Writing Stack Exchange
Writing Stack Exchange

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1500 questions
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5 answers

Is it really so "impossible" to get published by a traditional publisher?

I was an avid reader in my early years (as in hard copy - books), and I still am (just now via computer)... and I never got wind of such difficulties in publishing, until now. Is it like going up against a proverbial dragon dressed in nothing but a…
RolandiXor
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I have very little technical ability, will this hinder my ability to tell a story and how to improve?

Okay so I will get to the crux of it. I want to write. However that being said I have only a natural instinct as a native speaker and little technical experience in writing. Here are just some things that spring to mind: I don't with 100% accuracy…
Ryan
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Pros and Cons: A blog to get feedback

As a creative writer in my free time, I sometime suffer from a lack of feedback. To get some impressions on what I've written, I either have to ask my girlfriend (who acts as a sort of beta-reader) or some friend. Now, my girlfriend doesn't seem to…
Liquid
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6 answers

How do you write an evil character without making him "sexy" or "cool"?

I notice in a lot of media there is a strong emphasis on the greatness of evil characters. They can often end up more popular than the good guys in the book or on the show, and overshadow everyone else around them. Darth Vader is a good example. He…
user24397
11
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6 answers

How Do you Stave Off Boredom While Writing?

I have about 20 half-finish novels sitting on my computer, in my filing cabinet, or under my bed. The story with each is the same - I start out with a full head of steam and great ideas, but about midway through I get bored. I've told the story…
EAMann
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9 answers

A rhyming dictionary worth bookmarking online or purchasing?

Has anyone come across any really good rhyming dictionaries? If so, what makes it worth having/bookmarking? (eg. completeness/ease of use/absence of really sketchy suggestions)
mootinator
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6 answers

Is it a bad idea to write and edit chapter by chapter?

I am beginning to write original novels after writing fanfictions and posting them online for about six years. My usual process is: write chapter, edit chapter, post chapter, repeat. This means that once I reach the end, there is very little editing…
sudowoodo
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7 answers

Does a story necessarily need a theme?

I'm writing a short story From what I understand, the theme is the message that I want to send across. Akin to Beauty and the Beast's "Don't judge a book by its cover" theme, or "Opposites attract." I have a story I am trying to write. Just a…
Dylan Beck
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7 answers

What happens when I get bored of a story I'm writing?

I have several stories on hold because either I am not able to post them at the time, or they are incomplete and do not plan to finish them anytime soon. When it comes to the second scenario, what do I do with the story? Do I just leave it rotting…
Quinzel
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How do you avoid the problem of all the characters in your story sounding the same?

There's a common flaw that I can easily detect in amateur writing, (and of course my own) which essentially boils down to all the characters "sounding the same", dialogue-wise anyway. Trying to overcome this problem, however, I find myself going to…
Gabriel Goh
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8 answers

What Can Ensure Re-Readability?

I've come across some answers and questions on this site which have gotten me thinking about re-readability. It isn't something that I think about much, but now that I consider it, I think it could be the difference between buying a book and simply…
Thomas Reinstate Monica Myron
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Should I use the terms "people" "person" "man" and "woman" in fantasy setting?

So I'm writing a story and the setting is that there are two worlds: the world of humans and the world of (insert species name here). Now I'm wondering if it's okay to use the terms/words "people," "man," "woman," and "person" even though the…
zaizen14
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4 answers

How to stop viewing your story as a film

When thinking about scenes and story ideas, I can't help but picture something playing out as a movie. It's so much easier to picture someone moving and doing things than to actually describe what they are doing and write about it. I understand that…
M. McGarry
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9 answers

Will my readers feel like they are reading a children's storybook if there are illustrations in my novel?

I'm writing a novel. I also have good drawing skills. I would like to add illustrations of the setting, locations, and characters. I may include 8 or 10 illustrations (the novel is approximately 200 pages long). I have never seen a novel with…
wyc
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I'm not enjoying my attempt at a science-fiction novella; should I continue?

I'm only 12, and I've been writing seriously since last year. I tried writing a novel before (I wrote only 5 chapters; I gave up later due to time constraints). I've written a couple of short stories, which have generally received positive feedback.…
Soha Farhin Pine
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