Writing Stack Exchange
Writing Stack Exchange

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1500 questions
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How to separate scenes in a chapter?

I have multiple scenes in a chapter, sometimes from different POVs, or different locations/times. Now I would like to make it clear to the reader that they have left a scene and are entering a new one. Now, Scrivener (which I just started using, so…
Shantnu Tiwari
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How do I give characters logical reasons to be with each other?

It's an annoying problem with writing - I've got a bunch of characters that I've written, how do I keep them together for the adventure I want them to go on? In some stories, this can be quite annoying - reading YA novels for example, where the…
WasatchWind
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What is the proper way to add Creative Commons licensing information to a book?

I have prepared a book which utilizes some information which was licensed under a Creative Commons license of which a large number of people contributed. I believe that the use of this material requires me to release the book under Creative…
Village
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How and where should you explain how the physical laws of your sci-fi universe significantly differ from the real world?

How and where should you explain how the laws of your sci-fi universe significantly differ from the real world? Let's say that the laws are so different from the what be construed from the theories of quantum physics and general relativity. How do…
user36239
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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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6 answers

Sympathetic portrayal of an evil protagonist with good motivations

I'm contemplating writing about a character with good motivations whose actions would be considered evil. In short the story would be about a necromancer killing an entire nation so that he can bring order and peace. My problem is that while I can…
Borgel
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How can I diversify the personalities of supernatural predators?

I'm working on an urban fantasy story that has a species of monsters that regularly prey on human beings, as in many, many other settings (e.g., various monsters in Buffy/Supernatural/The Dresden Files, ghouls in Tokyo Ghoul, hollows in Bleach,…
user2352714
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Are online critique groups a good substitute for editors?

I'm thinking of self publishing. Now what all the blogs tell me I have to do is hire a professional editor, who will see any plot / character holes, other story problems etc. (For the moment, I'm not talking about copy editors). Problem is the good…
aaa
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Should user manuals be organized by feature or process?

We have developed a software package and need to write a user manual. I'm trying to determine if the manual should be approached from the perspective of "process" (i.e. accomplishing specific business tasks) or "features" (i.e. the different parts…
RHarris
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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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I love the world and characters I've created for my story, but I dislike the plot. How can I proceed?

I've spent several years periodically writing and developing a high fantasy story I mean to turn into a book, or even a series depending on how much material I write. However, lately, I've realized I do not like the plot I was planning at all, and…
Plutian
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