12
votes
Software to draw plot structure charts
I'll borrow an idea Memor-X pointed out to me in my question Are there tools that can aid an author in writing a branching storyline?:
yEd
It's a free tool that allows you to create flowcharts. I'm ...
- 5,586
6
votes
How many different words are in the average novel?
I pieced the below data together from a number different websites. Basically putting the text versions of the three titles shown, individually into a site that can quickly filter out the unique words. ...
- 61
6
votes
Accepted
What length should my paragraphs be?
It's a stylistic choice. Some authors just naturally write longer, more complex paragraphs than others; how paragraphs are structured and divided is part of an author's "voice".
If you write ...
- 4,576
6
votes
Software to draw plot structure charts
You do not mention an operating system , so I will give you something cross-platform (and free).
As @ChrisW pointed out "the diagram in the OP could be written as a tree of text". So, I am going to ...
5
votes
Effective differentiation of dream sequence from "normal text"
It's quite common to see dreams or memories placed in italics. I personally find this a beneficial technique since it effectively conveys a sense of altered consciousness. However, it depends, as ...
5
votes
Which free text analysis tools do authors use?
The Hemingway "app" (a website, really) is probably the most common suggestion for this, although you can Google others to try. You may need to experiment with a few of them. Unfortunately, the ...
- 9,527
5
votes
Is quality of writing subjective, or objective?
Writing is judged both objectively and subjectively.
Bad grammar, bad spelling, generic labels, clichés, etc can be objectively identified. Long passages of uninterrupted dialog can be objectively ...
- 91k
4
votes
Software to draw plot structure charts
The diagram in the OP could be written as a tree of text.
threat from Venda
marriage to prince Jaxon
betrayed by mother / father
flees to Terravin to live as a barmaid
Rafe + Kaden ...
- 502
4
votes
Does a repository of analytical breakdowns of stories exist?
Have you tried TV Tropes? It is a wiki which describes story "tropes" (i.e. the various narrative elements, tricks and occasional fails of the storytelling art). It is vast and has a loose but fairly ...
- 191
3
votes
Accepted
Programs that analyze word frequency?
My beloved Scrivener does the job beautifully. Paste your text in and then go under Project —> Text Statistics and it gives you the list you're looking for.
Other people on this board have ...
3
votes
Software to draw plot structure charts
A great free tool that might be a better experience than your answer is LibreOffice Draw. It's free, they support iOS, and it's very intuitive to use for simple to complex diagrams. It's basically the ...
- 356
3
votes
Software to draw plot structure charts
Scapple
While not free (though does have a free trial), Scapple (by the same makers as Scrivener) seems to have everything you need.
They have Mac and Windows versions.
Their roughly 6 minute ...
- 501
2
votes
Offline Tool for finding identical/similar phrases in a text?
It depends how much you want to get into it and how big the project is. If it's finding only identical phrases or text, most word processors support this, and finally a lot of programming ide's ...
- 182
2
votes
How many different words are in the average novel?
Okay so I was a bit curious about this. Wrote a little script for myself and ran it with some random books. I used epubs of books I bought and converted them to .txt via Calibre to access the text ...
- 21
2
votes
Offline Tool for finding identical/similar phrases in a text?
This is one of the main functions of the program, ClicheCleaner, which highlights passages in your text that are either cliches, other overly-used common expressions, or phrases of your own that you ...
- 350
2
votes
How to be good at analysing texts
There are many angles to take when analyzing fiction and you should focus on the one that interests you the most.
Why?
Answer: Because then you'll write a more interesting analysis if you
do.
...
- 6,440
2
votes
Connecting paragraphs in comparative analysis
I had a critical thinking instructor who liked the following format: summarize the target argument, logically extend the target argument, critically analyze the logical extension. A bridge sentence ...
- 29
2
votes
How does the 3 act structure fit in a Non Linear story?
The three-act or five-act structure can still exist even if the elements are not shown in order. It's the effect on the audience which is changed.
In the case of Memento, you see the end first, and ...
2
votes
What tense do I use when talking about a character that has died?
Although the past tense makes sense due to your sentence construction, a different construction would allow the present tense, by setting a time frame:
When Riley and Anna meet, Anna is a beautiful ...
- 91k
2
votes
Which free text analysis tools do authors use?
Grammarly.
It does the job, essentially everything you've said and it's definitely worth your money.
- 1,611
2
votes
Software to draw plot structure charts
I know this doesn't answer exactly what OP asked.... but in the spirit of your appreciation for doing charts by hand, i'll offer this solution:
Using a bulletin board or piece of some sort of heavy ...
- 29
2
votes
Should I include details relevant to a "close reading" in my thesis statement?
Your thesis statement should be a succinct summery of your overarching argument and it should not include too many details. But close reading is the means through which you reach your conclusion. Use ...
- 21
2
votes
An effective beginning and end of a literary essay
There are more good ways to begin an essay than there are good writers. (That is fortunate; otherwise, each good writer would be stuck with only one good opening.)
An effective introduction depends on ...
- 546
2
votes
Accepted
An effective beginning and end of a literary essay
Good question. One answer is practice, and with practice comes confidence and that confidence can then show itself in the gentle persuasion of your body.
Caveat: If you have a specific question to ...
- 246
2
votes
What are techniques for textual analysis: distinct topic extraction (unsupervised), unique word clusters?
With the reservation from the comments above that this isn't a good way to analyze the cohesiveness or conciseness of a text and that it will likely rather waste your time, you could use a text ...
- 4,693
1
vote
How to write without the need for filtering and wordiness?
We don't critique on stack exchange, but we do answer questions. You can find critique groups at writers.com and absolutewrite. They have fora specifically to critique work.
As a general comment, any ...
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