All Questions
12,723
questions
0
votes
0
answers
4
views
Copyright, rewrite
is it possible to rewrite a book into a more modern story to be a screenplay? That is if there is an old book about a person who embark on a life journey, and it´s set in Africa for example and the ...
0
votes
1
answer
15
views
Do I ignore 'How' in a works cited page?
Here is the citation:
“How AI is Expanding the Attack Surface.” ITWeb, 23 Jan 2024,
https://www.itweb.co.za/article/how-ai-is-expanding-the-attack-surface/mYZRXM9gQbovOgA8.
Accessed 17 April 2024.
I ...
- 103
0
votes
0
answers
18
views
Converting a custom footnote to a continuous numbered footnote list
I have some footnotes that I am editing (on a Mac), which have cross-references to the footnote (so copying and pasting the footnote text into a newly inserted footnote is not really an option).
How ...
- 101
0
votes
0
answers
21
views
Technical blogs at StackExchange/ServerFault? [closed]
With obvious sunset of Usenet as a technical knowledge exchange platform, I believe that StackExchange has quite a potential to take over this role.
Maybe I am re-inventing the wheel and technical ...
- 1
1
vote
0
answers
30
views
In first person narrative, how do I use shakily, fear and trembling in story writing
Who's this?” She barked. My heart was pounding beneath my chest as I struggled to breath well under tension.
One thing my aunt hated was me talking to anyone at all, especially boys. How would she ...
0
votes
1
answer
36
views
What is the term for a subject matter expert that helps with editing?
I'm helping a family member by editing a translated version of a book they wrote. The book is about lacemaking, a subject I know very little of, so we got a subject matter expert involved, who was ...
- 215
4
votes
2
answers
572
views
In dialogue, what is the best way to show an action as well as dialogue from two different characters?
I'm writing a book, and there's a point I've come up to where there's an action, plus dialogue from two different characters. Here's the excerpt:
“What do you want for her?” Dane asked. The man ...
13
votes
4
answers
3k
views
How can my book purchase get the most money to an author?
I'm a reader, not an author. But, when I buy books (in whatever format) from authors I enjoy, I'd like as much of my purchase prices as possible to get to those authors.
So, I'm wondering: do authors ...
- 231
2
votes
1
answer
225
views
How should I introduce a crush on a friend?
I am writing a fanfic about these two childhood friends, but I don't know how to really introduce their crushes. Character A has a huge crush on Character B, which is the only reason why Character A ...
- 33
3
votes
3
answers
381
views
What is the best way to improve the ease of using metaphors?
When I read books, I marvel at the ease with which the author uses metaphors. I'd like to have this ability. Does one get better at writing good metaphors by reading countless books? Or is there a ...
- 61
0
votes
1
answer
32
views
When writting someone’s credentials in a text, is it capitalized?
I wrote "French egyptologist Jean Yoyotte suggested that, as Memphis already had a presence of Greek speakers, Herodotus could have used them to speak to the priesthood."
Should I instead ...
0
votes
0
answers
21
views
Can the sentence be improved for clarity? [closed]
Me and my friend were reading an article and she pointed out that the author has written this sentence wrong.
Can anyone tell me what is wrong here in this sentence?
One of the reasons the strong ...
- 1
1
vote
2
answers
71
views
Is there a word or a phrase for faking a laugh
I want to know how to describe someone faking a laugh without having to say "faking a laugh"
- 33
1
vote
0
answers
60
views
Replacement for the "boiling frog" metaphor
The "boiling frog" metaphor is used to highlight sensitivity to abrupt, critical changes for the worse (the frog jumping out if placed in boiling water), in contrast to insensitivity to ...
- 111
3
votes
2
answers
66
views
Difficulty describing a complex image in a single sentence
I am having difficulty explaining that the sun evaporated the fog that had brushed up against the blooming hills. When I add "with spectacular wildflower blooms", it sounds as if the sun ...
- 61
3
votes
1
answer
89
views
Are there any quirks of French dialogue that may make it obvious that someone is lying, but only to a native French speaker?
This is a very specific question.I don't even know if it is even possible to answer.
I have a French character in my story that speaks mostly English, but his dialogue is written with a French twang, ...
- 33
0
votes
1
answer
15
views
In a bibliography hanging indentation, what is the appropriate indentation amount?
According to the Chicago Manual of Style, a bibliography entry should be set in a hanging indentation (where the first line is set flush left, and subsequent lines are "indented").
My ...
- 101
1
vote
2
answers
103
views
Onomatopoeia for a noise people make when shutting someone up?
When someone wants to shut someone else up, they often make a noise that sounds kind of like "up-up-up," or "ah-ah-ah," often while putting a finger to the person's mouth. How ...
- 111
0
votes
2
answers
90
views
Drafts and Sentence Complexity
Some writing has complex sentence structure. Many times, this is because its authors derived it from drafts that had complex sentence structure already. But I read that writers can combine simpler ...
- 1,522
1
vote
3
answers
151
views
In my polytheistic world, how should I prevent people fighting over which god to worship? [closed]
Remember when I set the protagonist, Berta Newton (Issac Newton's incarnation into isekai), as an angel? As the accepted answerer aptly said, people will be interested in her magics themselves, rather ...
- 173
1
vote
1
answer
74
views
What are some good beginnings for childrens' books?
I am working on a 12 book series all related and I am unable to think of any good beginnings. The books are goosebumps type thrillers. So far I have had characters waking up in the morning, but if I ...
- 11
2
votes
2
answers
88
views
How do I make a historical fiction book seem real?
I am writing a story tentatively called Planes And Towers. It is a historical fiction book about siblings, Molly and Jacob Johnson, who are going on a trip to New York on September 11, 2001. They are ...
- 31
1
vote
1
answer
82
views
How should I choose what happens to my protagonist?
The main plot of my story is that a girl named Arabella signs up for a dance competition and practices for weeks. Fearing that the other dancers are too good, she invites them over to a practice ...
- 31
2
votes
2
answers
78
views
Showing the readers what the villains are doing in 3rd person
I am currently writing a YA detective mystery. It involves a group of detectives who work to keep their city safe, but there is an organization that has infiltrated every level of the government. They ...
- 21
0
votes
1
answer
42
views
Is it possible to write short stories without any humor, comedy, or jokes? [duplicate]
Would it be possible to write short stories without any humor, comedy, or jokes?
I am looking into writing short stories, but I am not very skilled as a writer and very much end up getting caught up ...
9
votes
2
answers
1k
views
How do you convey that an action is subconscious when writing in first person?
My protagonist had a traumatic experience that means she keeps her distance from men. Sometimes, if she genuinely feels in danger, all her actions will be calculated and thought-through. However, most ...
- 579
0
votes
1
answer
26
views
Question about how to punctuate inaccuracy in a quote
In the following sentence, the speaker is quoting the title of a book, but stumbles on a word in the title.
"The Art of Liv -- Living."
The quotation marks and the inclusion of the partial ...
- 3
0
votes
1
answer
26
views
Can I summarize and paraphrase someone's findings and cite their authors and make it for my references?
I was using other researchers' sources. I want to summarize, paraphrase, and cite the authors of that previous study. I was writing my research paper and I stumbled upon important information, but the ...
- 1
0
votes
1
answer
120
views
How do romantic relationships in books work?
Now, I'm not asking this as in a "I'm new to writing and I want a tutorial" but more in a "I'm aromantic, have never had any crushes, and I have little to no knowledge on how romance ...
- 115
0
votes
1
answer
52
views
Can a stream of consciousness be successfully maintained in the first person in a long novel?
I think there are stream of consciousness writings in the third person, but was wondering about the first person. No other dialogue with other characters, just the thoughts of the protagonist as he/...
- 223
5
votes
4
answers
856
views
Should I specify the year for a somewhat-near-future sci-fi novel?
I'm writing a fiction book as close to hard sci-fi as I can (aside from some handwaving of one major story element to actually get the plot going), and I'm working on sorting out the timeline. I've ...
- 153
0
votes
4
answers
172
views
Why do artists make grammar mistakes in their songs?
I would be deeply grateful if you answer my question. I'm currently writing my thesis about standard and non-standard English grammar and the main problem of my work is why artists make grammar "...
Magda Šudák
8
votes
3
answers
2k
views
How to exclude swearing from my thriller novel?
I'm working on a psychological thriller. I know that most books in this genre use at least some profanity. But I, myself, don't swear. I never have. Sometimes I let one slip, but other than that I don'...
- 215
1
vote
1
answer
40
views
Is pre-order a good strategy?
I have a new website that will be selling ebooks and audio books. I will be starting out with between 42 to 50 titles.
Is it a good strategy to put all titles to sell on pre-order at the same time as ...
- 11
0
votes
1
answer
71
views
Question mark for unfinished question?
I am wondering if using a question mark at the end of the following sentence is acceptable:
Is there any— I mean?
Or should an ellipsis be used:
Is there any— I mean...
The words in the sentence ...
- 3
1
vote
2
answers
82
views
Can I write a character that does not technically exist? They are an alter identity(?) of another character
I’m currently planning my characters, and wanted to grab some opinions.
I’m planning to have three main-ish characters, where the third character is more of an alternate identity of the second ...
- 11
0
votes
1
answer
121
views
How do I accurately portray a character that has DID?
In a novel that I'm working on, one of the characters has multiple personality disorder, though this will not ever be explicitly stated in the aforementioned novel. I was wondering how to portray such ...
2ple
7
votes
3
answers
903
views
How can I fit a protagonist and his character arc to an existing world and plot?
I began my project with world-building. Afterward, I decided on the overarching plot, and now I'm trying to populate it with characters, starting with my protagonist. I've figured out his core driving ...
- 418
0
votes
2
answers
61
views
Tips for writing about a small funeral
Not looking for a complete guide here, but rather some supplementary tips. I'm writing a scene in a story where one of the two main characters is dead, and it's his funeral. This story is in a small ...
- 43
0
votes
1
answer
21
views
professional email help
I'm a new writer dealing with a publishing house. It's been a couple of months since we last exchanged an email about edits. I'm thinking that we are towards the end period and getting ready for a ...
- 1
0
votes
1
answer
18
views
Formatting poetry collection and formatting standards
What does the industry use? I thought about just copy pasting the lyrics into a file format and then appending them in one file, but I am wondering if most publisher use some kind of software to put ...
- 14.9k
3
votes
5
answers
172
views
How do I introduce my readers to new words as gracefully as possible?
Let me apologize in advance if this question has been asked before. The ones I found only discuss this issue in the context of writing in general and do not touch on writing narrative fiction.
I am ...
- 133
0
votes
1
answer
19
views
If I am referencing the same primary source but in another book, can I write "english translation" (Turabian)
I wrote:
“Statuette Naophore du Vatican Nº 158 [113],” ca. 518 ʙ.c, in La première domination Perse en Égypte, trans. ed. Georges H. Posener (Cairo: Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale, 1936), p....
1
vote
2
answers
72
views
What is the difference between the points in a three-act structure
I've recently come across the three-act structure, and it seems pretty helpful. My only confusion is that a few of the points in each act look fairly similar.
Here is the version of the three-act ...
- 579
6
votes
3
answers
1k
views
How can I make a character memorable and not stereotypical?
I am planning a novel and am currently developing the characters. I have written one sentence for each character that defines them, come up with the roles they would play in the story, as well as ...
- 169
3
votes
5
answers
525
views
Is there another, more formal, word for 'ride' in this circumstance?
Imagine a man standing by the highway, asking for a ride. Not a free ride like in hitchhiking, but a paid one. Is there another term for 'ride' that would better suit the situation here?
Setting is a ...
- 41
3
votes
2
answers
140
views
I want to describe a young man sitting astride on a chair, leaning his forearms on the top of the back
I want to describe a young man sitting astride on a chair, leaning his forearms on the top of the back. I am aware that I am focusing too much on the mechanics of the posture, and I will deal with the ...
- 33
0
votes
1
answer
94
views
The Dread of Planning a Timeline
I'm working on the second draft of a novel series, and I already have 800 pages written. After re-evaluating the characters and most of their arcs, I've started planning a timeline for each book in ...
- 35
2
votes
2
answers
736
views
In my story, a girl discovers who murdered her best friend and descends into madness. What is the genre?
The story I'm working on is about a girl whose best friend was murdered and how she is dealing with the aftermath. The main character is trying to figure out what happened, but it's not a murder ...
- 215
3
votes
1
answer
97
views
I want to include an epigraph in my paper. Should I preserve the original in-text citations?
The author of the passage that I want to use as an epigraph keeps making references to sections of Herodotus’ histories, which, whilst I respect it, doesn't look good in an epigraph. Since I already ...