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1500 questions
44
votes
13 answers

How unadvisable is it to flip the protagonist into a villain?

Essentially, I have a protagonist who I set up as a 'main' good guy in one of my series. However, in my final series, I intend to make him turn to the dark side and oppose my other protagonists (from my other series). My question: Should I avoid…
Adi219
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8 answers

What is the correct usage of "P.S." in Emails?

I've been wondering this for a while. What is the correct usage of "P.S." in e-mails? Where should and shouldn't it be used?
tugberk
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44
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12 answers

Uh oh - My book stinks. Now what?

The question pretty much sums it up. I'm a freelance author without much of a platform. It's not that I don't like the story - I spent a great deal of time on it - but after taking a cooling off period following the first manuscript, I realized…
Stu W
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43
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7 answers

How does one write a character smarter than oneself?

How does one write a "genius" character? I don't mean a scientific genius, or someone who is a prodigious talent in math or chess or something like that. I mean the following scenario (or an equivalent): Character G (for "genius") is a criminal…
Jay
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43
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12 answers

Averting Real Women Don’t Wear Dresses

Real Women Don’t Wear Dresses is when writers portray female characters possessing traditional feminine qualities as being less desirable, competent and reliable instead of their tomboy foils. They also tend to be presented as whiny and annoying,…
user29299
43
votes
16 answers

Do hard to pronounce names break immersion?

I have a character in my book named Jiolluav (with the correct accent, Zholl-you-of or /ʒōl-'yoo-äv/), and I've written my entire "novel" (it's a work in progress) using this name. When I asked a friend to read it, he gave me a couple pointers with…
Anoplexian
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43
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14 answers

What is a normal length for a chapter?

I've always had trouble determining whether my chapters are within the same size realm as chapters in standard books. Since it isn't exactly feasible to count the number of words in a chapter of published work, I've always just guessed. Recently,…
StrixVaria
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43
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7 answers

I'm producing a play with a character who the audience isn't supposed to know is alive, can I credit the actor in the program?

There isn't a theater SE so this seems like the best place to ask, but feel free to suggest a better place. I'm producing a community play with a character who's believed to be dead, but turns out to be alive in the final scene. I don't want to…
user30789
43
votes
8 answers

Avoiding the "as you know" trope in exposition

When writing fiction, especially in universes other than our own such as sci-fi/fantasy genres, the reader often has to be given a piece of information about how the world works in order for what's coming up to make sense. However, this piece of…
KeithS
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43
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7 answers

Writing first programming book

I was recently asked if I was interested in writing a book for a pretty reputable publisher, which of course I accepted. I am not a writer by trade, I am a software developer with some technical writing training. The longest thing I have ever…
Nodey The Node Guy
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43
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20 answers

Is it worth switching to Dvorak?

I've occasionally thought about trying the Dvorak keyboard layout to improve my writing speed. However, I wonder if the speed gain is really worth the initial learning curve. I'm curious if anyone knows of studies that tested people switching from…
sjohnston
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42
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14 answers

What can a novel do that film and TV cannot?

I have enjoyed writing prose for years and have a few short stories penned. I would like to build up to a novel but believe I have identified a potential weakness in my storytelling. My style is grounded in visual language, and always has been. I…
Smeato
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42
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13 answers

How do I hide Chekhov's Gun?

If there is a gun on the mantelpiece in the Act 1, then in Act 2, that gun must be fired. Background I'm a big believer in Chekhov's Gun. I try not to do anything or introduce any new plot point without first foreshadowing it, no matter how…
snazzybouche
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42
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5 answers

Editors: Edit on first read, or read and edit on second round?

I edit novels (among other works). I was having a discussion with someone (not an editor) who didn't understand my technique. What I do is read through the document, and the moment something occurs to me — whatever reaction I'm having for good or…
Lauren-Clear-Monica-Ipsum
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41
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21 answers

How can I catch more errors when I proofread?

I have a problem where I often proof my own writing and I don't catch all the errors while I am reading through it. I often miss entire words out of sentences or find myself repeating words. I can read a document several times and I catch new errors…
Joel Rodgers
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