Questions tagged [style]
This tag should be used for questions that deal with a consistent style in your writing, such as when asking about typical ways to introduce a certain aspect to your reader by showing-telling or if you are concerned that your readers might feel that a change in the point of view might be perceived as inconcsistency.
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How Exactly Are You Supposed To Write A Paragraph That Maintains A Consistent Theme Throughout?
I have noticed as a writer that one of my greatest weaknesses is writing paragraphs. I never really learned exactly how a paragraph is supposed to support one single theme. For instance, this is a ...
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Which Is Clearer: 'Being pressed' or 'Pressed'?
Consider these two sentences:
[1] Being pressed against the wall, he struggled to break free.
[2] Pressed against the wall, he struggled to break free.
I've recently spent some time reading grammar ...
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How can I recognize and take constructive criticism?
Personally, for me, I have ADHD and mild autism, so at times I don't have the same views as the majority. For example, I like the ending/plot of this one book/show/movie, only for me to find out that ...
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How does one write a paper "in character?" I don't know how to begin
For the course project, you will write about a historical event between 1865 and the present day from the perspective of a historical figure who participated in the event.
You will need to research ...
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Thoughts on using "looking to" in marketing content
I've been writing content for years, and over the last 6 or so, in marketing for software companies. Very often, I'll see sentences include "looking to" as a way to explain that the reader ...
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How Should We Implement the Given-before-New Principle in Fiction?
It's safe to say I've become a bit of a grammar nerd since I started writing my first novel. Three years after my first words landed on the page, I'm only now coming to the end of my final round of ...
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Conveying to someone through eMail that they are the one millionth customer of my product without sounding suspicious
Say I owned a website, game, product, etc. and wanted to tell someone by eMail that they are the one millionth customer of mine, and maybe even promise them a reward.
The problem is that eMails of ...
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Is it better to create a new word, or add anew connotation to an already existing word? Does it matter?
This question arose from another question I asked on the English Language & Usage Stack: "Is there a specific name for that singular exhalation laugh that happens when you read something only ...
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How to refer to alternate versions of a character in a non-sci-fi way?
I'm writing a story featuring a plot element which is a variation on A Christmas Carol involving the multiverse. A character is escorted to other timelines, where she looks at where those versions of ...
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Spacing around (and types of) dashes in American English
I'm not a native English speaker, and the way American English texts typically use em-dashes without spaces to separate sentence parts seems very strange and even disruptive for me. For example:
&...
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Non finite (..ing) v finite (..ed) verb form correct usage
The rhythm of these 3 excerpts below are different, they read to me more or less the same though. Are any actually grammatically wrong? It's funny the sort of questions that pop up when you start ...
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Are fake movie titles mentioned in dialogue italicized?
So, a made-up title like All Loud on the Eastern Front, in dialogue, would it be italicized?
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How to make a scene from the point of view of a drunk person dramatic?
This is sort of related to my previous question because I'm preparing to write the same scene, but this is different enough that it warrants its own question.
So I'm working on a scene where a ...
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How to write a drunk person's train of logic?
I've read some of the other questions on this site about how to write a drunk person (this link, this link, and this link) but what I'm not clear on is writing a drunk person's train of logic and how ...
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How to organize writing of short, concise, meaningful sentences?
I am working on a fantasy language and wondering how I could write like the Tao Te Ching, short meaningful poetic sentences which are easy to grasp and visualize. In English we have the tendency to ...
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How do I make my writing flow?
I'm in the skeleton stage, but to get into the rhythm of writing, I write short stories every few days. Upon reviewing them, I've realised that unless I am specifically aiming for abstract and vivid ...
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How to provide translations, moods, and registry in multilanguage dialog within an narration in English?
I am starting a serious writing project (a novel book from a story I once drafted as a TV show; I am not a script writer either). Furthermore I decided to write in English, which is not my native ...
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Is using diverse verbs on action beats to tag speech frowned upon?
Watching a video from an editor yesterday, she said authors should refrain from using too many verbs on action beats, instead relying mostly on "said" and "asked".
I think it is ...
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How to write a character who's better than you at sounding professional and doublespeak
I have a character who is an expert at using language to his advantage. Both in terms of doublespeak, subtle put downs and deliberately avoiding the point and making the conversation about something ...
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Stylistic markers in male and female writings
Are there any stylistic markers (sentence structures, vocabulary choices, or anything else) which may help the reader suggest, even if only tentatively, the gender — male or female — of the author, ...
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How do I get my writing to be more thrilling?
I started writing not too long ago, but I've been struggling to actually make the readers get into the reading. I've been told that my writings are too "straightforward" or "too direct&...
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How to write an insulting experience for my protagonist?
My protagonist finds out that his friends have completely forgotten him. I want to write an insulting scene for my protagonist and want the readers to connect with him fully. Need some tips on how to ...
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When is a good time to have a betrayal?
In my book a character who the main characters have saved before is revealed to be the real main antagonist. I originally wanted this reveal to happen at the end, but after looking at betrayals in ...
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Can dialogue be put in the same paragraph as action text?
I'm a beginner writer, trying to learn fundementals. I'm editing some work now and I'm confused about proper formatting of paragraphs with dialogue.
I know that you should start a new paragraph when ...
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Why is it generally important to be consistent with the tone and style of writing?
I was thinking of writing a story that starts out as a serious drama, but suddenly shifts to a comedic tone without any clear reason or transition. I thought it would subvert expectation and make the ...
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I'm afraid of being accused that I copied, even when I'm the one writing earlier
My apologies for potential errors, I'm not a native English speaker
Hello. I don't really know, who else I could ask, so I'm putting it here.
First of all, I know, that my writing isn't something ...
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How to externalise internal thoughts better?
I've been watching a lot of Krzysztof Kieślowski movies lately, especially Decalogue, and I've noticed how adept he is at using visuals to externalise the inner ideas of his characters.
How can I ...
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How can I write in first person present tense without it being annoying or distracting?
I am currently writing a story in first person and present tense. I've read a lot about what various people think of this perspective and I've heard many people say they enjoy it when it's done well, ...
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Are runon sentences more permissible in legal writing?
In a legal filing, as long as the meaning is not at all ambiguous which seems to be the cardinal objective of legal writing, are runon sentences which may be more cumbersome to read less undesirable ...
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How to write that someone is writing?
I'm writing about a person who writes in their journal like this:
She wrote, "I went to the store today."
But I have a feeling it's not correct. Should I use a colon?
She wrote: "I went ...
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When quoting issuing commands to multiple individuals, should each new person be a new paragraph?
If a person is giving instructions to separate individuals and it's all spoken in quotes, should the spoken words for each new person start a new paragraph or if the commands are connected to a single ...
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How can I organize a book where the primary audience is sometimes one group, sometimes another and other times both?
I am writing a non-fiction book, where [for instance] I am talking about the Teacher-Student relationship - and many aspects.
Sometimes the writing is addressing the Teacher and sometimes the Student ...
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How should I write a nonlinear book where chapters are dedicated to characters as they are introduced to the main character?
I'm writing a book called People are Strange, and the new direction I've taken with it is non-linear. I'm going to focus on a character (Sonya) who comes to a town in the middle of a string of ...
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What kind of character is Mister Blonde from Reservoir Dogs?
I've been thinking about the movie a lot, and I'm wondering what category Mister Blonde would fall into. All of the characters are anti-heroes, because they're all criminals.
The other heisters, ...
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What is the origin of shorthand for "with" -> "w/"?
In many places, I've seen "w/" written where "with" should be. At least, I think that one replaces the other :) I couldn't find anywhere what is the origin of "w/". Is ...
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What makes a paragraph?
Some say that a paragraph should have (only) one idea (or subject or topic). In that case, what constitutes an idea (or subject or topic)? And how might one verify that a putative paragraph possesses ...
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"morally dialectical" is this phrase usable?
I'm wondering if this phrase can be used to characterize two characters, one who is morally good and one who is bad. Specifically I am trying to say that "I want to examine character A and ...
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Writing a third person limited protagonist without any inner dialogue
I want to write a protagonist that thinks as I do; that is to say, without any inner monologue. I don't even think in images either. It's just abstract thoughts for me. If a place reminds me of my ...
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You have purple prose, and you have basic writing- What's the median called?
To start with, you have a form of description and furtherance of the intended narrative composed almost wholly of a horribly verbose and impenetrably confusing style known disaffectionately as "...
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Need help in figuring out how to write dialogue as if my mouth was full (+18)
I saw a similar question, but it didn't really have the answer I was seeking and it wasn't concerned with the same thing — sucking someone, thus the full mouth. I saw an answer there that suggests ...
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Writing a specific atmosphere with a limited ability to
For context, the world I'm writing is where woodland animals (think raccoons, badgers, foxes, etc.) exist on an island without humans and developed their own 'civilizations' (think wolf pack but more ...
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Numbers in a name in dialogue
If someone is speaking the name of something that includes a number, should the number be spelled out or not? For example...
"I just bought a Mustang Boss 302."
Or
"I just bought a ...
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How to read in order to improve my writing skills?
It's fairly common wisdom to say that one must read to improve their writing style.
I am looking for techniques or activities to do while reading books. I mean, should I analyze the sentences' ...
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Should I use "***" 3 asterisks or extra blank lines or whatever to indicate the breaks between parallel plot scenes, in a Kindle Vella fiction story?
That is, for example, suppose I have two plots going on, and I've sandwiched (ie. interleaved) them; a few paragraphs of one plot scene alternating with a few paragraphs of a 2nd plot scene.
To ...
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Properly writing satire/parodies
For a while, there were many good satires/parodies, such as Naked Gun, Hot Shots, and the early Scary movie films. However, we see them beginning more in decline, and also the rise of so many terrible ...
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How to cite Terms of Use in APA 7?
I'm trying to find out how to cite the Terms of Use of an app (BeReal) - I found this answer to a similar question, but I wasn't sure if this was still accurate to APA 7. I apologize if this has been ...
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Usage of word "cull" - what would be good alternative
I came across this article today - https://www.axios.com/2022/11/13/elon-musk-twitter-contractor-layoffs. The title reads "Elon Musk culls Twitter contractors after mass employee layoffs". I'...
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Is there a style convention for how to "format" a book title in plain text (no formatting)?
Typically book titles are ideally italicized or otherwise underlined. For example:
In his book Some Book Title, John Doe describes...
Is there any style convention for what to do if you are limited ...
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Must every sentence be 25 words or less?
Many books that are read today frequently use long sentences, far surpassing the 25 word limit. There is pleasure in reading such sentences, and there is pleasure in comprehending them. But oftentimes ...
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What is a word that would best fit in this sentence?
The Harlem Renaissance has changed America in a ________ way.
I'm trying to make the sentence sound professional. Here is what I had at first: The Harlem Renaissance has changed America in a great way....
