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4 answers

What effect on literature has the introduction of eBooks and eReaders had?

eBooks and eReaders are still relatively new, but they've had a major impact on literature. What impact has eBooks and eReaders had on the production of literature (specifically books)?
DForck42
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Does the hero have to defeat the villain themselves?

I'm writing a story where the villain is a powerful crime-boss. The hero is a young woman who is forcibly recruited into his mafia and is looking for an escape. In the end, I want to have the villain be taken in by the police, but I don't want the…
R.J. D.
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Is italicizing parts of dialogue for emphasis ever appropriate?

Is it ever appropriate to use italics to emphasize parts of dialogue to show which words the speakers is putting emphasis on? I used to do this quite frequently, but I was told that this was a sign of bad writing. More specifically that it's a red…
user2352714
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How can one write about illegal deeds without getting into trouble?

What is some good advice for writing about things done, in an autobiographical sense, that may have been or still are illegal? For example, smoking or buying marijuana is illegal in many countries, yet people write about doing this without a…
J.T.
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Balancing loads of equally-important characters

If you have a dozen good guys, but four of them are the protagonists and the other six are more in the background, it's not that hard to skew the pagetime of each character towards those that are more important to the plot. But if all twelve…
Toomai
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Is the often used black and white symbolism inherently racist?

It is an extremely common trope that white/light means good and dark/black means bad/evil. I thought that - contrary to the appearances - the black/white symbolism is not racist. I believe it has nothing to do with an unfortunate period in history…
gaazkam
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How to concentrate when writing?

I looked through the questions and didn't see this one so hopefully it's not a duplicate. I often have ideas of stories I want to write and I work on outlines or write down elements and I know what I need to do is actually sit down and write. It's…
Kevin Howell
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How do I write dialogue as heard by a POV character who isn't fluent in the language?

So I'm writing a story during the course of which my main, first-person-POV character learns another language, one used heavily in her surrounding. This generally works, but I regularly get stuck on dialogue for other characters when my narrator can…
Tau
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How can I add more fluff to my stories?

Teenage writer here! I have a bunch of great ideas for stories and such but I never really know how to add more fluff or detail into them to make them longer to where readers can read all day and still have more to read. Does anyone have any tips?
user43563
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How does one avoid inevitable influences being obvious when writing something like superheroes?

So I have been debating writing a story idea I have had swimming in my head for a long time. I love superhero comics, and I love the more character driven aspects of the stories. I have been tinkering in my mind with an idea for a story like this,…
Scott.Bell
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How to create suspense when the conclusion is known?

How can there be suspense if the reader knows the conclusion from the beginning? I am writing an apocalyptic survival story, and I chose to write it in a non-linear style. So, the reader will know who survives and who dies at the start of the…
Stuck
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How to avoid or mitigate heavy science lingo and "technobabble" in a science fiction story?

Background I am currently working on a small science fiction story (as referenced in a previous question of mine). The main protagonist of the story is an autistic biologist who gets stranded on an alien planet when his shuttle's landing system is…
Sciborg
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What can publishers do for me in a niche market?

I'm writing a book in a niche market, and it's my first one. It seems to me that the following things need to happen to publish my book: Finish the book Design cover (a friend is helping) Edit manuscript (help of multiple people) Convert manuscript…
buggy_durability
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In fiction, what is meant by phrases such as "his eyes flashed anger for a moment"?

I've read a lot of such phrases, but that one in particular doesn't make sense to me. Physically, what is supposed to be described here? How long is the moment? I've personally tried to make my eyes "flash" as quickly as possible and it's not…
Michael Stachowsky
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Would it be plagiarism if you use a changed scene?

If I read someone else's scene that describes a situation in my own work if adapted to fit my characters and plot, would it constitute plagiarism if I so use it?
slashmais
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