qid int64 4 8.14M | question stringlengths 20 48.3k | answers list | date stringlengths 10 10 | metadata list | input stringlengths 12 45k | output stringlengths 2 31.8k |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
219,022 | <p>What evolutionary pressures would result in metabolic <em>IN</em>-efficiency being a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitness_(biology)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">fitness</a>-increasing adaptation in an animal?</p>
<p>By "metabolic efficiency", I mean "percentage of usable energy extracted from ... | [
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"text": "<p><strong>Energy goes to feed microbial commensals in the gut.</strong></p>\n<p>The microbes get the energy. ... | 2021/12/11 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/219022",
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] | What evolutionary pressures would result in metabolic *IN*-efficiency being a [fitness](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitness_(biology))-increasing adaptation in an animal?
By "metabolic efficiency", I mean "percentage of usable energy extracted from ingested energy-containing substances", not "how *much* energy does ... | **Energy goes to feed microbial commensals in the gut.**
The microbes get the energy. In return they synthesize vitamins and protein that the host cannot, and those are passed to the host. The host uses its food gathering and chewing ability to support the microbes that live inside of it. In return those microbes supp... |
220,440 | <p>For a story, I'm having a character invent a new kind of calculus.</p>
<h2>Halting Problem</h2>
<p>The new math efficiently solves the Halting Problem.</p>
<p>What is the Halting Problem?</p>
<p>Provided you have code like this --</p>
<blockquote>
<p>x = input(); while (x <> 0) { x = input(); }</p>
</blockquot... | [
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"text": "<p>Since you have tagged this as hard-science:\n<strong>No, it does not make sense.</strong> There is ... | 2021/12/17 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/220440",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
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] | For a story, I'm having a character invent a new kind of calculus.
Halting Problem
---------------
The new math efficiently solves the Halting Problem.
What is the Halting Problem?
Provided you have code like this --
>
> x = input(); while (x <> 0) { x = input(); }
>
>
>
How many cycles will it take for this ... | We can't check your fictional calculus because you didn't provide us with it. However, we can look at your descriptions.
The halting problem example gives a fair bit of insight into what you seek. There is no solution to the halting problem as defined by mathematicians. The language used to describe the halting proble... |
222,359 | <p><strong>Roombas scurry everywhere in my robot city</strong>, cleaning every surface diligently using power provided by those very surfaces using induction. They aren't limited to floors. Their design, mimicking starfish, allows them to cling to and crawl on any surface effectively cleaning every corner of the robot ... | [
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"text": "<p>Humans are walking blobs of salty water and organic goo, all wrapped around some calcium based su... | 2022/01/15 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/222359",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
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] | **Roombas scurry everywhere in my robot city**, cleaning every surface diligently using power provided by those very surfaces using induction. They aren't limited to floors. Their design, mimicking starfish, allows them to cling to and crawl on any surface effectively cleaning every corner of the robot city. Occasional... | **1: Organic Molecules**
In chemistry, 'organic' refers to any compound containing carbon, excluding carbon dioxide. Since carbon has a million uses even to robots, such as forming the backbone of [plastic](https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/POLYPROPYLENE), the robots should be familiar with organic compounds e... |
224,551 | <p>There's some pattern within our solar system and many others as well such as the planetary orbits lay within some gradually increasing distances. I assume they could be spread less regularly (looking at SS because extrasolars are still eclipsed by many instrumental errors and no one from my neighborhood was there hi... | [
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"selected": false,
"text": "<p>When two objects orbit a central body, the closer their orbits pass to one-another's, the more likely they a... | 2022/02/20 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/224551",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/94526/"
] | There's some pattern within our solar system and many others as well such as the planetary orbits lay within some gradually increasing distances. I assume they could be spread less regularly (looking at SS because extrasolars are still eclipsed by many instrumental errors and no one from my neighborhood was there himse... | When two objects orbit a central body, the closer their orbits pass to one-another's, the more likely they are to become co-orbital, collide, or for one to be ejected from the system.
What will happen is dependent upon a great many factors, including the masses of the bodies involved. Given that this is a potentially ... |
227,578 | <p>The <em>mammilia</em> class is tired of just being a class. They want to be a kingdom. However the problem is: they can't communicate very well. The humans didn't want to give up their powerful syntax, but the cow complained that they don't understand them 99% of the time. As the class-wide assembly proceeded, it al... | [
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"author": "Loren Pechtel",
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"text": "<p>One is enough, but it will need to use digital encoding.</p>\n<p>The question is focusing on the limit... | 2022/04/01 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/227578",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
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] | The *mammilia* class is tired of just being a class. They want to be a kingdom. However the problem is: they can't communicate very well. The humans didn't want to give up their powerful syntax, but the cow complained that they don't understand them 99% of the time. As the class-wide assembly proceeded, it also became ... | One language
* One Grammar
* One Lexicon (dictionary).
* Multiple morpheme and phoneme sets (pronunciation).
For a good example of this, I will start with English (discounting the changes in pronunciation that happened a few centuries back).
* Spoken English is common.
* Written English is common.
* Braille English,... |
229,766 | <p>Background information:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>According to various sources, the human heart pumps <a href="https://www.webmd.com/heart/heart-cardiac-output" rel="nofollow noreferrer">5 liters of blood/minute at rest and 15-20 liters of blood/minute during running or exercise</a>, <a href="https://www.smm.org/heart/lessons... | [
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"answer_id": 229767,
"author": "Daron",
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"selected": true,
"text": "<p><strong>Ten Celsius</strong></p>\n<p><a href=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/iI8o4.png\" rel=\"nofollow noreferr... | 2022/05/09 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/229766",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/87100/"
] | Background information:
* According to various sources, the human heart pumps [5 liters of blood/minute at rest and 15-20 liters of blood/minute during running or exercise](https://www.webmd.com/heart/heart-cardiac-output), [6,000 to 7,500 liters of blood/day (which is equal to 4⅙ to 5 5/24 liters of blood/minute)](ht... | **Ten Celsius**
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/iI8o4.png)
Lizards are cold blooded and can survive as low as 10C. For comparison a pitiful human will simply stop working if the internal temperature goes outside the 35C - 40C range for too long.
The li... |
232,817 | <p>In the world(not Earth, but eath-like), I am building there was a nuclear exchange recently. Recently, I mean 25(subject to change) years into the past. I am describing a small clump of cities near the coast, they were protected enough that they were unharmed by nuclear impacts.</p>
<p>After surviving initial <em>di... | [
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"text": "<p>The <a href=\"https://hypertextbook.com/facts/1999/SimonFung.shtml\" rel=\"noreferrer\">temperature</a>... | 2022/07/16 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/232817",
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] | In the world(not Earth, but eath-like), I am building there was a nuclear exchange recently. Recently, I mean 25(subject to change) years into the past. I am describing a small clump of cities near the coast, they were protected enough that they were unharmed by nuclear impacts.
After surviving initial *difficulties* ... | TL;DR:
* hardly anyone used pure uranium devices in history, especially by the time civilian nuclear reactors existed
* airbursts leave you no recoverable uranium
* only very specific weapon designs are going to be of use (pure uranium ground penetrating ones)
* you'd be better off reprocessing nuclear waste than scav... |
235,950 | <p>In my world, fortune tellers and psychics aren't con men but actually possess supernatural abilities. People born into the Romani lifestyle can make repeated and accurate predictions via tarot cards, palm reading, dowsing, astrology, abacomancy, crystal balls, and other forms of divination. Fortune tellers cannot sc... | [
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"text": "<h2>Games of chance would not work</h2>\n<p>Things like gambling and other games of chance only work when it's i... | 2022/09/23 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/235950",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/97812/"
] | In my world, fortune tellers and psychics aren't con men but actually possess supernatural abilities. People born into the Romani lifestyle can make repeated and accurate predictions via tarot cards, palm reading, dowsing, astrology, abacomancy, crystal balls, and other forms of divination. Fortune tellers cannot scry ... | Maximize the impact of the fortune-tellings on the outcome of the draw
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't use a normal random-number generator to draw the number. Instead use a cryptographic hash function (like SHA-1), to generate a random result from the data describing all t... |
236,194 | <p>I'm currently running a campaign set in a world where the calendar is based on two things.</p>
<ol>
<li>The moon takes the entire year to cycle through its phases. So instead of full moon to full moon being a month, it takes 400 days.</li>
<li>The year ends on a solar eclipse that happens on the same day every year.... | [
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"text": "<p>I am afraid it is impossible.</p>\n<p>From Kepler's laws we know that the orbital periods depend only fro... | 2022/09/29 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/236194",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
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] | I'm currently running a campaign set in a world where the calendar is based on two things.
1. The moon takes the entire year to cycle through its phases. So instead of full moon to full moon being a month, it takes 400 days.
2. The year ends on a solar eclipse that happens on the same day every year.
They are weird p... | Regarding orbits, your condition is possible. For this, you want your moon to revolve around the planet with a period of exactly half a year. A depiction follows:
You want your planet have a solar eclipse in a certain time of year. Let's position your solar system so that your planet is on the left of its sun, so the ... |
240,963 | <p>So, this world has three moons.
Blue, Red, Yellow.</p>
<p>There are eight months in the year. Each month has a unique "full moon" combination resulting in a different colored sky. That is the only requirement.</p>
<p>In no particular order, they are:</p>
<ul>
<li>Blue</li>
<li>Red</li>
<li>Yellow</li>
<l... | [
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"text": "<p><strong>This looks like a case for Grey Codes!</strong></p>\n<p><a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... | 2023/01/20 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/240963",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/347/"
] | So, this world has three moons.
Blue, Red, Yellow.
There are eight months in the year. Each month has a unique "full moon" combination resulting in a different colored sky. That is the only requirement.
In no particular order, they are:
* Blue
* Red
* Yellow
* Green (Blue and Yellow together)
* Purple (Blue and Red ... | **This looks like a case for Grey Codes!**
[Grey Codes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_code) were always one of my favourite parts of computer science. In short, it's a way of ordering binary values so that every step changes only one bit/digit at a time, but it loops smoothly through all possible values. In this ... |
21 | <p>I'll begin:</p>
<pre><code>What kind of questions can I ask here?
{Our future name} is for writers and is about writing of any kind. If you have a question about …
* writing as an art or as a labour and its niceties
and it is not about …
* specific languages and their grammar
* linguistics
… then... | [
{
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"text": "<p>I'd add for on-topic:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>General editing and copy-editing proceedures</li>\n<li>Submitting work for pub... | 2010/11/19 | [
"https://writers.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/21",
"https://writers.meta.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.meta.stackexchange.com/users/96/"
] | I'll begin:
```
What kind of questions can I ask here?
{Our future name} is for writers and is about writing of any kind. If you have a question about …
* writing as an art or as a labour and its niceties
and it is not about …
* specific languages and their grammar
* linguistics
… then you're in the... | I'd add for on-topic:
* General editing and copy-editing proceedures
* Submitting work for publication
* Finding an agent
* Working with illustrators and layout professionals ([meta question](https://writers.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/32/illustrations-and-layouts-for-books))
* Technical tools which aid in the wr... |
1,522 | <p>Since this was brought up in another thread, I'll make it a question just so it can be "official".</p>
<p>I asked a question yesterday and got 5 great answers. However, the question seems to be a Hot Network Question because views are over 2k (normal views on Writing are typically >100). I appreciate the boost in p... | [
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"text": "<p>You can see the Hot Network questions <a href=\"https://stackexchange.com/questions\">here</a>. As of wri... | 2018/03/20 | [
"https://writers.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/1522",
"https://writers.meta.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.meta.stackexchange.com/users/23253/"
] | Since this was brought up in another thread, I'll make it a question just so it can be "official".
I asked a question yesterday and got 5 great answers. However, the question seems to be a Hot Network Question because views are over 2k (normal views on Writing are typically >100). I appreciate the boost in privilege p... | You can see the Hot Network questions [here](https://stackexchange.com/questions). As of writing this your question is on the third page and is therefore shown all around the network, which means that other users might see the title and think it's interesting, so they check it out. And everyone with more than 200 reput... |
2,308 | <p>You lost your “beta” label in 2019, so welcome to your very first edition of <strong>Community Promotion Ads</strong>, for the year of 2020!</p>
<h3>What are Community Promotion Ads?</h3>
<p>Community Promotion Ads are community-vetted advertisements that will show up on the main site, in the right sidebar. The pu... | [
{
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"text": "<p><a href=\"https://writing.codidact.com/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com... | 2020/03/05 | [
"https://writers.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/2308",
"https://writers.meta.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.meta.stackexchange.com/users/13317/"
] | You lost your “beta” label in 2019, so welcome to your very first edition of **Community Promotion Ads**, for the year of 2020!
### What are Community Promotion Ads?
Community Promotion Ads are community-vetted advertisements that will show up on the main site, in the right sidebar. The purpose of this question is th... | [](https://writing.codidact.com/) |
2,419 | <p><strong>September update:</strong> Community Ads are now live network-wide. All ads with a score of 6 or higher, or with a score of 4 or higher <em>and</em> no downvotes will be displayed (except for any that have a note from the CM Team explaining why it wasn't selected). Go to <a href="https://meta.stackexchange.c... | [
{
"answer_id": 2425,
"author": "Standback",
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"selected": false,
"text": "<p><a href=\"http://www.kittywumpus.net/blog/upcoming-online-classes/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><img src=\"... | 2021/06/17 | [
"https://writers.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/2419",
"https://writers.meta.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.meta.stackexchange.com/users/13317/"
] | **September update:** Community Ads are now live network-wide. All ads with a score of 6 or higher, or with a score of 4 or higher *and* no downvotes will be displayed (except for any that have a note from the CM Team explaining why it wasn't selected). Go to [the main post on MSE](https://meta.stackexchange.com/q/3645... | [](https://writing.codidact.com) |
2,450 | <p>As decided by popular vote, the challenge this month is:</p>
<blockquote>
<h2>Tell a story with a terminal log.</h2>
<p>Somebody is poking through a computer through the terminal. Try to tell what they're after and who they are by what they're looking at.</p>
<p>Maybe it's somebody trying to track down their father ... | [
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"text": "<p>2/3/2022<br>\n1:35:22 [Power on]<br>\n1:35:24 [Loading systems...]<br>\n1:35:25 [Accessing terminal...... | 2022/02/02 | [
"https://writers.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/2450",
"https://writers.meta.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.meta.stackexchange.com/users/34330/"
] | As decided by popular vote, the challenge this month is:
>
> Tell a story with a terminal log.
> ---------------------------------
>
>
> Somebody is poking through a computer through the terminal. Try to tell what they're after and who they are by what they're looking at.
>
>
> Maybe it's somebody trying to track... | **[ STARGAZER OS BOOT PROCEDURE INITIATED ]**
Emergency system restart initiated. Power restored.
~ Booting...
**OS:** Bluemoon StargazerOS x86\_64
**Host System:** MDK2J3L23BUS\_TX Asukari LunarLander S13
**LunarIP:** 8238.23Y44.09872.138AA
**Lunar Coordinates:** 872'302'2427&AH2UOxo'121 SE -- *WARNING: Sy... |
550 | <p>How do you vary dialogue within stories? I often find myself writing "'sentence/dialogue' said character", and it sometimes gets really repetitive. How is this managed?</p>
<p>These are the only words that I can think of that can be used alternatively, but I don't find this problem when reading books. </p>
<ul>
<l... | [
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"text": "<p>Be repetitive and stay with \"said\", but don't overuse it. Write in a way so it is implied who is speaking. You normally do... | 2010/11/27 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/550",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/88/"
] | How do you vary dialogue within stories? I often find myself writing "'sentence/dialogue' said character", and it sometimes gets really repetitive. How is this managed?
These are the only words that I can think of that can be used alternatively, but I don't find this problem when reading books.
* said
* replied
* ag... | I agree with @JMC: try to avoid the [said-bookism](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SaidBookism).
As an alternative to "said", you can always insert a physical action by (or thoughts of) the speaker. For example:
```
"Let's see here." Jimmy flicked through the survival guide. "Damn. I could have
sworn ther... |
554 | <p>There are various ways for mapping out the storyline that you will use for a story. One of them is to create a bullet-point outline, which would theoretically be useful because of the hierarchy system that you can make, but as it goes along you can't really visualise how the story goes along. Another system would be... | [
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"text": "<p>One technique that I've used has been a simple spreadsheet. I make a number of columns, one for every major thread of the... | 2010/11/27 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/554",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/88/"
] | There are various ways for mapping out the storyline that you will use for a story. One of them is to create a bullet-point outline, which would theoretically be useful because of the hierarchy system that you can make, but as it goes along you can't really visualise how the story goes along. Another system would be to... | One technique that I've used has been a simple spreadsheet. I make a number of columns, one for every major thread of the novel, and I color each column differently to make them stand out. Then I write a one-sentence summary of each scene and put it in the appropriate column, in chronological order from top to bottom, ... |
607 | <p>I'm publishing a tales book and I don't have a title for it. It's not for children and it's in spanish.</p>
<p><strong>update:</strong></p>
<p>These are the titles of the tales:</p>
<pre><code>El hijo del escritor
Celular
El pelo en el jabón
El último en la cola
Instante cero
La máquina de los cuentos
La entrevis... | [
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"text": "<p>It really should be up to you. But how about: 'Juanjo Conti: a collection', translated obviously. I'm assuming you're ... | 2010/11/30 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/607",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/196/"
] | I'm publishing a tales book and I don't have a title for it. It's not for children and it's in spanish.
**update:**
These are the titles of the tales:
```
El hijo del escritor
Celular
El pelo en el jabón
El último en la cola
Instante cero
La máquina de los cuentos
La entrevista
La Oficina Media
Schwarzweiss
Personaj... | If you're not the publisher, I wouldn't sweat it. The publisher will come up with a title; they always do. |
1,284 | <p>What guidelines and language should be used to write a prompt email? Ideally I would like it to be:</p>
<ul>
<li>Respectful</li>
<li>Not too formal</li>
</ul>
<p>In particular I am thinking in terms of business, and communication between businesses.</p>
| [
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"text": "<p>Well, makes sure you're clear what you're asking about and don't assume they have the same information that you do... | 2011/02/03 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/1284",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/113/"
] | What guidelines and language should be used to write a prompt email? Ideally I would like it to be:
* Respectful
* Not too formal
In particular I am thinking in terms of business, and communication between businesses. | When following up on an e-mail:
I usually forward the original e-mail to the original recipient, with some added text at the top.
```
Hello [Name],
Have you had time to look into this?
Kind Regards,
...
Forwarded message:
From: ....
Date: ...
Subject: ...
To: ...
...
``` |
1,291 | <p>I have an idea for a series of science articles, but I don't have a strong background in the particular field.</p>
<p>What's a good way to identify experts who I could interview to shore up the details and make sure I get the facts straight? The local college might be a good start, but where do I go from there if I... | [
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"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Well, makes sure you're clear what you're asking about and don't assume they have the same information that you do... | 2011/02/04 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/1291",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/641/"
] | I have an idea for a series of science articles, but I don't have a strong background in the particular field.
What's a good way to identify experts who I could interview to shore up the details and make sure I get the facts straight? The local college might be a good start, but where do I go from there if I need more... | When following up on an e-mail:
I usually forward the original e-mail to the original recipient, with some added text at the top.
```
Hello [Name],
Have you had time to look into this?
Kind Regards,
...
Forwarded message:
From: ....
Date: ...
Subject: ...
To: ...
...
``` |
2,354 | <p>When trying to strengthen my writing on how to correctly describe a location I try to write a small text on each location I am. (These are then saved in Evernote so that I can search for them) I found a tip in a book (can't remember name, will look it up) which said a good way to practice is to write a small article... | [
{
"answer_id": 2356,
"author": "Craig Sefton",
"author_id": 1624,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/1624",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>This is excellent advice, and is definitely the right way to go about observing your environment and locations... | 2011/04/01 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/2354",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/1666/"
] | When trying to strengthen my writing on how to correctly describe a location I try to write a small text on each location I am. (These are then saved in Evernote so that I can search for them) I found a tip in a book (can't remember name, will look it up) which said a good way to practice is to write a small article wi... | Sensual observations are all well and good, but there is also the landscape of the mind to consider. What associations do you make when you see/hear/feel/taste a scene? What makes that scene come alive *in your mind*? And above all, what does the scene mean and to whom? Remember that landscapes are like stages: they ar... |
2,499 | <p>How do I designate the footnotes that are mine inside a quote?</p>
<p>I tried "our note", "note ours" and "remark is ours". Which one is the correct one and most commonly used?
Or is there some other way?</p>
<p>For example:</p>
<pre><code>He provides an argument for it:
"Before the Greeks, the ancient Egyptia... | [
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"text": "<p>If I understand you, you are writing a book and you have both your own citations and quoted material with ci... | 2011/04/15 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/2499",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/1782/"
] | How do I designate the footnotes that are mine inside a quote?
I tried "our note", "note ours" and "remark is ours". Which one is the correct one and most commonly used?
Or is there some other way?
For example:
```
He provides an argument for it:
"Before the Greeks, the ancient Egyptians
used it[1] in the con... | If I understand you, you are writing a book and you have both your own citations and quoted material with citations and you want to distinguish the two types of citations. Is this correct? I don't see much need to distinguish them -- they are all just reference material, put them all in the end-notes (I hate numbered f... |
3,095 | <p>Links are useful to add additional information or second meaning or special flavour to certain words. This is especially useful for informal texts. Example:</p>
<pre><code>[Some programs](wiki://Metasploit_Project) allow [users](wiki://Script_kiddie) to launch
security attacks with ease and comfort. This [certainly... | [
{
"answer_id": 3096,
"author": "Lauren-Clear-Monica-Ipsum",
"author_id": 553,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/553",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p><strong>1) If piece is only printed:</strong></p>\n\n<p>I would footnote it, and put the full link ... | 2011/06/13 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/3095",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/2167/"
] | Links are useful to add additional information or second meaning or special flavour to certain words. This is especially useful for informal texts. Example:
```
[Some programs](wiki://Metasploit_Project) allow [users](wiki://Script_kiddie) to launch
security attacks with ease and comfort. This [certainly](wiki://Wishf... | The immediate thing to bear in mind is that the use you're describing is something very specific and unique to hypertext documents. You might as well ask "onstage I can wink at the audience, how can I do that in text?" or "I want my screenplay to be filmed with some equivalent of footnotes." You're not going to find a ... |
3,437 | <p>I've found myself extensively referencing parts of theses and dissertations for my own research paper. The IEEE editorial style manual suggests that they should be referenced in the following form:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>[1] J. K. Author, “Title of thesis,” M.S. thesis, Abbrev. Dept., Abbrev. Univ., City of Univ., A... | [
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"author_id": -1,
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"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Citing specific pages of a long source is quite common. There are two ways of doing it:</p>\n\n<ol>\n<li><p>Cite the ... | 2010/09/18 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/3437",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/2935/"
] | I've found myself extensively referencing parts of theses and dissertations for my own research paper. The IEEE editorial style manual suggests that they should be referenced in the following form:
>
> [1] J. K. Author, “Title of thesis,” M.S. thesis, Abbrev. Dept., Abbrev. Univ., City of Univ., Abbrev. State, year.
... | According to the third edition of [How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0313330409) that I have, one should list only significant, published references. References to unpublished data, papers in press, abstracts, theses, and other secondary materials should not clutter u... |
3,469 | <p>I have a presentation that will go from August 4th to the 5th. On my title slide I'd like to list the dates in the most concise and simple way possible. What's the best style?</p>
<p>I currently have:</p>
<pre><code>August 4 and 5, 2011
</code></pre>
<p>I could also do:</p>
<pre><code>August 4 & 5, 2011
</co... | [
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"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Either of those is fine (\"&\" is just another way to write \"and\") and will be understood. Another for... | 2011/07/27 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/3469",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/2373/"
] | I have a presentation that will go from August 4th to the 5th. On my title slide I'd like to list the dates in the most concise and simple way possible. What's the best style?
I currently have:
```
August 4 and 5, 2011
```
I could also do:
```
August 4 & 5, 2011
```
Is there a "correct" way to write this? | I never use ampersands in copy unless they're part of a proper company name (e.g., Johnson & Johnson). It just looks lazy to me. I would write it as "August 4–5," because the presentation is taking place on two consecutive days. (Nobody assumes it's a 48-hour presentation.)
I would use "and" if the dates are not cont... |
3,843 | <p>I'm documenting a block of computer code and would like to make it clear and concise. I'm describing a function that populates a field on a user input screen. Here's my best shot but it still seems confusing because the 'in the', 'on the', 'for a' seem like a lot of prepositions for one sentence. </p>
<pre><code>Th... | [
{
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"selected": true,
"text": "<p>Maybe break it into two sentences?</p>\n\n<p>When you send this function a NUT_ID, it returns a WINGNUT_SELLER... | 2011/09/06 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/3843",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/2543/"
] | I'm documenting a block of computer code and would like to make it clear and concise. I'm describing a function that populates a field on a user input screen. Here's my best shot but it still seems confusing because the 'in the', 'on the', 'for a' seem like a lot of prepositions for one sentence.
```
This function re... | Maybe break it into two sentences?
When you send this function a NUT\_ID, it returns a WINGNUT\_SELLER\_CODE. This code is from the'THREADED\_NUTS' screen in the 'Vendor' field.
I almost always use "that". (Every copy editor I've ever encountered seems determined to eradicate all uses of "which". |
3,885 | <p>How could this technical sentenced be improved for better clarity?</p>
<pre><code>Cannot translate the ‘name1’ concept1 to the ‘name2’ concept2 because the higher
precedence ‘name3’ concept3 also exists, which overrides it.
</code></pre>
<p>This is a technical message to a user of a computer program where I have e... | [
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"author_id": -1,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/-1",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Sorry, but you really haven't eliminated all the jargon from here. Based on what your question actually says, I think... | 2011/09/09 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/3885",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/2590/"
] | How could this technical sentenced be improved for better clarity?
```
Cannot translate the ‘name1’ concept1 to the ‘name2’ concept2 because the higher
precedence ‘name3’ concept3 also exists, which overrides it.
```
This is a technical message to a user of a computer program where I have eliminated the jargon as it... | If you want to keep the same format, I would go with:
>
> Cannot translate 'name1' concept1 to 'name2' concept2 because an existing translation from 'name3' concept3 to 'name2' concept2 takes precedence.
>
>
>
Using your fruit example, it would look like this:
>
> Cannot translate the 'Fred' apple to the 'John'... |
4,376 | <p>My email client includes a signature beneath the text of my writing. Currently it is of the form:</p>
<pre><code>------------
John Doe
Acme Widget Company
123 Elm Street
Metropolis, USA
phone:222-555-1212
email:jdoe@gmail.com
</code></pre>
<p>When I write an email, how should I sign this? For a formal letter, it f... | [
{
"answer_id": 4377,
"author": "John Smithers",
"author_id": 99,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/99",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>It's not that uncommon to repeat the name in business (which is also formal) emails. Especially if the signature ... | 2011/11/04 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/4376",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/228/"
] | 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
email:jdoe@gmail.com
```
When I write an email, how should I sign this? For a formal letter, it feels too informal and a li... | Professors and the like have been reading emails for long enough that I bet they know these two conventions that you seem to indicate you're unsure of:
1. Emails, being not letters, contain who they are from in their
headers. Email readers display this to the recipient in the way in
which the recipient is likely most ... |
4,486 | <p>My girlfriend was advised to use <code>Ibid</code> in her assignment's citations to <code>help reduce the word count</code> (I pointed out that references are usually not part of the count, but regardless); but she couldn't grasp the concept or why <code>Ibid</code> would be used.</p>
<pre>I explained that it would... | [
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"answer_id": 4487,
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"selected": true,
"text": "<p>You are right. \"ibid\" is short for \"<a href=\"http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ibidem\" rel=\"nofollow noreferr... | 2011/11/21 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/4486",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/2891/"
] | 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 grasp the concept or why `Ibid` would be used.
```
I explained that it would typically be used when writing footnotes... | You are right. "ibid" is short for "[ibidem](http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ibidem)", meaning "in the same place". It is used to not repeat the same title again and again.
Also have a look at this question:
[Vancouver system, citing multiple sentences from the same book](https://writers.stackexchange.com/question... |
4,563 | <p>I am poet and a blogger, and was writing a poem today for my blog. It went something like:</p>
<pre><code>So, are you missing me?
Missing me so much that you crave,
crave to meet me right now...
</code></pre>
<p>Does anybody know what this form of poetry is called, where a part of the present line is repeated in t... | [
{
"answer_id": 4566,
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"author_id": 553,
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"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>It's sort of an anti-<a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enjambment\" rel=\"nofollow\">enjambmen... | 2011/12/07 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/4563",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/2971/"
] | I am poet and a blogger, and was writing a poem today for my blog. It went something like:
```
So, are you missing me?
Missing me so much that you crave,
crave to meet me right now...
```
Does anybody know what this form of poetry is called, where a part of the present line is repeated in the next line each time? I'... | Wouldn't this be considered a type of anadiplosis?--though anadiplosis is typically the repetition of a single word. It doesn't seem to be an actual poetic form, but more of a stylistic device.
There's a Wikipedia article on it [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anadiplosis). |
4,636 | <p>There is a coherency problem in the following text (its typesetting). The last paragraph must not be considered as a part of subsect02. For instance it is a kind of conclusion of two approaches covered under two previous subsections. How can I make the reader distinguish it from paragraph(s) related to the last subs... | [
{
"answer_id": 4638,
"author": "Alan Gilbertson",
"author_id": 2775,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/2775",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>The simple approach is to give all of your subsection text a left indent, and possibly a right indent, to se... | 2011/12/16 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/4636",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/3003/"
] | There is a coherency problem in the following text (its typesetting). The last paragraph must not be considered as a part of subsect02. For instance it is a kind of conclusion of two approaches covered under two previous subsections. How can I make the reader distinguish it from paragraph(s) related to the last subsect... | The simple approach is to give all of your subsection text a left indent, and possibly a right indent, to set it off slightly from the main section text. Any text starting at the normal left margin would then be identifiable as belonging to the main section. |
4,738 | <p>I read this quote recently, attributed to Norman Mailer, that has had my brain itching:</p>
<pre><code>Alimony is the curse of the writing class.
</code></pre>
<p>What did he mean by it?</p>
| [
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"selected": true,
"text": "<p>Roughly speaking, it means if you have to pay alimony, you have to earn money. Writing is not a way ... | 2012/01/02 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/4738",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/252/"
] | I read this quote recently, attributed to Norman Mailer, that has had my brain itching:
```
Alimony is the curse of the writing class.
```
What did he mean by it? | Roughly speaking, it means if you have to pay alimony, you have to earn money. Writing is not a way to earn money (for most of us). He's suggesting that it's insufficient income for an alimony payment, so a writer would have to take on some other work to earn enough money to make the payment, thus cutting into writing ... |
5,565 | <p>I have seen various combinations of interjections (or "grunt words", as they are sometimes called) used in fictional dialogue, such as:</p>
<pre><code>uh huh (which I take for a yes)
uh uh (for no)
nuh uh (also saw that once for no, but I'm not even sure nuh is even a word)
</code></pre>
<p>whereas a standalone "h... | [
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"answer_id": 5566,
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"author_id": 26,
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"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>People generally speak with \"um\" and \"huh\" peppered throughout their speech. Their meaning can be def... | 2012/05/01 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/5565",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/300/"
] | I have seen various combinations of interjections (or "grunt words", as they are sometimes called) used in fictional dialogue, such as:
```
uh huh (which I take for a yes)
uh uh (for no)
nuh uh (also saw that once for no, but I'm not even sure nuh is even a word)
```
whereas a standalone "huh?" usually means the per... | People generally speak with "um" and "huh" peppered throughout their speech. Their meaning can be defined in a general sense, but that meaning may not always be consistent, and some of their meaning will be encoded in body language. (Nods, facial expressions, gesticulations, and so on.)
For example, see [this definit... |
5,752 | <p>How can one use social proof as an argument without sounding like "just because everybody is doing it so should you"?. <strong>My problem is trying to demonstrate with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_proof" rel="nofollow">social proof</a> that trendy tools/techniques are not necessarily <a href="http://... | [
{
"answer_id": 5754,
"author": "Lauren-Clear-Monica-Ipsum",
"author_id": 553,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/553",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>If I'm understanding you correctly, I think what you want are <em>case studies</em> to demonstrate y... | 2012/05/24 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/5752",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/3610/"
] | How can one use social proof as an argument without sounding like "just because everybody is doing it so should you"?. **My problem is trying to demonstrate with [social proof](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_proof) that trendy tools/techniques are not necessarily [cargo cult](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cargo_cul... | If I'm understanding you correctly, I think what you want are *case studies* to demonstrate your points.
So you put forth one of your arguments — "switching to the individual bucket version reduces problems A, B, and C" — and then you put in a section with an actual real-life example:
---
**Case Study: Acme Widget C... |
6,078 | <p>What is good/preferred way of presenting directory trees in programming books?</p>
<p>My main criteria are following:</p>
<ol>
<li>It should be readable and intuitive </li>
<li>It shouldn't take too much page space</li>
<li>It shouldn't require too much effort from author to create and
update</li>
</ol>
<p>Examp... | [
{
"answer_id": 6082,
"author": "John Smithers",
"author_id": 99,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/99",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Focus on your main goal: </p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>It should be readable and intuitive</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>... | 2012/07/19 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/6078",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/3871/"
] | What is good/preferred way of presenting directory trees in programming books?
My main criteria are following:
1. It should be readable and intuitive
2. It shouldn't take too much page space
3. It shouldn't require too much effort from author to create and
update
Examples of situations when presenting directory tree... | I do something similar to your ASCII implementation, but instead of an ASCII block I use compact bulleted lists (with sub-lists). File/directory names are still styled as they would be in running text. In addition to conveying the structure, this also gives me a handy place to add explanations where needed, which is pa... |
6,164 | <p>Some scripts I read specify the exact camera angle of every shot-- where the camera starts, what we see, how it will move during the scene.</p>
<p>And some scripts are a little less specific.</p>
<p>Is this only because the former is the <em>shooting script</em>, a modification of an earlier script so as to includ... | [
{
"answer_id": 6169,
"author": "Greg R.",
"author_id": 2744,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/2744",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>Screenwriters don't specify shots or camera angles -- that's the job of the director and cinematographer. Since you ... | 2012/08/04 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/6164",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/3421/"
] | Some scripts I read specify the exact camera angle of every shot-- where the camera starts, what we see, how it will move during the scene.
And some scripts are a little less specific.
Is this only because the former is the *shooting script*, a modification of an earlier script so as to include such specifics? Or is ... | Screenwriters don't specify shots or camera angles -- that's the job of the director and cinematographer. Since you know nothing about the actual production when you're writing the script, such information would be entirely hypothetical and largely useless.
As the screenwriter, you *should* specify the setting and ti... |
6,296 | <p><strong>How do you welcome a business audience to your presentation?</strong></p>
<p>I've thought of:</p>
<pre><code>Hello, my name is [prename] [surname] and I am going to talk about [...]
</code></pre>
<p>but it sounds rather like a school presentation and not like a business presentation. Or isn't there a diff... | [
{
"answer_id": 6297,
"author": "Lauren-Clear-Monica-Ipsum",
"author_id": 553,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/553",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>That's not a bad opening. I might change it to \"Today we're going to talk about...\" to make it mor... | 2012/09/03 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/6296",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/4055/"
] | **How do you welcome a business audience to your presentation?**
I've thought of:
```
Hello, my name is [prename] [surname] and I am going to talk about [...]
```
but it sounds rather like a school presentation and not like a business presentation. Or isn't there a difference in the English language?
Does it make ... | That's not a bad opening. I might change it to "Today we're going to talk about..." to make it more inclusive, but there's nothing wrong with being straightforward. Another version might be "Today I'd like to talk to you about..." |
6,428 | <p>In 2005, Alexander Genaud created a <a href="https://github.com/alexgenaud/Poetic-License" rel="nofollow">Poetic License</a> based on the <a href="http://mit-license.org/" rel="nofollow">MIT license</a>. It consisted of 2 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limerick_%28poetry%29" rel="nofollow">Limericks</a> which... | [
{
"answer_id": 6429,
"author": "steve",
"author_id": 4202,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/4202",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>The first half is a correct limerick.\nThe second, not so much.\nRemember the style/syllable construction of limerick... | 2012/10/05 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/6428",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/4201/"
] | In 2005, Alexander Genaud created a [Poetic License](https://github.com/alexgenaud/Poetic-License) based on the [MIT license](http://mit-license.org/). It consisted of 2 [Limericks](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limerick_%28poetry%29) which attempted to distill the already meager license jargon into a fun, simple, and t... | I'm tickled you've taking this poem further. All praise be to sharing! My intention, in classic recursion, is that the license is protected by its own terms but state that "[Use of the license itself does not require its own notice](https://github.com/alexgenaud/Poetic-License "Poetic License on GitHub")."
As I unders... |
6,864 | <p>Many word processors are capable to tracking and displaying changes made to a document. Those changes are typically displayed in special markup supported by the editor. E.g.</p>
<p><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/97Dy9.png" alt="enter image description here"></p>
<p>But when using a <strong>plain text</strong>... | [
{
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"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I kind of doubt that there is a <em>standard</em> for it, at least. You might get away with using some marker that isn... | 2012/12/21 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/6864",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/61/"
] | Many word processors are capable to tracking and displaying changes made to a document. Those changes are typically displayed in special markup supported by the editor. E.g.
But when using a **plain text** editor (like Microsoft's Notepad), is there... | I kind of doubt that there is a *standard* for it, at least. You might get away with using some marker that isn't used anywhere else, like `###`, to indicate a changed passage, but I'm not sure if that really qualifies as markup. In any case, it would have to be an agreement between the people involved which marker(s) ... |
6,907 | <p>I’m looking to summarize an idea into as few words as possible — to make it as concise as possible. The idea is to ask others for help (putting ego aside), value others’ input, listen to others, learn from others.</p>
<p>What I have so far is “Ask for help and learn from others”, but I’m not that satisfied with it.... | [
{
"answer_id": 6912,
"author": "Kathryn",
"author_id": 4475,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/4475",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>\"Seek guidance from others\"? </p>\n\n<p>Or \"Seek wisdom from others\"?</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 6916,
... | 2012/12/27 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/6907",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/4527/"
] | I’m looking to summarize an idea into as few words as possible — to make it as concise as possible. The idea is to ask others for help (putting ego aside), value others’ input, listen to others, learn from others.
What I have so far is “Ask for help and learn from others”, but I’m not that satisfied with it. I’m tryin... | I think Kathryn's examples are good. I can't think of a better, more succinct phrase than "from others" to convey that part of the meaning. If an approach combining the help and informational aspects is possible, it seems you have some choices for the ideas of the request and what is requested:
```
[ Ask for | request... |
7,208 | <p>I have a paragraph of dialog which technically continues into the next paragraph, but I want to interject a "she continued" almost immediately into the second paragraph. So should I close the quote on the first paragraph, or leave it open?</p>
<p>E.g., </p>
<pre><code>"Well," Antimony began, taking a deep, thought... | [
{
"answer_id": 7209,
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"selected": false,
"text": "<p>That's a good place to break, yes. \nConsidering it's such a long quote, you don't want to let the reader lose ... | 2013/02/02 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/7208",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/4562/"
] | I have a paragraph of dialog which technically continues into the next paragraph, but I want to interject a "she continued" almost immediately into the second paragraph. So should I close the quote on the first paragraph, or leave it open?
E.g.,
```
"Well," Antimony began, taking a deep, thoughtful breath, and
stepp... | You have broken and punctuated it correctly. But if you're worried about the *she continued,* then change it up a little:
>
> "Well," Antimony began, taking a deep, thoughtful breath, and
> stepping a little closer. "If you fill the 5 pound sack, and
> then empty it into a 3 pound sack, you'll have 2 pounds
> left... |
7,299 | <p>I'm a writer, not a programmer. I'm just now for the first time learning about version control and how it works, and I am wondering how version control could streamline my workflow.</p>
<p>In a <a href="https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/7249/whats-the-best-version-control-system-for-a-book-writer">previou... | [
{
"answer_id": 7301,
"author": "Dale Hartley Emery",
"author_id": 272,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/272",
"pm_score": 5,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>There are two concepts in git that can help: <em>branches</em> and <em>tags</em>.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Tags.</... | 2013/02/16 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/7299",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/4718/"
] | I'm a writer, not a programmer. I'm just now for the first time learning about version control and how it works, and I am wondering how version control could streamline my workflow.
In a [previous question](https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/7249/whats-the-best-version-control-system-for-a-book-writer), I ask... | There are two concepts in git that can help: *branches* and *tags*.
**Tags.**
Think of a *tag* as a name for a specific revision. Any time you want to remember a version, create a tag for it. For example, when you finish a draft, you can tag it like this:
```
git tag first_draft
```
**When to use tags.**
Tags are g... |
7,912 | <p>This might seem to be a strange question, but I can't seem to get my head around it.</p>
<ul>
<li>I am trying to cite from Anselm's "On Truth", which is part of a compilation.</li>
<li>I have read it in Oxford World Classics' <em>Anselm of Canterbury: The Major Works</em>.</li>
<li>"On Truth" was translated from La... | [
{
"answer_id": 10064,
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"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I think you are on the right track. but I would omit the words Reissue edition, change Origional edition to First ... | 2013/05/17 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/7912",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/5197/"
] | This might seem to be a strange question, but I can't seem to get my head around it.
* I am trying to cite from Anselm's "On Truth", which is part of a compilation.
* I have read it in Oxford World Classics' *Anselm of Canterbury: The Major Works*.
* "On Truth" was translated from Latin into English by Ralph McInery, ... | 1. ~~USA~~ New York: Oxford University Press
2. ~~Reissue edition. Original edition 1998.~~
Why delete that? No one cares if that book is an unchanged reissue. You only tell the reader if the book you quote from is a different *editon* (e.g. 2nd ed.), because that means that there have been changes to the text, and th... |
7,936 | <p>I want to use a text editor (Emacs) to write a novel because I don't want to consider page layout and other similar issues. I want to use the Markdown format so that I can convert it to the docx format using Pandoc if and when I prepare a manuscript for submission to publishers.</p>
<p>How should I format the Mark... | [
{
"answer_id": 7938,
"author": "JSBձոգչ",
"author_id": 78,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/78",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>This is my sort of question, since I have basically the same setup as you do (except I use Vim, not Emacs.)</p>\n\n<p>My... | 2013/05/24 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/7936",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/5233/"
] | I want to use a text editor (Emacs) to write a novel because I don't want to consider page layout and other similar issues. I want to use the Markdown format so that I can convert it to the docx format using Pandoc if and when I prepare a manuscript for submission to publishers.
How should I format the Markdown text s... | This is my sort of question, since I have basically the same setup as you do (except I use Vim, not Emacs.)
My novel text looks like this:
```
% Novel Title
# Title 1
Text goes here.
# Title 2
More text goes here.
```
This works fine for me, since Pandoc wants to convert the top-level section markers `#` into c... |
8,042 | <p>in the following sentence:</p>
<pre><code>We forge such concepts like agent's IP, agent's port, agent's sequence number
and so on for ease of explanation.
We forge such concepts like agent's IP, agent's port, agent's sequence number
blabla for ease of explanation.
</code></pre>
<p>it seems to me the <code>and s... | [
{
"answer_id": 8039,
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"author_id": 4784,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/4784",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>You can always make them relics of the ancient civilisation (Morrowind), or some stuff left by travelers... | 2013/06/04 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/8042",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/5264/"
] | in the following sentence:
```
We forge such concepts like agent's IP, agent's port, agent's sequence number
and so on for ease of explanation.
We forge such concepts like agent's IP, agent's port, agent's sequence number
blabla for ease of explanation.
```
it seems to me the `and so on` or `blabla` is not proper,... | I think you are giving into the *temptation of explaining*. Sometimes you don't need to know how - or at least not for sure how - just to make it believable in your world.
Take your real life laptop as an example. It has thousands of microchips compacted into a single CPU but, what is a microchip? What is a diode? Wha... |
8,480 | <p>The reference documentation for an application programming interface (API) is, in modern systems, usually generated from the code itself automatically. For example, for Java interfaces a typical tool is <a href="http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/documentation/index-jsp-135444.html" rel="nofollow">Javado... | [
{
"answer_id": 8488,
"author": "Jay",
"author_id": 4489,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/4489",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>This surely depends on the specific tool that you are using. The only tool that I am familiar with that meets your desc... | 2013/07/24 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/8480",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/1993/"
] | The reference documentation for an application programming interface (API) is, in modern systems, usually generated from the code itself automatically. For example, for Java interfaces a typical tool is [Javadoc](http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/documentation/index-jsp-135444.html).
One property of such g... | This surely depends on the specific tool that you are using. The only tool that I am familiar with that meets your description is Javadoc, so I want to be cautious not to make assumption about how other tools might work.
But with Javadoc, there is a built-in way to describe parameters. The whole point of Javadoc is to... |
9,056 | <p>I'm writing a master thesis (Sociology) and I'm really penalized by distractions. I would happily shift to a markdown full-screen environment but I wrote an half of the thesis in .odt via LibreOffice, so I would like to know if it's possible to convert from .odt to Markdown, maintaining the footnotes (which are the ... | [
{
"answer_id": 9563,
"author": "hildred",
"author_id": 6268,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/6268",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I've been playing around with odt2txt. It strips out all formatting, leaving just plain text, perfect for diffs, an... | 2013/10/01 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/9056",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/5983/"
] | I'm writing a master thesis (Sociology) and I'm really penalized by distractions. I would happily shift to a markdown full-screen environment but I wrote an half of the thesis in .odt via LibreOffice, so I would like to know if it's possible to convert from .odt to Markdown, maintaining the footnotes (which are the mos... | Your first option is, really, [Pandoc](http://johnmacfarlane.net/pandoc/README.html), which was already mentioned. Its usage is quite straightforward. I've done some converting along these lines myself, and it's brilliant. It's included in Debian repositories, so I'd think acquiring an installation wouldn't be a proble... |
9,077 | <p>In a technical or scientific text, such as a PhD thesis, should headings for (sub)sections be complete and sometimes repeat information from the headings of the levels above, or is it sufficient to have a short heading, assuming that it is implied that section <code>X.Y.Z</code> is still inside <code>X.Y.</code>? <... | [
{
"answer_id": 9094,
"author": "Samuel Flint",
"author_id": 5168,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/5168",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I'd say that your current sounds fine, though you may want to prepare it as both, just to placate your adviser... | 2013/10/03 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/9077",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/5496/"
] | In a technical or scientific text, such as a PhD thesis, should headings for (sub)sections be complete and sometimes repeat information from the headings of the levels above, or is it sufficient to have a short heading, assuming that it is implied that section `X.Y.Z` is still inside `X.Y.`?
For example, in my PhD th... | As @Lauren Ipsum said, go for clarity. Remember that there are times when you don't see the context, for instance when using a cross-reference. "See section 2.3.2, Terrestrial" is not immediately obvious to the reader.
Approach this as a writer, not a mathematician. Writing section headings that make sense even when... |
9,090 | <p>I'm writing a TV spec script for fun, and was just wondering how I would denote laughter in unison from a bunch of sailors on a boat. Would it just be something like:</p>
<p>SAILORS IN BOAT
(in unison)
Hahahahahahahahahahah</p>
<p>? Or would I just describe it in the description but not in the dialogue?
Thanks.</p... | [
{
"answer_id": 9091,
"author": "M.Y. David",
"author_id": 5328,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/5328",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I would suggest the following:</p>\n\n<pre><code>- SAILORS IN BOAT Hahahahahahaha\n</code></pre>\n\n<p>The reaso... | 2013/10/04 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/9090",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/5996/"
] | I'm writing a TV spec script for fun, and was just wondering how I would denote laughter in unison from a bunch of sailors on a boat. Would it just be something like:
SAILORS IN BOAT
(in unison)
Hahahahahahahahahahah
? Or would I just describe it in the description but not in the dialogue?
Thanks. | Do it in the description. Compare these two options:
```
SAILORS IN BOAT
Hahahahahahahaha.
```
This option tells the actors exactly what they have to say, and it looks clunky.
```
All the sailors in the boat start laughing in unison.
```
This option, on the other hand, gives a good short description of what the ... |
9,166 | <p>In technical documentation, sometimes the tool's automatic hyphenation makes a bad break in the middle of a term, like the name of an environment variable or function. In these cases I would rather have a short line than hyphenation, though I want hyphenation in the document in general. I can try to "write around"... | [
{
"answer_id": 9168,
"author": "Hobbes",
"author_id": 6022,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/6022",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>The post you referenced has the basics: in FO, you can't change the hyphenation property for just part of a block. Y... | 2013/10/16 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/9166",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/1993/"
] | In technical documentation, sometimes the tool's automatic hyphenation makes a bad break in the middle of a term, like the name of an environment variable or function. In these cases I would rather have a short line than hyphenation, though I want hyphenation in the document in general. I can try to "write around" egre... | With help from a coworker I was able to fix this by adding the following to the FO stylesheet:
```
<xsl:template match="classname">
<fo:inline hyphenate="false">
<xsl:call-template name="inline.monoseq"/>
</fo:inline>
</xsl:template>
```
And likewise for other elements that should get this treatment, like `m... |
9,997 | <p>My cousin is giving birth to twins, and I am preparing the invitation cards.</p>
<p>I wrote</p>
<pre><code>Twice as much love
Two blessings from above
Anthony a lovely boy
And Joya brings the joy
The glorified delivery
Is on the 17th of January
May their lives be filled with Love and laughter
And may God bless ... | [
{
"answer_id": 9998,
"author": "J.R.",
"author_id": 3298,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/3298",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>It's a poem; you can say anything you want, and you can make the lines however long you'd like. Whether or not the end ... | 2014/01/11 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/9997",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/4990/"
] | My cousin is giving birth to twins, and I am preparing the invitation cards.
I wrote
```
Twice as much love
Two blessings from above
Anthony a lovely boy
And Joya brings the joy
The glorified delivery
Is on the 17th of January
May their lives be filled with Love and laughter
And may God bless them with happiness f... | It's a poem; you can say anything you want, and you can make the lines however long you'd like. Whether or not the end result will be perceived as inspirational or corny is another matter.
While it's true the invitation will need to contain certain information, I disagree with your assertion that you must "use certain... |
10,016 | <p>This is now my third attempt of writing the opening of my book. I took What's advice and tried to send a message to the readers. the message was:</p>
<p><strong>What makes us strong is our courage.</strong></p>
<p>In the story, the protagonist was weak and finds himself being beaten by strong people. Later in the ... | [
{
"answer_id": 10017,
"author": "Dale Hartley Emery",
"author_id": 272,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/272",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>It's well done. But to me it reads like the aftermath of the opening.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 10... | 2014/01/14 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/10016",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/6618/"
] | This is now my third attempt of writing the opening of my book. I took What's advice and tried to send a message to the readers. the message was:
**What makes us strong is our courage.**
In the story, the protagonist was weak and finds himself being beaten by strong people. Later in the story he grows stronger, but i... | As a suggestion, why not open with the altercation itself?
You can use the fight to illustrate your protagonist. Is he short and slight? Tall and gangly? (Also think about how this might change as the story progresses.)
Show his reaction to the dog's mistreatment as a way to provide insight into his internal motivati... |
10,229 | <p>I am writing a textbook which contains some lists of recommended Web sites. Unlike the question <a href="https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/1045/how-should-be-the-format-for-literature-references-that-are-websites-urls">How should be the format for literature references that are websites (URLs)?</a>, these ... | [
{
"answer_id": 10232,
"author": "SF.",
"author_id": 4291,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/4291",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Leading <code>http://</code>, no trailing <code>/</code>, monospace font.</p>\n\n<p>With modern domain names, without ... | 2014/02/03 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/10229",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/3375/"
] | I am writing a textbook which contains some lists of recommended Web sites. Unlike the question [How should be the format for literature references that are websites (URLs)?](https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/1045/how-should-be-the-format-for-literature-references-that-are-websites-urls), these will not be re... | [STD 66](http://tools.ietf.org/html/std66) (which is [RFC 3986](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc3986) currently) is the standard for URIs.
It contains a [section "Delimiting a URI in Context"](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc3986#appendix-C), in which it says (emphasis mine):
>
> URIs are often transmitted throu... |
10,501 | <p>Programmers can write comments in code that can be automatically turned into API documentation (like Javadoc). All I have to do is add some comments explaining what a class or method does and what arguments it takes, and software turns those comments and the signatures from the code into reference documentation. F... | [
{
"answer_id": 10502,
"author": "Monica Cellio",
"author_id": 1993,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/1993",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Start with the <a href=\"http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/documentation/index-137868.html#style... | 2014/03/13 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/10501",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/1993/"
] | Programmers can write comments in code that can be automatically turned into API documentation (like Javadoc). All I have to do is add some comments explaining what a class or method does and what arguments it takes, and software turns those comments and the signatures from the code into reference documentation. For ex... | Start with the [style guidelines from Oracle for Javadoc](http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/documentation/index-137868.html#styleguide). While those guidelines are written for the Javadoc tool (and the Java language) in particular, the principles there apply to the corresponding tools for other languages. (... |
10,519 | <p>I've often had situations where I'm unsure of the correct word to be used, either when writing or proofreading. How can this sense be indicated in writing? Someone mentioned adding a question mark just before it to indicate that the writer is unsure of that particular word. For example:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>These ... | [
{
"answer_id": 10520,
"author": "DougM",
"author_id": 6649,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/6649",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>There isn't a standard syntax for this. I've had the same experience in my own writing, and have even seen a need f... | 2014/03/15 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/10519",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/8220/"
] | I've often had situations where I'm unsure of the correct word to be used, either when writing or proofreading. How can this sense be indicated in writing? Someone mentioned adding a question mark just before it to indicate that the writer is unsure of that particular word. For example:
>
> These were not simply sewa... | For my editing markup I prefer a style that does not overlap and interfere with what might be part of the text I am editing.
Since square brackets indicate comments or amendments in quotes in some editing styles, e.g.
>
> Rogers found in his study that "some [apples] are tasty".
>
>
>
or destroyed text when tran... |
11,013 | <p>One thing that I find helpful when trying to create a character is some sort of grid stereotypes. For example, Dungeons & Dragons (before they broke it in 4e, but that's another story) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alignment_%28Dungeons_&_Dragons%29" rel="noreferrer">has a 3x3 grid of Good vs. Evil a... | [
{
"answer_id": 11014,
"author": "Community",
"author_id": -1,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/-1",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Look at different <strong>psychological theories of <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personality_type\" rel=\"... | 2014/05/26 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/11013",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/68/"
] | One thing that I find helpful when trying to create a character is some sort of grid stereotypes. For example, Dungeons & Dragons (before they broke it in 4e, but that's another story) [has a 3x3 grid of Good vs. Evil and Lawful vs. Chaotic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alignment_%28Dungeons_&_Dragons%29):
```
+------... | Look at different **psychological theories of [personality types](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personality_type)**.
From the beginnings of time, scholars have attempted to categorize human character (as well as body type, race, and so on). Most such theories have been shown to bear no relation to reality, but for char... |
12,181 | <p>I find that nearly all college textbooks are self-contained. All of the readings, exercises, and multimedia (e.g. videos on a provided CD) are provided in a single package. I think textbooks suffer from offering students a limited perspective. I found that my college freshmen and sophomores are not developing good r... | [
{
"answer_id": 12203,
"author": "dmm",
"author_id": 5956,
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"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>There are textbooks for homeschooling that do exactly what you are saying. So, I'm pretty sure it isn't illegal or pl... | 2014/06/13 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/12181",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/3375/"
] | I find that nearly all college textbooks are self-contained. All of the readings, exercises, and multimedia (e.g. videos on a provided CD) are provided in a single package. I think textbooks suffer from offering students a limited perspective. I found that my college freshmen and sophomores are not developing good read... | As a workbook I can see this methodology working.
Since you do not plagiarize the original works, you cite them, and refer the reader to them, I am not aware of any laws which would be in conflict (note: I am a US citizen and laws in other countries are something I know absolutely nothing about).
If this were a textb... |
12,614 | <p>To my understanding you can only edit the header and footer through the compile settings. Here we can customise using tokens:-</p>
<pre><code><$compilegroup>
<$projecttitle>
<$abbr_projecttitle>
<$sectiontitle>
<$p>
</code></pre>
<p>So on... What I would really like is to have fac... | [
{
"answer_id": 12684,
"author": "Mark",
"author_id": 10351,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/10351",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>Response from Scrivener Staff:</p>\n\n<p>I'm afraid that there are limits to how much headers and footers can be cus... | 2014/08/13 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/12614",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/10351/"
] | To my understanding you can only edit the header and footer through the compile settings. Here we can customise using tokens:-
```
<$compilegroup>
<$projecttitle>
<$abbr_projecttitle>
<$sectiontitle>
<$p>
```
So on... What I would really like is to have facing pages which I have set up correctly and have headers... | Response from Scrivener Staff:
I'm afraid that there are limits to how much headers and footers can be customised from within Scrivener itself and you've hit up against that. While Scrivener is capable of creating verso headers and footers (right and left), and it can create a different header/footer style for the "fi... |
12,942 | <p>I'm working on a fantasy story that has a <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/LanguageofMagic" rel="nofollow">Language of Power</a> (TVTROPES) in it and I was trying to look around online to find an automatic translator for the language I came up with but can't find any.</p>
<p>So is there an automa... | [
{
"answer_id": 18153,
"author": "Praefervidus",
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"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Well if you don't have *nix, and you're not familiar with programming, then there is one way to do it, thou... | 2014/09/21 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/12942",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/10703/"
] | I'm working on a fantasy story that has a [Language of Power](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/LanguageofMagic) (TVTROPES) in it and I was trying to look around online to find an automatic translator for the language I came up with but can't find any.
So is there an automatic translator out there for custom ... | I suspect that the best answer for what I imagine is your use-case would be for someone to write a Word or LibreOffice macro, but I wouldn't even know where to begin with that.
However, you could use Vim for this -- specifically gVim, which has a Windows version. This takes a little bit of setting up, but I think the ... |
14,175 | <p>I'm writing a story in present tense. One sentence is a little tricky for me, and I don't know if I should use past or present tense: </p>
<p><strong>Present tense</strong></p>
<pre><code>The tree was so massive, that it even withholds the strongest storms.
</code></pre>
<p><strong>Past tense</strong></p>
<pre><... | [
{
"answer_id": 14176,
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"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Your sentences aren't in the present tense. This would be present tense:</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>The tree... | 2014/10/21 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/14175",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/10938/"
] | I'm writing a story in present tense. One sentence is a little tricky for me, and I don't know if I should use past or present tense:
**Present tense**
```
The tree was so massive, that it even withholds the strongest storms.
```
**Past tense**
```
The tree was so massive, that it even withheld the strongest stor... | First of all, "withheld" means "held something back from," as in "she withheld the cookies from her child" or "he withheld the information from Congress." So it doesn't mean "hold up to" a big storm. The word you want is "survive."
Second, Alex *almost* has it right in his second example. You have a few options in the... |
14,232 | <p>This is a bit hard to explain, so here's an example:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>His room was an exact replica of mine. The only difference were the
things he had brought along: <strong>his zoology books, his backpack, and of
course his climbing equipment.</strong> Little objects that told me something
about him, b... | [
{
"answer_id": 14236,
"author": "Community",
"author_id": -1,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/-1",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>Your question makes me come up with the following example:</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>For twenty years I lived in the ... | 2014/10/25 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/14232",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/1544/"
] | This is a bit hard to explain, so here's an example:
>
> His room was an exact replica of mine. The only difference were the
> things he had brought along: **his zoology books, his backpack, and of
> course his climbing equipment.** Little objects that told me something
> about him, but that at the same time, push... | Your question makes me come up with the following example:
>
> For twenty years I lived in the land of milk and honey - along with the bees and cows.
>
>
>
To me, this sounds better than:
>
> ~~For twenty years I lived in the land of milk and honey - along with the cows and bees.~~
>
>
>
I can't explain (th... |
16,077 | <p>I've seen that each language has its own rules when using the colon. In Spanish, it's not needed to capitalize:</p>
<pre><code>Los elementos incluyen: secado, lavado, etc.
</code></pre>
<p>In French is the same, and even they put the colon with an extra space:</p>
<pre><code>Ces éléments comprennent : séchage, la... | [
{
"answer_id": 16078,
"author": "Amanda",
"author_id": 12801,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/12801",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>No, is not needed capitalize a word after a colon.\nSame as spanish.</p>\n\n<pre><code>I want the following: butt... | 2015/01/31 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/16077",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/5039/"
] | I've seen that each language has its own rules when using the colon. In Spanish, it's not needed to capitalize:
```
Los elementos incluyen: secado, lavado, etc.
```
In French is the same, and even they put the colon with an extra space:
```
Ces éléments comprennent : séchage, lavage, etc.
```
But in English I'm s... | Yes, it is necessary, if what follows the colon is a complete sentence. Punctuation that ends a previous sentence does not change the sentence capitalization rule.
*Here is an example of a sentence that needs to start with a capital letter: This is a complete sentence that contains a subject and a verb.* |
16,093 | <p>Can you quote music lyrics in a book? </p>
<p>Like this:</p>
<p><em>Stuck in traffic, main character is blasting Rage Against the Machine, Testify</em></p>
<pre><code>[insert song lyrics excerpt here]
</code></pre>
<p>Or is that a legal issue?</p>
<p>What if we say:</p>
<p><em>Stuck in traffic, main character ... | [
{
"answer_id": 16099,
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"selected": false,
"text": "<p>This sounds like an issue of fair use. For example naming the song should be fine especially a... | 2015/02/02 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/16093",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/12797/"
] | Can you quote music lyrics in a book?
Like this:
*Stuck in traffic, main character is blasting Rage Against the Machine, Testify*
```
[insert song lyrics excerpt here]
```
Or is that a legal issue?
What if we say:
*Stuck in traffic, main character is blasting **Rage Against the Machine, Testify**. He strikes hi... | Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer. There is a concept in copyright law called "fair use". This means that you can use short quotes from someone else's copyrighted work without permission. See here from the US Copyright office [Link](https://web.archive.org/web/20210605143659/https://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html).
Spec... |
16,141 | <p>Many writing journals say they will not publish previously published poems. But if I revise a previously published poem, can I safely say the <em>edited poem</em> has not been published? If so, would a one-word change be enough? A two-word change? Three? Four? Twenty?</p>
<p>For example, let's say I've had this poe... | [
{
"answer_id": 16142,
"author": "Paul A. Clayton",
"author_id": 5232,
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"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>Happily since this is a practical question, one does not need to solve <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/w... | 2015/02/06 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/16141",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/12677/"
] | Many writing journals say they will not publish previously published poems. But if I revise a previously published poem, can I safely say the *edited poem* has not been published? If so, would a one-word change be enough? A two-word change? Three? Four? Twenty?
For example, let's say I've had this poem published in Mi... | Happily since this is a practical question, one does not need to solve [Theseus' Paradox](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_of_Theseus) to provide an answer. The intent behind the rule is to provide distinctive work, i.e., no reader will think "I have read this before." To determine whether a new work is too similar t... |
16,481 | <p>I write a mathematical research monograph.</p>
<p>It has a section named "Partially ordered categories". The first subsection (with the most basic properties of partially ordered categories) of this section has the same name ("Partially ordered categories").</p>
<p>Is it OK for a section and its subsection to shar... | [
{
"answer_id": 16483,
"author": "dmm",
"author_id": 5956,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/5956",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>The short answer to your general question is \"no.\" If the subsection is titled the same as the section, then either ... | 2015/03/16 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/16481",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/2025/"
] | I write a mathematical research monograph.
It has a section named "Partially ordered categories". The first subsection (with the most basic properties of partially ordered categories) of this section has the same name ("Partially ordered categories").
Is it OK for a section and its subsection to share the same name?
... | The short answer to your general question is "no." If the subsection is titled the same as the section, then either one of them is named incorrectly or else your outline is incorrect. An outline is supposed to be like this:
Title: Great Cities of the World
I. American Cities
A. Large Cities
```
1. New York, NY
... |
16,512 | <p>In the context of a technical manual, I need to write instructions guiding users through several standard manipulations. When providing examples of these manipulations, I have written a short sentence containing "before" and "after" examples which appear in (potentially multi-line) vertical blocks of their own. As a... | [
{
"answer_id": 16514,
"author": "Watercleave",
"author_id": 8758,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/8758",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>In my opinion, any answer looks messy. One \"sentence\" with capitals halfway through bugs me; so does a line s... | 2015/03/17 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/16512",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/13201/"
] | In the context of a technical manual, I need to write instructions guiding users through several standard manipulations. When providing examples of these manipulations, I have written a short sentence containing "before" and "after" examples which appear in (potentially multi-line) vertical blocks of their own. As a re... | In my opinion, any answer looks messy. One "sentence" with capitals halfway through bugs me; so does a line starting without a capital.
Personally, I would restructure the entire thing to avoid the issue entirely:
### Example 1
>
> Currently, line 57 of *camera.py* looks like this:
>
>
>
> ```
> camera.start_rec... |
17,376 | <p>One author considers this mathematical statement by LeRoy Gorman entitled “The Birth of Tragedy” as a form of minimalist poetry:</p>
<pre><code> (!+?)^2
</code></pre>
<p>Is this mathematical statement really a poem? </p>
<p>Creative writing highlights the value of human s... | [
{
"answer_id": 17377,
"author": "Lauren-Clear-Monica-Ipsum",
"author_id": 553,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/553",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Poetry doesn't have to be as free-flowing and messy as you're implying. <em>Some</em> poetry throw... | 2015/05/21 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/17376",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/13880/"
] | One author considers this mathematical statement by LeRoy Gorman entitled “The Birth of Tragedy” as a form of minimalist poetry:
```
(!+?)^2
```
Is this mathematical statement really a poem?
Creative writing highlights the value of human subjectivity. Mathematics, on the ... | Poetry doesn't have to be as free-flowing and messy as you're implying. *Some* poetry throws out rules of form and function, but some adheres to them strictly.
Think of the meter and rhyme demands of a sonnet, or the syllable rules of a haiku. If you don't follow those very rigid, precise requirements, you haven't wri... |
17,499 | <p>What would be the correct way to format the following exchange in narrative prose? Is it:</p>
<pre><code>Alice sits on the bench, silent. Eventually, I speak.
"What are we going to do?"
After a long pause, she responds.
"I don't think we can do anything."
</code></pre>
<p>Or is it:</p>
<pre><code>Alice sits on th... | [
{
"answer_id": 17502,
"author": "mwo",
"author_id": 13822,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/13822",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Try to give each character their own paragraphs.</p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Alice sits on the bench, silent.</p>\n<p>Even... | 2015/05/30 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/17499",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/13993/"
] | What would be the correct way to format the following exchange in narrative prose? Is it:
```
Alice sits on the bench, silent. Eventually, I speak.
"What are we going to do?"
After a long pause, she responds.
"I don't think we can do anything."
```
Or is it:
```
Alice sits on the bench, silent. Eventually, I speak.... | Try to give each character their own paragraphs.
>
> Alice sits on the bench, silent.
>
>
> Eventually, I speak. "What are we going to do?"
>
>
> After a long pause, she responds. "I don't think we can do anything."
>
>
>
Note, I chose the period after 'responds'. 'Responds' isn't interchangeble with 'says'. ... |
17,543 | <p>I'd like to know if using "It" repetitively (for emphasis) in this context is okay grammatically.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>TV has become the modern day baby sitter. It is raising our children. It is dictating the cultural narrative and shaping future society. It is raising the bored inattentive child. It is raisin... | [
{
"answer_id": 17547,
"author": "Michael B",
"author_id": 13990,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/13990",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I don't see any problem with the grammar of this. It is simply a collection of short sentences. However (perso... | 2015/06/02 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/17543",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/13849/"
] | I'd like to know if using "It" repetitively (for emphasis) in this context is okay grammatically.
>
> TV has become the modern day baby sitter. It is raising our children. It is dictating the cultural narrative and shaping future society. It is raising the bored inattentive child. It is raising the consumer child. It... | Grammatically, this is correct. Stylistically, I think it would have better effect if you replaced "it" with "TV".
```
TV has become the modern day babysitter. TV is raising our children. TV is dictating the cultural narrative and shaping future society.
```
That would make the "it" more clear and would hammer the... |
18,190 | <p>The protagonist is from a certain country, and in some point of the story he moves to another one that speaks another language. The protagonist learns their language and talks with them in it. </p>
<p>Movies (usually North American ones) set in another country, almost always have one or some characters who speak En... | [
{
"answer_id": 18191,
"author": "Michael B",
"author_id": 13990,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/13990",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>The answer would seem to be to remember the point of view of the narrator. If you are writing from the protago... | 2015/07/14 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/18190",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/14490/"
] | The protagonist is from a certain country, and in some point of the story he moves to another one that speaks another language. The protagonist learns their language and talks with them in it.
Movies (usually North American ones) set in another country, almost always have one or some characters who speak English, low... | We have four variants of foreign language dialog in fiction and the corresponding solutions how we can handle this:
```
+----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| | foreign language | foreign language |
| | is limited to | m... |
18,388 | <p>Many of us probably encountered it before on a social media like Facebook or Twitter, or in the comments section of a major website. You've decided what you want to say, but you want to stress a specific word or couple of words in your message. However, the medium does not allow you to do what you normally do with t... | [
{
"answer_id": 18394,
"author": "Feralthinker",
"author_id": 14708,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/14708",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>Writing a word in ALL CAPS might be frowned upon because it is considered a visual equivalent of shouting, b... | 2015/07/27 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/18388",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/6845/"
] | Many of us probably encountered it before on a social media like Facebook or Twitter, or in the comments section of a major website. You've decided what you want to say, but you want to stress a specific word or couple of words in your message. However, the medium does not allow you to do what you normally do with the ... | Writing a word in ALL CAPS might be frowned upon because it is considered a visual equivalent of shouting, but shouting is a spoken form of emphasis, so ALL CAPS might be just what you need.
Internet tradition (dating back to list serves, etc.) has used the underbar as a signal for italics: I will `_never_` eat anothe... |
18,852 | <p>Is it okay to write a bit of camera movement in the ACTION? I don't mean the camera movements such as <code>PUSH IN</code> or <code>ANGLE ON</code>.</p>
<p>What I mean is something like the following:</p>
<pre><code>Through an **aerial view**, we see the man following the criminal.
</code></pre>
<p>Would it be ok... | [
{
"answer_id": 18853,
"author": "Jordan Lee Burnes",
"author_id": 15099,
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"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I would stray away from saying aerial view. Maybe something more like, from above the man could be see... | 2015/08/31 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/18852",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/14344/"
] | Is it okay to write a bit of camera movement in the ACTION? I don't mean the camera movements such as `PUSH IN` or `ANGLE ON`.
What I mean is something like the following:
```
Through an **aerial view**, we see the man following the criminal.
```
Would it be okay to write 'aerial view' here, without specifying any ... | Unless you are also directing the film, **DO NOT** put camera directions in!
The best way to handle this is to write the scene in a way that evokes the image and movements into the readers mind.
Remember, the first rule of screenwriting is "show don't tell!" *Aerial view* is on the line of acceptability for a screenp... |
19,135 | <p>I've always wanted to write poetry, and I tried my hand at a ballad today. However, I know very little about the technicalities of poetry, and the explanations of iambic meter and structure of the ballad were confusing to me. </p>
<p>Here it is, in full (only five stanzas). I'm not requesting feedback on the qualit... | [
{
"answer_id": 19142,
"author": "S. Mitchell",
"author_id": 13409,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/13409",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Ballads, as far as I am concerned usually do the following.</p>\n\n<ol>\n<li>They tell a story -- yours does... | 2015/09/27 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/19135",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/15349/"
] | I've always wanted to write poetry, and I tried my hand at a ballad today. However, I know very little about the technicalities of poetry, and the explanations of iambic meter and structure of the ballad were confusing to me.
Here it is, in full (only five stanzas). I'm not requesting feedback on the quality of the p... | Ballads, as far as I am concerned usually do the following.
1. They tell a story -- yours does.
2. They have the same number of lines in each stanza (there can be verse and chorus with different lengths) -- yours does.
3. They have lines with the same number of syllables in each pair (first and third can be different ... |
19,604 | <p>Coming from the World of Screenwriting, it proves difficult for me to discern the usage of parentheticals from the usage of stage directions in a play I'm writing. I need to know which is for what and when is it appropriate to use.</p>
<p>For example:</p>
<pre><code> ACT I
Scene 1
We are on the greene... | [
{
"answer_id": 19643,
"author": "Ricky",
"author_id": 15812,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/15812",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>Parenthetical remarks are used to describe the attitude, tone, or action for the actor who is speaking. Stage direc... | 2015/11/05 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/19604",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/10834/"
] | Coming from the World of Screenwriting, it proves difficult for me to discern the usage of parentheticals from the usage of stage directions in a play I'm writing. I need to know which is for what and when is it appropriate to use.
For example:
```
ACT I
Scene 1
We are on the greenery of a park where a ... | Parenthetical remarks are used to describe the attitude, tone, or action for the actor who is speaking. Stage direction describe whatever's going on on the stage in general. There's a bunch of different "standard" or "accepted" formats used to accomplish it.
The name of a character who is speaking should be capitaliz... |
19,606 | <p>As per the title I compared my system against two other systems separately but I'm worried about it coming across as that it was a three way comparison.</p>
<p>Neither of the below titles convey what I want to, what is the best way to word a comparison such as this or would it be better being split into two chapter... | [
{
"answer_id": 19609,
"author": "Stu W",
"author_id": 15736,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/15736",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>\"Here, we see that the egocentric camera is being compared with either the static camera or the dense sensor plac... | 2015/11/05 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/19606",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/15798/"
] | As per the title I compared my system against two other systems separately but I'm worried about it coming across as that it was a three way comparison.
Neither of the below titles convey what I want to, what is the best way to word a comparison such as this or would it be better being split into two chapters?
```
Co... | The clarifier you want is "respectively." It's fine in running copy, or even as a caption, but clunks as a header.
>
> Comparison of egocentric camera against static camera and dense sensor placement, respectively
>
>
>
For a headline, you might try emphasizing the idea that there are two comparisons with some r... |
19,615 | <p>I write a <a href="https://eyesofablacksheep.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow">fairly informal, opinionated blog</a> about a variety of subjects, politics, relationships, mental well being, general life observations etc. </p>
<p>I'm trying to make my writing more concise - to convey my ideas in a nice bite sized packa... | [
{
"answer_id": 19627,
"author": "Josh",
"author_id": 15582,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/15582",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p><strong>I think that in the context of the blog you linked you can drop \"I would argue\" without losing anything.<... | 2015/11/06 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/19615",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/14366/"
] | I write a [fairly informal, opinionated blog](https://eyesofablacksheep.wordpress.com/) about a variety of subjects, politics, relationships, mental well being, general life observations etc.
I'm trying to make my writing more concise - to convey my ideas in a nice bite sized package.
I'm wondering about whether on... | **I think that in the context of the blog you linked you can drop "I would argue" without losing anything.** It's already implied that what you're writing about are your own thoughts and opinions. However, if you spend some time in a post citing scientific findings or other hard facts *and then* give your own opinion, ... |
20,750 | <p>So I guess camera action is up to the director. Would I ever be allowed to pan if it is important? Would I not be able to pick certain angles? </p>
<p>If I can, what would be the best way to specify --for example --that a character is fixing his/hair in the mirror from the mirror's point of view? My instinct is to ... | [
{
"answer_id": 20751,
"author": "Duncan McKenzie",
"author_id": 16571,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/16571",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>The current fashion in screenwriting is to avoid mentions of camera angles and focus on storytelling, bu... | 2016/02/02 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/20750",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/16741/"
] | So I guess camera action is up to the director. Would I ever be allowed to pan if it is important? Would I not be able to pick certain angles?
If I can, what would be the best way to specify --for example --that a character is fixing his/hair in the mirror from the mirror's point of view? My instinct is to just simpl... | The current fashion in screenwriting is to avoid mentions of camera angles and focus on storytelling, but you can certainly mention POV. Some people do this with a slugline.
```
INT. BEDROOM—DAY
BILL'S POV
Bill fixes his hair in the mirror.
```
But if you're going to do the trick where a mirror image turns out to... |
20,867 | <p>I have a manuscript that I'd like to add Drop Caps to at the beginning of each chapter. I currently have it loaded into my Storyist program on my Mac-book Pro. </p>
<p><strong>Does anyone know how I'd go about adding my Drop-caps?</strong> </p>
<p>I can't seem to find any tools for this. I know it's not a common p... | [
{
"answer_id": 34602,
"author": "Secespitus",
"author_id": 23159,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/23159",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<h2>Not quite, you can add Drop Caps to the CSS of the ePub file that Storyist generates for you</h2>\n<p><a hre... | 2016/02/09 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/20867",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/16514/"
] | I have a manuscript that I'd like to add Drop Caps to at the beginning of each chapter. I currently have it loaded into my Storyist program on my Mac-book Pro.
**Does anyone know how I'd go about adding my Drop-caps?**
I can't seem to find any tools for this. I know it's not a common practice, and I know the Storyi... | Not quite, you can add Drop Caps to the CSS of the ePub file that Storyist generates for you
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[This Storyist forum](http://storyist.invisionzone.com/index.php/topic/2020-editing-epub-files/) gives an example of how to modify th... |
21,139 | <p>I'm a web programmer at a small web firm. When we have a larger programming project, I write a specification document for the client to review, make necessary changes, and eventually approve.</p>
<p>Our clients are not very tech-savvy, so I <em>always</em> include an overview of the programming, written in simple pr... | [
{
"answer_id": 21169,
"author": "M Lizz",
"author_id": 16350,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/16350",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>There isn't a \"standard way\" to explain technical concepts to those who wouldn't understand, at least to my kno... | 2016/02/26 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/21139",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/13278/"
] | I'm a web programmer at a small web firm. When we have a larger programming project, I write a specification document for the client to review, make necessary changes, and eventually approve.
Our clients are not very tech-savvy, so I *always* include an overview of the programming, written in simple prose. I think the... | That table is not client-ready. I understand the technical terms like “dropdown” and “textarea” but those words should never be put in front of a client. Except for the rare exception who has some programming experience, at best the client will get nothing out of it, and at worst, they will have a really uncomfortable ... |
21,142 | <p>I want to write a sequence in my screenplay where the same news broadcast continues on different screens in different locations. For example, a bunch of people in a bar are watching the broadcast, then it continues in a family's living room on their TV, then people on the street are watching the same broadcast on a ... | [
{
"answer_id": 21145,
"author": "mwo",
"author_id": 13822,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/13822",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>If it's a spec script and breaking it down into multiple scenes would be unnecessarily burdensome on the reader, you... | 2016/02/27 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/21142",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/18028/"
] | I want to write a sequence in my screenplay where the same news broadcast continues on different screens in different locations. For example, a bunch of people in a bar are watching the broadcast, then it continues in a family's living room on their TV, then people on the street are watching the same broadcast on a TV ... | If it's a spec script and breaking it down into multiple scenes would be unnecessarily burdensome on the reader, you may simply write:
```
INT/EXT. - MONTAGE
TVs around the world, in bars, homes, and storefronts relay the same news story.
REPORTER
You join me live at Houston Mission
Control where ... |
22,126 | <p>Suppose the outline of my PhD thesis looks like this:</p>
<ul>
<li>Acronyms</li>
<li>Preface</li>
<li>Introduction</li>
<li>Part I: some topic
<ul>
<li>Chapter 1: ...</li>
<li>Chapter 2: ...</li>
</ul></li>
<li>Part II: another topic
<ul>
<li>Chapter 3: ...</li>
<li>Chapter 4: ...</li>
</ul></li>
<li>Conclusion</... | [
{
"answer_id": 22129,
"author": "Community",
"author_id": -1,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/-1",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Each field has their own formatting habits, and each university/school/department their own. Most often, you number ... | 2016/05/25 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/22126",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/19098/"
] | Suppose the outline of my PhD thesis looks like this:
* Acronyms
* Preface
* Introduction
* Part I: some topic
+ Chapter 1: ...
+ Chapter 2: ...
* Part II: another topic
+ Chapter 3: ...
+ Chapter 4: ...
* Conclusion
* Recommendations and outlook
* Glossary
* etc.
From the table of contents it is immediately clea... | Each field has their own formatting habits, and each university/school/department their own. Most often, you number them separately so that you have:
```
1 Introduction
1.1. Aims of the Research
1.2 Theoretical Background and Primary Works
...
...
3. Aspects of Femininity in *Frankenstein*
3.1 [a title]
```
And... |
23,254 | <p>Can you provide list of specific items you use to evaluate whether or not a piece of fiction is good or bad?</p>
<p>For example, if you really had to explain why a piece of fiction were terrible what criteria might you use to analyze it in order to inform the writer without (blatantly) hurting her feelings?</p>
<p... | [
{
"answer_id": 23256,
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"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I'm a volunteer reader for a literary journal, so I read and evaluate a ton of stories. (Very few are \"terri... | 2016/06/06 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/23254",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/10723/"
] | Can you provide list of specific items you use to evaluate whether or not a piece of fiction is good or bad?
For example, if you really had to explain why a piece of fiction were terrible what criteria might you use to analyze it in order to inform the writer without (blatantly) hurting her feelings?
Suppose you had ... | I'm a volunteer reader for a literary journal, so I read and evaluate a ton of stories. (Very few are "terrible," but terrible usually shows up in the first sentences.) Of course, the purpose of the story and the needs of the reader/publication both come into play, but I can come up with a few things that make a story ... |
23,561 | <p>I am writing a paper but I don't know how to move back to the main section after I'm done writing a sub-section, like this:</p>
<pre><code>1.1 Main section
1.1.1 subsection 1
1.1.2 subsection 2
</code></pre>
<p>As I write long subsections I don't how can I make readers understand that we are back in the Main secti... | [
{
"answer_id": 23562,
"author": "Community",
"author_id": -1,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/-1",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>This might depend on your field (or department/school/institution guidelines), but at least I simply insert the epilo... | 2016/06/25 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/23561",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/-1/"
] | I am writing a paper but I don't know how to move back to the main section after I'm done writing a sub-section, like this:
```
1.1 Main section
1.1.1 subsection 1
1.1.2 subsection 2
```
As I write long subsections I don't how can I make readers understand that we are back in the Main section. Two pages goes by on s... | This might depend on your field (or department/school/institution guidelines), but at least I simply insert the epilogue (because that's what it is) at the end of the last subsection. If your writing is coherent enough, it shows.
For instance:
```
1. Main section
... In chapter 1 I will talk about a, b, c, because of... |
23,810 | <p>I am trying to create a documentary about the history of a sports team, and have identified some compelling story arcs. However, as we know in reality, stories do not begin and end one at a time:</p>
<pre><code>story 1 exposition
story 1 rising action
story 1 climax
story 1 falling action
story 1 resolution
story ... | [
{
"answer_id": 23811,
"author": "paulzag",
"author_id": 19655,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/19655",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Watch any of the reality TV shows in the documentary theme that are currently \"popular\" like </p>\n\n<ul>\n<li... | 2016/07/14 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/23810",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/13987/"
] | I am trying to create a documentary about the history of a sports team, and have identified some compelling story arcs. However, as we know in reality, stories do not begin and end one at a time:
```
story 1 exposition
story 1 rising action
story 1 climax
story 1 falling action
story 1 resolution
story 2 exposition
s... | Thanks to Bookeater for this recommendation:
>
> I'd use music to unify an arc. Out there usually human leads are used to tag arcs as people easily identify with them.
>
>
>
This also answers another question I hadn't yet crossed yet - how many different soundtrack songs should I use in my show (anything from one... |
23,952 | <p>I would like a utility that could analyze a document and give me stats like this: </p>
<pre><code>WORD: FREQUENCY:
a 47,268
the 37,201
gross 215
irregardlessly 1
</code></pre>
<p>Does anyone know if this is available?</p>
<p>BTW, I'd rather not use an online tool.... | [
{
"answer_id": 23954,
"author": "Lauren-Clear-Monica-Ipsum",
"author_id": 553,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/553",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>My beloved <a href=\"http://literatureandlatte.com/\" rel=\"nofollow\">Scrivener</a> does the job b... | 2016/07/27 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/23952",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/18990/"
] | I would like a utility that could analyze a document and give me stats like this:
```
WORD: FREQUENCY:
a 47,268
the 37,201
gross 215
irregardlessly 1
```
Does anyone know if this is available?
BTW, I'd rather not use an online tool. Call me paranoid, but uploading m... | My beloved [Scrivener](http://literatureandlatte.com/) does the job beautifully. Paste your text in and then go under Project —> Text Statistics and it gives you the list you're looking for.
Other people on this board have recommended [Word Counter](http://www.supermagnus.com/mac/Word_Counter/download.html) (Mac) and... |
24,254 | <p>If I'm writing the following clerihew resume where I'm constrained to 40 characters per line.</p>
<pre><code>+----------------------------------------+
|Peter Turner |
|code burner |
|PHP, perl, python, object pascal, css, |
|javascript, html, sql, yml, java, ... | [
{
"answer_id": 24255,
"author": "Max Williams",
"author_id": 31126,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/31126",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>This totally isn't a question about the English language, but you could indent the continued parts like so:... | 2016/08/18 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/24254",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/715/"
] | If I'm writing the following clerihew resume where I'm constrained to 40 characters per line.
```
+----------------------------------------+
|Peter Turner |
|code burner |
|PHP, perl, python, object pascal, css, |
|javascript, html, sql, yml, java, c++, |
|c, te... | Two forms for long-line poetry line 'turnovers' (sometimes 'dog-leg turnovers'), or 'runovers', are conventional.
1. One is as indicated by a previous answer: left indentation or double-left indentation of the turnovers. The second of those, double-left indentation, is best used where single indentation is already us... |
24,644 | <p>I am writing a short fiction piece that has rapid fire texts, emails, phone messages and dialogue. How do I format the piece so with one symbol I can use to cue the reader as to which it is? Is there a standard?</p>
| [
{
"answer_id": 24645,
"author": "Community",
"author_id": -1,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/-1",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p><strong>Telephone</strong> dialog is usually formatted like normal dialog, with some description in text explaining ... | 2016/09/15 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/24644",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/21505/"
] | I am writing a short fiction piece that has rapid fire texts, emails, phone messages and dialogue. How do I format the piece so with one symbol I can use to cue the reader as to which it is? Is there a standard? | **Telephone** dialog is usually formatted like normal dialog, with some description in text explaining which speaker is speaking over the phone:
>
> "Then I went to—" Sarah was interrupted by the phone ringing. "Sorry, that's my mom. Yes?"
>
> "Hey, honey."
>
> "Hey, mom. Look, I can't talk now. Can I call yo... |
25,339 | <p>This is an extract from a book I am currently reading, the author escapes me at this minute, but i will update.</p>
<pre><code>OFTEN IN ACTUAL LIFE, and not infrequently in the myths and the popular
tales, we encounter the dull case of the call unanswered;
for it is always possible to turn the ear to other intere... | [
{
"answer_id": 25340,
"author": "Lew",
"author_id": 19606,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/19606",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<blockquote>\n <p>not infrequently</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>is not a double negative, (ok, it might be) but it does co... | 2016/11/23 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/25339",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/22338/"
] | This is an extract from a book I am currently reading, the author escapes me at this minute, but i will update.
```
OFTEN IN ACTUAL LIFE, and not infrequently in the myths and the popular
tales, we encounter the dull case of the call unanswered;
for it is always possible to turn the ear to other interests.
```
My ... | English is not a programming language and negatives are not minus signs. They do not automatically cancel each other out. Double negatives are idioms and, depending on context, the second negative may cancel, weaken, or strengthen the first.
`not infrequently` is a case where the second negative weakens the first but... |
25,515 | <p>My team uses MadCap Flare to produce a large body of documentation (thousands of topics). The source is "Flare HTML", HTML with some Flare additions (for variables, admonitions, snippets, and so on). We use CSS to style the HTML to our tastes. We use the build tool that comes with Flare to produce the output, con... | [
{
"answer_id": 25516,
"author": "Community",
"author_id": -1,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/-1",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I'm pretty sure that the answer at the technical level is no. But this is really a question that needs to be address... | 2016/12/12 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/25515",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/1993/"
] | My team uses MadCap Flare to produce a large body of documentation (thousands of topics). The source is "Flare HTML", HTML with some Flare additions (for variables, admonitions, snippets, and so on). We use CSS to style the HTML to our tastes. We use the build tool that comes with Flare to produce the output, controlle... | DITA is one of the output options for Flare. You can create a new DITA target right alongside any HTML or PDF targets. We don't use it at my company, but I've played with it a bit to see how it works.
I'm not sure how extensively the DITA structure is supported. In my brief experiments, I've seen that madcap's **keywo... |
25,819 | <p>I want to write a novel about [something or other] and now I wonder if it is possible to do [this or that].</p>
| [
{
"answer_id": 25820,
"author": "Community",
"author_id": -1,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/-1",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>You can write anything you please.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 25821,
"author": "Lauren-Clear-Monica-Ipsum"... | 2017/01/03 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/25819",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/-1/"
] | I want to write a novel about [something or other] and now I wonder if it is possible to do [this or that]. | ```
GLENDOWER
I can call spirits from the vasty deep.
HOTSPUR
Why, so can I, or so can any man;
But will they come when you do call for them?
```
-- Henry IV, part 1 | Act 3, Scene 1
In other words, "Can I do ..." is always the wrong question. "Will anyone want to read ..." is the right question.
And if you ... |
26,200 | <p>When compiling, i'm given 4 options for text separators, in the "separators" tab. What I <em>want</em> to do, is have 2 carriage returns, a line with 4 asterisks, then 2 carriage returns, between each text document within a folder. This is how every book I buy seems to be formatted. However, none of the options i... | [
{
"answer_id": 26225,
"author": "Lew",
"author_id": 19606,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/19606",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I achieve a similar effect by using \"custom\" text separator option (insert your four asterisks there) and adding t... | 2017/01/21 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/26200",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/23120/"
] | When compiling, i'm given 4 options for text separators, in the "separators" tab. What I *want* to do, is have 2 carriage returns, a line with 4 asterisks, then 2 carriage returns, between each text document within a folder. This is how every book I buy seems to be formatted. However, none of the options in the "separa... | You could set a "Replacement" in the Compile section that will replace `<$blank>` with a single space (e.g., " " - sans the double-quote marks). Then, where you want to see your text separator, you'd type in the following:
```
<$blank>
<$blank>
****
<$blank>
<$blank>
```
When you compile, you'll end up with 2 carria... |
26,366 | <p><strong>Is it (*sniff) or (/sniff)?</strong></p>
<p>I’m reminiscing nostalgically on a personal blog and I want to insert an onomatopoeic sniff.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>My days spent raiding dungeons in Hibernia are long over (/sniff) but …</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I want the reader to know that I actually audibly snif... | [
{
"answer_id": 26368,
"author": "Community",
"author_id": -1,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/-1",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>What I have seen is not <code>*sniff</code>, but <code>*sniff*</code>, which, I believe, comes from <a href=\"https:... | 2017/01/29 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/26366",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/21083/"
] | **Is it (\*sniff) or (/sniff)?**
I’m reminiscing nostalgically on a personal blog and I want to insert an onomatopoeic sniff.
>
> My days spent raiding dungeons in Hibernia are long over (/sniff) but …
>
>
>
I want the reader to know that I actually audibly sniffed a nostalgic sniff as I wrote that. I know there... | What I have seen is not `*sniff`, but `*sniff*`, which, I believe, comes from [Markdown](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markdown) (which is [used on this site](https://stackoverflow.com/editing-help) as well), where text framed by asterisks is rendered as *italic*.
The other common markup for onomatopoeia is, in fact, ... |
26,497 | <p>I have a similar question as the one asked in <a href="https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/21742/how-to-write-montages-in-prose-fantasy-novel">'How to write montages in prose? (fantasy novel)'</a> however, there has been no answer in this and it is far too general. </p>
<p>The question I wish to ask is; <st... | [
{
"answer_id": 26499,
"author": "Community",
"author_id": -1,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/-1",
"pm_score": 5,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>I really think people are much too obsessed with not telling. Many of the novels I enjoy most, tell. Lots.</p>\n\n<p>... | 2017/02/04 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/26497",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/23013/"
] | I have a similar question as the one asked in ['How to write montages in prose? (fantasy novel)'](https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/21742/how-to-write-montages-in-prose-fantasy-novel) however, there has been no answer in this and it is far too general.
The question I wish to ask is; **Are there any specific... | I really think people are much too obsessed with not telling. Many of the novels I enjoy most, tell. Lots.
If you have, for example, a group of characters recovering from a fight, just friggin' say so:
>
> For the next three weeks we stayed in camp and recovered from our wounds.
>
>
>
Really, please don't show m... |
26,504 | <p>I've started to notice that I do a lot more writing at night, with my lights off. When I write with a light on, I get a slight migraine, and I'm not sure why.</p>
<p>So do different lighting conditions affect how people write, and am I the only one who writes better with the lights off?</p>
| [
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"text": "<p>I really think people are much too obsessed with not telling. Many of the novels I enjoy most, tell. Lots.</p>\n\n<p>... | 2017/02/05 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/26504",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/19246/"
] | I've started to notice that I do a lot more writing at night, with my lights off. When I write with a light on, I get a slight migraine, and I'm not sure why.
So do different lighting conditions affect how people write, and am I the only one who writes better with the lights off? | I really think people are much too obsessed with not telling. Many of the novels I enjoy most, tell. Lots.
If you have, for example, a group of characters recovering from a fight, just friggin' say so:
>
> For the next three weeks we stayed in camp and recovered from our wounds.
>
>
>
Really, please don't show m... |
26,982 | <p>I am writing the built-in help for a command line program. The exact name is irrelevant, so let's use <code>foo</code> as a placeholder.</p>
<p>This utility can be called with some arguments (like <code>foo -v</code>) or without any arguments at all (just <code>foo</code>).</p>
<p>I'm struggling with describing th... | [
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"text": "<p>Arguments modify the behavior of a program. Running it without arguments means you get is default, unmodified behavio... | 2017/03/01 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/26982",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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] | I am writing the built-in help for a command line program. The exact name is irrelevant, so let's use `foo` as a placeholder.
This utility can be called with some arguments (like `foo -v`) or without any arguments at all (just `foo`).
I'm struggling with describing the no-argument call in the built-in help. (There's ... | Arguments modify the behavior of a program. Running it without arguments means you get is default, unmodified behavior. So the help should describe the default unmodified behavior first, in the body of the description.
```
$ foo -h
foo [OPTIONS...]
Foo does X. For example:
foo
X happens.
To make foo do Y, use ... |
27,704 | <p>As I was looking up the Bowker website for when I go to buy ISBNs I found it has separate URLs for <a href="https://www.myidentifiers.com/get-your-isbn-now" rel="nofollow noreferrer">The US</a> and for <a href="https://www.myidentifiers.com.au/Get-your-isbn-now" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Australia</a> (which is good... | [
{
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"text": "<p>I'm not sure about your second question, but I can answer your first.</p>\n\n<p>This involves some linear equatio... | 2017/04/24 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/27704",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/9888/"
] | As I was looking up the Bowker website for when I go to buy ISBNs I found it has separate URLs for [The US](https://www.myidentifiers.com/get-your-isbn-now) and for [Australia](https://www.myidentifiers.com.au/Get-your-isbn-now) (which is good because I'm Australian). but the prices seem....strange
```
No. of ISBNs | ... | (1) One word: monopoly.
(2) See above.
(3) Oh, all right, details:
The previous answer (involving math) is substantially correct, in a competitive environment. The producer factors in the costs of production, distribution, and service, along with a profit target. Competitors ensure that the values are reasonable. If... |
28,454 | <p>Imagine the following common conversation:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Q: What are you up to?</p>
<p>A. The usual</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Now imagine it spoken by certain kids these days:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Q: What are you up to?</p>
<p>A: The yooooshj.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>My question pertains to the utterance "yooooshj... | [
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"text": "<p>I advise you to avoid the slang spelling, unless it will be commonly understood. There is no particular criterion fo... | 2017/06/03 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/28454",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/25214/"
] | Imagine the following common conversation:
>
> Q: What are you up to?
>
>
> A. The usual
>
>
>
Now imagine it spoken by certain kids these days:
>
> Q: What are you up to?
>
>
> A: The yooooshj.
>
>
>
My question pertains to the utterance "yooooshj," which is a shortened form of "usual" made up solely o... | I advise you to avoid the slang spelling, unless it will be commonly understood. There is no particular criterion for this.
For the example you gave, my answer is a firm "maybe." Would your target readership grasp that? If so, OK. If not, then substitute something such as:
```
He mumbled, "The usual," in that childis... |
28,978 | <p>We use a BNF style to convey syntax for SQL statements. For a (fictitious) example:</p>
<pre><code>CREATE PARSER [schema.]function
[WITH [LANGUAGE='language']
[, MODE='[FENCED | UNFENCED]'
[, STUFF='anotherParameter']
];
</code></pre>
<p>This means that you must specify a function name (with optio... | [
{
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"text": "<p>You are still missing the point of free writing and many of our suggestions in your previous questions. The ... | 2017/06/28 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/28978",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/1993/"
] | We use a BNF style to convey syntax for SQL statements. For a (fictitious) example:
```
CREATE PARSER [schema.]function
[WITH [LANGUAGE='language']
[, MODE='[FENCED | UNFENCED]'
[, STUFF='anotherParameter']
];
```
This means that you must specify a function name (with optional schema), and you may sp... | You are still missing the point of free writing and many of our suggestions in your previous questions. The whole point of free writing is not to kill your flow. Think of it this way... you are watching a movie... someone comes in and talks to you so you pause it. Play it for another 5 minutes, someone else comes in an... |
30,114 | <p>I will try to explain the general idea I've gotten from the most trusted source in my opinion.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>PLZ EXCUSE MY CRUDE INSULT TO SCREENPLAY FORMAT, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO TRANSFER THE REAL THING INTO THIS APP.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>The Ellipsis</strong></p>
<p>Starting with the ellipsis, the... | [
{
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"text": "<p>Rule of thumb: ellipsis for trailing out (or in), em-dash for turns and interruptions.</p>\n\n<p>The ellipsis is usual... | 2017/09/06 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/30114",
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] | I will try to explain the general idea I've gotten from the most trusted source in my opinion.
>
> PLZ EXCUSE MY CRUDE INSULT TO SCREENPLAY FORMAT, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO TRANSFER THE REAL THING INTO THIS APP.
>
>
>
**The Ellipsis**
Starting with the ellipsis, there were two main uses:
1) a pause in a speaker's s... | Rule of thumb: ellipsis for trailing out (or in), em-dash for turns and interruptions.
The ellipsis is usually more sedate, like when you run out of thought and are not sure what to say next. Em-dash is more intense pause — you got interrupted, you change the subject rapidly, you want to say the next thing but can't.
... |
30,257 | <p>Let's face it, I like edgy writing that borders on inflammatory. I read less for entertainment than I do for expanding my world view. I don't have to agree with the points or even like the style of writing as long as it is well articulated. Current fiction seems more focused on commercial success than it does on pro... | [
{
"answer_id": 30311,
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"selected": true,
"text": "<p>I would use caution, and be sparing. Keep in mind that slurs register very differently to the people they a... | 2017/09/17 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/30257",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/22690/"
] | Let's face it, I like edgy writing that borders on inflammatory. I read less for entertainment than I do for expanding my world view. I don't have to agree with the points or even like the style of writing as long as it is well articulated. Current fiction seems more focused on commercial success than it does on promot... | I would use caution, and be sparing. Keep in mind that slurs register very differently to the people they are directed against than to everyone else, so it can be hard to judge a slur if you aren't a member of the group being slurred. What reads to you, the author, as authenticity, might strike the informed reader as a... |