Writing Stack Exchange
Writing Stack Exchange

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1500 questions
12
votes
6 answers

How to write more clearly and with shorter sentences?

I struggle with writing an awful lot and would like to improve. One of my main problems (and the reason why writing seems to take me a very long time) is that I seem to be unable to write in shorter sentences and my sentences become very convoluted.…
Meep
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12
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3 answers

How can I create my own deadline?

I'm very responsible when I'm writing a tech book or article under contract. I have a deadline, my editor is expecting my work, and I turn it in on time. Sometimes I put it off a bit, but I pride myself on making deadlines, and I will do whatever is…
Lynn Beighley
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6 answers

Can I switch from past tense to present tense in an epilogue?

I have written my entire novel thus far in past tense. However, I feel like my final chapter/epilogue would work better in present tense. I want to give the reader the sense that everything s/he has read so far is a narration of events. What do you…
Coffie
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12
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4 answers

How many pages would my manuscript be in paperback?

Say I have a 100 page manuscript in Courier, 11pt, double-spaced. How many paperback pages is this roughly equivalent to? Is there a better font/spacing to use?
Lynn Beighley
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12
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6 answers

Does having too many humorous scenes make the readers unable to take the plot seriously?

The story I'm writing has its epicness and drama, but I also want it to be funny, with jokes, puns, etc., made by a character (mostly) or the narrator himself; funny situations, and so on. But I fear that the plot would be ruined by such…
Yuuza
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12
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2 answers

How to express copyright when you use a pen name

I am about to self-publish my first novel using a pen name. I will be registering the copyright this week. My question is, on the first page of the novel where you put all the publishing/copyright info, should I say that the novel is copyright of my…
MoniqueH
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0 answers

Where should I start if I'm feeling the urge to write something?

Possible Duplicate: Help! I've got Writer's Block For the past few weeks I have had this "itch" to write something - anything. As soon as I try to put pen to paper, though, my mind goes blank. Does anybody have any thoughts on where to start?…
tobias86
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12
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6 answers

Introducing the hero first?

In the book I'm writing, the first character I introduce dies before the end of the chapter. She is the girlfriend of my hero and is setting up their date before her untimely end. The hero is also there, preparing in his own way so the chapter…
Stephen
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12
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5 answers

Is it foolish to pursue a writing career while desiring complete anonymity?

I am writing my first novel. When I finish, I'd like to try publishing it. I've read other questions regarding the publishing process and they suggest that an aspiring author must do things like book tours, interviews, etc. While I'm not opposed to…
sirdank
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12
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7 answers

Will changing a protagonist into an antagonist alienate readers?

It's really hard for me to write questions here without giving a complete info dump on my story. Every time I start to explain my problem, I find myself writing an entire synopsis. This is my third attempt. Basically, I have someone who starts out…
Keobooks
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12
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9 answers

Swearing in a book, within a context. Too offensive?

I am currently writing a science fiction novel. The characters are almost uniformly pirates and/or miners in the asteroid belt. Having worked in the mining industry, and grown up around mining towns in Western Australia, I am quite well versed in…
Smoj
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12
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2 answers

How do I get involved in writing for video games?

Many video games have deep storylines. This has been the case since the early text adventures where creative writing was all that existed to keep a player engaged in the game. I believe that some stories are better served by this interactive medium…
Jeff Yates
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12
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3 answers

Finding the 'voice' of a character

This is a very general question that I want to throw out there just to get some insight into different approaches used. I have my own, but am intrigued to know what others might try. I'm wondering what processes you might go through in order to…
Ian
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12
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5 answers

How should dialog be formatted?

Is there any "official" rule that I should keep in mind when formatting character dialog? Line breaks, placement of quotes, mixing dialog with action descriptions etc. For example, I want to build a sentence like: "Look Jones, this will be yours…
Ido Tamir
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9 answers

What are the reasons behind Writer's block?

I read the question Help! I've got Writer's Block which explains solutions to the problem. I was wondering why someone gets writer's block? Is it anxiety? Is it due to the fact that the mind is tired? What is it? I guess there are many different…
user80772
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