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Hello, fellow writers! Got any question that you can't find answer from Google or Wikipedia, but you don't think it needs a separate thread for? You came to the right place!

Don't be shy, and just ask away. The nice folks here, writers and non-writers, experts and non-experts, will do their best to help you.

The folder below contains links for special interest threads, mostly at OTC, but also from Yack Fest and Troper Coven.

    Special Interest Threads 

Also take a look at Useful Notes on various topics. They can be pretty useful.

Now, bring on the questions, baby!

edited 11th Apr '18 6:31:51 PM by dRoy

Kaxen Since: Jan, 2010
#301: Apr 29th 2011 at 9:01:46 AM

[up][up][up][up] Well, it's the main character's flashback. He wouldn't explain that stuff out loud and I'm not sure how else to work the information in since the only hint in dialogue is that he mentioned getting chopped in half and eaten by sharks is pretty bad (though no one around him really took that seriously at the time).

RandomChaos No Dragon Power from My own little world Since: Oct, 2011
No Dragon Power
#302: Apr 29th 2011 at 9:50:44 AM

In My One Piece centered crossover fic I was going to have Hinata and a Swampert to join the crew. However, I don't know what Hrinat's official posion could be or what to make a Swampert wanted for besides probity damage and I'm pretty shire that would dos not care about it. Any ideas?

edited 29th Apr '11 9:52:06 AM by RandomChaos

With the power of a dragon I can make up for my inability to spill.
Rahheemme Rahheemme Since: Feb, 2010
Rahheemme
#303: Apr 29th 2011 at 9:57:32 AM

Is it Narmy to have, in written works, a character scream as dialogue when something scary happens? Like " 'AAAAGGGHHH!' He shrieked as the zombie vampires kicked in his door, holding his daughter's head in their dirty fingers."

RRRAAGHGHAFBAALAAAL!
Kaxen Since: Jan, 2010
#304: Apr 29th 2011 at 10:05:30 AM

I don't think it's that narmy.

OhSoIntoCats from The Sand Wastes Since: Oct, 2011 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#305: Apr 29th 2011 at 10:23:46 AM

[up][up] I don't think it's narmy. It's something, but "narm" isn't really the right word for it. More like, redundant, really? We all know what screams sound like. I also think if you're going to have something like AAAAAARG in your story you should think hard, because something in all-caps like that is going to be the first thing the reader sees, so it's not a surprise.

I wonder if it would be too much to make my MC an indirect serial killer.

melloncollie Since: Feb, 2012
#306: Apr 29th 2011 at 10:28:22 AM

Screaming isn't narmy, but writing out "AAAAARGH" probably will be.

Cresneta from nowhere Since: Jan, 2010
#307: Apr 29th 2011 at 9:59:09 PM

I'm considering writing a story involving an alien race that has three sexes - can I get away with making up a pronoun for the third sex that will be used in sentences that are written in English?

OhSoIntoCats from The Sand Wastes Since: Oct, 2011 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#308: Apr 29th 2011 at 10:35:30 PM

I don't know about making one up, but maybe you could hijack one of the made-up gender neutral pronouns for the English language? Or you could base it off of the neuter in German or something.

Madrugada Since: Jan, 2001
#309: Apr 29th 2011 at 11:52:18 PM

Since they're aliens, there's no reason not to make one up. It's not like they speak English, except as a Translation Convention, and even a translator is going to have a problem coming up with a word for third gender.

edited 29th Apr '11 11:52:34 PM by Madrugada

Pseudonym I like it here. from The Keebler Tree Since: Jun, 2009
I like it here.
#310: Apr 30th 2011 at 6:38:21 AM

I have a character who's behind on his rent. What is a reasonable amount to be behind on one's rent? A range would be nice please? My thoughts are 100-700 dollars - but I've never rented to anyone.

<(-_-<)(>-_-)> "FUSION HA"
Madrugada Since: Jan, 2001
#311: Apr 30th 2011 at 8:46:36 AM

It's going to depend on a number of factors:

  • Where does he live? In some places, a small but decent studio or one-bedroom apartment will rent for $250 to $300 a month. In others, the same apartment would be $800 or more.
  • What is he renting? If he's renting a room on a boarding house it will be less that if he's renting an apartment in an apartment building which will probably be less than if he's renting in a two-flat or duplex, which is less than if he's renting a house or a townhouse.
  • When is it set? In 1979, I rented a nice, big, one-bedroom apartment in a good area of Mobile, Alabama, furnished, for $250 a month, not including electric.

Look at the For rent ads in the newspaper for an idea of what the prices are in the town you're setting the work in (or in a similar town, if yours is fictional.) Lots of newspapers have their classified and real estate sections available online.

edited 30th Apr '11 8:48:33 AM by Madrugada

Pseudonym I like it here. from The Keebler Tree Since: Jun, 2009
I like it here.
#312: Apr 30th 2011 at 10:54:16 AM

How much do they let you get behind before they kick your arse out?

<(-_-<)(>-_-)> "FUSION HA"
Madrugada Since: Jan, 2001
#313: Apr 30th 2011 at 11:10:35 AM

That's going to depend on what sort of management you've got. An individual might let you go for quite a while, if they're feeling kindly and think that you can get caught up. A management company will probably not let you get more than one or two months behind before they serve notice to "pay up or get out" on you.

Pseudonym I like it here. from The Keebler Tree Since: Jun, 2009
I like it here.
#314: Apr 30th 2011 at 11:20:36 AM

Ok, thanks, I'm gonna go with three months. 750 bucks. To a lone landlord. Sounds reasonable. Thanks for your help.

<(-_-<)(>-_-)> "FUSION HA"
cityofmist turning and turning from Meanwhile City Since: Dec, 2010
turning and turning
#315: Apr 30th 2011 at 11:30:58 AM

So in my universe magic is genetic. I figure that since the ability to reshape reality with your mind is a fairly useful one, if it had always been around since the beginning of humanity as a species evolution would have made it near-universal by the modern day. Assuming that on average magic is inherited as a trait about 50% of the time (although it depends how many of your parents/grandparents/etc were mages) when would the genes for magic first have to have appeared so that by modern times it would have spread worldwide, but still be extremely uncommon? Is that even plausible at all?

Scepticism and doubt lead to study and investigation, and investigation is the beginning of wisdom. - Clarence Darrow
RandomChaos No Dragon Power from My own little world Since: Oct, 2011
No Dragon Power
#316: Apr 30th 2011 at 3:48:15 PM

In my Ben Ten fanfic he gets mermaid and vampire forms. But I don't have names for them. And I am Renaming the Mummy can people come up wit suggestions?

With the power of a dragon I can make up for my inability to spill.
Fancolors I draw stuff. from Land of the Mamelucos Since: Nov, 2010
I draw stuff.
#317: Apr 30th 2011 at 8:39:48 PM

I'm not much into Ben Ten, but maybe something like Vlad or Vamp for the vampire, he doesn't seem like someone who'd come up with a complicated name, but then again, it is something alien for me.

edited 30th Apr '11 8:40:13 PM by Fancolors

jasonwill2 True art is Angsty from West Virginia Since: Mar, 2011
#318: May 1st 2011 at 1:34:22 AM

does anyone think it is worth while to find a song to associate with a given character? does it ever help you visualize their drive? I do this a lot sometimes without trying to. I just say "this would be so and so's theme song"

I thought I might try to actually tag some songs to some characters.

as of the 2nd of Nov. has 6 weeks for a broken collar bone to heal and types 1 handed and slowly
dRoy Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar from Most likely from my study Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just high on the world
Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar
#319: May 1st 2011 at 1:38:33 AM

[up] Of course it's worth it. It's always good, it's just that finding the real right song can require a deep understanding in your characteristics and songs' lyrics, and it's not necessary. If you can find right songs, it's recommendable.

Continuously reading, studying, and (hopefully) growing.
jasonwill2 True art is Angsty from West Virginia Since: Mar, 2011
#320: May 1st 2011 at 1:41:36 AM

[up]

Hmm. I know where to go for the songs in general, but there are so many drives and aspects of my characters I can't narrow them down like that, but I can get the best one suited for teh story I guess.

Anyone else do this/find this a good idea?

as of the 2nd of Nov. has 6 weeks for a broken collar bone to heal and types 1 handed and slowly
BetsyandtheFiveAvengers Since: Feb, 2011
#321: May 1st 2011 at 4:47:08 AM

I do. As [up][up] said, it isn't necessary, but I like to associte my characters with a few songs that describes either their personalities or mood.

edited 1st May '11 4:49:02 AM by BetsyandtheFiveAvengers

melloncollie Since: Feb, 2012
#322: May 1st 2011 at 10:02:18 AM

In the past I've found that associating a character with a song limited my perception of them and kept them on very rigid rails, but I suppose that's not a bad thing in all situations.

If you cut yourself on glass, is there a proper procedure to take care of that? Also, how likely is it that the average joe knows how to do proper stitches?

Kaxen Since: Jan, 2010
#323: May 1st 2011 at 12:23:34 PM

All the times I've cut myself in glass (which is fairly often since I'm a stained glass newbie who even cut herself shopping for glass and has grand lapses in judgment like rubbing her thumb against cut glass... OTL) I mainly just bandage it and move on with my life. Maybe wash it or put some Neosporin on it if it's particularly deep.

The average Joe would not know how to do stitches or at least I wouldn't trust anyone I know to do stitches in an emergency except my dad who wanted to be a paramedic and my cousin who is training to become a nurse and if I was REALLY desperate, I would pretend knowing how to sew plushies applies to people...

A little boy misinterprets a mob boss's comment wishing out loud that one of his subordinates would sleep with the fishes. He thinks it's some kind of prank where you dump a dead fish into someone's bed. Are there any species of fish that smell particularly bad? Currently it's either going to be a trout or salmon or a chopped off shark head.

edited 1st May '11 12:24:46 PM by Kaxen

KSPAM PARTY PARTY PARTY I WANNA HAVE A PARTY from PARTY ROCK Since: Oct, 2009 Relationship Status: Giving love a bad name
PARTY PARTY PARTY I WANNA HAVE A PARTY
#324: May 1st 2011 at 8:14:19 PM

Hey, I need to know if nanomachines would be affected by an EMP. I assume so, but I'd like to be sure.

I've got new mythological machinery, and very handsome supernatural scenery. Goodfae: a mafia web serial
chihuahua0 Since: Jul, 2010
#325: May 1st 2011 at 8:48:44 PM

How advanced cybernetic parts (like arms and eyes) are projected to be by the year 2033 or so?


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