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1500 questions
16
votes
7 answers

Writing a Satisfying Ending

It strikes me that the last chapter (or so) of any story needs to make the reader feel that reading the book has been a worthwhile experience. An exceptional ending might leave a reader with such a warm glow that they immediately search for more…
robertcday
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16
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7 answers

Disposable Characters

I've never seen or read Game of Thrones but I hear that the author is in the habit of killing characters off quite frequently. I have no idea what these particular characters in the series are like (compared to the rest) and so it got me thinking…
robertcday
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16
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5 answers

How can I hide a second narrative within my story? (using time travel)

I've been planning a story that follows two characters. At the end, one character (let's call him Joe) goes back in time and appears at the start of the book. I intend to explore themes of determinism vs free will throughout the story. On the first…
Aric
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16
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5 answers

How do you verify information?

This is a problem I usually come across with my stories. I often worry about whether the plotlines I introduce are realistic or not, and it's usually something that can't be solved with a simple Google search. Example: One of the characters in my…
user23083
16
votes
12 answers

How do you keep a villainous character from being offensive to a particular group?

If the villain of your story is a member of a certain group, how do you keep the story from being offensive to members of that group? For example, one of the villain in my book is a WWII veteran. I want to make it clear I have nothing against…
Amoeba
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6 answers

Is it fine to use link shorteners for research paper citations?

I'm curious about the "properness" of using shortened links (a la bit.ly or tinyurl) in research papers. I haven't been able to find any sort of definitive reference about whether or not this is accepted or frowned upon. I found a blot post by a…
Hendy
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16
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6 answers

Can I make a character make a philosophic observation or say their opinion, even if it's unnecessary for the plot/story?

I have a character in my story who has the habit of making philosophic observations about life and the functioning of things, or his opinion/vision about something. Although most of his observations make the story better with them, some don't or…
Yuuza
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16
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8 answers

How do you assess the value of an individual scene?

Authors need to understand which scenes in their stories to cut in order to help the reader enjoy the story best. Knowing what works for the reader and what does not is a key skill for authors. Because WSE is not a critique site, we do not post…
SFWriter
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16
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7 answers

How to best pace information reveals to the reader

Some of my beta comments fall under the category of 'I the reader am frustrated by what I do not know' - and I've gotten this comment in my real life group too. The reader wants information as soon as a question comes to mind for them. In my real…
SFWriter
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16
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5 answers

Writing an "honest" Blurb?

My story is set in a sci-fi universe but it is less about genre tropes and more about the kinds of grown-up complicated characters I'd want to find in any story. I'm not bragging or trying to be highbrow, it's more like I don't want to promise a…
wetcircuit
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16
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6 answers

How do you tell a character's backstory without explicitly telling it?

I want to tell a character's backstory, but I don't want that character to tell it directly to the protagonist, or to use another character to do it for them. Is there a way to do this?
shitty_author
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8 answers

Introduce a character and forget about them until the last chapter?

In my story, the main character gets help from / saved by two complete strangers. They don't tell the mc who they are or what they are doing, they just helped the mc out of kindness and disappear just as fast as they appeared. Later, at the very end…
user23083
16
votes
5 answers

Does DRY (Don't Repeat Yourself) Apply to Documentation?

In programming, it's usually accepted that DRY code is better code in most situations. Does this principle also apply to documentation? I'm asking about the documentation output, not necessarily the source material (there are tools for keeping the…
Scribblemacher
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16
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7 answers

How do you explain the details of something technical to a non-technical audience?

When writing about technical topics it is often difficult to get across the complexity of a topic without getting "stuck in the weeds" and ultimately leaving the audience confused or disinterested. Particularly when the audience lacks the necessary…
thesquaregroot
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2 answers

Is there a way to explain how a character said a word sarcastically without dialog tags?

I have a character who is a talking shovel. He's arguing with another character and criticizing them. "Oh! And let me take a wild guess—you’ve probably asked the people who live around the jungle to harvest it and make the shirts for you …
Klara Raškaj
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