Writing Stack Exchange
Writing Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [phrasing]

This tag should be used for questions dealing with the phrasing in your writing, such as questions dealing with techniques to come up with a certain way of phrasing or common resources that can help with finding the correct phrasing. Please note that "What should I write?" requests are off-topic here. You might also want to check out our sister site EnglishLanguage&Usage.SE and their phrase-requests tag.

This tag should be used for questions dealing with the phrasing in your writing, such as questions dealing with s to come up with a certain way of phrasing or common that can help with finding the correct phrasing.

Please note that "What should I write?" requests are off-topic here. You might also want to check out our sister site EnglishLanguage&Usage.SE and their phrase-requests tag.

32 questions
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6 answers

When my story has a powerful phrase but that loses its power when I read it again in the next day, should I keep it or remove it?

Sometimes I have a great idea of sentence (usually for a dialogue) and it is just so nice, beautiful, epic, badass, powerful, or whatever other positive impression. However, sometimes I read it again in the next day(s) and it is just flat, cringey,…
Yuuza
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11
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9 answers

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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10
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5 answers

Should I use the term vis-à-vis? How should I decide when to use/avoid a term?

I wrote a vision statement for a project using the term vis-à-vis (All X investments should be justified vis-à-vis quantified gain). A colleague suggested I shouldn't use vis-à-vis, and prefer simpler verbiage like "in relation to". The colleague is…
Yaniv Aknin
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8
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2 answers

"I have/am" - what are other short ways to not repeat this in a cover letter?

I use the GIS/Programing ones extensively. For a cover letter, what are ways that you can avoid repeating I have done .... I have experience with ... I am experienced in... ...
GeorgeC
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7
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7 answers

Do writers copy other writers?

Good artists copy; great artists steal. This famous Picasso quote often reminds me that the best artworks are rather a mix of many other artworks instead of something completely new. Walt Disney made a new version of old fairytales, as Steve Jobs…
Ąžuolas Lomonosovas
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6
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2 answers

For people of color, are there unique ways to describe emotional state through skin tone, besides 'going pale,' 'turning red,' 'looking green,' etc?

Are there some words or phrases to describe a person of color, specifically darker colors, when their skin tone changes with emotion? Like for a white person, they'd turn pale when scared or turn red when angry. Even feeling sick is described as…
DarkDragonLady
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6
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4 answers

How should you describe turning pages quickly?

I want to describe this action. How should I describe this action?
Momobear
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4
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3 answers

Why Do People Write Prose with Poor Rhythm?

First, I do not practice writing often, nor for a long time when I do. So that might be a reason I am struggling with rhythm lately. Second, I do not intend this post to be an example of good rhythm. In fact, I am largely neglecting it in this post.…
user25421
4
votes
7 answers

Alternative to "it is commonly said"

I have a sentence I am trying to write that just doesn't feel right. It currently reads "It is commonly said that X, but the truth is that Y." The second part feels okay, but the first part feels like something you have to climb over to get to the…
GammaGames
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3
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1 answer

How to modify the title "All paths lead to hubs: the case of water isotopologues" such that it will be one statement only?

We are in the process of publishing a paper in Communications Chemistry, for which we devised the following title: All paths lead to hubs: the case of water isotopologues However, the editor asked us to change the title because it does not comply…
TobiR
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3
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5 answers

Trouble describing people standing around three of four sides of a rectangle?

As the title says, I am having trouble describing a group standing around 3/4ths of a rectangle. This is what I have written The students stood along the sides and far side of the stage, creating a wide U-shape facing the door. I am sort of imaging…
yukimoda
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3
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2 answers

Good time to get your dream out of the drawer?

I'm trying to properly phrase a main sentence on a banner. Imagine that you had a dream to do something but it had to be put aside (let's say into a drawer) to wait for a better times. Now, I want to ask a viewer whether it is a good time now to get…
Fuczak
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3
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1 answer

How to describe a feeding hand motion in the following context

In context, a guy and a girl have a date, and in restaurant, they are having this moment, where girl feeds guy with "Say 'Ah!'". What is the best way to describe this motion from the guy's perspective? I'm not a native speaker, so the best I could…
Vadzim Savenok
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3
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4 answers

What's a shorter way of saying, "If you had asked me, I would have said, 'I suppose'"?

I have this sentence: Rebecca lived in the building and was one of my wife's closest friends. One of mine too, I supposed. With "I supposed", I'm trying to convey that if you had asked the narrator, at the time the story takes place, whether…
Tyler
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2
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2 answers

Using alternative phrases to "meanwhile" or "elsewhen" to describe a non-linear flow of time as two consecutive events

I am currently writing a "time-travel" themed story that is more of a first-person perspective of all involved characters, and I want it to include the before and after reactions to the "time-travel" event. So as an example, the reader gets a look…
Ben
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