Writers, and novelists or fiction writers in particular, can you share your goals, processes and timelines for each of your drafts?
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posted by thinkpiece
on May 19, 2013 -
8 answers
I'm trying to learn more about contemporary Indonesia, and I'd love book & essay recommendations, especially of narrative non-fiction with a strong first person narrative voice! (But I'd also love suggestions of fiction, good travelogues, podcasts, blogs, zines, films, academic articles--really anything that doesn't demand prior in depth knowledge.)
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posted by tapir-whorf
on May 13, 2013 -
4 answers
I've been writing short fiction. I've got my process down pretty well, to the point that I am not getting stuck in writer's block hell or any other common pitfalls. I have ideas, and I'm capable of getting them down on paper. I revise them, I produce new drafts, etc.
My problem comes in the last phase of the process. I don't know when to say something is
done.
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posted by deathpanels
on Mar 21, 2013 -
11 answers
Are there other simple-to-express checks like the Bechdel Test for measuring gender bias and feminism in fiction? I try hard to make sure I'm being a decent feminist as a writer -- I'm a guy, I tend to write with male protagonists but with a lot of female characters involved, and I worry about my blind spots.
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posted by scaryblackdeath
on Mar 19, 2013 -
18 answers
I'm submitting a story to a fiction contest, attaching it to an email. Other than the contest guidelines, is there anything else I need to do to the document or be aware of?
posted by larry_darrell
on Mar 9, 2013 -
2 answers
Writing fiction: is it the sort of thing where you either have "the gift," or you don't?
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posted by indognito
on Jan 6, 2013 -
38 answers
As a reader of fiction (especially if you're a devotee of
speculative fiction), how much do you like detailed descriptions and/or lists as part of the story? What if the story switches between detail and expediency?
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posted by batmonkey
on Dec 28, 2012 -
12 answers
I've been asked to put together a longish reading list for a BA Art/Literature module, and I'd love some ideas for texts outside my current knowledge. The list should cover a series of genres and contexts, with writing from, and about, the history and theory of art, journalism, academia, design, architecture and film. Writing on design and architecture are particularly outside my knowledge. What innovative and critically significant writings can you recommend across any of these subject areas?
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posted by 0bvious
on Dec 14, 2012 -
8 answers
A world with binary suns and multiple satellites that can still be livable by a diverse (even lush) assortment of life forms - true or not?
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posted by batmonkey
on Nov 30, 2012 -
11 answers
Books / resources about monastic life? I am thinking of writing a story set in a completely fictional setting, and I'd like to research more ideas of what life is like in a monastery or abbey.
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posted by marble
on Nov 25, 2012 -
20 answers
As a reader, how do you feel about invented language versus familiar words in imaginary worlds?
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posted by batmonkey
on Nov 21, 2012 -
67 answers
My novel involves a costume party with some guests dressed as recognizable characters from films, TV, etc. I'm clearly not trying to claim them as my own and it's just all Halloween costumes, but am I asking to get sued?
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posted by scaryblackdeath
on Oct 30, 2012 -
4 answers
What are the realistic odds of a movie studio buying rights to fiction? What steps could one take to even attempt this?
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posted by anonymous
on Aug 6, 2012 -
21 answers
After enjoying a
1920 screenwriting book by the flapper humorist Anita Loos, I am wondering what other pre-WW2 writing advice books might be fun and interesting to read. Any suggestions?
posted by steinsaltz
on Jul 27, 2012 -
15 answers
Help me find this bookfilter: An writer's guide 'interview' with your own fiction character to help uncover their traits and depths. Or, a similar list of interview questions to learn a lot about someone in a short time.
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posted by The otter lady
on Jul 13, 2012 -
5 answers
I would like to experiment with writing historical fiction. Are there any resources that describe best practices for this genre? Do you have any experience/recommendations/advice?
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posted by Think_Long
on May 30, 2012 -
8 answers
I need to know what sort of equipment one uses to "entangle" particles. Where would I find this sort of information?
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posted by AdamCSnider
on May 28, 2012 -
4 answers
Tell me stories of people finding unusual routes to getting their books to readers. I have written a book and would love to hear about people who found readers through more DIY channels. Not interested so much in how to self-publish, as in hearing stories to help me find the next step for my creation.
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posted by bobbyno
on May 13, 2012 -
20 answers
To writers: how do you consider questions of which form in which to express your ideas - short story, essay, novel, poem, even unconventional forms like very short fiction or experimental plotless fiction or aphorism collection or blog posts (to the extent they're their own thing)? Are there any good articles or books that wrestle with this dilemma?
posted by shivohum
on Mar 8, 2012 -
8 answers
My fiction writing group is wondering if there's a better way to critique each others' pieces. How does your writing group do it?
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posted by ShooBoo
on Mar 6, 2012 -
10 answers
What are the best books, articles, or websites that act as a kind of "writing coach" for fiction, which walk you through, like an encouraging but demanding mentor, the psychological, technical, and purely logistical issues of writing and then publishing short stories or novels?
posted by shivohum
on Feb 22, 2012 -
14 answers
I can write fiction, but nothing I write ever seems to be a coherent story. How do I write a story?
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posted by Senza Volto
on Nov 30, 2011 -
31 answers
Novel plotting filter: how do YOU do it? Do you think of a character first, devise the end and work backward from that, have a world/location in mind and try to discover what stories would occur there, what?
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posted by jasondbarr
on Jun 2, 2011 -
19 answers
Summer short course filter: Fun readings on the internet, the future, and research in the digital age for high school teachers. Help a librarian plan a syllabus!
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posted by activitystory
on Apr 28, 2011 -
5 answers
Fledgling story writer here. Let's say somebody tells you an anecdote about a friend of a friend, an anecdote that might be interesting to put in a longer work of fiction.
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posted by The ____ of Justice
on Apr 12, 2011 -
12 answers
I'd like to read some sharp, simple fiction writing to improve my academic essays -- what would I like?
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posted by EmilyFlew
on Feb 21, 2011 -
26 answers
[Creative Writing Filter] I'm looking for some online resources to help me get back into creative writing after a three year break.
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posted by wansac
on Dec 18, 2010 -
4 answers
Is there a term for travel accounts of explorers, both fictional and real-life? Also, tell me some of your favorites.
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posted by actionpact
on Dec 11, 2010 -
22 answers
Looking for books and/or movies about fiascos and disastrous but avoidable situations
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posted by reenum
on Nov 22, 2010 -
25 answers
What steps do I take to get some fiction that I wrote published in a magazine? What magazines should I submit to, and how? etc etc within
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posted by Work Related MeFi
on Nov 12, 2010 -
10 answers
Struggling writer asks: Help me write a non-cringeworthy love scene! What are some of your favourite literary love scenes, and what made them great?
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posted by anonymous
on Nov 11, 2010 -
25 answers
What do your children delight in when you read them picture books? I'm a writer who has been commissioned to write the text for one, and not having children, I was hoping for some insight.
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posted by PersonAndSalt
on Nov 7, 2010 -
23 answers
What contemporary American authors of literary fiction are considered masters of creating compelling, multi-dimensional characters?
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posted by ferociouskitty
on Nov 3, 2010 -
17 answers
I'm looking for fiction that vividly describes the physical and social atmosphere of a city or town, the way Dickens captures Coketown in
Hard Times.
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posted by cirripede
on May 7, 2010 -
36 answers
It had a name something along the lines of: "A Primer for Science Fiction Writers." What site did I visit?
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posted by run"monty
on Apr 30, 2010 -
7 answers
Posting anonymously because I want an unbiased opinion.
I am a fiction writer and full time postgraduate student. I am currently working on my first speculative (multi-genre) novel with the aim of having it finished by the end of the year. Is it a good idea to put up a sponsorship page where people can chip in to help me complete my goals?
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posted by anonymous
on Apr 13, 2010 -
30 answers
How can I publish my fiction online anonymously and still retain the copyright?
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posted by eeby
on Apr 12, 2010 -
9 answers
I'm doing my creative writing thesis as a collection of short stories about people struggling to come to terms with intense childhood experiences. What kinds of experiences could I be writing about?
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posted by joyeuxamelie
on Mar 7, 2010 -
27 answers
What are some details of military life that authors writing for generic military settings often get wrong? What details, if I got them right, would convince you that I had really done my homework? Note that I'm not looking for punctilio like the particular way somebody carries his hat indoors but rather broader things that would be ring true for servicemen of any tradition (e.g., strict rules about exactly how to carry a hat).
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posted by d. z. wang
on Feb 7, 2010 -
21 answers
Can I publish my fiction about a deceased historic public figure without fear of action from his estate?
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posted by IndigoSkye
on Feb 2, 2010 -
5 answers
