sections, this generally does not have a heading. For a good example, see here.
From what I've been able to find, APA-7 says to use the ...
- 113
1
vote
1
answer
12
views
Do I need paragraph numbers when citing a webpage?
I know that when you need to cite a specific paragraph of a webpage, you use the paragraph number instead of page numbers.
However, in what instances are paragraph numbers even necessary? Most ...
- 113
5
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Rich Mental Images
Some writing, phrased with brevity, clarity, and precision, but not always lacking complexity of sentence structure, evokes rich imagery in the reader's mind. It is possible then, that the writer did ...
- 1,758
0
votes
1
answer
42
views
Is it correct to refer to a group (3rd) and transition to 2nd person in a paragraph
I'm writing a business document. Is it ok to introduce a concept in the 3rd person and then transition to 2nd person to be more personable? For example:
"Full-time employees may take up to 6 ...
- 3
2
votes
2
answers
139
views
Is my plot too similar to "Harry Potter" or other fantasy genre books?
I'm working on a story in Hindi.
The protagonist is a fairy princess who was left in her maternal uncle's house because in her world (which is above clouds) she is loved by her maternal family, but ...
- 21
0
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0
answers
17
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I need help to make my passage for my ELA project. it's an surviving theme like in the mountains, lost in the desert, shipwrecked on an island [closed]
This is the passage I have started on, I woke up on an Island I’ve never seen before. I was dehydrated and realized that I was lost. I then got up and started to search the island for some water. I ...
0
votes
3
answers
76
views
How could I create a naming system for non-biological creatures in my book that makes sense to the reader and a character in-world?
I'm wondering how to create a naming system that makes sense both in-world and the reader.
The creatures I speak of come in various different forms/species. They're made of metal and can vary in what ...
- 1
12
votes
6
answers
2k
views
How do I go about writing a tragic ending in a story while making it overall satisfying to the reader?
I am working on a horror-ish novel in my spare time and want to end it by killing off the protagonist or her failing somehow. For a bit of background, here are the basic plot points of my story, Under ...
- 129
0
votes
2
answers
189
views
I am writing a racist character in the 1960s. She uses the N-word. An editor told me that this was not appropriate in 2024
Characters are at a dance. Referring to one of the musicians (who later becomes an important character), Character # 1 say's to character # 2:
“He’s a nigger, and a hillbilly, for god’s sake. You ...
0
votes
1
answer
33
views
Epigraph translation, according to Chicago Manual of Style
There is a book by John Doe in which there is an epigraph by Goethe, which is translated into English by Jim Oe.
Chapter 1
Rosen sind rot,
Veilchen sind blau.[1]
...
- 107
2
votes
1
answer
398
views
Would it be out of style to start a history book with a poem I wrote?
Multiple primary sources I’ve consulted made use of the same metaphor to describe the Roman genos – an orchard of olive trees. I wrote a poem about it. I don't plan for the reader to understand what I ...
3
votes
1
answer
541
views
I'm rewriting a 2019 oneshot and am up to 37,000 words already. Should I make them chapters or keep it as a long oneshot?
The oneshot I did in 2019 was about 10,000 words long, but when I read it back it was terrible. Not necessarily bad but the pacing, characters and everything was just wrong (With a lot of spelling ...
- 31
1
vote
2
answers
109
views
How should I introduce my characters' powers?
I'm currently trying to write a book about magic. I've planned out how the characters get their powers, but not how the readers can find out about said powers. How and when should I introduce their ...
- 13
0
votes
1
answer
46
views
Copyright Related to Cosplay Artwork
I am working on a book about my history with e-sports, nerd culture and being a commentator for matches.
In the final chapter of the book I talk about my friend (who's been helping me sort over a ...
- 1
2
votes
3
answers
738
views
Is it fine to call a 26 year old character a young adult? [closed]
I wa wondering does 26 fall under the category of young adult. I hear its 18-24 or 25 but does 18-26 exist and is that valid?
- 21
7
votes
6
answers
3k
views
Why is simpler prose more popular these days?
People repeatedly tell me to write simply. Some complain when I don't, and some say they dislike complex writing.
I thought that, back in the 19th century, many people liked sophisticated prose. Why, ...
- 1,758
0
votes
2
answers
59
views
Debut novel in works is around 125k words— is it too long to be published? [duplicate]
I currently am in the process of beta-readers going through my first novel. It’s around 125k words and 440 pages.
The story is a Gothic Horror set in a circus sideshow in the 1930s, following five ...
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4
votes
1
answer
89
views
What is the process of working with a sensitivity reader?
Every fiction story has some characters that don't match the author's identity. I know the first step of representing a character from a different background is research, and I'm vaguely aware that ...
- 2,048
0
votes
2
answers
46
views
Trouble finding description of the sound an oar makes in a crew boat [closed]
Hi Im having trouble describing the sound the oars make in this video(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Xn55OXxqJ8) when ignoring the rattling of the boat. I am thinking something like a "pft, put&...
- 1
0
votes
2
answers
98
views
Stuck on a scene of characters going from one location to another
So the context is that two characters have to go from Country A to Country B. They have to travel through various airports and take a cab in order to reach Country B. The main story starts after they ...
0
votes
0
answers
25
views
Book size 6 X 9
I am having a problem with book format when converting to a PDF. The layout page size is 6 X 9 which was selected at start but when convert to PDF, it shows as 8.5 X 11. Can anyone assist? I am using ...
0
votes
2
answers
57
views
Does anyone know how I can spread my articles?
I'm writing my economic articles on the SoyInsider platform, and I'd like my content (which has many hours of investigative work) to reach more people.
What do you recommend?
user67086
2
votes
5
answers
135
views
Getting a book published at age 12
So, I'm 12 years old but I'm turning 13 in December. I live in Canada and am currently writing a novel.
I love reading and everyone in my class said that I am very good at writing. I got an Extending (...
user67025
0
votes
1
answer
25
views
Counting scenes in a screenplay
I'm starting to break down and shot list my script and I am wondering how I would count the scenes in this sequence:
EXT. THE PARK - DAY
(stuff happens)
INT. LYRA'S BEDROOM - DAY
(stuff happens)
...
- 25
2
votes
5
answers
430
views
Why are the titles of certain types of works italicized?
On Wikipedia and other encyclopedias, the titles of certain types of works (movies, video games, books) are often in italic type. Is there a reason for this?
- 125
0
votes
1
answer
57
views
Controlling Elements of Language to Achieve Voice
Voice, which is created by stressed and unstressed syllables, and therefore dependent on rhythm, whether harmonious or rhythmically so, is defined differently by different writers, some calling it ...
- 1,758
0
votes
3
answers
130
views
Is "Protagonist's family gets killed by dark forces" an original idea?
As the title suggests, is "Protagonist's family gets killed by dark forces" an original idea? It was something I had originally conceived. However, I realized that Harry Potter has a very ...
- 1
1
vote
1
answer
62
views
Why do people say putting a "." (full stop) inside "" quote marks is grammatically correct/right?
The question I'm asking is why people put a "." (full stop) inside "" quote marks, why is this grammatically correct/right for English?
From my computer coding knowledge, I think ...
- 13
1
vote
2
answers
67
views
Is this thesis statement a hasty generalization? [closed]
I've been told that the following thesis statement would be considered to be a fallacy, specifically a hasty generalization.
The use of artificial intelligence, specifically generative AI, promotes ...
- 11
0
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0
answers
52
views
How do I know if I’m plagiarizing? [duplicate]
Ok, hi everybody! I hope this bodes over well. It all started when I was worldbuilding for my novel tonight and I was thinking about a few things. I made a nation, a backstory for the nation, and a ...
3
votes
2
answers
756
views
How to quote ambiguous line-break hyphen?
Say someone wrote this sentence:
I like my co-
workers.
But I'm not sure whether the author meant to write "co-workers" (hard hyphen) or "coworkers" (soft hyphen added only for a ...
- 131
1
vote
1
answer
53
views
Should a hyphen be added if a URL is broken across a line?
Normally if a word is too long, one can add a hyphen to split the word in two, making part of the word on the next line:
This is an ex-
ample of a te-
xt that uses
hyphens as li-
ne breaks.
If I'm ...
- 393
-1
votes
2
answers
78
views
Permission to use Rick Riordan characters [duplicate]
I am already working on a novel with Rick Riordans characters and was wondering if I could get permission to use them from his copy right holders before l proceed with book 2 that has THE KANES ...
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1
vote
3
answers
94
views
Writer's block in teen writers
I have come across many writers who just quit writing because they think writer's block just means the person cannot write anymore. Now I'm facing the same issue, and I feel like it might be the end ...
1
vote
2
answers
165
views
How can I fake a character’s death without it being obvious she’s alive?
I’m writing a mystery novel about kids trying to solve the death of their four parents (two families). The families are billionaires and they’ve created an empire. One of the mothers ends up being the ...
- 11
1
vote
1
answer
35
views
Can I fit a citation inside a phrase? (for a footnote)
My footnote as of now looks like this:
Whilst the term Rumi-ness has now become used by scholars to refer to the Anatolian Muslims identity, the Turkish Rûmîlik is still monopolized by people ...
0
votes
2
answers
96
views
Transition sentence at the end of the last body paragraph leading into the concluding paragraph?
So I'm writing an essay and we have to use transition sentences between paragraphs. I understand how this would work between body paragraphs/points 1-2 and 2-3 since each is a distinct point but I'm ...
1
vote
4
answers
167
views
Leaving non-English dialogue untranslated?
I am now on the third draft of my first novel, which is written in English and based in Slovakia.
99% of the novel is in English, though occasionally there is some Slovak dialogue which I have not ...
- 349
0
votes
1
answer
62
views
Trademarked Name Use in Novel
Can I have a character's name be the same as the one in a popular children's book?
For example, the kids in a neighborhood think an old man is hiding something. This has been going on for years and ...
0
votes
1
answer
54
views
How to write for a MG novel series?
I am writing a book series about dogs (with some wolves and other animals), with the age range being around Wings of Fire and Warrior Cats (i.e. 8-12 years). What limits would be necessary to stay ...
0
votes
3
answers
131
views
Why do writers rarely use a name from another work even when it's allowed?
Why do writers rarely use a character name from another work for their original characters, even if it is legal (i.e. there is no copyright in names)?
- 125
1
vote
1
answer
76
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I have some good story ideas for a TV series. If I write an outline using the characters from the TV series, can I copyright it?
I have been a closet writer for years. I have received lots of praise for my stories, but have never attempted anything "serious". I have a favorite TV series and have written some outlines -...
- 11
1
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1
answer
32
views
Use of square brackets in quotes introduced after colon
I am writing an academic document related to legal research, and have a doubt - Wherever I am quoting someone like this:
Mr. A of X Institute states as follows: "[t]he suggestion that the number ...
- 11
5
votes
2
answers
2k
views
If my character has the same name as a character from another story, will the publisher tell me to change it?
If my character has the same name as a character from another story, will the publisher tell me to change it?
Whether the answer is yes or no, can you explain why?
- 51
2
votes
3
answers
180
views
Simple Writing vs Complex Writing
Numerous online articles say that simple writing is better. They say it is easier to read. They also say that people aim for complexity in their writing to show off.
However, I enjoy reading both ...
- 1,758
2
votes
1
answer
170
views
Portraying synesthesia in prose
How can an author effectively portray a character with synesthesia, where their sensory perceptions are intertwined, without confusing the reader or disrupting the narrative flow? What techniques and ...
- 243