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1500 questions
13
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7 answers
Are tables of contents mandatory in novels?
I've had several people ask me why my fiction story does not have a table of contents. I never really thought about it, seeing as plenty of fiction stories do not have one either. Is a table of contents mandatory or 'traditional' in fictional…
Jerad Meterko
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What is a good daily word count goal?
As a NaNoWriMo participant, I've been trying to meet a rather ambitious 1667 word/day goal. I've heard that professionals do a lot less, but the first two days of this month, I actually wrote 5000 words/day, so I know it's possible. Quantity over…
Johnny
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Example of a fictional story without any characters (the story being 1000+ words)
Guessing that there is no such example, but if there is, I'm very interested in knowing about it.
Just as a short example, just to make it clear it's possible; the example is not intended to be a work of art, but a proof of concept: "The sun set in…
blunders
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13
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Should I translate my own writings into a second language I also know well?
Nabokov was very discouraged when he translated his Lolita into Russian. And he spent half a year on it. So should I try the translation myself?
Dan Ganiev
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9 answers
When can You Pause the Story and Speak Directly to the Reader?
Note: This question was previously about breaking the fourth wall. I discovered that my interpretation of that phrase was wrong. I have therefore rewritten the question.
(The above is in place to explain the number of answers and comments about the…
Thomas Reinstate Monica Myron
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13
votes
4 answers
Killing off a character
What are the long term effects of killing off a main character (early into a series) that represents someone you'd like to move on from? Would that be cathartic, or detrimental to a writer?
Rusty Denise Hale
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13
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5 answers
Why is there such strong objection to the use of said-bookisms?
I am surprised by the vehemence of many writers' objection to said-bookisms -- the practice of using a verb other than "said" or "asked" in order to convey dialog. Writers are told you can't hiss an entire sentence nor laugh one either.
I feel like…
Richard Stanzak
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13
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4 answers
Any suggestions for a new writer?
I am in no way a writer. It's something I've always wanted to do, but could never build up the courage to actually start. Every time I think about writing, I think about the end result and how I am not a good writer. This process circles through my…
Dylan Beck
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13
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Just how Different are Male and Female Readers?
It is my belief that male and female readers are more or less the same. There are differences in how we view things, but those differences do not stop us from liking the same book or movie. I can see this clearly on iMDB. If I look at the broken…
Thomas Reinstate Monica Myron
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13
votes
11 answers
Antagonist that remains unknown
In genre fiction, the antagonist is usually either known throughout the book or revealed before the end, so that protagonist and antagonist can battle it out during climax.
What I am wondering is, how can a story work out, if the antagonist remains…
user5645
13
votes
5 answers
Avoiding cultural differences
I'm not a native English speaker, but I write in English.
I'm now visiting the US, and I have made some very interesting observation regarding the way ordinary life goes on here. It made me think of the way I write about ordinary life in my book…
Ido Tamir
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13
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5 answers
What to avoid when foreshadowing a death?
If, for example, I plan for a character to die in the middle of the story, and let's say I'd like to foreshadow his death by dropping a few hints here and there, what should I avoid when dropping hints about the approaching death?
DarkYagami
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13
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1 answer
Checklist for making sure your writing is Atomic?
Question:
Can someone please give me a list of things to check when reviewing a document to make sure that it is atomic.
Atomic?
Meaning that anyone can start reading at any section in a document and not have other portions of the document be…
leeand00
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13
votes
2 answers
When do I need a new ISBN?
I am about to obtain some ISBNs for a few books I plan to publish as an eBook and possibly in print.
From books I have bought from major publishers, I gather that the eBook and print version have separate ISBNs. I also gather that a new edition of a…
Manngo
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13
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5 answers
What to do if I end up confused by my own plot because of 'trying to be original' or 'trying to make the story more deep'?
Sometimes, I find myself in the dilemma that I come out with a plot that tells exactly what I want to say. But then, I try to modify it in order to make it more original (at least, less similar than current novels).
Sometimes is the the way around…
wyc
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