All Questions
9
votes
5answers
431 views
What's “fair use” for borrowing someone else's invented term?
Let's say I'm writing a sci-fi novel. I want to use a word which another writer has coined, which has become well-recognized outside the original book, for the name of an alien species in my story.
I ...
8
votes
5answers
133 views
How can I edit my own, very old work?
I have about a hundred pages of a novel I wrote in high school, I like the concept behind the writing but I'm finding it extremely difficult to go back and read/edit it again. I last edited the ...
8
votes
2answers
242 views
How does one include sign language in a dialogue?
If one character is using sign language and lip reading while the other is speaking normally, how do you represent the lines of the former? Quotations with "he signed" attribution or italics? E.g.
...
8
votes
6answers
579 views
What to do if I can't meet my chapter word count?
I usually set a word count goal for each of my chapters, say 2000 words. But sometimes I can't meet that goal, for any number of reasons. What should I do:
A. Continue anyway, and hope to increase ...
8
votes
3answers
233 views
I'm an editor who generally uses Word to communicate changes with my authors. Is Adobe's InCopy better for this task?
For all of my editing work I'm currently using Microsoft Word. But I've heard a bit about Adobe's InCopy being good for editing and publishing. Is it really better? What makes it better than Word?
8
votes
5answers
427 views
How do you meet a writing quota?
As a parent with a full-time job, I usually have a limited amount of time to write each day. What are some tricks I can try to reach a specific word count in a specific time (e.g. 500 words in an ...
7
votes
2answers
76 views
Does this FAQ accurately convey the mission of DIY.SE?
The DIY stack exchange is currently trying to make our FAQ more useful to new users, and I wondered if some folks from this community could take a look and help us to define ourselves better.
This is ...
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 ...
7
votes
4answers
210 views
What's a clear way to simulate web text in a story?
My novel includes excerpts of things like text from websites, tweets, and internet chats. I'm using Courier for the main novel font. Does switching to a san serif font make sense to represent the web ...
7
votes
2answers
249 views
How to emphasize a quote is written, not spoken?
In a similar question on EL&U, I asked about suggestions for indicating that a quote is written instead of spoken.
Robusto's answer suggested several possible approaches:
For longer quotes of ...
7
votes
2answers
245 views
How many liberties can one take with syntax and grammar rules when writing poetry?
I've begun to wrote a small fable in verse for my girlfriend, whereas she gets one part of the story for each day before Christmas since the 1st December. She likes it, however she tells me nearly ...
6
votes
4answers
79 views
When quoting a person's informal speech, how much liberty do you have to make changes to what they say?
Even during a formal interview for a news article, people speak informally. They say "uhm", they cut off sentences half-way through, they interject phrases like "you know?", and they make innocent ...
6
votes
2answers
159 views
I want to explore the psychology of a ruthless, macho killer. What mistakes should I avoid?
This is a follow-up to another question. I asked "Should my readers be able to identify with the bad guy?" and got an excellent answer which explains the continuum of "identifiability" for bad guys.
...
6
votes
2answers
247 views
How do co-authors' rights to a manuscript work?
When an individual writes a novel, he owns all rights over the manuscript until he starts selling those rights to others.
What is the situation when the novel is a collaborative work? How are such ...
6
votes
7answers
1k views
How To Avoid Using Cliches In Storylines?
How is it possible to avoid cliches in storylines that you are writing? Obviously, there are external sources of influences as you read more and more. It would be possible that we are subconsciously ...
6
votes
8answers
641 views
Correct spelling errors while writing or after you've finished?
With the "write, don't edit" rule in mind, how should one handle mistyping?
I usually stop or go back to fix the error as soon as I spot it, but often I feel this breaks the flow of writing.
Should ...
5
votes
2answers
138 views
How can I get book my non-fiction book reviewed by professional reviewers?
I had my book reviewed by people who are interested in the topic of the book. Now interested in reviews by professional book reviewers. What is the appropriate way - directly approaching potential ...
5
votes
2answers
126 views
What exercises will help me write my co-author's character?
I'm working on a novel together with my co-author, K. K's come up with this great character - a sassy were-cat name Garlic. Unfortunately, I'm having a really tough time writing for Garlic - K has a ...
5
votes
7answers
313 views
Are fantasy books expected to be trilogies?
Lately, more and more fantasy books I've seen are part of a trilogy. Is this because readers like it, or is it a cynical plot by publishers to draw out the story longer, so they can make more money? ...
5
votes
2answers
165 views
Querying for a setting-heavy speculative fiction novel
I'm an attentive follower of Janet Reid's Query Shark, and I've learned a lot. But Reid doesn't represent speculative fiction, which seems to present wrinkles of its own.
Particularly, Query Shark ...
5
votes
3answers
221 views
Is it easy to change genre?
I read somewhere that one should choose ones genre carefully, as it is hard to change later. Although there are exceptions, most writers, even established ones, find it hard to change genre, and have ...
5
votes
3answers
114 views
How to share the work, if writing in a team?
How to split up the work between the two. One writes the even-numbered chapters and the other the odd-numbered? Does everyone tell the story from the view of a different character or different ...
4
votes
3answers
122 views
How should I introduce new and complex technologies or tools?
I'm writing a Science Fiction book. While this book doesn't push reality very far, there are some new technologies and tools that I have added. One tool is used more frequently than all the others, ...
4
votes
7answers
268 views
How many errors should I expect from a proofreader?
I hired a proofreader (typos, commonly confused words, minor grammar issues etc) to look at my work, which I plan to self publish.
She found most typos, but from a 66,000 word novel, missed about 10. ...
4
votes
3answers
144 views
Deciding the setting: real or invented?
I'm preparing some material because I have the intention of writing a book. I'd do this in every type of work, but considering that I'm writing Crime Fiction, this is even more important.
I've ...
4
votes
3answers
225 views
Can a literary agent be hired?
I've sent my manuscript to tens of literary agents. Strangely enough, I received no positive response.
My question: Can I hire a literary agent? If yes, how much it costs?
Are there other ways ...
4
votes
5answers
183 views
Is this excerpt's style too matter-of-fact?
I get the feeling that this blurb is too... expositiony, not enough description. Too much "this happened and then this happened and then this happened". But I'm notoriously bad at evaluating myself - ...
4
votes
2answers
339 views
On copyright laws and plots
I was pondering a lot on the issue with copyrights on plots. Is having an identical plot infringing someone else's copyrighted work?
I am fully aware that the character names are copyrighted and ...
4
votes
4answers
243 views
Write to the finish, or edit as you go?
Someone asked this question in another forum, and I thought I'd bounce it around in here to see what kind of responses we get. If you are working on writing a new book, is it better to just write all ...
3
votes
3answers
196 views
Is the opening of this story intriguing, “dark” and smooth?
Disclaimer: I'm not an Native English Speaker.
This is my fifth attempt of writing a short story (the previous ones are set in the same "universe" as this one).
I would like to know if the reader ...
3
votes
1answer
105 views
Indirect source quotations [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Citing speech and interviews in biographies
How do you quote an indirect source (source quoted in another source) when there are explanatory words within the indirect ...
3
votes
2answers
354 views
LaTex vs. Word vs. etc [closed]
I'm a student and I write many labs, reports, letters, and fun little things. I use Latex for school because I don't have to worry about formatting, i.e, its like "programming" my paper and can scale ...
3
votes
3answers
140 views
Picture-based Identification Dictionary
A long time ago, I dropped by a session of a creative writing course where the teacher brought a lot of reference books. One of them was a lovely picture/sketch-based identification dictionary. There ...
3
votes
3answers
273 views
Does this beginning hook the reader?
Guide lines Q no. 4:
This is supposed to be the opening part, but certainly not the whole of the first chapter or page for that matter... I'm not exactly sure anyone would take 30 seconds to read ...
3
votes
3answers
107 views
Disclaimer when writing about governmental entities
I've read many novels involving characters working at the NASA, Vatican, Secret Police, high government officers (Dan Brown, Stieg Larsson for example) and doing stuff that I wouldn't like being made ...
3
votes
2answers
141 views
Do we need a gap of time between drafts?
Stephen King, in his book 'On writing' (and other writers), says one should put some gap of time between drafts. So for example, wait a month after finishing the 1st draft, before starting work on the ...
3
votes
3answers
781 views
Is Postscript still useful in the age of email?
"Post script is usually written when a writer forgets to write something on the main body of the letter and wants to add on to what he had written on the letter." But in this age of email and word ...
3
votes
3answers
258 views
How to improve this introductory paragraph (to fit writting standards and grab the reader's attention)?
A clock is striking 4:00am at a
psychiatric clinic. The darkness, the
silence, and absence of people makes it
look like a morgue. A young mental
health professional is sitting in a
chair ...
3
votes
1answer
190 views
What is the process for publishing academic papers?
While studying in my first term as EPIR student I had to prepare several papers. I gave those to my family and friends, to read and comment upon. I was surprised when they advised me to publish them. ...
2
votes
3answers
98 views
How likely is the “five consecutive word rule” to detect “random,” as opposed to intentional plagiarism?
I refer to the old fable that if you set enough monkeys at enough keyboards for a long enough period of time, they will (through random typing), reproduce the "Complete Works of Shakespeare," or any ...
2
votes
3answers
119 views
Can you reprint screen shots of a game application or program without permission?
It seems pretty normal to see screenshots of MS Word, steps for "this is how you generate a template". I don't think Microsoft would object.
But I'm not sure about reprinting images from in-game ...
2
votes
2answers
1k views
Opening paragraphs of a short story set in an aquarium
I'm writing a short story about a schoolgirl who is visiting an aquarium (this setting is connected with her past and with the conflict of the story).
Sophia found herself walking through a glass ...
2
votes
2answers
191 views
How do I maintain flow and interest when handling numerous plot threads?
I want to learn how to maintain the flow of a novel's plot - there are so many characters and events to organize. What I find most difficult is the way a writer needs to shift from one phase of the ...
2
votes
2answers
2k views
Correct usage/explanation of ibid in referencing
My girlfriend was advised to use Ibid in her assignment's citations to help reduce the word count (I pointed out that references are usually not part of the count, but regardless); but she couldn't ...
2
votes
1answer
544 views
How much should I expect to charge someone for translation services?
I have been approached by someone to translate a foreign language into (written) English. What is an acceptable rate (preferably in UK currency, but US would be fine) per thousand words that I could ...
2
votes
3answers
195 views
Feedback on sign-up email announcement
This post is continued at How can I make this sound better? ( part 2 )
Thanks for signing up for the Tip for
Tip beta.
We’re really excited about the launch
and we wanted to let you know ...
2
votes
2answers
151 views
First conversation scenes I've written (looking for errors, conventions, and improvements according to writting standards).
Basically, I would like to know if I'm doing something wrong (according to witting standards) in the following conversation and how to improve it to help readability, quality and feeling (making it ...
1
vote
3answers
95 views
Critique: Make excerpt more visual/flow better
I have this excerpt I'm not sure is fluid and visual enough:
Peter came out of the café rubbing his tummy. The chipmunk had a smile on the
face and seemed content.
Not too far behind him ...
1
vote
1answer
66 views
Find Information For Describing A Nuclear Power Plant
I want to start my story connecting the government flaws to the main characters life before he was even born. I thought since the settings a somewhat Communist United Soviet United government, A ...
1
vote
1answer
80 views
Starting Out - Plot + Charaters by Documentaries [closed]
I gues I could say I am decently good at writing, for someone who doesn't write much besides English 101/102 classes.
I have a couple questions, which may proceed some background information to why ...
