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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
32,470 | <p>I am working on a commentary on Ethics of the Fathers and I want readers to be able to read sources I'm quoting in their original Hebrew. I am getting most of my sources from <a href="http://sefaria.org" rel="nofollow noreferrer">sefaria.org</a> and unfortunately many of the sources have Nekudos (vowel marks) while ... | [
{
"answer_id": 32474,
"author": "Boondoggle",
"author_id": 28684,
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"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>A quick Google search on <code>hebrew remove nikkud</code> gave an answer.</p>\n\n<p>On <a href=\"https://gist... | 2018/01/10 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/32470",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/28857/"
] | I am working on a commentary on Ethics of the Fathers and I want readers to be able to read sources I'm quoting in their original Hebrew. I am getting most of my sources from [sefaria.org](http://sefaria.org) and unfortunately many of the sources have Nekudos (vowel marks) while most of them don't. For consistency and ... | A quick Google search on `hebrew remove nikkud` gave an answer.
On [Github](https://gist.github.com/yakovsh/345a71d841871cc3d375) there's a JavaScript with a live preview [code](https://jsfiddle.net/js0ge7gn/3/). If it's little text you could use the JavaScript either online or download and use it on your pc (save as ... |
32,761 | <p>I would like to cite <a href="https://www.mpaa.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/MPAA-Theatrical-Market-Statistics-2016_Final.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">MPAA-Theatrical-Market-Statistics-2016</a> in MLA. Is it one of the following?</p>
<pre><code>Book*
Digital Image
Film / Online Video*
Journal Article*
Online Dat... | [
{
"answer_id": 32762,
"author": "White Eagle",
"author_id": 27797,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/27797",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>This is definitely a touching question considering how much time writers spend on their computers. There is M... | 2018/01/23 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/32761",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/21721/"
] | I would like to cite [MPAA-Theatrical-Market-Statistics-2016](https://www.mpaa.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/MPAA-Theatrical-Market-Statistics-2016_Final.pdf) in MLA. Is it one of the following?
```
Book*
Digital Image
Film / Online Video*
Journal Article*
Online Database
Website*
Other
Write / paste citation
All Sou... | This is definitely a touching question considering how much time writers spend on their computers. There is Microsoft Word. I love Word, however writing in it is unorganized and messy. If you desperately needed a good spell checker, though, Word is the way to go. You can find it [here](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/s... |
33,597 | <p>I work with a software product that has over 10 major components. The administration of most of these is done with the root user with one notable exception where they use a less privileged user for such purposes. In most places, the instructions specify the user, and may even include instructions such as:</p>
<pre>... | [
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"text": "<p>If you have a few exceptional use cases, they should be indicated as such when they occur. </p>\n\n<p>If all... | 2018/01/30 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/33597",
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] | I work with a software product that has over 10 major components. The administration of most of these is done with the root user with one notable exception where they use a less privileged user for such purposes. In most places, the instructions specify the user, and may even include instructions such as:
```
su - les... | My rule of thumb is "the right information at the right time", especially in content that's supposed to be consumed on a topic rather than a chapter/book basis. Sure, this leads to some repetition but with the latest and greatest reuse mechanisms in doc tools it shouldn't be a problem.
I would probably place it in the... |
34,118 | <p>In my writing, I tend to format lists of items:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The school has a vegetable garden in which the children grow cabbages, onions, potatoes, and carrots during their free time.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>as actual vertical lists:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The school has a vegetable garden in which the chi... | [
{
"answer_id": 34120,
"author": "Kirk",
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"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>While you can structure a list within a sentence this way, it's typically frowned upon. The preferred style would be... | 2018/03/08 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/34118",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/30089/"
] | In my writing, I tend to format lists of items:
>
> The school has a vegetable garden in which the children grow cabbages, onions, potatoes, and carrots during their free time.
>
>
>
as actual vertical lists:
>
> The school has a vegetable garden in which the children grow
>
>
> * cabbages,
> * onions,
> * po... | While you can structure a list within a sentence this way, it's typically frowned upon. The preferred style would be to preempt the list with a complete thought that describes the list which follows it and treat that list as a break between thoughts. If you choose to have a vertical list you're saying it's important en... |
35,139 | <p>That might not be the correct way of writing the title. I just find it really confusing on how to write that. Anyways, my question is about having those "things" in the same sentence. Let say that I am writing a line about a prisoner inside a cell. He is coughing, trembling, and crying. How can I express this in a s... | [
{
"answer_id": 35221,
"author": "SFWriter",
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"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>(I don't understand why you are distilling the necessary length down to a sentence - you have all the space you... | 2018/04/17 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/35139",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/30912/"
] | That might not be the correct way of writing the title. I just find it really confusing on how to write that. Anyways, my question is about having those "things" in the same sentence. Let say that I am writing a line about a prisoner inside a cell. He is coughing, trembling, and crying. How can I express this in a sent... | You've provided very little information, so I will approach this like a cooking reality show. You've given me three ingredients/words to use: coughing, trembling, and crying. So let's make something out of them.
If I'm correct in interpreting your question, you simply want to **dress up your sentences, so they convey ... |
35,141 | <p>Suppose you have a simple statement like:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>We should not run away from problems but face them and overcome them</p>
</blockquote>
<p>What, in general, is the way to go about expressing a simple, direct statement like this in a more figurative way?</p>
<p>I am writing a personal essay and this... | [
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"text": "<p>(I don't understand why you are distilling the necessary length down to a sentence - you have all the space you... | 2018/04/17 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/35141",
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] | Suppose you have a simple statement like:
>
> We should not run away from problems but face them and overcome them
>
>
>
What, in general, is the way to go about expressing a simple, direct statement like this in a more figurative way?
I am writing a personal essay and this is the central idea of my essay. i had... | You've provided very little information, so I will approach this like a cooking reality show. You've given me three ingredients/words to use: coughing, trembling, and crying. So let's make something out of them.
If I'm correct in interpreting your question, you simply want to **dress up your sentences, so they convey ... |
35,265 | <p><em>Preface: there are three main characters in the story, all three of them in their mid twenties. Two women and one man. For simplicity, lets call them Jane, Sally and John. Jane and Sally have been best friends since childhood and Jane has been in a relationship with John for a very long time. John is good friend... | [
{
"answer_id": 35271,
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"text": "<p>Rape scenes require an expert hand or you could be writing a rape fantasy, which is where I think people ... | 2018/04/19 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/35265",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/23083/"
] | *Preface: there are three main characters in the story, all three of them in their mid twenties. Two women and one man. For simplicity, lets call them Jane, Sally and John. Jane and Sally have been best friends since childhood and Jane has been in a relationship with John for a very long time. John is good friends with... | Rape scenes require an expert hand or you could be writing a rape fantasy, which is where I think people tend to get in trouble. The trick is, to focus less on the act, and more on the horrific scenario.
I think Steig Larson handled this subject well in his best seller, 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo'. In chapter 1... |
35,997 | <p>I know that a <strong>first-person narrative</strong> is written from the point of view of the narrator, relaying events from their own point of view using the first person (i.e. <strong><code>I</code></strong> or <strong><em><code>we</code></em></strong>, etc).</p>
<p>Is there a name/term for each of the related s... | [
{
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"text": "<p>Other writers on here may pitch in with a different answer but I know of no such term.</p>\n\n<p>You can Google:</p>... | 2018/05/08 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/35997",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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] | I know that a **first-person narrative** is written from the point of view of the narrator, relaying events from their own point of view using the first person (i.e. **`I`** or ***`we`***, etc).
Is there a name/term for each of the related specific "sub-types" of perspective where you are speaking to the reader, eithe... | Your examples show a narrative with **mixed first- and second-person narration**.
---
### Second-person narration
But let's clear up second-person narration first.
>
> Second person narrative is what it is called when the main character is being addressed directly. It is marked by frequent use of the word "you." (... |
36,184 | <p>I just a typed this piece of diaglogue in Scrivener 3.0.2 (1504)</p>
<pre><code>“Certainly.”, she replied cheerfully and vanished.
</code></pre>
<p>Scrivener is auto-correcting/auto-captializing (not sure which) 'She' as shown below.</p>
<pre><code>“Certainly.” She replied cheerfully and vanished.
</code></pre>
... | [
{
"answer_id": 36185,
"author": "August Canaille",
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"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Because “certainly.”, is incorrect. It’s either a period or a comma—not both.</p>\n"
},
{
"answe... | 2018/05/16 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/36184",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/26179/"
] | I just a typed this piece of diaglogue in Scrivener 3.0.2 (1504)
```
“Certainly.”, she replied cheerfully and vanished.
```
Scrivener is auto-correcting/auto-captializing (not sure which) 'She' as shown below.
```
“Certainly.” She replied cheerfully and vanished.
```
I'm not sure if this is a bug or a option that... | Stick with either the American or the British way for dealing with punctuation around quotations marks.
American style puts commas and periods within double quotations marks ([style.mla.org](https://style.mla.org/punctuation-and-quotation-marks/); [blog.apastyle.org](http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2011/08/punctuati... |
36,188 | <p>How do I indicate dialogue 'from a distance'?
Two characters and riding down a field on a quad bike, one asks a question of the other, who answers.
They're visible but you can't see their lips move.</p>
<p>V/O ... this is probably the best. (technically).
O/C ... you can see them.
O/S ... you can see them.</p>
<p>... | [
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"text": "<p>Get The Screenwriter’s Bible, it's the go-to for questions like this.</p>\n\n<p>I've only studied screenwriting (I'm... | 2018/05/17 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/36188",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/31405/"
] | How do I indicate dialogue 'from a distance'?
Two characters and riding down a field on a quad bike, one asks a question of the other, who answers.
They're visible but you can't see their lips move.
V/O ... this is probably the best. (technically).
O/C ... you can see them.
O/S ... you can see them.
Anyone know or ha... | Get The Screenwriter’s Bible, it's the go-to for questions like this.
I've only studied screenwriting (I'm a novelist) and I've never sold one. But I would argue that you are trying to direct the scene, which is a no-no with screenwriting. Directors don't like to be told how to shoot their scenes.
Unless you have som... |
36,294 | <p>I have had half a dozen iterations with Amazon, and am still not seeing a clue.</p>
<p>My Kindle collection, including <a href="https://amzn.to/2LlzDRQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer">C.J.S. Hayward: The Complete Works</a>, is by physical construction converted from submitted, handcrafted, single-page HTML original docu... | [
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"answer_id": 36332,
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"text": "<p>What are the consequences if you ignore these requests? If there are no consequences, add a filter to your email... | 2018/05/21 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/36294",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/8761/"
] | I have had half a dozen iterations with Amazon, and am still not seeing a clue.
My Kindle collection, including [C.J.S. Hayward: The Complete Works](https://amzn.to/2LlzDRQ), is by physical construction converted from submitted, handcrafted, single-page HTML original documents. This and other works open with front mat... | If you have or can get hold of a couple of pieces of software, one being Microsoft Word (any old version) and the other being Calibre (free to download [here](https://download.cnet.com/Calibre/3000-20412_4-10910277.html)) then you can use the instructions on this website to create an *NCX table of contents* in your HTM... |
37,603 | <p>I'm working on a video game with visual novel style "cutscenes" inbetween, where you see characters talking, usually from the torso up. Most of the things you'd normally describe in text-only media can be shown by the expressions and actions of the characters onscreen, like their facial expressions.</p>
<p>Before y... | [
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"text": "<p>You are writing a script (screenplay) for a visual display; I'd follow (roughly) the format of a script. For this... | 2018/07/13 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/37603",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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] | I'm working on a video game with visual novel style "cutscenes" inbetween, where you see characters talking, usually from the torso up. Most of the things you'd normally describe in text-only media can be shown by the expressions and actions of the characters onscreen, like their facial expressions.
Before you start a... | You are writing a script (screenplay) for a visual display; I'd follow (roughly) the format of a script. For this particular question, you are looking for ["Personal Direction"](https://www.storysense.com/format/parentheticals.htm) (of an actor) and the standard would be to specify what you want in parentheses after th... |
37,848 | <p>Argumentative paragraphs often contain a topic sentence that states the main point, and the main point tends to be supported by multiple arguments that are introduced throughout the paragraph as First, Second, and Last. My question is whether I, in the case of a long paragraph, can use subconclusions (such as a sent... | [
{
"answer_id": 37839,
"author": "Todd Wilcox",
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"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Introduce one or more characters who know less than the readers. It's not a bad idea to always have someone ... | 2018/07/24 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/37848",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/25920/"
] | Argumentative paragraphs often contain a topic sentence that states the main point, and the main point tends to be supported by multiple arguments that are introduced throughout the paragraph as First, Second, and Last. My question is whether I, in the case of a long paragraph, can use subconclusions (such as a sentenc... | Drip-feed; only mention where you're differing from convention where it matters, when it matters. Sorry I don't do direct fan-fiction not in my writing nor my reading but let me try and elaborate without specific examples of fan-fiction.
Terry Pratchett's *[Capre Jugulum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpe_Jugulum)*... |
37,928 | <p>I'm trying to understand the <strong>technical</strong> difference between DITA and S1000D.</p>
<p>Yes, I know, the common wisdom is that if you need documentation for helicopter or submarine, you should use S1000D, and if you need documentation for software, you should use DITA. While this is true, it is too shall... | [
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"text": "<p>Yes, these sorts of comparisons between systems are very difficult, essentially because there is no independent defi... | 2018/07/27 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/37928",
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] | I'm trying to understand the **technical** difference between DITA and S1000D.
Yes, I know, the common wisdom is that if you need documentation for helicopter or submarine, you should use S1000D, and if you need documentation for software, you should use DITA. While this is true, it is too shallow level of understandi... | Topic-based authoring is a kind of modular authoring. Modular authoring is simply any kind of authoring where content is written in reusable pieces (modules), which may then be combined to form one or more publications, instead of writing a publication as a single unit. One advantage of this approach is that when two p... |
37,934 | <p>The following is from Japanese philosopher and thinker Toshihiko Izutsu's book <em>The Concept of Belief in Islamic Theology</em> (1965, page 146):</p>
<blockquote>
<p>But what he wants to emphasize is that <em>shar‘a</em> can be active and
effective only when man, through the exercise of his Reason, has
alre... | [
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"answer_id": 37931,
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"text": "<p>Yes, these sorts of comparisons between systems are very difficult, essentially because there is no independent defi... | 2018/07/28 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/37934",
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] | The following is from Japanese philosopher and thinker Toshihiko Izutsu's book *The Concept of Belief in Islamic Theology* (1965, page 146):
>
> But what he wants to emphasize is that *shar‘a* can be active and
> effective only when man, through the exercise of his Reason, has
> already acquired knowledge of God, b... | Topic-based authoring is a kind of modular authoring. Modular authoring is simply any kind of authoring where content is written in reusable pieces (modules), which may then be combined to form one or more publications, instead of writing a publication as a single unit. One advantage of this approach is that when two p... |
37,942 | <p>I'm new to narrative writing and especially have trouble with dialogue. I too often am using the word well to start a character's sentence after receiving some information to then ask a question about or to suggest something.<br>
Example</p>
<blockquote>
<p>How did you know I was visiting the resort?
Well, ... | [
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"text": "<p>Yes, these sorts of comparisons between systems are very difficult, essentially because there is no independent defi... | 2018/07/29 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/37942",
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] | I'm new to narrative writing and especially have trouble with dialogue. I too often am using the word well to start a character's sentence after receiving some information to then ask a question about or to suggest something.
Example
>
> How did you know I was visiting the resort?
> Well, it's just that we don't ... | Topic-based authoring is a kind of modular authoring. Modular authoring is simply any kind of authoring where content is written in reusable pieces (modules), which may then be combined to form one or more publications, instead of writing a publication as a single unit. One advantage of this approach is that when two p... |
39,927 | <p>I have <strong><code>several monologues of 6 characters</code></strong>. Each monologue starts with a little <code>reflection</code>, then tells an <code>experience</code> or an <code>event</code> the character had to deal with, and finally, <code>concludes</code> with something maybe useful for reader...</p>
<ul>
... | [
{
"answer_id": 40431,
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"text": "<p>I would incorporate their \"monologues\" into the actual chapters, or have chapters alternate between story and ... | 2018/11/06 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/39927",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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] | I have **`several monologues of 6 characters`**. Each monologue starts with a little `reflection`, then tells an `experience` or an `event` the character had to deal with, and finally, `concludes` with something maybe useful for reader...
* I have different number of monologues for each character (20-30)
* Each monolo... | So I would highly recommend you look at K.A. Applegate's Animorphs series of books. The main series contains 54 books with 4 additional Megamorphs titles (featuring the Main characters but had little to no impact on the main title books... 3 of the four featured events that were undone by the end of their story) and 4 ... |
40,894 | <p>I am writing a story and I have these 3 sentences that elaborate on the ending of a first page. This way the reader will continue to read my story.</p>
<p>My question is, am I allowed to place paragraph spacing in between these sentences to create spacing?</p>
<p>Are there any other stories that do so? Is it corre... | [
{
"answer_id": 40895,
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"text": "<p>Offsetting a single sentence as it's own paragraph is one way to emphasize that sentence or idea, and yes, you ... | 2018/12/25 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/40894",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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] | I am writing a story and I have these 3 sentences that elaborate on the ending of a first page. This way the reader will continue to read my story.
My question is, am I allowed to place paragraph spacing in between these sentences to create spacing?
Are there any other stories that do so? Is it correct or will it be ... | Offsetting a single sentence as it's own paragraph is one way to emphasize that sentence or idea, and yes, you will see this done in the books you read. It is a more common device in some genres and age ranges than others. Keep in mind that some writers, especially novices, use this device more heavily than maybe they ... |
44,223 | <pre><code>Words words words. ...Words words words words.
</code></pre>
<p>Would having an ellipses right after a period like this be correct? If not, how would I incorporate them in? Would it be more like this?:</p>
<pre><code>Words words words... Words words words words.
</code></pre>
<p>I feel like if it were for... | [
{
"answer_id": 44221,
"author": "Cyn says make Monica whole",
"author_id": 32946,
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"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p><strong>Do nothing.</strong></p>\n\n<p>When you create a contract with a traditional publishe... | 2019/03/31 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/44223",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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] | ```
Words words words. ...Words words words words.
```
Would having an ellipses right after a period like this be correct? If not, how would I incorporate them in? Would it be more like this?:
```
Words words words... Words words words words.
```
I feel like if it were formatted like above, it would feel like ther... | **Do nothing.**
When you create a contract with a traditional publisher, they will tell you what to do. Almost certainly they'll want to use their own ISBNs.
As for the ISBN itself, it's done with.
>
> [Can an ISBN be reused?](https://www.isbn.org/faqs_ownership_rights) No, once a title is published with an
> ISBN... |
44,450 | <p>Increasingly often, if you Google for a recipe your search results will be full of long, image-rich blog posts that, somewhere in there, have the actual recipe you were looking for. Many of these have a "printer-friendly version" link to make that easier; I can get the stuff I need in my kitchen on paper easily, bu... | [
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"text": "<p>You use <code>@media</code> rules in your CSS style sheets to define which html tags you want to print and which are... | 2019/04/07 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/44450",
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] | Increasingly often, if you Google for a recipe your search results will be full of long, image-rich blog posts that, somewhere in there, have the actual recipe you were looking for. Many of these have a "printer-friendly version" link to make that easier; I can get the stuff I need in my kitchen on paper easily, but th... | CSS supports [media queries](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/@media) since Level 2, Revision 1. That's from [way back in 2011](https://www.w3.org/TR/2011/REC-CSS2-20110607/), so any modern web browser should support it.
If you're able to specify custom CSS, and apply custom CSS classes to your content... |
44,650 | <p><strong>Question :</strong> In my screenplay, the main character occasionally suffers quick flashes, like visions. I have been unable to assert if I am formatting these correctly. Please also note the single and double line spaces, where I have tagged my 'QUICK FLASH' and 'BACK TO SCENE's as Scene Headings in my sof... | [
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"text": "<p>I think you're correct in that there isn't necessarily a right or wrong way to do it, what matters is that someone re... | 2019/04/16 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/44650",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/37516/"
] | **Question :** In my screenplay, the main character occasionally suffers quick flashes, like visions. I have been unable to assert if I am formatting these correctly. Please also note the single and double line spaces, where I have tagged my 'QUICK FLASH' and 'BACK TO SCENE's as Scene Headings in my software (Amazon St... | I think you're correct in that there isn't necessarily a right or wrong way to do it, what matters is that someone reading it is able to follow it easily. The way I would perhaps treat them is to treat the visions as separate scenes with a parentheses indicating their status as visions as can be done for dream sequence... |
44,796 | <p>I wrote a lengthy novel using a program I wrote.
This produces a suitable LaTeX source I can use to generate a nice-looking PDF.</p>
<p>Markup, beside customary division in Part/Chapter/Scene, is used to put emphasis, to handle direct-speech (which I use a lot, sometimes even nested) and to output certain phrases i... | [
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"text": "<h2>My bestie, when converting Ebooks, is Calibre.</h2>\n\n<p>I use it mainly to load .epub files on my Kobo (u... | 2019/04/26 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/44796",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/25977/"
] | I wrote a lengthy novel using a program I wrote.
This produces a suitable LaTeX source I can use to generate a nice-looking PDF.
Markup, beside customary division in Part/Chapter/Scene, is used to put emphasis, to handle direct-speech (which I use a lot, sometimes even nested) and to output certain phrases in "strange... | I have not been able to find any suitable Markup, so I started coding it myself.
A very preliminary version is available on [GitLab](https://gitlab.com/mcondarelli/markright).
Any feedback would be VERY welcome. |
44,850 | <p>I've come across podcasts and internet articles about self-publishing in which they basically say that books with fantastic covers and interesting blurbs tend to sell lots of copies even if the actual writing is substandard.</p>
<p>And there is also <a href="https://nicholaserik.com/packaging/" rel="noreferrer">this... | [
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"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I'm not sure it's the ebook buyers who are the silly ones here.</p>\n\n<p>Of course people judge a book by its cover... | 2019/04/29 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/44850",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/32086/"
] | I've come across podcasts and internet articles about self-publishing in which they basically say that books with fantastic covers and interesting blurbs tend to sell lots of copies even if the actual writing is substandard.
And there is also [this article](https://nicholaserik.com/packaging/) I recently stumbled upon... | I'm not sure it's the ebook buyers who are the silly ones here.
Of course people judge a book by its cover, as they should. To navigate the thousands or millions of books on a real or virtual shelf, a reader needs a guide. A good cover will convey genre and hint at the story inside. It sets an expectation for the read... |
47,777 | <p>I am writing on my thesis, containing a lot of implementations. Due to readability, I locate all my source code in the Appendix. Is there a style guide on how to name these sections in the Appendix?</p>
<p>Currently, my approach is to structure them like this:</p>
<pre><code> A. General Methods
A.1. def foo ... | [
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"text": "<p>Sometimes the department (or school of graduate studies at you institution) will have a very specific set of style gu... | 2019/09/02 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/47777",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/41048/"
] | I am writing on my thesis, containing a lot of implementations. Due to readability, I locate all my source code in the Appendix. Is there a style guide on how to name these sections in the Appendix?
Currently, my approach is to structure them like this:
```
A. General Methods
A.1. def foo
A.2. def bar
... | Sometimes the department (or school of graduate studies at you institution) will have a very specific set of style guidelines for theses -- check there first. After that, go to your institution's library and have a look at previous theses in your discipline. If there is no specific guidance there, refer to the style gu... |
50,470 | <p>I enjoy writing poetry in strict meter (example: iambic pentameter), but I keep running into an issue with word choice. I lack a reference for words and the way they are accented. I am wondering if there is a compendium that lists different types of words (in terms of stress). For example, the following words have... | [
{
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"selected": false,
"text": "<p>You are not \"overthinking,\" though perhaps you are in need of encouragement to keep writing. Many others ... | 2020/03/12 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/50470",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/40526/"
] | I enjoy writing poetry in strict meter (example: iambic pentameter), but I keep running into an issue with word choice. I lack a reference for words and the way they are accented. I am wondering if there is a compendium that lists different types of words (in terms of stress). For example, the following words have troc... | You are not "overthinking," though perhaps you are in need of encouragement to keep writing. Many others have had these self-same questions. In my research and reading to learn "how to write" I came across the idea of writing a "character Bible."
**Character Bible and Wardrobe Charts**
A character Bible is a set of ... |
50,541 | <p><strong>I've been having great difficulty with transcribing an individuals "tone" in my meeting notes!!</strong> </p>
<p>For context: Recently I've been charged with transcribing an incredibly tense litigious meeting. My transcription of this meeting will be submitted in the disclosures for an upcoming Due Process ... | [
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"text": "<p>I've done legal transcription for a number of different jurisdictions and I've never seen a style guide that permit... | 2020/03/19 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/50541",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/43567/"
] | **I've been having great difficulty with transcribing an individuals "tone" in my meeting notes!!**
For context: Recently I've been charged with transcribing an incredibly tense litigious meeting. My transcription of this meeting will be submitted in the disclosures for an upcoming Due Process hearing. (Please note t... | I've done legal transcription for a number of different jurisdictions and I've never seen a style guide that permits this. It's either verbatim transcription or minor edits to correct false starts, messy construction and that sort of thing.
There have been many times I've felt that tone was important to the meaning, a... |
50,593 | <p>I use white space in my novel. Right now it's 5000 words in 30 pages in MS Word. Font is Times New Roman, 12 pt, double-spaced.</p>
<p>At this rate, my 90K novel will be about 500 pages.</p>
<p>How many pages should a 90,000 word novel be?</p>
<p>Steven King's Carrie (<a href="https://ia800607.us.archive.org/22/i... | [
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"text": "<p>Common mass market paperbacks run between 250 and 400 words per page, so if you're aiming for the same densit... | 2020/03/24 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/50593",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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] | I use white space in my novel. Right now it's 5000 words in 30 pages in MS Word. Font is Times New Roman, 12 pt, double-spaced.
At this rate, my 90K novel will be about 500 pages.
How many pages should a 90,000 word novel be?
Steven King's Carrie ([link](https://ia800607.us.archive.org/22/items/CarrieStephenKing/Car... | The generally accepted standard is to consider 250 words one page so :
```
WordCount / 250 = TotalPageCount
```
or in your case 90,000 / 250 = 360 pages.
Of course if you want to calculate number of words from page count just flip it around:
```
250 * TotalPageCount = WordCount
```
<http://answers.google.com/a... |
50,615 | <p>In my story I am writing in third person, my character is kidnaped and finds out his real name towards the end. Do I start referring to him with his real name or the name I used previously?</p>
| [
{
"answer_id": 50594,
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"text": "<p>Common mass market paperbacks run between 250 and 400 words per page, so if you're aiming for the same densit... | 2020/03/28 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/50615",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/43652/"
] | In my story I am writing in third person, my character is kidnaped and finds out his real name towards the end. Do I start referring to him with his real name or the name I used previously? | The generally accepted standard is to consider 250 words one page so :
```
WordCount / 250 = TotalPageCount
```
or in your case 90,000 / 250 = 360 pages.
Of course if you want to calculate number of words from page count just flip it around:
```
250 * TotalPageCount = WordCount
```
<http://answers.google.com/a... |
50,623 | <p>I have a growing non-fiction blog about challenging existing dogmas in my culture, and it has been attracting a good amount of readers. However its growth is still not optimal, as they just read or want to meet me, not really commit to help me. I don't want to be greedy or arrogant, but I think I can ask them if the... | [
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"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Common mass market paperbacks run between 250 and 400 words per page, so if you're aiming for the same densit... | 2020/03/29 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/50623",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/11428/"
] | I have a growing non-fiction blog about challenging existing dogmas in my culture, and it has been attracting a good amount of readers. However its growth is still not optimal, as they just read or want to meet me, not really commit to help me. I don't want to be greedy or arrogant, but I think I can ask them if they c... | The generally accepted standard is to consider 250 words one page so :
```
WordCount / 250 = TotalPageCount
```
or in your case 90,000 / 250 = 360 pages.
Of course if you want to calculate number of words from page count just flip it around:
```
250 * TotalPageCount = WordCount
```
<http://answers.google.com/a... |
51,506 | <p>I have a technical document which consists of the following sections:</p>
<pre><code>1. Assignment statements
2. Concatenation
3. Data types
4. To check whether key exists
5. To retrieve value
6. To check whether variable or function is True or False
7. Regular expressions
8. Guard statements
</code></pre>
<p>What... | [
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"text": "<p>Typically, the title of a procedural topic uses the gerund of the verb. For example, \"Checking...\" However, thi... | 2020/06/11 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/51506",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/44669/"
] | I have a technical document which consists of the following sections:
```
1. Assignment statements
2. Concatenation
3. Data types
4. To check whether key exists
5. To retrieve value
6. To check whether variable or function is True or False
7. Regular expressions
8. Guard statements
```
What is the best way to name t... | Typically, the title of a procedural topic uses the gerund of the verb. For example, "Checking..." However, this can vary by organization and depends on the style guide or conventions your organization has established. |
54,338 | <p>I'm looking for a simple program that takes as input text files, allows me to tag them on a relevant paragraph or subsection, and combine those tagged text snippets in files corresponding to each of those tags. For example:</p>
<pre><code>[idea] "this block contains an idea and where I stumbled on it"
[bo... | [
{
"answer_id": 54343,
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"author_id": 25666,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/25666",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Depends on your definition of "serious." If you mean will people be engaged with the plot and have emo... | 2021/01/05 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/54338",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/48277/"
] | I'm looking for a simple program that takes as input text files, allows me to tag them on a relevant paragraph or subsection, and combine those tagged text snippets in files corresponding to each of those tags. For example:
```
[idea] "this block contains an idea and where I stumbled on it"
[booknote] "this block is a... | Let me tell you what happened from someone who's tried it. I was once writing a series with the intent to make it seem like an abridged series but in written form. The characters were in a stereotypical fantasy plot but snarked at each other and poked fun at the (intentionally constructed) plot holes in their setting. ... |
55,115 | <p>I'm struggling with my thoughts about what I see as a dichotomy.</p>
<p>Basically, I'm not sure when started, but emulating some novels I read, I started using mainly narration to describing the thoughts and internal conflicts of my POV characters.</p>
<p>Very rarely actually writing internal dialogue. It's kinda be... | [
{
"answer_id": 55116,
"author": "SF.",
"author_id": 4291,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/4291",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p><strong>Show, don't tell.</strong> Narrator saying "His uncle was content about..." is committing first degr... | 2021/03/02 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/55115",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/48340/"
] | I'm struggling with my thoughts about what I see as a dichotomy.
Basically, I'm not sure when started, but emulating some novels I read, I started using mainly narration to describing the thoughts and internal conflicts of my POV characters.
Very rarely actually writing internal dialogue. It's kinda become part of my... | With regard to indirect thought and direct thought we can take a page from Shakespeare.
```
there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.
Hamlet, Act, 2 Scene 2
```
It is how it is used that decides whether it is good or bad.
Indirect thought, like ind... |
55,145 | <p>When adding a legal notice to a user interface, or in a data file for download, I want to include a legal warning. It needs to mention that the data is confidential and it should not be shared with 3rd parties.</p>
<p>The text I proposed was something like this:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The data in this table is confiden... | [
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"selected": false,
"text": "<p><sub>(My background is that as a software engineer, I have read and written many such notices).</sub></p>\n<p>... | 2021/03/04 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/55145",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/35998/"
] | When adding a legal notice to a user interface, or in a data file for download, I want to include a legal warning. It needs to mention that the data is confidential and it should not be shared with 3rd parties.
The text I proposed was something like this:
>
> The data in this table is confidential and should only be... | (My background is that as a software engineer, I have read and written many such notices).
**Data File or Download**
All caps is used in many licenses for emphasis, for example in the GPL, MIT License and BSD family of licenses (and probably many, many more, but those are the ones that come to mind, and I have checke... |
55,220 | <p>The expected pattern for a formal letter to close the correspondence with the name of the correspondent.</p>
<p>But, sometimes people write their names in the body of the letter as well.</p>
<p>Is it superfluous to write your name and other information in the body of the letter, as we must write it at the bottom any... | [
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"answer_id": 55227,
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"selected": false,
"text": "<p>It depends on how formal the letter is. It is often the case that the correspondent states their company name ... | 2021/03/11 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/55220",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/48653/"
] | The expected pattern for a formal letter to close the correspondence with the name of the correspondent.
But, sometimes people write their names in the body of the letter as well.
Is it superfluous to write your name and other information in the body of the letter, as we must write it at the bottom anyway? As in shou... | A formal business letter should always be signed at the bottom by the writer, and the name (and possibly title) should be typed or printed below the signature. This is true even if the name is stated in the body of the letter. The address, but not the name, of the sender are usually given in the heading.
A personal bu... |
55,360 | <blockquote>
<p>Stephen: I am your daddy.</p>
<p>Robert:
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The question is how do you write no in a way that looks professional without removing the "audio" information of how the "no" should be uttered by an ac... | [
{
"answer_id": 55362,
"author": "veryverde",
"author_id": 47814,
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"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>That many 'O's and exclamation marks is probably excessive, because it will spill over the line break. Beyond ... | 2021/03/26 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/55360",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/49293/"
] | >
> Stephen: I am your daddy.
>
>
> Robert:
> NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>
>
>
The question is how do you write no in a way that looks professional without removing the "audio" information of how the "no" should be uttered by an actor, how long and loud the actor should... | That many 'O's and exclamation marks is probably excessive, because it will spill over the line break. Beyond that, you're good to go.
Remember that a script should tell actors what they need to say, rather than *how* they should say it. How long the "NOOOOOOOO" is, is a decision for the actor, director, and editor, s... |
55,419 | <p>I'm trying to find the right verb for database documentation. I have to write a lot of these and it is very long; so I am working for a consistent and reusable way to phrase this.</p>
<p>What I have now:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>This tag is assigned if the field <em>FieldName</em> is <em>Value</em>.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>... | [
{
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"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>Your first suggestion looks fine. It doesn't seem likely to be misconstrued. There are other similar sentences t... | 2021/03/31 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/55419",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/39969/"
] | I'm trying to find the right verb for database documentation. I have to write a lot of these and it is very long; so I am working for a consistent and reusable way to phrase this.
What I have now:
>
> This tag is assigned if the field *FieldName* is *Value*.
>
>
>
It may look like
>
> This tag is assigned if t... | Your first suggestion looks fine. It doesn't seem likely to be misconstrued. There are other similar sentences that would convey the same information in slightly different words, such as:
This tag is assigned if *FieldName* is *Value*
This tag is assigned when field *FieldName* is *Value*
This tag is assigned if fie... |
56,010 | <p>I am writing an essay for a course with the title 'A day in the life', I have never thought about doing this before but for some reason I am running with it. What are your thoughts for something like the below:</p>
<pre><code>So that’s what my company does but…
**Where do I fit in?**
</code></pre>
<p>I was thinki... | [
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"text": "<p>Honestly, I'm not sure if it's OK for an essay. But creativity it sounds great. You can tell how your chara... | 2021/05/24 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/56010",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/49990/"
] | I am writing an essay for a course with the title 'A day in the life', I have never thought about doing this before but for some reason I am running with it. What are your thoughts for something like the below:
```
So that’s what my company does but…
**Where do I fit in?**
```
I was thinking about doing this throu... | Over-cute, a Little pretentious, but Unique enough to potentially work:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I can totally see someone thinking this is too clever, and it's definitely an obnoxiously cute idea. It's not proper English and for a class, that may mean it will be poorly g... |
56,546 | <p>A plot is composed of the following:</p>
<pre><code>Exposition
Inciting Incident
Rising Action or Progressive Complications
Dilemma
Climax
Denouement
</code></pre>
<p>Can you have a novel where a plot ends with the heroes finishing his journey, and then have him go to another journey in the same novel, and then anot... | [
{
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"text": "<p>You may want to look at some fix-up novels. These are works built up of smaller pieces of fiction that were often p... | 2021/07/20 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/56546",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/49648/"
] | A plot is composed of the following:
```
Exposition
Inciting Incident
Rising Action or Progressive Complications
Dilemma
Climax
Denouement
```
Can you have a novel where a plot ends with the heroes finishing his journey, and then have him go to another journey in the same novel, and then another. If so, how much is ... | You may want to look at some fix-up novels. These are works built up of smaller pieces of fiction that were often published separately first. Two such works are *A Canticle for Leibowitz* by Walter M. Miller Jr. and *Operation Chaos* by Poul Anderson. These give you an idea how such smaller stories can fit into a large... |
58,683 | <p>Say, I’m writing a non-fiction book on some subject.</p>
<p>The book covers a couple of themes, and each theme consists of chapters with descriptions of topics within that theme. (Not that it matters, but it’s practical philosophical-ish.) For example, there are seven themes and each theme consists of (roughly) eigh... | [
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"text": "<p>With the reservation from the comments above that this isn't a good way to analyze the cohesiveness or conciseness o... | 2021/08/02 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/58683",
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] | Say, I’m writing a non-fiction book on some subject.
The book covers a couple of themes, and each theme consists of chapters with descriptions of topics within that theme. (Not that it matters, but it’s practical philosophical-ish.) For example, there are seven themes and each theme consists of (roughly) eight topics.... | With the reservation from the comments above that this isn't a good way to analyze the cohesiveness or conciseness of a text and that it will likely rather waste your time, you could use a text classification technique for preparing a word set for building a decision tree.
I don't know what this is called though.
We ... |
59,706 | <p>When writing a verse for a song a lot of times I find it easier to sing if I leave out function words (demonstratives/conjunctions). Is this a bad habit? It seems to cause lack of clarity but I see it done a lot in poetry. I also get tired of using the word 'and' so often.</p>
<pre><code> Example:
Wh... | [
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"text": "<p>When writing in general, you can omit words by punctuation:</p>\n<pre><code>When I went outside my home I had ... | 2021/12/06 | [
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] | When writing a verse for a song a lot of times I find it easier to sing if I leave out function words (demonstratives/conjunctions). Is this a bad habit? It seems to cause lack of clarity but I see it done a lot in poetry. I also get tired of using the word 'and' so often.
```
Example:
When I went outs... | I would just change to periods, especially for eliminating "and". It almost always works fine. It works in all your conjunctive cases:
>
> When I went outside my home I had a feeling.
>
>
> Something wasn't right.
>
>
> I guess I didn't have the time.
>
>
> That is how I almost died.
>
>
>
It might be a bad... |
60,888 | <p>I can't figure out if my songs are stories since they don't contain a climax, multiple characters, or a resolution.</p>
<p>For example is this song a story? It lacks conflict and climax and resolution but it tells the 'story' of someone who wants to go somewhere.</p>
<pre><code>I want to go to that open field
way ou... | [
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"text": "<p>No, your song represents an emotion; longing. Many songs do that.</p>\n<p>A story, at its minimum, is a sequence... | 2021/12/28 | [
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] | I can't figure out if my songs are stories since they don't contain a climax, multiple characters, or a resolution.
For example is this song a story? It lacks conflict and climax and resolution but it tells the 'story' of someone who wants to go somewhere.
```
I want to go to that open field
way out west on the old f... | No, your song represents an emotion; longing. Many songs do that.
A story, at its minimum, is a sequence of causes and effects, typically leading the listener to wonder what happens -- and then get the answer.
It does not require an antagonist, really, or human conflict.
>
> In a little while from now
>
>
> If I'... |
60,927 | <p>I'm trying to properly phrase a main sentence on a banner. Imagine that you had a dream to do something but it had to be put aside (let's say into a drawer) to wait for a better times. Now, I want to ask a viewer whether it is a good time now to get back to his dream and make it true. Does the following sentence mak... | [
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"text": "<p>Typically for billboards or banners you want to keep your word count at 6 or less. Or syllables under 8. That is... | 2022/01/01 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/60927",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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] | I'm trying to properly phrase a main sentence on a banner. Imagine that you had a dream to do something but it had to be put aside (let's say into a drawer) to wait for a better times. Now, I want to ask a viewer whether it is a good time now to get back to his dream and make it true. Does the following sentence make s... | Not like that
-------------
Your suggestion suffers from (at least) the following flaws:
* too long
* unfocused
To improve you need to focus on the thought you want to elicit in the reader.
Some examples below.
### Be assertive
Note: a question in a banner typically takes more time to process. The reason is that ... |
62,686 | <p>I looked through a number of the site's questions to find an answer to my problem. The closest thing I could find was this:</p>
<p><a href="https://writing.stackexchange.com/questions/10675/is-it-acceptable-to-place-a-dash-after-a-question-mark?rq=1">Is it acceptable to place a dash after a question mark?</a></p>
<p... | [
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"text": "<p>This is based solely on my opinion/experience but, I am pretty sure I have seen that done before, and it has no... | 2022/07/08 | [
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] | I looked through a number of the site's questions to find an answer to my problem. The closest thing I could find was this:
[Is it acceptable to place a dash after a question mark?](https://writing.stackexchange.com/questions/10675/is-it-acceptable-to-place-a-dash-after-a-question-mark?rq=1)
However, my question is a... | This is based solely on my opinion/experience but, I am pretty sure I have seen that done before, and it has not bothered me. I think it is probably acceptable.
I also think I more often see this case handled as ellipses followed by a question mark.
```
“But do you think the island even...?”
```
But I wouldn't spen... |
62,688 | <p>Let's say I've written an episode-by-episode screenplay on my own time (I don't work for an animation studio). It's well-written and original, but because it hasn't already been published, it of course doesn't have a preexisting fanbase. I also haven't been involved in any prior projects. What are the odds that an a... | [
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"text": "<p>This is based solely on my opinion/experience but, I am pretty sure I have seen that done before, and it has no... | 2022/07/09 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/62688",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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] | Let's say I've written an episode-by-episode screenplay on my own time (I don't work for an animation studio). It's well-written and original, but because it hasn't already been published, it of course doesn't have a preexisting fanbase. I also haven't been involved in any prior projects. What are the odds that an anim... | This is based solely on my opinion/experience but, I am pretty sure I have seen that done before, and it has not bothered me. I think it is probably acceptable.
I also think I more often see this case handled as ellipses followed by a question mark.
```
“But do you think the island even...?”
```
But I wouldn't spen... |
63,093 | <p>I would like to write a detailed structured outline of a certain topic, for organizing my ideas. "Structured" means that the outline should end up looking something like this:</p>
<pre><code>1. aaa
2. bbb
2.1 ccc
2.2 ddd
3. eee
</code></pre>
<p>The program should</p>
<ul>
<li>do the numbering automatic... | [
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"text": "<p>Perhaps you can check out Obsidian, it's a very useful HTML based program, completely free and customizable. It... | 2022/08/19 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/63093",
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] | I would like to write a detailed structured outline of a certain topic, for organizing my ideas. "Structured" means that the outline should end up looking something like this:
```
1. aaa
2. bbb
2.1 ccc
2.2 ddd
3. eee
```
The program should
* do the numbering automatically (and renumber if pieces are dragged aro... | I believe Scrivener will do this. I'm just learning Scrivener and can't provide directions, but I have seen this format in one kind of output it has made of my work, when it does its "compile." The working outline, called the Binder, shows organization graphically, and provides all the features you listed. But for the ... |