All Questions
64
votes
18answers
2k views
The “Rules” of Writing
There are a lot of axioms that get tossed around in creative writing courses, books on writing, and of course, the internet. Often, these little gems are explained to new writers as though they were ...
53
votes
16answers
2k views
Do You Use Any Version Controlling Software/Methods As Writers?
As writers, do you use any version controlling software to track and monitor what you write? For example, if you accidentally deleted or overwritten a paragraph that you'd like to have it back?
...
49
votes
13answers
4k views
What's the modern way to handle gender in tech writing?
Back in my day, I was taught to use masculine pronouns.
The user chooses a password, and then
he types it in the text box.
I'm fine with that. but a male coworker insists on using he/she, ...
40
votes
13answers
1k views
What are good places to post your work where it will be read by others?
Seeing this site and reading some of my ridiculous stories that I wrote a while ago makes me want to start writing again. I know I'll be more enthusiastic if I have people reading my work and ...
34
votes
15answers
4k views
Should you use two spaces after a period, or just a single one?
I had heard some debate on this topic, and I had always learned to use two spaces after a period. But it would seem there is an argument against it.
However, I do not understand what the issue is ...
34
votes
19answers
2k views
How to overcome the fact that I can't write?
My problem is that I basically suck at writing. Especially prose.
Part of it is basically because I don't practice as much as I could.
Part of it is because I'm just not talented in that way.
...
31
votes
33answers
1k views
What are good reads about writing?
What do you recommend as reading material to improve writing for beginners? If one recommendation is put per answer and can be voted separately a good list of resources should build up.
30
votes
6answers
980 views
I have written my first novel and I think it's ready. What next?
I've completed my first novel and done as much editing as I think I can as the author. What should I do next in order to get this out there?
27
votes
7answers
2k views
How can I write an attention-grabbing first line?
So, the beginning of any story needs to capture the attention of the reader, so he continues and wants to find out what's happening.
A Confederacy of Dunces starts "A green hunting cap squeezed the ...
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 ...
26
votes
6answers
874 views
Why do hardcover books retail for more than three times the cost of softcover books?
One thing I've noticed while browsing bookstores is that hardcover books tend to cost more than softcover ones.
Oftentimes a hardcover book that's five times the price of a paperback doesn't have ...
26
votes
3answers
491 views
Explicitly correcting yourself while writing - how appropriate is it ?
Like so:
He worries – well, not worries, but laments a little – that he senses people don't read Henry James anymore
(sentence source: Monkey See, NPR Blogs )
I've used this style myself ...
24
votes
12answers
3k views
Do Writers Use LaTex/TeX for writing?
I'm quite interested in the LaTex/TeX system and am wondering if any other fellow writers use it frequently to write in.
24
votes
10answers
519 views
How do I recover my confidence after a harsh writing group?
Having majored in writing in my undergraduate studies, I spent lots of time getting critiques from my fellow students, some of whom are now published and many of whom were excellent writers. The ...
24
votes
8answers
1k views
How does the 10,000 hour rule apply to writing?
The 10,000 hour rule, popularised by Malcolm Gladwell, says that:
the key to success in any field is, to a large extent, a matter of practicing a specific task for a total of around 10,000 hours
...
24
votes
7answers
556 views
When is it okay to tell?
One of the major mantras of writing fiction is "show, don't tell".
Is it ever okay to tell? When?
22
votes
9answers
524 views
Self Editing tips/tricks
I write a daily piece and have been doing so for over 8 years. I think my writing has gotten better, but I still find mistakes at times, or more likely, my readers find mistakes.
Does anyone have ...
22
votes
10answers
458 views
How can one make technical issues more accessible to a non-technical audience?
Most of what I write is non-fiction -- technical books, blog posts on open source topics, political stuff, etc. Lately, I find that some of the topics I am trying to present are much more technical ...
22
votes
8answers
656 views
How does one deal with world builder's syndrome?
I am a planner in the extreme. I tend to drift toward fantasy oriented novels when writing; it's just what comes out. This means that I do quite a bit of planning for the world that the story will be ...
21
votes
14answers
6k views
Is there any good time-line software out there?
I write mostly speculative fiction, and use Scrivener for writing and note-taking.
But I'm looking to start crafting timelines to keep track of the exact year and months events in the distant and ...
21
votes
3answers
314 views
Editors: Edit on first read, or read and edit on second round?
I edit novels (among other works). I was having a discussion with someone (not an editor) who didn't understand my technique.
What I do is read through the document, and the moment something occurs ...
20
votes
7answers
2k views
Do most novels not get published?
If a person writes a novel, grammar alright, decent story, word count, etc. everything okay,
Is it a crap shoot for that person to get published? Is it just like the lottery or maybe better ...
20
votes
17answers
1k views
Fan Fiction: a crutch or a good start?
Writing is writing, but I am not confident enough to take on creating a whole world from scratch. Will writing fanfic or writing in other shared world spaces be beneficial, or will it simply allow me ...
20
votes
14answers
833 views
How to deal with self-criticism?
I write non-fiction articles for my website and a weekly paid newsletter, and I’m doing that for some time now. However, I still struggle a lot with self-criticism, and find it hard to regard an ...
20
votes
5answers
910 views
Writing first programming book
I was recently asked if I was interested in writing a book for a pretty reputable publisher, which of course I accepted. I am not a writer by trade, I am a software developer with some technical ...
20
votes
8answers
1k views
How to make travel scenes interesting without adding needless plot diversions?
I have always had a problem with travel in my stories. Since I'm writing an epic fantasy novel, travel is a big theme as characters often have to move from where they are to where the plot dictates.
...
20
votes
4answers
286 views
How do I find an agent?
I finished my novel, and everyone I've talked to says I need an agent. How do I find one?
19
votes
17answers
1k views
Are complex sentences uncommon or unwanted in English?
I wrote my opinion essay using a lot of different complex grammatical structures, linking words and so on, and some of the sentences were even over 4 lines long.
However, I was afterwards told by my ...
19
votes
5answers
1k views
“All of a sudden…” ?
I am writing a manuscript for a novel. It's my first attempt, and often I find myself wanting to write "suddenly" or "all of a sudden". I do this when I want the scene to change in an instant, or ...
19
votes
4answers
814 views
How do you avoid purple prose?
I try to watch out for bland, overused adjectives and I keep adverbs to a minimum but -- I hear this phrase a lot and I'm not even sure what it means?
19
votes
10answers
2k views
Is it worth switching to Dvorak?
I've occasionally thought about trying the Dvorak keyboard layout to improve my writing speed. However, I wonder if the speed gain is really worth the initial learning curve.
I'm curious if anyone ...
19
votes
9answers
702 views
Are there jobs that involve creative writing in the software industry?
I've been a developer for some years now, but I've realized that I need a job where I can be more creative (and hopefully work more with people (except dba's)).
Since I love writing, but at the same ...
19
votes
6answers
872 views
Decide on a theme/overarching meaning before writing a short story?
When writing a short-story, is it typically a better practice to construct a point to exemplify through the short-story when writing to highlight a certain truth?
In other words, construct the ...
19
votes
5answers
1k views
So I finished my novel. Now what do I do?
A few days ago I finished the first draft of my current novel project after a few months of work, finishing at 83,212 words. Now what should I do with it?
So obviously I need to edit it. Should I ...
19
votes
7answers
670 views
How does one write a character smarter than oneself?
How does one write a "genius" character? I don't mean a scientific genius, or someone who is a prodigious talent in math or chess or something like that. I mean the following scenario (or an ...
19
votes
6answers
899 views
Getting Inside Someone Else's Head
A common problem for novice fiction writers, and one that I feel that I myself haven't quite graduated from, is always writing characters who are like the author. Each character is merely some facet ...
19
votes
5answers
483 views
Publishing for Kindle
I am very keen to get into writing, and have come up with several outline plots for short stories, novels and even trilogies. However, one hurdle, which I expect is not uncommon for most new authors, ...
19
votes
9answers
401 views
Do I need to register my work to retain copyright?
What are the legal issues when submitting work to publishers? is there a risk of having my work stolen?
How can you protect yourself from this?
Is there an international "law" for this or is it ...
18
votes
2answers
3k views
Which words should not be capitalized in Title Case?
I would need a list of all words that are not capitalized in English titles.
I would also like to make sure if it's true, that all first and last words of a title are capitalized no matter what.
I'd ...
17
votes
6answers
797 views
Why does an author need an editor?
I'm firmly in the camp of "your novel needs an editor, and that editor better not be yourself." But recently I was asked why that was, and I couldn't articulate an answer that was passable.
Young ...
17
votes
11answers
276k views
How to write a polite reminder email?
What guidelines and language should be used to write a polite reminder email. Ideally I would like it to be:
Respectful
Not too formal
In particular I am thinking in terms of business, and ...
17
votes
8answers
3k views
Best tool to create ebooks?
What is a recommended tool for turning a completed manuscript (a Word document) into an ebook (specifically, an EPUB file or Kindle-compatible Mobipocket file)?
I would prefer something that:
...
17
votes
5answers
2k views
How to describe the point-of-view character without using mirrors
In fiction, the main character is often the first person we meet in the story. Given that the story is written from his/her point of view, how would you describe what they look like? The classical ...
17
votes
13answers
1k views
How does a code monkey become a novelist?
I have always loved creative writing, but honestly do not see software engineers that write fiction all that often. Heck, I do not see software engineers that read fiction all that often either.
To ...
17
votes
7answers
520 views
Should I avoid modern words/phrases in fantasy writing?
When writing, I tend to want to use words or phrases that have meaning in the real world, but wouldn't necessarily have meaning in the world in which I'm writing. For example, in a fantasy world, a ...
17
votes
2answers
192 views
Warning signs that a publisher may be shady?
Are there any specific signs (singular or groups of) that I should pay attention to when it comes to publishers?
I have read about publishing houses that charge their authors quite large amounts of ...
17
votes
7answers
318 views
How can one effectively organize scenes and snippets?
I tend to write bits of stories out of order. If I have a great idea for a scene, I want to get it down it while I have it, even if it doesn't come until three chapters later than the part I'm on ...
17
votes
3answers
5k views
How Much Can You Make From Writing a Book?
Obviously this question has a lot of different answers. I'm interested in the typical total profit that a writer might expect to see from:
A NYT Bestseller
A diet or self-help book that sells ...
17
votes
4answers
406 views
Should cliffhangers be used in every chapter?
This is not a great question but I use a lot of cliffhangers. And I have a habit of making cliffhangers in the end of every chapter that I write just to hook the reader. The question is, is it a good ...
16
votes
9answers
846 views
Tips for expanding my vocabulary?
Looking back through my texts, I noticed that I often use a lot of the same words and resort to using quite a basic vocabulary. I was wondering if there are any good exercises or anything else for ...
