Writers newsletter

Top new questions this week:

Techniques to write for a wider audience

Many years ago, I wrote a short story that used specific information from my cultural background e.g. a belief that if you dream something, it is a form of a vision (superstition, some may say!). This …

style publishing creative-writing word-choice

asked by Javeer Baker 6 votes answered by Psicofrenia 7 votes

Demo data in screenshots! What are the best practice?

My question is related to best practices of making screenshots for end-user documentation. Particularly, is there universal information for filling in forms in the software and after that making …

technical-writing

asked by Yuliya Drygybka 5 votes answered by Lauren Ipsum 3 votes

Is it better to make clear immediately in which country/continent the story is taking place?

I'm writing a short story, and nowhere in it I explicitly mention the country in which it is taking place. The only time I mention something about the country is when I refer to a historical event …

creative-writing setting

asked by alexchenco 5 votes answered by SF. 9 votes

Is it a bad idea to use a culture-specific word in the title of a story?

I wrote a short story long ago called The End of the World. I thought the title was too common so I renamed it to The Kid with the Gigaku Mask and the End of the World. But then, I found that title to …

fiction creative-writing titles

asked by alexchenco 4 votes answered by Psicofrenia 3 votes

In end user documentation, should screenshots come before or after the text that references them?

The end user documentation I'm writing makes use of screenshots (and partial screenshots) to show the user what I'm referring to in procedural instructions for or conceptual explanations of the …

technical-writing

asked by Matthew Rodatus 4 votes answered by Monica Cellio 5 votes

Can a title be copyrighted?

Is there any such thing as copyrighting a title? A title of a novel / short story is usually short, up to five words or so. The words are chosen after much thought to reflect the contents of work. …

publishing copyright

asked by Javeer Baker 4 votes answered by Jed Oliver 9 votes

Creative writing use and abuse

I am wondering what is the limit, if any, of justifying one's writing style as being creative. I have often seen the use of a single word or phrase as a 'sentence' for creating impact. Example: "It …

style stycreative-writing

asked by Javeer Baker 2 votes answered by Dale Emery 10 votes

Greatest hits from previous weeks:

The "Rules" of Writing

There are a lot of axioms that get tossed around in creative writing courses, books on writing, and of course, the internet. Often, these little gems are explained to new writers as though they were …

technique style rules

asked by sjohnston 64 votes answered by sjohnston 26 votes

Can a book be published by more than one publisher?

1) Some books are published by more than one publisher. For example, if you go to Amazon or Flipkart and search for 'The Interpretation of Dreams' by Sigmund Freud, you will see many of them from …

publishing book copyright

asked by Sathyaish 5 votes answered by Steven Drennon 9 votes

Can you answer this?

Is there a name for when the same word is used at the beginning and end of different phrases/sentences?

Is there a special term for a construction which combines one recognizable phrase that ends with a particular word and another that begins with the same word? For instance: life is a peach and …

terminology

asked by akh2103 1 vote