Back in the day (about 7 years ago, anyway), Windows came with a utility that allowed the savvy user to edit compiled help files.
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posted by dbmcd
on Jun 15, 2005 -
5 answers
I have a habit of typing "There are a..." when my fingers are hovering over the keyboard waiting for my brain to make up its mind what to write. Why is this, is it a textual "um", like in speech? And why those words? And does anyone else do it?
posted by Navek Rednam
on Jun 14, 2005 -
17 answers
So I have some questions about grant writing. I recently became curious in earning some extra cash by writing grants, and I am interested to hear any tips/advice/warnings or otherwise from you all...
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posted by brheavy
on Jun 8, 2005 -
7 answers
I'm posting for a friend who was using an old laptop running win95. One day it wouldn't boot, so they took it to "Geek Squad" at compusa or wherever, and they said they couldn't help.
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posted by craniac
on Jun 3, 2005 -
9 answers
I'm writing a screenplay -- like an action/thriller type deal. Anyhow, like every other film and TV show, it's based in New York City. What I need from you guys is a few ideas about where to set a chase scene. Some place that sounds good on paper and looks good on the screen -- and hopefully some where that hasn't been used before in a movie, or at least not a well known one.
posted by JPowers
on May 24, 2005 -
37 answers
Does anyone have any experience or first-hand knowledge about working for the
AcademicWord company? Is it a legitimate operation or is it too good to be true? I'm confident I have the skills, do they pay their bills? (MI)
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posted by loquacious
on May 23, 2005 -
2 answers
What are the legal ramifications of using a real person in a fictional story? Do you have to have their permission?
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posted by bjork24
on May 20, 2005 -
22 answers
Are newspaper obituaries always provided by the family, or in the event where one has no family, are there people who write them? If so, does anyone have any experience or second hand stories concerning writing them?
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posted by xmutex
on May 18, 2005 -
20 answers
I purchased a Moleskine notebook yesterday (previously discussed at length in
this MeFi thread), and I have a feeling that it will be the first of many--overblown marketing aside, the design of these things really is excellent. But $11 for a pocket-size notebook is pretty expensive. Where's the cheapest place online to find them? Bulk purchasing is a possibility.
posted by Prospero
on May 15, 2005 -
22 answers
Sometimes in LaTeX I notice bad-looking rivers after the period in someone's title, such as "Mr. Jones" or "St. Thomas." I assume that this is because it is treated the "." in things like "St." as if they are sentence stops, and spacing them accordingly. How can I get this to stop?
posted by yesno
on May 9, 2005 -
5 answers
If you keep a journal based on what you read, how do you do it, what do you put in it, do you use a standard format, what do your entries consist of, etc? Newly inspired by the cool reading journal in the latest Levenger catalogue, I want to start one of my own, rather than just making and losing random notes as I have always done. I am not particularly interested in **buying** a reading journal, from Levenger or anyone else, but I do want to start keeping one, either in one of my blank Moleskins or in a loose-leaf folder or something. So I'd appreciate hearing about any cool tricks or formats or whatever that you use. If, for example. you were going to make a journal entry based on reading Love's Labors' Lost, what would you put in it?
Thanks,
Lustra
posted by lustra
on May 7, 2005 -
12 answers
I want to make the transition into professional writing, specifically feature story and/or personal column writing and I'm not sure which steps to take make this dream come true.
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posted by mirileh
on Apr 16, 2005 -
17 answers
Any advice for a new writing tutor?
posted by Doug
on Apr 14, 2005 -
19 answers
So I've written a short story*, and I'd like to try to get it published. Alas, I have no idea what publication would be a good place to submit to. It's inspired by equal parts Piers Plowman, Saikaku, and 14th century Buddhist devotional tales.
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posted by kavasa
on Apr 9, 2005 -
7 answers
What do you do with old notebooks, letters, pictures, home movies?
posted by airguitar
on Mar 6, 2005 -
24 answers
Recently I've been writing in a notebook and finding it
less distracting more productive than a computer. Problem is: pens. My hands always cramp. Writers: what are your favorite pens? I fancy me a fine point as well.
posted by xmutex
on Mar 1, 2005 -
27 answers
I want to spend three to six months writing a novel as my primary activity. I have savings, but not enough. What kinds of work can I pick up and do, wing in and out of, make money but have maximum flexibility to do my writing? I have published two books previously and have strong well-developed skills in technology writing, web writing, some copy writing, etc., if that matters to your answer. Many thanks.
posted by lustra
on Mar 1, 2005 -
9 answers
I just quit my job at BC Hansard, where part of my job duties included writing technical documentation. One of my major projects was a word processing manual for our editors (most of whom are not technically savvy), explaining the various in-house Word macros, general computer use and so forth. But Hansard refuses to give me a portfolio copy of my work; not because of any hard feelings, but because they just don't do this.
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posted by solid-one-love
on Feb 24, 2005 -
8 answers
Via a FPP, I found
this: a "Mindjet brainstorming tool" that can be integrated in Word. It seems like a good way of structuring your thoughts , even better than paper (I always seem to mess up the structure). The only downside is the price: is there any freeware that does something similar, that is easy to use and integrate in Word? Thanks.
posted by NekulturnY
on Feb 24, 2005 -
5 answers
OK. Jessamyn (about 3 posts down) asks a similar question BUT . . . I too, am employed as a librarian who makes occasional (shitty) money on the side writing feature articles or whatever comes my way. In May I am moving to Argentina. I plan on returning for grad school in Journalism in 2006 and want to bolster my writing resume. Question: How difficult is it to do correspondence writing if I don't already have an in? Any travel writers out there? What's the secret?
posted by punkbitch
on Jan 11, 2005 -
3 answers
Looking for good, free online writers' forums to try and promote a magazine project I'm working on. Where on the web do poets and short story writers tend to congregate, and how can I reach that audience (preferably without spending any money)?
posted by BackwardsCity
on Jan 11, 2005 -
3 answers
I'm a writer, in addition to being a librarian. I'd like to do more writing and get paid more for it than I have been getting paid, perhaps work on larger projects. Do I need an agent? Could I benefit from an agent? [+]
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posted by jessamyn
on Jan 11, 2005 -
5 answers
I have to write something fictional about science that involves REAL science (as opposed to fake science, i.e. "Star Wars"). Since I'm a non-science person, what are some areas of science that are full of good story possibilities? [Note: many people are already doing DNA and cloning.] Thanks!
posted by adrober
on Dec 19, 2004 -
20 answers
I hate all forms of work (hence the anon. post) and the only way I've found to finish papers etc. is to stay up all day and night procrastinating until the last possible instance writing a bit here and there--an agonizing process--until, as the last chance deadline aproaches, something takes shape. These papers are usually final papers and usually earn me between a B+ and an -A... which is probably why I never learned how to do work in a painless and organized fashion... at any rate, I have two papers due on the same day and no chance of an extension on either one and am incapable of forcing myself to work. WHAT DO I DO?
posted by anonymous
on Dec 10, 2004 -
55 answers
ClicheFilter: What's the deal with literary reviews and the phrase "tour de force"? Why do even great writer-reviewers continue to use this worn-out phrase? Is this some sort of big inside joke?
posted by vacapinta
on Dec 7, 2004 -
17 answers
I used to consider myself a decent writer. It was one of those things that I did well. Over the last few years though I can hardly seem to link two cohesive sentences together. Those last few years also seem to coincide with my entrance into working on the web. Does anyone have any tips for learning how to write again?
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posted by trbrts
on Dec 6, 2004 -
14 answers
PunctuationFilter: I'm writing the copy for a CD insert booklet in which the title of a book is mentioned. Typically, I'd italicize it, but the entire piece is already in italics. What's the standard here?
posted by plexiwatt
on Dec 6, 2004 -
18 answers
I've almost completed a sort of tandem tag-team story written mostly while at work, where I'd write a paragraph, send it off to a friend, he'd write one, and so forth. Long story short - does anyone know of a company - possibly online? - that will take a text and make it into a small, pocket-sized book? Essentially, I want my crappy story to look like a real book without actually getting it published.
posted by ORthey
on Dec 5, 2004 -
4 answers
Does anyone have any reliable sources for very finely ruled writing journals (not datebooks)? I have a person on my gift list for whom narrow-ruled is not fine enough. I would prefer they not have pictures on the cover or quotes at the top of each page -- just plain and finely ruled. (Is there a standard name for ruling below narrow-ruled?)
posted by ontic
on Dec 4, 2004 -
14 answers
MLA Citation Filter: The information I'm citing was found on a
website. However, the person who made the website did not create this information. The information I'm putting into my paper is all from articles cited on the website; it's either a direct quote from the journal article that I copied and pasted from the website, or it's factual information from the articles that is presented and cited by the website author.
In my paper's bibliography, how should I cite the copied portions of journal articles? How should I cite the facts from the journal articles that are presented by the website's author? Do I cite the journal article, or the website?
posted by punishinglemur
on Nov 23, 2004 -
5 answers
When writing a research paper, how do you deal with bound volumes of newspaper clippings? Some of the clippings themselves have no information on them, while others have all of the identifying information (what newspaper it actually came from, date, etc. etc.). My problem is not with the info on the clippings themselves (god knows I've dealt with that before), but the fact that the bound nature of the clippings creates a new "source" in and of itself. I'm not sure when to reference the fact that they came from the bound volume. Help me librarians/researchers/fellow grad students!
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posted by stefnet
on Nov 16, 2004 -
4 answers
In a variation on the
first question I posted to AskMe, I'm looking for a resource that'd help me find local, actually-meet-and-talk-to-people writing groups. My searching skills are apparently flaccid and small. I mean, I live in a freaking college town, I should be innundated with such activities. And yet no luck. Any ideas on where I might find these elusive groups?
posted by billybunny
on Nov 10, 2004 -
6 answers
I've been reading a lot of Hunter S. Thompson lately, and have become addicted to his "
Gonzo journalism". Can anyone reccomend any weblogs, online zines or young authors that display that kind of brazen, muckraking writing style?
posted by Jimbob
on Nov 1, 2004 -
10 answers
How does one go about writing a really good cover letter without sounding like an utter wanker?
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posted by cmonkey
on Oct 27, 2004 -
19 answers
The
IMDB entry for Donnie Darko says: "The script initially called for Donnie's fantasies to be about Alyssa Milano. This had to be changed however when Richard Kelly was denied the legal rights to reference her in this manner." Does anyone know what laws are operating in this situation?
posted by lbergstr
on Oct 24, 2004 -
13 answers
Two weeks and counting... Is anybody planning to participate in
nanowrimo this year?
posted by codger
on Oct 18, 2004 -
34 answers
