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How to write a Complete Monster?
For those of you who are unfamiliar with TV Tropes lingo, a Complete Monster is the worst kind of villain imaginable: one that is evil to the core and has little to no redeeming traits whatsoever.
In order to qualify as a Complete Monster, a…
user29299
15
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6 answers
Is it better to avoid names with a difficult pronunciation in Middle Grade fiction?
Many languages are written using Latin letters, but often these seemingly familiar letters aren't pronounced in the way that we are used to.
For example, an English speaker might read the name Siobhán as siob-hen, pronounce Jorge like George, and…
user29032
15
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7 answers
What helpful writing exercises do you use?
The two I do most are dialog and description related. When I meet a person or I'm just sitting people watching, I try to write their description in my head as if I was describing a character in a novel. I focus on the physical - tall, short, weak…
Satanicpuppy
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When we start a book from the climax (from the middle of the chapter), what is it called?
Let's say that we have a plot that goes from A-Z and M is the middle (climax) part of it. There is this style of writing in which we start from M, then again back to A-Z.
At the start of a book is the chapter containing that M. What is it called?…
Mugen
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No Contractions
When writing essays for History class, 5 points are taken off for every contraction. I don't see why writing it fully out is better than using a contraction, since it's shorter and it doesn't affect your argument. Is this rule just because it's more…
Noah Cristino
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7 answers
How to invest readers in a story that (initially) has no clear direction?
The main character of my novel (third person limited) is an outlaw, on the run from government agents and living from day to day trying to survive.
In the first quarter of the story, she doesn't really have any sort of "end goal" that she is working…
Mike.C.Ford
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15
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3 answers
How to make documentation accessible to vision-impaired audiences?
Nowadays, governments and corporations alike are putting an ever-increasing number of accessibility laws in place to ensure that disabled audiences are not put at a disadvantage. How can technical documents best be styled in order to be accessible…
Timtech
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To what extent should domain terms be capitalized?
Some terms in technical documentation, for example product proper names, should obviously be capitalized. But there are other terms that are somewhere between a proper name and a generic noun: domain terms more or less specific to a given product,…
user23425
15
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3 answers
Should IKEA assembly instructions be used as positive examples to train technical writers?
Often, assembly instructions are bad (example via Adafruit):
But they don’t have to be: writing assembly instructions is a skill that can be learnt, and there are institutions which teach it.
IKEA is the world's largest furniture retailer, and as…
Philipp
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How can I make a case for toning down the "rah rah" marketing tone around technical content?
Summary
Starting from the position that -- with modern web delivery -- the line between technical communication and marketing content is fading (as all the content is available to business and technical readers via search) and it is desirable to…
Sharon M
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Writing what my family may not want to read
I am going through a difficult time in my life and, as a keen amateur writer I’m seriously considering writing about my experience. My motivation is two fold, firstly I believe it will help me, but also to pass something onto the next person who may…
Unsure
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15
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5 answers
How to describe a female character's figure without comedy?
Do you know a good way to describe a female character's figure?
I'm writing a fairly serious story, but the only way I know how to describe this is from comedy stories, where they work out some joke that gets the point across.
Constable Angua had…
user29283
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Avoiding Deus Ex Machina resolutions?
Most Crime/Thriller Novels usually have a sudden, unexpected plot twist that puts the main character in a really hopeless situation.
One way to resolve this is by using a "Deus Ex Machina", that is a character that suddenly appears out of nowhere…
Michael Stum
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15
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9 answers
Using Myers–Briggs as a guide for character development?
Edit: I looked at What are some ways to get to know your characters? and while I noticed similarities, I think that question asks in broader terms about what tools can be used for developing characters. I tried to narrow this question down to…
BugFolk
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4 answers
Are there tools that can aid an author in writing a branching storyline?
I would like to know whether there are any tools that would help an author write a branching storyline. Usecases may for example be:
campaigns for Pen and Paper games
visual novels
Choose Your Own Adventure-style books
The common thing is that…
Secespitus
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