If the answer is "pick a method and be consistent", your question may be one of style.
12
votes
2answers
57 views
Notes Placement
Why is it standard for a book's notes to be placed at the very end of the book—book endnotes—while only a small minority of books place each chapter's notes at the end of each respective ...
0
votes
0answers
42 views
Image Alignment - What Really is the Good way? [closed]
I have a started a blog about Apple products. Its all fine. The problem that I am facing is that I am unable to decide about the alignment of the images with the text. I have seen all types of ...
0
votes
4answers
243 views
How to use “I think, therefore I am” in a more fluent manner?
I want to allude an experience that feels almost like Descartes' idea of "I think, therefore I am". Because the phrase is a proposition, I find it very difficult to fit in the statement in because I ...
8
votes
3answers
1k views
What's the difference between academic and journalistic writing?
I'm not talking about "boring" academic papers that are 99% science and 0% interesting. But in comments on a draft of my senior thesis, my teacher made the comment that my writing style was quite ...
3
votes
1answer
187 views
How Important are essay writing conventions in the university level and above?
I go to a CEGEP, which is basically pre-university in Montreal. In my Introduction to English class, I had a teacher who allowed us to go around the typical essay writing conventions. Conventions like ...
0
votes
1answer
322 views
What are the names of the different levels of English?
In a recent discussion regarding software manuals, we came across the issue of different styles of writing / speaking in English. I am having a hard time finding a list of the different styles, such ...
4
votes
1answer
227 views
Is there a style / terminology guide for Android OS application documentation?
This relates to my earlier question: My first professional writing job: any advice?
I will be involved with writing documentation for an Android OS business application. Is there an Android style ...
8
votes
3answers
773 views
Little did he know
In the movie "Stranger Than Fiction" the professor of literature makes quite a big deal about the phrase "little did he know."
I've written papers on "Little did he know." I've taught classes on ...
4
votes
3answers
93 views
Floating vs Float
I was writing a short story piece where one person drops something in the water. I got puzzled by the following two choices. Google books seem to be using both of them.
Jena and Mike went outside ...
-1
votes
1answer
57 views
College Application Essay Opening and Help [closed]
I currently have to write an application for college that I wish to go to over the summer. I have no idea where to turn and what to write. The prompt is to explain my interest in technology. Two ...
4
votes
3answers
117 views
What's the appropriate way to write numbers in educational contexts like papers?
I want to know if numbers should be written alphabetically in educational contexts, for instance:
10 plasma samples out of 1016 cannot be ignored.
Or
Ten plasma samples out of one thousand ...
-1
votes
1answer
78 views
Writing for all ages? [closed]
What writing style should be used if you are attempting to write a book for the general public between the ages 9 through 25?
5
votes
3answers
69 views
Deaf speechmarks? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How does one present spoken dialogue as a secondary language to signed speech?
I want to write a novel and I was thinking of including a deaf character. I want to know ...
3
votes
2answers
161 views
How do I express opinion informed by my beliefs without being hamfisted? [closed]
As authors, our influences can come from many places. Religion is definitely one of many influences on people's work. I believe a work should be a reflection of its author, yet religion can be really ...
4
votes
1answer
188 views
What tense to use in an academic paper when speaking about correspondence?
What is the correct tense to use in an academic paper when speaking about correspondence? Say one of my source materials is a letter written by someone named William, in which he says he went to the ...
0
votes
1answer
113 views
Describing a machine's world in a metaphorical manner
The actual meaning that I want to convey is sort of like a good design covers up the nitty gritty technical aspects of a machine and provides a smooth experience when using it.
I want to describe ...
5
votes
2answers
449 views
Should I prefer long or short sentences in scientific writing?
Currently, I am writing papers with rather short sentences: About half of them contain around 20 words, about 10% to 20% even less. I am doing this for three reasons:
I find short sentences easier ...
3
votes
3answers
61 views
“The company from Redmond” vs “The Redmond company.”
I'm writing an article about Microsoft for my tech' analysis website and I got into a stylistic roadblock.
Which of the following sentences should I use?
As I said before, the company from ...
4
votes
4answers
984 views
Writing a Lullaby
I need to write a short folk lullaby as part of my story, but am having trouble getting the feel of it in my lyrics.
What are the general conventions of writing a lullaby? Any general principles ...
3
votes
3answers
483 views
How to write English in Merlin (TV Series) style?
I find the writing style of the show Merlin to be very good, and much better than current/modern English usage. Details about the show can be found at IMDB's Merlin page, and Wikipedia's entry about ...
3
votes
3answers
143 views
A friendlier way to write charges or fees to clients?
What is a better way to write in an email to tell my client that I will charge him a fee of say $100? Often, I feel very reluctant to write these ways:
I will quote the hosting and development ...
2
votes
2answers
191 views
Indirect Narration Style
Does the indirect narration style (as in: 'Surely she was going to ask him out tomorrow.') directly fall into the classification of Narration?
3
votes
5answers
231 views
Which English grammar should be followed when writing for a global audience?
In relation to my question on Usage of 'z' in the word serialized in English?, it seems I was mistaken in assuming there is a generally accepted correct variant of English.
The question Which variant ...
1
vote
3answers
548 views
Where should index and glossary appear in a report?
I am writing my thesis and now wonder whether I should typeset index and glossary as an appendix or after them.
There's no department-level accepted writing style, so my adviser's opinion might be ...
3
votes
1answer
85 views
Are there good writing exercises for compressing expression?
I recently sat down and wrote a poem after a long hiatus. It was a narrative poem with a formal rhyme scheme. I'm pretty dissatisfied with my initial draft, as it was far too wordy.
Besides editing ...
1
vote
1answer
185 views
ESL Writing How to quote article sentence?
I am studying English as my second language. I was thinking about following situation.
In a writing class, I wanted to say "the author's argument" but the author name showed up the first time. so I ...
26
votes
18answers
2k views
How to name the characters of your story?
I find it hard to name my characters. Every normal name sounds funny if applied to a product of my fantasy. If I take a common name, I may get the image of someone I know into my head. And that may ...
3
votes
3answers
263 views
How to discover clichés
What is the best way to find out if a certain phrase is considered a cliché?
Is there an online resource, a specialized dictionary-like lookup?
EDIT
I found these so far:
Cliché Finder
Movie ...
0
votes
1answer
92 views
Is there a way of listing the elements that makes a real fact fun?
For instance I wrote this thing that is real
God’s love is like your parents love /
except for the ‘‘burning, crying, and
screaming for eternity in hell" part
/ if you don’t obey them.
and ...
7
votes
4answers
271 views
Using poetry in novels a good option?
I write fiction as well as poetry. And many a times I use poetry as a tool to bring out that acute feeling of pain or love (as required) in my explanations. What if I use poetry to introduce or end a ...
1
vote
1answer
55 views
Numeral Citation Scripts
I am writing a report in Farsi and using ieeetr bibliography style for my references. This style uses numeral references like [1] [2] etc but regarding context (Farsi) I am using Arabic number scripts ...
2
votes
5answers
200 views
How do I keep up with current written English language?
I am a speaker of English as a foreign language. I appreciate that English is a living language and that different regions in the world use English differently. I wanted to know how I can keep up with ...
1
vote
4answers
335 views
How can I write poems in an attractable manner?
I have written several poems, but only very few won prices. Those poems impressed people very much, so I want you to share your thoughts, what are the key things I have to focus on or I have to keep ...
8
votes
3answers
706 views
What's the best practice for displaying a personal website url in a resume?
Like most veteran coders in the IT industry, I have an out-of-date website that I use to link to different activities I'm involved with online, like Twitter and Stack Overflow. Up until now, I haven't ...
2
votes
4answers
599 views
How to explain a war scene?
In my novel, I have a part where there is a war scene, and I need to explain it precisely from the king's point of view. How can I explain the war graphics vividly?
1
vote
1answer
199 views
Vancouver citation
I just want to confirm if I did this correct.
I have this reference:
G. Burg, Das Melanom, Serie
Gesundheit: Piper/VCH, (1993).
And, want to convert it to vancouver style. In this case, this ...
4
votes
3answers
637 views
How to create varying, yet realistic, speech patterns
Different characters speak differently. If someone reads me a letter written by an immediate relative, I can tell right away who wrote it. I believe --and correct me if I'm wrong-- that giving each ...
3
votes
1answer
70 views
Is it okay to attempt to write in the style of another person, and how is that done well?
I want to write like Neal Stephenson- I read Snow Crash and absolutely fell in love with the style. I'm trying to write a cyberpunk style book myself, and I have a good plot (I think), but I want to ...
0
votes
2answers
61 views
Clarity: What supports it? What hinders it? [closed]
A friend recently challenged me on communicating an idea clearly, and we ended up discussing clear thinking. I explained that in the idea communication process, concepts sometimes get tangled amidst ...
5
votes
3answers
369 views
Is emphasizing a point by underlining still appropriate?
Instinctively I find underlining for emphasis distracting and much prefer bold or italic. From my research it seems underlining is a carryover from typewriters that were incapable of italicizing or ...
7
votes
6answers
201 views
How deeply should I study the background of a community before writing about it?
By "background", I mean the dialects, habits and culture of the community. Also, I wonder if it is even possible to write about a community without being a part of it?
I am only asking this in terms ...
7
votes
6answers
536 views
Examples for books that don't use (traditional) chapters?
I'm a big fan of Terry Pratchett, and he doesn't use chapters (mostly). Are there any other authors who don't or tend to not use chapters?
0
votes
1answer
184 views
Statement of Purpose writing style
I cannot decide which style is better in writing Statement of Purpose for graduate school application.
I am asked a few questions in writing the SOP, such as purpose in applying for graduate study, ...
1
vote
3answers
522 views
Are there alternatives to 'in such a way'? [closed]
Considering the sentence:
I'd like to do ... in such a way that ... is achieved.
Does this sound wordy? If so, is there a way to streamline it?
13
votes
2answers
299 views
Techniques to disguise authorship of text
As Wikipedia and at least one answer on this site suggest, the name stylometry encompasses certain techniques to determine authorship of text. Although stylometry itself appears to require a certain ...
2
votes
1answer
1k views
When is it correct to capitalize terms/phrases in a personal statement?
I'm writing a personal statement for graduate admissions, and I've a query regarding the use of capitalization in the midst of sentences. For example, is it correct/expected to capitalize the names of ...
1
vote
0answers
60 views
How to use His/My/Your permutations in adressing persons [closed]
I'd like to understand the rationale of when, why and how His/My/Your are used in titles of addressing people.
For example, the standard commonly accepted uses are:
"His Honour"("His Grace", or ...
4
votes
7answers
176 views
Unpunctuation: bug or feature?
Cormac McCarthy's style is worthy of a topic all its own. I've read all his books. Hasn't written a bad one, though some owe more or less of a debt to Faulkner. Anyway, to the point: he doesn't use ...
7
votes
5answers
3k views
All persons fictitious disclaimer — ideas regarding modification?
I'm creating a parody/spoof magazine which contains some "real" advertisements and businesses in.
How should I word an "all persons fictitious" disclaimer to include fictitious businesses?
This is ...
1
vote
3answers
2k views
How do I sign a (formal) email?
My email client includes a signature beneath the text of my writing. Currently it is of the form:
------------
John Doe
Acme Widget Company
123 Elm Street
Metropolis, USA
phone:222-555-1212
...
