91
votes
Accepted
Is Wikipedia Trustworthy?
Wikipedia is a crowd-sourced site where anybody can contribute, just like this one. Wikipedia strives for verifiability and neutrality and has an active user community, but that doesn't mean that ...
- 21.4k
45
votes
Is Wikipedia Trustworthy?
Things changed. Several reviews on the reliability of Wikipedia concluded it is about as accurate as more standard encyclopaedias, while having more content. I too have heard that Wikipedia should not ...
- 551
19
votes
Accepted
Symbolism of number of crows?
The reference in Pratchett's books (it appears in more than one of his Discworld Witches books) is to the common rhymes regarding Magpies, which are related to crows.
There are several versions of ...
- 1,288
17
votes
Is Wikipedia Trustworthy?
I like to say that broadly speaking, Wikipedia is mostly trustworthy when statements are cited, but it's never a source.
There are several parts to this.
Wikipedia is broadly and mostly trustworthy -...
- 3,764
17
votes
Accepted
Writing style before Elements of Style
Here are some books that should help. Where it makes sense, I'm trying to include the date and place of publication, a description, and a quote for context. (Not all of the information in these books ...
- 3,753
16
votes
Is Wikipedia Trustworthy?
No.
Wikipedia is not a reliable source. Wikipedia can be edited by anyone at any time. This means that any information it contains at any particular time could be vandalism. Biographies of living ...
- 299
15
votes
Accepted
Writing as a hobby, where do you learn the basics and go further?
There is no special secret technique to writing. No methodologies that you must follow. No "right way". The best ways to learn about writing are reading and writing.
When you read, you are exposed ...
14
votes
Is Wikipedia Trustworthy?
Wikipedia policy requires that editors cite sources to support their edits. However, there's no systematic process for checking that editors are accurately representing the sources they cite, or that ...
- 401
13
votes
What are good resources to get fantasy names?
Read literature from the country or period you want to write about.
If you want to write about norse mythology, open the Edda and get names there. If you want to write about the french revolution, ...
- 3,827
13
votes
Is Wikipedia Trustworthy?
The idea that anyone can edit Wikipedia is often put forward as a bad thing, but with Wikipedia it's part of the peer review process and this happens a lot faster than it does with printed ...
12
votes
Is Wikipedia Trustworthy?
If you're relying on Wikipedia as a source, then it's worth noting that the Wikipedia page on identifying reliable sources for use in Wikipedia articles states in no uncertain terms that Wikipedia ...
12
votes
How can I improve my sentence construction or flow in general writing?
1. READ A LOT
I agree with @Cloudchaser that writing is a craft you have to practise. You should absolutely read these books that have been recommended to you. Read as many as you can on the craft of ...
- 9,913
10
votes
Accepted
How can I find Indian names that will be accessible to my readers?
Indian culture is very complex. The names and characteristics of Indian royalty varies from state to state. To create a royal name you will need to answer several questions.
What is the period your ...
- 336
10
votes
Learning about hand-to-hand combat?
If you are contemplating about mediaeval warfare with longsword type weapons, try reenactors.
These people are actually researching what can, cannot be done with the means at the time. This includes ...
- 1,032
10
votes
Where can I find resources to look up Native American names?
I would strongly suggest contacting historians from (descendants of) the actual groups you are taking inspiration from, and asking them for feedback/suggestions, not just on names but on other aspects ...
- 56.3k
9
votes
Is Wikipedia Trustworthy?
Wikipedia is a great place to start your research, but not to complete it. All good Wikipedia pages include cited reputable sources, so the best advice is to use Wikipedia to identify primary sources,...
- 56.3k
9
votes
Where can I find resources for bedtime story plots?
I gave your question some thought, and I figure the best source of inspiration for you would be an encyclopaedia. Let me explain: your regular characters can travel to distant lands where they'd ...
9
votes
Accepted
Is there a name for a poem with rhyme scheme ABABCB?
Terza rima
In poetry this form is known as terza rima, and also called "tercet form" or "three-line stanza form," which typically goes ABABCB, CDCDED, ...
You can see a very famous ...
- 8,692
8
votes
Writing accented dialog guides?
The best way to write dialogue in different accents is to hear your characters speak with those accents in your own head, first.
That said, there are some differences that are well documented:
...
- 637
8
votes
What are good resources to get fantasy names?
Since many authors use name generators, the names on these sites would have been used already. One tip I found helpful is to grab two or three names and try to create your own unique one. That way, ...
- 949
8
votes
What are good resources to get fantasy names?
An easy way to get names is to first define a few characteristics about the person you want to name. Are they:
humble?
fast?
strong?
reliable?
tall?
tiny?
beautiful?
Then enter these words into a ...
- 5,666
8
votes
Is Wikipedia Trustworthy?
It heavily depends on the topic.
If it's about mathematics, computer science, physics, then Wikipedia is very trustworthy.
If it's an article about politics, ideology, history, or any topic large ...
- 665
8
votes
Is Wikipedia Trustworthy?
A big part of the reason is that a Wikipedia page is constantly changing, so the way to effectively cite it isn't obvious; but Wikipedia is a much deeper system than it appears.
Wikipedia articles ...
- 89
8
votes
How to give a main character a (believable) goal
What is at stake?
Fundamentally, conflict is about potential loss. The character must act, or they'll lose their life, or their job, or their chance at a romantic relationship. Or maybe the conflict ...
- 11.2k
7
votes
Is it overkill to follow style-guides for technical writing?
Not overkill at all. However, the Chicago Manual of Style is not really ideal for technical writing (and is intended as a look-it-up reference, not a cover-to-cover read). It is a good guide to ...
- 171
7
votes
How do I express that a culture has a different standard of beauty?
The most natural way to do this is just to have characters from the culture, in the story, comment on the traits of someone they find beautiful. People often do this in real life, so it shouldn't be ...
- 56.3k
7
votes
How do I express that a culture has a different standard of beauty?
There are a lot of great answers here already, but I wanted to chime in with something that I felt was missing.
If you want to show (not tell, as alluded to earlier in the Conrad / Kipling discussion)...
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