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 ...
Monica Cellio's user avatar
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 ...
gaborous's user avatar
  • 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 ...
Chenmunka's user avatar
  • 1,308
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 -...
user's user avatar
  • 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 ...
Laurel's user avatar
  • 4,013
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 ...
user207421's user avatar
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 ...
Galastel supports GoFundMonica's user avatar
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 ...
GB supports the mod strike's user avatar
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, ...
FraEnrico's user avatar
  • 3,837
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 ...
ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere's user avatar
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 ...
Bob says reinstate Monica's user avatar
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 ...
GGx's user avatar
  • 9,923
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 ...
Jagte's user avatar
  • 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 ...
Bookeater's user avatar
  • 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 ...
Chris Sunami's user avatar
  • 56.5k
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,...
Chris Sunami's user avatar
  • 56.5k
9 votes

Where can I find resources about writing "Choose your own adventure"-style books?

The blogger These Heterogenous Tasks has been writing his analysis on specific CYOA books, and general observations about their history, trends, and common structure. https://heterogenoustasks....
wetcircuit's user avatar
  • 27.2k
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 ...
Galastel supports GoFundMonica's user avatar
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 ...
Sciborg's user avatar
  • 8,712
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: ...
Kramii's user avatar
  • 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, ...
A.T. Catmus's user avatar
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 ...
Secespitus's user avatar
  • 5,736
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 ...
vsz's user avatar
  • 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 ...
sirsnow's user avatar
  • 89
8 votes

Where can I find resources about writing "Choose your own adventure"-style books?

The original books always used the second person 'you'. (I still have one on my book shelf.) Other variations may use the first person. There are many variations on the theme. For example, some ...
S. Mitchell's user avatar
  • 7,886
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 ...
Arcanist Lupus's user avatar
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 ...
S. McCandlish's user avatar

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