Writing Stack Exchange
Writing Stack Exchange

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1500 questions
11
votes
2 answers

Can my work be stolen if I post excerpts and ideas on critique sites?

Participating in writing-related sites (for example on critique sites) sometimes involves describing a plot problem or sharing an excerpt from my work. I'm usually vague because of the fear that someone might steal my ideas. I already know that…
Nate_Writes
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11
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2 answers

What is the key reference documentation and how should I cite BASH?

I originally posted this question at SO, but two users there suggested that I take it here. I am writing a scientific research paper, and I want to know if it is appropriate to cite bash, and if so, how should I do so? I am having trouble finding a…
David LeBauer
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11
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5 answers

How explicit can violence and sex be in a YA novel?

Many of the most popular YA novels are pretty brutal, rape and murder are a common ingredient. Many show teenagers having sex. But how far can you go, before you cross the line into adult fiction, simply by being too detailed or too extreme? I'm…
user5645
11
votes
8 answers

Can I plug a loophole in my magic rules without rewriting the whole novel?

I've gotten feedback for a complete draft of my WIP fantasy novel. Overall it's looking good, but a couple of friends noticed a significant loophole in the system of magic I use in the book. The book introduces the basic rules of how magic works in…
Standback
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11
votes
3 answers

How to retrieve the number of copies sold for a specific book?

I'm doing a research and I'm would like to know actually how many copies of a specific book has been sold until now. I really don't know where can I find this number and what is the more accurate way to get an accurate value. A pratical…
G M
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11
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5 answers

How can multiple viewpoints be used without breaking the flow of the story?

I'm currently writing a story in first-person that has a connection to a series of external events - things that the main character has no way of knowing but are vital to the progression of the overall storyline. I've been toying with two…
Peach
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11
votes
2 answers

What are First Drafts, Second Drafts, etc.?

I've been reading a few questions on this site, and I've seen the terms First, Second or Third Drafts. What does this refer to actually? And could someone give a clear detail of what they are, and why specifically three drafts?
Fikko3107
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11
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5 answers

How to make a debate/discussion between characters less dry?

I've asked questions in the past about dialogue and I've read some questions about balancing dialogue with plot, however I have discovered yet another corner case in my writing. In my story Cured, the main character (Tony) who has taken a pill to…
Seanny123
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11
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8 answers

Is it permissible to write a short story with little or no dialogue?

We are writing a short story based on the antagonist in our novel, a sort of extended back story if you will. We are now three chapers in and still have not found the need to introduce any dialogue. This is not to say that we wont, but so far the…
KD Novels
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11
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13 answers

First person pov with more than one main chars

I really love -- and most of time write in -- first person point of view. The novel I'm writing is somewhat different from what I'm used to. I have four main characters -- I don't see any of them as more important than the others -- each one of them…
Psicofrenia
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11
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5 answers

Swearing - Censor, allude, or include?

I was reading this thread, but it didn't quite the answer a question I had about creative writing and whether profanity should be used or not, in a way that is best for creative storytelling. Here's what I mean: James swore under his breath, his…
Singular1ty
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11
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6 answers

Demo data in screenshots! What are the best practice?

My question is related to best practices of making screenshots for end-user documentation. Particularly, is there universal information for filling in forms in the software and after that making screenshots. I mean demo data, such as Name, Company…
Yuliya Drygybka
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11
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2 answers

Overuse of bullet points

I collaborate with someone who insists on making every sentence (or two) in a business document into a bullet point, by prefacing it with a bullet. This is typically done across a multi-page document, which is divided into sections with section…
Conor
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11
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2 answers

PDF e-book page size and fonts

I am self-publishing a free e-book which I will make available in several formats: EPUB, online HTML, PDF. What characteristics should the PDF e-book file have? What should the page size, font size, margins, and so on be?
porton
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11
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6 answers

Ways to improve your writing skills

As a CS major I've learned that knowing how to write is critically important, but, I'm not really sure how to improve my writing skills. I'm currently trying to write a tech blog in English, but, whenever I sit down to write, it just reminds me of…
Wilbeibi
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