Writing Stack Exchange
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1500 questions
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13 answers

For a fantasy world, what word can I use instead of "human" in order to include elves, dwarves, etc.?

I've been creating this fantasy world where many different races coexist, so most aren't human. I'm trying to write all the worldbuilding details down, and I'm stuck on a phrase "She is the goddess who blessed [redacted] with (...)". So, I can't say…
Bibi2801
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14 answers

Is it okay to call the reader's target audience stupid?

I'm a tech genre author, and have already published one book on Android development. However, this book was focused more on the developer of the apps, than the user. Now I'm working on my second book, which is on app UI. In this book, there is a lot…
Raghav Sood
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14 answers

Why would a character's parents allow them to go on a lethal quest?

In my fantasy epic, the protagonist meets a young, female thief who eventually become his partner in crime. She is part of a family business that involves theft, and she wants to go to give her family name a better reputation. In this case scenario,…
Crafter
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11 answers

How do you make characters sound like non-native English speakers without using any grammar error in their dialogues?

How do you make characters sound like non-native English speakers without using any grammar error in their dialogues? I don't want to make people uncomfortable by having a character speak like an idiot of some sort like they did during the 18th…
Sayaman
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5 answers

How many red herrings is too many red herrings?

Mystery novel with a cast of five suspects. The plot moves from red herring to red herring, making the reader suspect each of the five characters at least once. In principle, one could go in circles and make each character fall under suspicion…
NofP
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4 answers

When to accept an editor's rewrite request?

So there's an editor who has accepted a story of mine for publication... but he wants me to change the ending. Normally I'm pretty open to editorial changes, but in this case the proposed changes alter the timbre of the piece by changing the ending…
JSBձոգչ
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3 answers

I thought I understood tenses

I'm writing a story in the past tense, third person, deep POV. Similar to the first person, that implies that some of the narration can be read as the character's thoughts. Here are two trite examples: Direct thought, e.g. these are the actual words…
Cobus Kruger
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11 answers

As a young author, how do you make people listen?

I am an extremely young author. I don’t mean to sound like I’m bragging, but I think I am very good. They say the best readers are the best writers, in a single day I once read a 700 page book. I read every book in the house. Twice. I got bored. I…
Leila
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What's the difference between Deus Ex Machina and coincidence?

I've read 1, 2, 3 and of course, 4. Then I read 5 and 6 and even 7. I was blissfully ignorant about coincidence, DEM and plot-convenience; but now, I'm just confused about the difference. I feel there is a difference though I suspect it's the…
ewokx
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6 answers

Is there a way I can print a book only for myself?

As selfish as this sounds, I’m really interested in having my own book printed for myself as the title entails. I don’t intend to sell it or distribute it or anything of that sort, but just something I could read for my leisure with a physical…
AcidicProgrammer
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5 answers

How does one avoid bland, generic fantasy while they write?

I have been mulling over the plot and characters for an elaborate fantasy work for a number of years now. The longer I mull things over, the more possessed I am that this story is worth telling. The problem arises when I actually sit down to write…
Gabe Willard
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3 answers

In academic writing why do some recommend to avoid "announcing" the topic?

In academic writing, several articles on the topic of writing papers denounce the practice of "announcing" the topic. As an example, if a paper were to read... The goal of this study is to not be a study at all but to be a fictional paper of only…
Agriculturist
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4 answers

How do I introduce dark themes?

My story involves a superhuman organization that aims to overthrow the main government, through any means necessary. This involves murder and some rather gruesome deaths. Additionally, there might be accidents involving dangerous animals, magical…
overlord
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8 answers

Resolving moral conflict

Conflict is one of the most important things in driving a story. I’ve been working on my particular story for a while now, and I finally seem to have worked out a good plot, and by that, I mean the big problem which needs to be solved. Only, I…
Grace
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Is touch typing skill important for being a good writer?

Yes, I know - it is important. But my question is: does it influence the speed only? Do "two finger typing" and "peek typing" eat part of writer's attention and destroy creativity? Does the method of typing affect somehow the overall quality of…
rem
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