Writing Stack Exchange
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1500 questions
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3 answers

Instruction manuals: should the end-user be addressed directly (passive vs imperative)?

Manuals come with virtually any appliance, and they typically target the end-user. Among other things (legal specifications, part numbers…), these documents contain specific instructions on what to do and what not to do with the appliance. Should…
Philipp
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How much does style contribute to the overall value of a novel?

I've recently got a crushing critique. The critic pointed out I was obviously unfamiliar with the basic tools of the trade and that my style was non-existent. She insisted that "everybody can invent a story", but that the art of a novel lies in the…
Filip
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6 answers

My readers are losing interest halfway through. What is a list of possible remedies?

I see a pattern among my readers, specifically where they tend to stop reading - it is about 2/3 through the story, during "Act 2." A few readers push through to the end and say they are glad they did. One wanted the end longer (which may be saying…
SFWriter
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14
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Should I use the real name or attempt to describe?

I'm writing a story in a fantasy setting, where there are characters who dress with ancient Egyptian type clothing - such as haram pant and usekh collars. Since the story is a fantasy and not set in the real historical Egypt, should I call them by…
Marshall
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8 answers

How should I break up chapters in a novel?

Is it acceptable to pace my chapters in terms of an event? Can I get away with a 4 page chapter here, and a 30 page chapter there? Are there any reason why I should or should not be sticking to a specific page range for my chapters? I basically just…
bdrelling
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"The more fleshed out the character is, the more the reader will care about him". Always true?

I have a problem with the protagonist of one of my stories. In the story he's in, he dies at the end (self-sacrifice), so I readily made sure to flesh him out the most possible, because, at least in my understanding, the more the reader knows about…
Yuuza
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9 answers

How to write about aliens without making the work seem Sci-fi?

I am writing scenes of a work where the primary setting and theme is a medieval style world. I believe the genre should be described as Heroic Fantasy. One element of the story is that the creatures people see as gods are being from another planet.…
MissingPear
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'Filling' up a school setting without making a bunch of new characters?

In a school setting, what is a way to allude that a school is full of students, without making new characters or overusing pre-existing ones? A school is the main setting of a book. The main and secondary characters majorly consist of students. In…
sonics29
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Acronyms in Technical Writing

I can't find a standard, is the most common use to have the abbreviation followed by the defintion? Example NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Rachel
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4 answers

What are character flaws and what makes a good one?

I mean, what exactly defines a flaw for a character? I know that the character's flaws should have at least some impact in the story, instead of being just a mere detail, but what makes flaw X better than flaw Y? Is it how much it impacts the story…
Yuuza
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Should a reader have enough information to deduce the twist?

When building a twist into the ending, should I leak enough information such that astute readers could predict the twist if they stopped and mulled it over or should I withhold key elements to guarantee it is a surprise? As a follow-up: Does a…
user2859458
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Do I need a pen name? And how do I pick a good one?

Try having the name 'James Thompson'. It doesn't really sound like a name a professional writer would have, does it? Because I don't think so. So here is my question: Should I have a pen name instead of my actual name for writing books? And if so,…
James
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14
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What other kinds of writers are there besides plotters and pantsers?

In a comment to an answer of mine Mark Baker has suggested that the common, dichotomous view of writers as either "plotters" or "pantsers" or something of both might not be complete and that there are other types of writers. In their extreme forms,…
user5645
14
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8 answers

How do I stop my writing sounding like a bad imitation of whatever author I've just been reading?

I like to read across a variety of authors, genres, and publication dates. Whenever I sit down to write something of my own immediately after marathoning a book or series, I tend to unconsciously use words, grammar, or style reminiscent of whomever…
Kitkat
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Do authors get paid for quotes and attributions used on book covers?

I think I know the answer to this, and my guess is "No", but I don't have a definitive reason what that guess is. When you see on the cover of a book, not from a newspaper or reviewer, but from another author, something like: "Gene Wolfe is so good…
benstraw
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