All Questions
12,717
questions
0
votes
4
answers
461
views
Where Can I Find Literary Agents That Represent Christian Fiction?
I have been trying to find suitable literary agents for three years that feel comfortable representing Christian fiction. I have four unpublished and thoroughly reviewed novels ready to be published, ...
user42900
0
votes
1
answer
107
views
How is Novel different from Novella, other than Word Count
How is a Novel different from Novella, other than word count?
Is Novel supposed to provide description of background, i.e. background noises, color of the sky, etc before showing character dialogue.
...
- 617
3
votes
3
answers
401
views
Can MS Word perform single-source help authoring?
My company is using Microsoft Word to manage thousands of documents that ultimately end up publishing only to a couple outputs: primarily PDF but also some web and we're moving toward an app. We need ...
- 133
-1
votes
2
answers
245
views
A particular case of character creation: the "Inner Conflict" in Luke Skywalker
I don't no if this is a off-topic question but the main doubt, in my opinion, is solid on the character development tag.
So, maybe the concept of Conflict, which I'm comfortable with, will sound ...
- 683
13
votes
8
answers
3k
views
Will including maps at the end of my novel keep readers engaged?
I am writing a fictional historical novel. The setting is in another part of the world, nearly 100 years ago. I would wish to make the novel understandable to my fellow Westerner.
Understanding ...
- 617
0
votes
3
answers
404
views
How Can I Keep My Novel Writing a Secret?
What is the best way of keeping your novel writing a secret, without making people concerned that you are a loner? Because writing requires you to have solitude and to be mindful (I actually imaging ...
- 617
6
votes
2
answers
595
views
Did I set up my book series titles and ISBNs wrong?
I currently have 4 books all under one series that are self published. The way I have been setting up the titles through Ingramspark and under my ISBNs has been:
Title: Name of the Book Series
...
- 61
-2
votes
1
answer
65
views
Software or Softwares [closed]
It seems to me that softwares is incorrect. I am of the opinion that software is partitive. I try to use some software or piece of software.
Do you think it is incorrect to say softwares?
- 301
-3
votes
1
answer
141
views
What is UX writing? [closed]
What is UX writing? I am a writer and a UX designer by trade. I hear a lot about UX writing being the next big thing. Should I specialize in this area?
4
votes
5
answers
3k
views
How to use foreign words and provide translations in a novel?
I am writing novel where the main character has small conversations in a non-English language. This would really pull the reader into the environment.
When and how often should I provide translations?
...
- 617
2
votes
4
answers
213
views
Are My Novels Middle-Grade or Young Adult? Having Trouble Figuring It Out
I have written and thoroughly reviewed/edited three novels that I don't know if they would be marketed as Middle Grade or Young Adult. I am currently working on a fourth. Okay, the first novel is ...
user42900
4
votes
1
answer
95
views
Ordinal form of an unknown value
In some science and engineering literature, it is common to right the ordinal form of an unknown number m as mth. While the ordinal form of number 1 is first, it is also commonly written as 1st. I was ...
- 143
0
votes
3
answers
8k
views
How to explain the cold [closed]
How could one explain breathing when it's really cold outside and you can see your breath? I just can't find a good way to word it.
- 43
2
votes
1
answer
109
views
Collect comments on a draft document online
I am writing a collective report and I need to collect comments on the final text. I know that there is a free Google Docs option for that and it is fine. But I would like to find a tool that would ...
-1
votes
1
answer
154
views
Emphatic pronoun question
I'm curious as to why an emphatic pronoun isn't set off by commas. For example, "I, myself, completed the puzzle."
Thanks!
0
votes
2
answers
109
views
What is Considered to be a Large Portfolio to be Sent to Agents/Publishers?
I am currently looking for an agent to represent a portfolio of books. But I was wondering, what is considered to be a large portfolio in that how many unpublished books ready for an agent is ...
user42900
1
vote
0
answers
35
views
Can I use a song that’s already been made in my writing? [duplicate]
I want to use a lullaby I heard in my writing but I don’t know if I can. It’s already someone’s song, but I want to put it in my story
- 11
4
votes
1
answer
121
views
Publishing a book with anonymity as a foreigner
I want to publish a book in the United States as a foreigner in anonymity because of political risks in my country.
How can I do this? I don't have any credit card and no reach to global banking ...
- 41
1
vote
4
answers
302
views
Living your emotions versus writing them into a poem
When I wrote my first poem, I was very excited about it, and proud, and shared it among all my friends. However, now I don't often want to write about my feelings and experiences, and when I do, I'm ...
Huny
3
votes
3
answers
418
views
Italicizing dialogue punctuation
I know CMOS 17 section 6.2 says, "All punctuation marks should appear in the same font—roman or italic—as the main or surrounding text, except for punctuation that belongs to a title in a different ...
- 31
6
votes
4
answers
215
views
How do you deal with burnout? How do you break through writer's block?
I've been working on a book for about four years now. Every time I reach the middle, I get stuck and I go back and edit and rewrite everything. I've probably rewritten the whole thing at least seven ...
- 353
4
votes
3
answers
295
views
How can I steer myself away from using pronouns too often as I write in 3rd person?
I noticed that I use "she", "he", and "they" - and a lot of sentences also begin with the aforementioned pronouns. How can I steer away from doing this so often as I ...
- 1,075
1
vote
1
answer
3k
views
How can I cite multiple pages from the same site with no author listed in MLA?
I'm writing an MLA paper which in which I need to site 2 pages from https://www.merriam-webster.com. Here are what my citations look like in my works cited page:
"dirigisme". Merriam-...
- 586
0
votes
3
answers
192
views
How to write about characters interacting with family?
In regards specifically if you don't have any positive relationships with relatives yourself to draw from. I'm assuming writing only about characters who have negative familial experiences would ...
- 9
0
votes
3
answers
541
views
Is it bad for the narrative to lie?
What I want to know is if it is bad for the narrative to lie to the reader.
I get that using it in first person can be a good use for misdirection and such, but it does that by making the character ...
- 398
0
votes
2
answers
172
views
How to Attribute Poem (written by someone else) in Novel
I am writing historical fiction.
I am contemplating my character to compose a poem that was actually composed by someone in India, likely 1950s. This poet passed away in 2005.
How to attribute this ...
- 617
0
votes
1
answer
163
views
How do I write a character's name in a short film script?
When introducing a character in a short film script, does a full name have to be used, or is their last name not needed?
4
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Writing a narcissistic psychopath as a compelling protagonist
I'm in the middle of writing a book where the protagonist is a narcissistic psychopath, and while I personally am having a lot of fun with it and hope I'm doing it well enough, I understand this is a ...
- 9,134
2
votes
1
answer
96
views
Subtle Difference in Sentence Structure [closed]
"P-P-Potter," stammered Professor Quirrel. He grasped Harry's hand.
V.S.
"P-P-Potter," stammered Professor Quirrel, grasping Harry's hand.
In the first sentence, it feels as though Professor ...
- 201
0
votes
1
answer
67
views
Can a Chapter have up to 500 words [duplicate]
So far I am writing my fiction historical novel. It is being narrated in bits and pieces.
Hence, story is NOT in chronological order. As Person is being interviewed, story is being narrated.
First ...
- 617
0
votes
0
answers
34
views
Languages in my fantasy story [duplicate]
I'm writing a story right now, mostly because I just felt like it. At the moment I don't plan on doing anything fancy with it just keeping it to myself. I just want to make sure I won't be getting ...
3
votes
3
answers
297
views
What makes something "anime"?
I read the following question on WorldBuilding.SE last week: What early middle ages weapons would suit an extremely strong child? I thought the premise was interesting, but I noticed a comment that ...
- 1,354
2
votes
3
answers
124
views
Searching for a word about a particular feeling
I'm trying to find a very specific word for a very specific feeling, and have had zero luck other places on the Internet with finding even a reference to this. I'm hoping to invoke this particular ...
- 123
-1
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Writing an abusive scene [closed]
My character is getting physically abused by her father . I tried writing fight scenes and violent scenes before but they always seemed .. very weird . Can you give me some advice on writing an scenes ...
- 41
1
vote
1
answer
93
views
Should Person Write Query Letter and Synopsis in Chronological Order Even Though Story is Told in Pieces
I am attempting to write my first novel, a historical fiction.
To help focus my story, I wrote the Query Letter and Synopsis in chronological order.
However, the story is a narration by an old lady ...
- 617
0
votes
1
answer
74
views
I need my character to be honest [closed]
What I am writing is a love story. The problem is: I am trying to make my female character tell the truth to her love interest--the truth about herself.
What’s stopping her from telling him is that ...
- 41
0
votes
0
answers
26
views
Bibliography format with multiple citations from same book? (APA)
I'm writing a paper where I've included multiple citations from a book, each citation is not a direct quote from the text but rather a in-text citation so according to APA guidelines these citations ...
- 101
1
vote
2
answers
507
views
When someone sees something frightening, how can I make it obvious without sounding cliche?
I write a lot of horror, and I notice that my characters use "Oh my God!" when they're frightened in my scenes by a demon, ghost or murderer. How can I make them seem terrified without being so cliche ...
- 1,075
0
votes
1
answer
81
views
Making 2 characters fall on love [duplicate]
So I’ve been working on this story for almost 3 years now but I always start over because my ideas change over time . This time tho , the protagonists changed a lot from the original idea . So here’s ...
- 41
2
votes
2
answers
150
views
Republishing a poem from a lost journal
I am not a professional poet. A few years a poem of mine was published and reviewed by the South Asian Ensemble journal. This journal no longer exists, I cannot find it online and neither in print. I ...
- 21
2
votes
3
answers
142
views
How do I make my supporting POV interesting, altough he is not important in the story?
I have one POV character who is not too important to the story. He is an Elf soldier who keeps a important prisoner captive, and then captive runs away, and this Elf soldier then is hit and faints. ...
- 21
1
vote
3
answers
91
views
Getting stuck on imagining what should be happening in the moment
I frequently experience a specific type of writer's block and am looking for strategies to work around it.
I lean toward discovery writing but with some need to understand my story in advance, enough ...
- 91
3
votes
2
answers
155
views
Is the Agile planning methodology useful for the writing process of a fictional book?
I've been wanting to write a book in my spare time for a long time now, and while I've tried to start a couple times already, I've usually stopped again after a week or so because I get stuck ...
- 715
-5
votes
1
answer
143
views
Something's missing [closed]
I have a former military officer from a powerful empire searching to put a stop to the evil plan of a group of dark elves. They are trafficking people to their homeland to sacrifice to their god/...
3
votes
3
answers
213
views
I find it tough to write my fictional stories in anything other than past tense, why is this?
I would like to venture out into present tense, but it is so hard for me to do. How can I work on this to be able to actually write a full book in the present tense?
- 1,075
-1
votes
2
answers
104
views
i would like to illustrate some poems and compile them into a book. Would it be okay to publish it?
I'm an artist and I want to illustrate some of my favorite poems in a book. The poems are mostly from before 1900.
Question #1: Is it alright to illustrate them?
Question #2: Would it be alright if ...
- 11
1
vote
1
answer
153
views
What Drives a Broken man? [closed]
There is this story that I was working on, for an extended period of time. I have scrapped many ideas and drafts but I just could not seem to let go. The idea of this story, in my mind, is simply too ...
- 11
6
votes
4
answers
1k
views
How to portray a character slipping into insanity over time?
The deuteragonist of my trilogy, The Ragnarǫk Sequence is heavily implied to be Jeanne d'Arc (whose characterisation takes many cues from Artoria Pendragon) and serves as the protagonist's moral ...
user41618
2
votes
2
answers
172
views
Does Blind Querying Literary Agents Actually Work? Is That How Authors Find Agents?
I have been BLIND QUERYING agents for nearly three years to no avail, and I am wondering if this approach is a realistic one. I have used countless templates in crafting my query letter and all my ...
user42900
16
votes
6
answers
3k
views
How do I balance immature levity and flaws and character growth?
I am working on a series where one of the intended primary draws is character drama and growth. I have an ensemble cast of five characters who more or less share the role of main character equally, ...
- 4,685