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 most of them don't. For consistency and professionalism I want all the sources to not contain Nekudos.</p>
<p>For example <a href="https://www.sefaria.org/Pirkei_Avot.1.1?lang=bi&with=Bartenura&lang2=he" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this line:</a> מֹשֶׁה קִבֵּל תּוֹרָה מִסִּינַי. אוֹמֵר אֲנִי, לְפִי שֶׁמַּסֶּכֶת זוֹ should be משה קבל תורה מסיני. אומר אני שמסכת זו. I expect to need to do this hundreds of times so I need something fast. Somebody once made me a document with Macros to do this but it isn't working on Word 2016. Does anyone else have an efficient way to do it? Thank you so much.</p>
| [
{
"answer_id": 32474,
"author": "Boondoggle",
"author_id": 28684,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/28684",
"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 professionalism I want all the sources to not contain Nekudos.
For example [this line:](https://www.sefaria.org/Pirkei_Avot.1.1?lang=bi&with=Bartenura&lang2=he) מֹשֶׁה קִבֵּל תּוֹרָה מִסִּינַי. אוֹמֵר אֲנִי, לְפִי שֶׁמַּסֶּכֶת זוֹ should be משה קבל תורה מסיני. אומר אני שמסכת זו. I expect to need to do this hundreds of times so I need something fast. Somebody once made me a document with Macros to do this but it isn't working on Word 2016. Does anyone else have an efficient way to do it? Thank you so much. | 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 `.js`).
The Hebrew charcodes are all between 1425 and 1479 and the nikkud are between 0591 and 05C7.
Python implementation (tested):
```
import unicodedata
# nikkud-test.txt is the file you save your text in.
f= open('nikkud-test.txt','r', encoding='utf-8')
content = f.read()
normalized=unicodedata.normalize('NFKD', content)
no_nikkud=''.join([c for c in normalized if not unicodedata.combining(c)])
no_nikkud
f.close()
f = open('no-nikkud-test.txt','w',encoding='utf-8')
fw = f.write(no_nikkud)
f.close()
```
This works very fast.
UPDATED:
How to use this script?
1. Download *Python 3.x.x* from the [python.org](https://www.python.org/downloads/)
2. Save your nikkud text to `nikkud-test.txt` in whatever directory
3. From the start menu start your `cmd` shell/command prompt/terminal.
4. Move to directory where you saved your file by typing `cd` followed by the directory
5. type `python` or open an `iPython` console.
6. copy + paste script
7. `no-nikkud-test.txt` will show up in the same directory
---
UPDATE without Terminal (Tested with Python 3.5 IDLE and iPython)
1. Download *Python 3.5* or higher from [python.org](https://www.python.org/downloads/)
2. Save your niqqud text to `niqqud.txt` in your Documents folder. (Windows / Mac)
3. Open IDLE from the Start Menu. (Alternatively, use [iPython](https://ipython.org/install.html))
Copy and paste the function below:
```
def hasar_niqqud(source="niqqud.txt"):
"""This function removes niqqud vowel diacretics from Hebrew.
@param source: The source filename with .txt extension."""
import os, unicodedata
path = os.path.expanduser('~/Documents/'+str(source))
f= open(path,'r', encoding='utf-8')
content = f.read()
normalized=unicodedata.normalize('NFKD', content)
no_niqqud=''.join([c for c in normalized if not unicodedata.combining(c)])
f.close()
path = os.path.expanduser('~/Documents/'+str(source)[:-4]+"-removed.txt")
f = open(path,'w',encoding='utf-8')
f.write(no_niqqud)
f.close()
```
Then run the function with this code:
```
hasar_niqqud()
```
That's it! You can find the output in the Documents folder `niqqud-removed.txt` |
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 Database
Website*
Other
Write / paste citation
All Sources
Advertisement
Bible*
Blog / Podcast
Book*
Brochure
Cartoon / Comic
Chapter / Anthology*
Collection Article
Conference Proceedings*
Congressional Publication*
Court Case
Dictionary Entry*
Digital File
Digital Image
Dissertation*
Dissertation (abstract)*
E-mail
Editorial
Encyclopedia Article*
Executive Order
Federal Bill*
Federal Report
Federal Rule
Federal Statute
Federal Testimony
Film / Online Video*
Government Publication*
Interview
Journal Article*
Lecture / Speech
Letter
Live Performance
Magazine Article*
Mailing List
Manuscript
Map / Chart*
Microform
Miscellaneous
Multivolume Work*
Music / Audio*
Newsgroup
Newsletter
Newspaper Article*
Online Database
Painting / Artwork
Pamphlet
Patent
Photograph
Preface / Foreword*
Press Release
Raw Data
Report
Reprinted Work
Review
Scholarly Project
Software*
Television / Radio
Thesis*
Website
</code></pre>
| [
{
"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 Sources
Advertisement
Bible*
Blog / Podcast
Book*
Brochure
Cartoon / Comic
Chapter / Anthology*
Collection Article
Conference Proceedings*
Congressional Publication*
Court Case
Dictionary Entry*
Digital File
Digital Image
Dissertation*
Dissertation (abstract)*
E-mail
Editorial
Encyclopedia Article*
Executive Order
Federal Bill*
Federal Report
Federal Rule
Federal Statute
Federal Testimony
Film / Online Video*
Government Publication*
Interview
Journal Article*
Lecture / Speech
Letter
Live Performance
Magazine Article*
Mailing List
Manuscript
Map / Chart*
Microform
Miscellaneous
Multivolume Work*
Music / Audio*
Newsgroup
Newsletter
Newspaper Article*
Online Database
Painting / Artwork
Pamphlet
Patent
Photograph
Preface / Foreword*
Press Release
Raw Data
Report
Reprinted Work
Review
Scholarly Project
Software*
Television / Radio
Thesis*
Website
``` | 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/store/b/word-2016?cl_vend=bing&cl_ch=sem&cl_camp=290154020&cl_adg=1275433526959278&cl_crtv=79714613000162&cl_kw=microsoft%20word&cl_pub=bing.com&cl_dvt=c&cl_mt=e&cl_gtid=kwd-79714617760096:loc-71149&cl_dim0=V9cXnwAABdPJab4c:20180124004910:s&invsrc=search&OCID=AID620866_SEM_V9cXnwAABdPJab4c:20180124004910:s&s_kwcid=AL!4249!10!79714613000162!79714617760096&ef_id=V9cXnwAABdPJab4c:20180124004910:s).
I use Scrivener. Scrivener doesn't have the best editing tools, but it is made for writing and it is overall amazing. Organization is a breeze, full screen mode is awesome, and tons of tools are built in (including random name generation). You can find it [here](https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview).
As a side note, if you are looking for something to jot down ideas, the same people that made Scrivener also made [Scrapple](https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scapple/overview). I personally haven't used it, but I will probably buy it sometime soon. I currently use [OneNote](https://www.onenote.com/) (also part of Office). There is a free version. With a free mobile app, it is perfect for using when inspiration comes.
For editing, I use [AutoCrit](https://www.autocrit.com/). It has advanced editing features that help find your writing style problems. It *does not* help much with grammar. It is based around style. AutoCrit does have a high monthly fee. I got it on sale for winning NaNoWriMo, but I think I pay for it anyways if I hadn't.
Lastly, if you are writing science fiction or fantasy you might need some wacky names. [Here](http://crazynamer.com/) is a generator for that. While designed for business names, it works great for crazy names.
In summary, when I work I take notes in OneNote (and probably Scrapple sometime soon), write in Scrivener, and edit in AutoCrit. I use Word primarily as my middle man since I can't directly export from Scrivener to AutoCrit. |
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><code>su - lessPrivilegedUser
clustercommand --resursive --restart
</code></pre>
<p>However, yesternight I bumped into a set of commands that stop and start a service where the instructions did not include this information. Neither did the section one level up. So I requested the documentation team to make amends. To my great surprise, they responded with the result list of a search saying that the documentation already has this in 28 different places, asking me to confirm whether I am certain I want it included for the 29th time.</p>
<p>Q: Should the user be specified for each administration task in an administration guide?</p>
| [
{
"answer_id": 33598,
"author": "David Vogel",
"author_id": 29609,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/29609",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"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",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/29874/"
] | 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 - lessPrivilegedUser
clustercommand --resursive --restart
```
However, yesternight I bumped into a set of commands that stop and start a service where the instructions did not include this information. Neither did the section one level up. So I requested the documentation team to make amends. To my great surprise, they responded with the result list of a search saying that the documentation already has this in 28 different places, asking me to confirm whether I am certain I want it included for the 29th time.
Q: Should the user be specified for each administration task in an administration guide? | 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 requirements section of the task topic (if it's a task topic), or state it in a comments/requirements section in a reference-style table or list. |
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 children grow</p>
<ul>
<li>cabbages,</li>
<li>onions,</li>
<li>potatoes, and</li>
<li>carrots</li>
</ul>
<p>during their free time.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>However, major document markup languages, such as HTML and Markdown, do not allow vertical content in paragraphs [<a href="https://stackoverflow.com/a/5681796/657401">1</a>], i.e. the above text is actually internally represented as two separate paragraphs with a list in between. This, in turn, makes it difficult to style a web page to e.g. indent the first line of a paragraph without somehow extending the markup. Is this a deficiency in HTML and Markdown, or is the above use of lists rare / generally discouraged?</p>
| [
{
"answer_id": 34120,
"author": "Kirk",
"author_id": 24040,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/24040",
"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,
> * potatoes, and
> * carrots
>
>
> during their free time.
>
>
>
However, major document markup languages, such as HTML and Markdown, do not allow vertical content in paragraphs [[1](https://stackoverflow.com/a/5681796/657401)], i.e. the above text is actually internally represented as two separate paragraphs with a list in between. This, in turn, makes it difficult to style a web page to e.g. indent the first line of a paragraph without somehow extending the markup. Is this a deficiency in HTML and Markdown, or is the above use of lists rare / generally discouraged? | 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 enough to be its own element and therefor draw the eye and break up a text. So, while it could be within a sentence, it often isn't and wouldn't be published that way without extremely good cause (or a desire to just muck with convention for art's sake).
```
<p>Lots of a text goes here. Perhaps multiple sentances. But I'm about to make a point. And now I'm making it. Here's a list that describes the options:</p>
<ul>
<li>Item 1</li>
<li>Item 2</li>
</ul>
<p>New paragraph begins here.</p>
```
>
> Lots of a text goes here. Perhaps multiple sentances. But I'm about
> to make a point. And now I'm making it. Here's a list that describes
> the options:
> * Item 1
> * Item 2
>
>
> New paragraph begins here.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> |
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 sentence with "that" to get the reader's attention.</p>
<p>Here is an example of a line from a book called "The 100".</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The guard cleared his throat as he shifted his weight from side to
side. "Prisoner number 319, please stand."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>As you can see on that sentence the words "clear throat" and "shifted his weight". It want to know how to express a sentence similar to that and possibly with more than one adjective and verb.</p>
| [
{
"answer_id": 35221,
"author": "SFWriter",
"author_id": 26683,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/26683",
"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 sentence with "that" to get the reader's attention.
Here is an example of a line from a book called "The 100".
>
> The guard cleared his throat as he shifted his weight from side to
> side. "Prisoner number 319, please stand."
>
>
>
As you can see on that sentence the words "clear throat" and "shifted his weight". It want to know how to express a sentence similar to that and possibly with more than one adjective and verb. | 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 mood, action and perhaps some emotion.** In essence, you want your sentences to do more than just ***say*** what is happening, you want to show-make us feel what is happening which is what good writing is supposed to do in the first place...so this does require some practice.
Using your example of a man sitting in a cell and the (3) words you've provided, you can easily construct complex sentences that does some heavy literary lifting.
Before we dive in, you'll want to keep three things in mind:
-
>
> 1. There is no "limit" (within reason) to how long your sentences have to be, but **only use the necessary amount of words** to say what you need
> to convey or else you'll fall into bad purple prose territory.
> 2. **Use punctuation to your advantage** as it can control pacing and flow
> 3. **Watch your sentence structure**, one misplaced pronoun, adjective or comma and you've written gibberish.
>
>
>
-
WORD SOUP SAMPLE 1:Introduce some danger
----------------------------------------
>
> He was **trembling** uncontrollably, too much to **cry**, and he stifled his
> **coughs** with his fists so he wouldn't wake his roommate whose eyes were as hard and cold as the walls surrounding him.
>
>
>
In this example, after I used the words you provided, I added an element of danger, a real threat in a place like a jail cell. I don't know what your character's situation looks like, but consider using his surroundings to remind us that he's in a bad situation that can turn worse at any moment.
I've also peppered in a simile:
```
...his roommate whose eyes were as hard and cold as the walls surrounding him...
```
Similes can be powerful tools when trying to help your reader visualize a scene.
-
WORD SOUP SAMPLE 2: Play with Punctuation
-----------------------------------------
>
> **The tears finally stopped coming**, but now, he couldn't stop **trembling**
> as he **coughed** violently, wrapped tightly up under the short,
> scratchy blanket they provided everyone upon entry.
>
>
>
In this example, I played with punctuation, specifically with commas. I like how they control the pacing, and how the ideas seem to unfold slowly. Tends to build tension without anything really happening.
You'll also notice, I inferred he was crying in this example, instead of simply saying it. You could do the same with
trembling: change it to shaking, or...
coughing: changing it to choking on the air around him.
-
WORD SOUP SAMPLE 3: Say It!
---------------------------
>
> *Stop your crying*, he coached himself, trembling and bracing himself through violent bouts of coughing brought upon by the dusty blanket he had carefully cocooned himself into; *they'll have to pry me out of here*.
>
>
>
He's actually thinking it rather than saying it in this example, but it can be done either way. I've used dialogue to introduce crying into the sentence.
This version also focuses more on his mood, which is fear considering he's wrapped tightly under a dusty blanket that is making him cough. Cough in this case is doing some double duty, giving us some action and really giving us a good idea of the mood.
That's all I've got for now. No more soup for you!
-
Suggestions:
**KEEP A LIST:**
I'm assuming you read. When you do, take notes of all the complex sentences that stand out to you and jot them down on an accessible list you can reference from time to time.
Before I write, I usually look at these lists and they help with the creative writing process a great deal as I can immediately apply some of the strategies.
**PRACTICE**
Spend time practicing this very exercise you've inadvertently devised. Come up with your own three sentences and see which one sounds the best.
So go on...and get cookin'! |
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 is the central idea of my essay. i had trouble concluding. Thank you for all your comments.</p>
| [
{
"answer_id": 35221,
"author": "SFWriter",
"author_id": 26683,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/26683",
"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/35141",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/30913/"
] | 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 trouble concluding. Thank you for all your comments. | 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 mood, action and perhaps some emotion.** In essence, you want your sentences to do more than just ***say*** what is happening, you want to show-make us feel what is happening which is what good writing is supposed to do in the first place...so this does require some practice.
Using your example of a man sitting in a cell and the (3) words you've provided, you can easily construct complex sentences that does some heavy literary lifting.
Before we dive in, you'll want to keep three things in mind:
-
>
> 1. There is no "limit" (within reason) to how long your sentences have to be, but **only use the necessary amount of words** to say what you need
> to convey or else you'll fall into bad purple prose territory.
> 2. **Use punctuation to your advantage** as it can control pacing and flow
> 3. **Watch your sentence structure**, one misplaced pronoun, adjective or comma and you've written gibberish.
>
>
>
-
WORD SOUP SAMPLE 1:Introduce some danger
----------------------------------------
>
> He was **trembling** uncontrollably, too much to **cry**, and he stifled his
> **coughs** with his fists so he wouldn't wake his roommate whose eyes were as hard and cold as the walls surrounding him.
>
>
>
In this example, after I used the words you provided, I added an element of danger, a real threat in a place like a jail cell. I don't know what your character's situation looks like, but consider using his surroundings to remind us that he's in a bad situation that can turn worse at any moment.
I've also peppered in a simile:
```
...his roommate whose eyes were as hard and cold as the walls surrounding him...
```
Similes can be powerful tools when trying to help your reader visualize a scene.
-
WORD SOUP SAMPLE 2: Play with Punctuation
-----------------------------------------
>
> **The tears finally stopped coming**, but now, he couldn't stop **trembling**
> as he **coughed** violently, wrapped tightly up under the short,
> scratchy blanket they provided everyone upon entry.
>
>
>
In this example, I played with punctuation, specifically with commas. I like how they control the pacing, and how the ideas seem to unfold slowly. Tends to build tension without anything really happening.
You'll also notice, I inferred he was crying in this example, instead of simply saying it. You could do the same with
trembling: change it to shaking, or...
coughing: changing it to choking on the air around him.
-
WORD SOUP SAMPLE 3: Say It!
---------------------------
>
> *Stop your crying*, he coached himself, trembling and bracing himself through violent bouts of coughing brought upon by the dusty blanket he had carefully cocooned himself into; *they'll have to pry me out of here*.
>
>
>
He's actually thinking it rather than saying it in this example, but it can be done either way. I've used dialogue to introduce crying into the sentence.
This version also focuses more on his mood, which is fear considering he's wrapped tightly under a dusty blanket that is making him cough. Cough in this case is doing some double duty, giving us some action and really giving us a good idea of the mood.
That's all I've got for now. No more soup for you!
-
Suggestions:
**KEEP A LIST:**
I'm assuming you read. When you do, take notes of all the complex sentences that stand out to you and jot them down on an accessible list you can reference from time to time.
Before I write, I usually look at these lists and they help with the creative writing process a great deal as I can immediately apply some of the strategies.
**PRACTICE**
Spend time practicing this very exercise you've inadvertently devised. Come up with your own three sentences and see which one sounds the best.
So go on...and get cookin'! |
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 friends with Sally. Even though Sally and John admit they find the other attractive, Jane is fine with it and there's no jealousy involved. Both partners are faithful to each other and would never think to do anything behind the other's back. Likewise, Sally doesn't do anything to get in-between the two, despite her feelings for John.</em></p>
<p><em>Somewhere half-way through the book, the big bad, a powerful spirit capable of possessing people, imprisons all three of them. He has immense hatred for all three of them as they were a massive thorn in his side up until this point in the book. He doesn't plan on killing them, however, and you can probably guess what he ends up doing based on the title. He takes control over John and not only rapes John's girlfriend (Jane), but also does the same to Sally, right in front of Jane's eyes. John is fully aware of what is going on, but can't do anything to stop it. All three of them end up deeply scarred from the experience and it influences their future actions and interactions with each other. They end up being saved from the spirit by a third party.</em></p>
<p>That's roughly what I had planned, anyway. I didn't think I would try to include a rape scene in one of my stories, but given how I characterized the big bad as an irredeemable monster who takes pleasure in causing pain, it would seem fitting for him to do something so horrible.</p>
<p>Rape is obviously a very risqué topic to tackle and I'm not sure if I'm equipped to handle it. The scene isn't taken very lightly: most of it isn't directly "shown", just heavily implied to have happened, and none of it is in any way eroticised. Every second of it is pure horror for all three.</p>
<p>Let's recap: Jane sees her loved one John have his body and his free will taken. Not only does he attack her, but her best friend as well. Both women have a man they both care about be forced on them, and it's not even his fault. He's a puppet being used for a crime, and both women are fully aware of this. Sally's body is used to spite Jane, and despite not having had a choice, feels a lot of guilt and shame for being forced into doing it with her best friend's boyfriend. Even worse, and that's a massive red flag to her, she secretly enjoyed it a bit, which makes her feel even more guilty. John meanwhile is just a tool being used, being put in a situation where he's the one doing all those heinous things against his will and effectively has a front row seat to the crimes of someone else.</p>
<p>Obviously, I'm a bit nervous, but also kinda excited with what kind of opportunities this would open for the plot, but I also don't want to offend anyone, especially not victims of actual sexual abuse. Obviously someone is always going to be offended, I'm just looking for a way to reduce that number. How do I tackle this topic gracefully and tactfully? What are some things I should build on / mention / focus on? How could the characters act from then on? How could they deal with such an experience?</p>
<p>Side note: one thing I kinda fear is that it would demean the main heroines a bit too much - even if that was kinda the goal. The big bad wants to torture them, after all. I worry especially because both of them are shown to be capable fighters, yet they still end up in a horrible situation like that, to no fault of their own.</p>
| [
{
"answer_id": 35271,
"author": "Neghie Thervil",
"author_id": 30854,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/30854",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": false,
"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 Sally. Even though Sally and John admit they find the other attractive, Jane is fine with it and there's no jealousy involved. Both partners are faithful to each other and would never think to do anything behind the other's back. Likewise, Sally doesn't do anything to get in-between the two, despite her feelings for John.*
*Somewhere half-way through the book, the big bad, a powerful spirit capable of possessing people, imprisons all three of them. He has immense hatred for all three of them as they were a massive thorn in his side up until this point in the book. He doesn't plan on killing them, however, and you can probably guess what he ends up doing based on the title. He takes control over John and not only rapes John's girlfriend (Jane), but also does the same to Sally, right in front of Jane's eyes. John is fully aware of what is going on, but can't do anything to stop it. All three of them end up deeply scarred from the experience and it influences their future actions and interactions with each other. They end up being saved from the spirit by a third party.*
That's roughly what I had planned, anyway. I didn't think I would try to include a rape scene in one of my stories, but given how I characterized the big bad as an irredeemable monster who takes pleasure in causing pain, it would seem fitting for him to do something so horrible.
Rape is obviously a very risqué topic to tackle and I'm not sure if I'm equipped to handle it. The scene isn't taken very lightly: most of it isn't directly "shown", just heavily implied to have happened, and none of it is in any way eroticised. Every second of it is pure horror for all three.
Let's recap: Jane sees her loved one John have his body and his free will taken. Not only does he attack her, but her best friend as well. Both women have a man they both care about be forced on them, and it's not even his fault. He's a puppet being used for a crime, and both women are fully aware of this. Sally's body is used to spite Jane, and despite not having had a choice, feels a lot of guilt and shame for being forced into doing it with her best friend's boyfriend. Even worse, and that's a massive red flag to her, she secretly enjoyed it a bit, which makes her feel even more guilty. John meanwhile is just a tool being used, being put in a situation where he's the one doing all those heinous things against his will and effectively has a front row seat to the crimes of someone else.
Obviously, I'm a bit nervous, but also kinda excited with what kind of opportunities this would open for the plot, but I also don't want to offend anyone, especially not victims of actual sexual abuse. Obviously someone is always going to be offended, I'm just looking for a way to reduce that number. How do I tackle this topic gracefully and tactfully? What are some things I should build on / mention / focus on? How could the characters act from then on? How could they deal with such an experience?
Side note: one thing I kinda fear is that it would demean the main heroines a bit too much - even if that was kinda the goal. The big bad wants to torture them, after all. I worry especially because both of them are shown to be capable fighters, yet they still end up in a horrible situation like that, to no fault of their own. | 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 13, he takes us through a vivid rape scene, which is actually the 2nd assault in the book. Although you can imagine what has happened, there is nothing offensive about the way he describes the incident.
So let's break it down. I'm assuming you're familiar with the story, if not check out a brief synopsis here: [The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Synopsis](https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/g/the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo/book-summary).
-
MOOD
----
At the point where the main character Salander goes to see Bjurman's (the antagonist/rapist) home, she is there to hurt him for a previous assault. Unfortunately, she already knows something is off by the time he opens the door.
>
> "The plan began to go wrong, almost from the start. Bjurman was wearing
> a bathrobe when he opened the door to his apartment. He was cross at
> her arriving late and motioned her brusquely inside...
>
>
> "Haven't you learned to tell the time?" Bjurman siad. Salander did not
> reply."
>
>
>
The author goes into a few details of what she's wearing and goes into Bjurman's mood a little further.
>
> "Come on" Bjurman said in a friendlier tone. He put his arm around her
> shoulders and led her down a hall into the apartment's interior. *No
> small talk.* There was no doubt as to what services Salander was
> expected to perform.
>
>
>
For the most part, Larson told us to expect that something really bad is about to happen. You can anticipate it as he pretty much tells you
```
The plan began to go wrong, almost from the start.
```
And he proceeds to take us through Bjurman's mood swings...first annoyed and then creepy. Taking her to the bedroom is a good indication of his intentions and expectations. You know she's not happy about the situation.
-
THE SETTING
-----------
In most cases, you should use the setting to your advantage. Larson does a great job at making something as intimate and cozy as a bedroom seem like a dangerous, unforgiving space. He describes the room in detail so we get a feel of what she's seeing:
>
> She took a quick look around. Bachelor furnishings. A double bed with
> a high bedstead of stainless steel. A low chest of drawers that also
> functioned as a bedside table. Beside lamps with muted lighting. A
> wardrobe with a mirror along one side. A cane chair and a small desk
> in the corner next to door. He took her by the and led her to the bed.
>
>
>
By itself, the room doesn't have any sinister qualities, but in context, says a lot. `Bachelor furnishings...high bedstead of stainless steel`
You can read some symbolism into that if you want: *No one else will be there to save her in this cold space.*
Either way, we get a good sense that this guy probably doesn't get any female visitors other than the ones he forces there through coercion. This helps heighten the possibility that bad things are going to happen. By this time, we're wondering...would he?
-
THE DIALOGUE
------------
Larson uses dialogue to bring us into Salander's frame of mind. We know she doesn't want to do what he's expecting. They go back and forth a little as she simply asks him for money she knows he won't give her until he gets what he wants. Knowing that he has so much control over her financial welfare puts her in a position of weakness.
Through dialogue, we get a sense of his perverted power trip.
>
> "Tell me what you need the money for this time. More computer
> accessories?" "Food" she said...
>
>
> ..."Have you thought about what I said last time?" "About what?"
>
>
> "Lisbeth, don't act any more stupid than you are. I want us to be good
> friends and to help each other out." She said nothing. ...Did you like
> our grown-up game last time?"
>
> "No." He raised his eyebrows.
>
> "Lisbeth, don't be foolish."
>
>
>
If you're not creeped out by this guy by now, you've got issues. Through dialogue alone, Larson paints out Bjurman's to be a vile and disgusting human being. You hate him, even before he carries out the deed. She's stalling, finding every way possible to not go through with his demand, but she knows he's got her over a barrel.
Consider stressing the vulnerability and hopelessness of your characters in this moment.
>
>
> >
> > ..."I want my money. What do you want me to do?" she says.
> > "You know what I want." He grabbed her shoulder and pulled her towards the bed.
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> "Wait," Salander said hastily. She gave him a resigned look and then
> nodded curtly. She took off her rucksack and leather jacket and rivet and looked around...
>
>
> "Wait", she said once more, in a tone as if to say that she was trying
> to talk sense into him. "I don't want to have to suck your d\*\*\* every
> time I need money."
>
>
>
Again, tension is heightened and we know Salander has reached her end. She's not having it. From here, Larson takes us through the actual assault.
-
**THE ACTION**
This is where you want to tread carefully. There's a fine line between writing a graphic scene and being graphic. You don't want to focus on the actual rape (as in penetration, ect). Everything up to that point can be in great detail.
>
> The experession on Bjurman's face suddenly changed. He slapped her
> hard. Salander opened her eyes wide, but before she could react, he
> grabbed her by the shoulder and threw her on the bed. The violence
> caught her by surprise. When she tried to turn over, he pressed her
> down on the bed and straddled her.
>
>
> "Like the time before, she was no match for him in terms of physical
> strength. Her only chance for fighting back was if she could hurt him
> by scratching his eyes or using some sort of weapon. But her planned
> scenario had already gone to hell...
>
> *Shit,* she thought when he ripped off her T-shirt. She realised with terrifying clarity that she was out of her depth. She heard him open
> the dresser next to the bed..."
>
>
>
He proceeds to tear off her clothes and stuff her mouth so she doesn't scream.
The actual assault is summed up into one sentence:
>
> "Then she felt an excruciating pain..."
>
>
>
By the time he writes this, we don't need to know anymore details other than the fact that he followed through with his assault.
The scene ends there until he picks up again which brings us to our final example:
-
THE EMOTIONS
------------
Again, since most of the drama was placed on what happened before the assault, Larson had to spend little time with describing anything having to deal with the act. He was able to skim over it and let our imaginations do the rest.
What he does after the scene is something you can also incorporate to really bring home the gravity of the assault, by describing the mood- her/their emotions after the act.
>
> "Salander was allowed to put on her clothes. It was 4:00 on Saturday
> morning. She picked up her leather jacket and rucksack and hobbed to
> the front door, where he was waiting for her, showered and neatly
> dressed. He gave a checque for 2,500 kronor....
>
>
> She crossed the threshold, out of the apartment, and turned to face
> him. Her body looked fragile and her face was swollen from crying, and
> he almost recoiled when he met her eyes. Never in his life had he seen
> such naked, smouldering hatred."
>
>
>
**EXERCISE**
Think about how your characters might feel when it's done. They could go through a number of emotions beyond anger that you can get creative with: numbness, shock, pain, fear.
What kind of emotions or actions will you give your characters to really help us feel as strongly as they do? You can really spend some time here and the reader will appreciate it. No one gets over an assault without a long period of dread.
So, I've taken a long way to say, you can write about rape as long as you place the focus on the right places, mood, setting, dialogue, actions leading up to the act and finally focusing on emotions.
I'm going to stop typing now. |
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 specific "sub-types" of perspective where you are speaking to the reader, either in the past tense or in the present tense, like the examples below?</p>
<hr>
<p>Example 1: <strong>Past Tense</strong>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>When our train arrived in Paris, I asked you if you wanted start sight-seeing right away, or wanted to go drop our things off at the hotel. You thought about it and then told me you were hungry and that you first wanted to get some lunch.</em></p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p>Example 2: <strong>Present Tense:</strong></p>
<blockquote>
<p>When our train arrives in Paris, I ask you if you want to start sight-seeing right away, or if you want to go drop our things off at the hotel. You think about it for a while and then you tell me you are hungry and that you first want to get some lunch."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I am an amateur story writer and I want to learn more about this style by searching for existing stories in those points-of-view, but I can't search for them if I don't even know what it's called. </p>
| [
{
"answer_id": 35998,
"author": "GGx",
"author_id": 28942,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/28942",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"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",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/31267/"
] | 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, either in the past tense or in the present tense, like the examples below?
---
Example 1: **Past Tense**:
>
> *When our train arrived in Paris, I asked you if you wanted start sight-seeing right away, or wanted to go drop our things off at the hotel. You thought about it and then told me you were hungry and that you first wanted to get some lunch.*
>
>
>
---
Example 2: **Present Tense:**
>
> When our train arrives in Paris, I ask you if you want to start sight-seeing right away, or if you want to go drop our things off at the hotel. You think about it for a while and then you tell me you are hungry and that you first want to get some lunch."
>
>
>
I am an amateur story writer and I want to learn more about this style by searching for existing stories in those points-of-view, but I can't search for them if I don't even know what it's called. | 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." (Chris Sunami)
>
>
>
A clear example of pure second-person narration is *Bright Lights Big City* by Jay McInerney which begins:
>
> You are not the kind of guy who would be at a place like this at this time of the morning. But here you are, and you cannot say that the terrain is entirely unfamiliar, although the details are fuzzy.
>
>
>
The novel continues to be told firmly in the second-person. (Go to Amazon and read the first two chapters in the preview to get a feel for what second-person narrative can be.)
### Your examples
Now that we know the difference between third- ("He went ..."), first- ("I went ..."), and second-person narration ("You went ..."), let us analyze your examples.
Your example shows a mixed perspective. There are two characters here, the one narrating from a first-person perspective and the other person, addressed in the second person, who is being asked and who answers.
It is important to note that in your examples the second person is *not the reader!* The reader does not take part in the story. The narrator can *address* the reader ("Dear reader, ..."), but the reader cannot act in the story. In your example, the "you" takes an active part in the story: "You think about it for a while and then you tell me you are hungry and that you first want to get some lunch." The reader cannot tell the author that they are hungry. So this "you" cannot be the reader.
I don't know how this story continues. It could be that the first-person narrator steps back from the story completely and tells the adventures of the second-person viewpoint character ("you"), turning this into a second-person narration. Or it could be that the second-person character sits down over lunch and remains there while the first-person viewpoint character goes on an adventure, turning it into a first-person narration. Currently it is a mixed viewpoint narration, and it could well be that both the narrator and the audience go on an adventure together.
### Narrative instances
However that may be, the general schema for a narration is this:
```
author reader
| ^
| |
(writes) (reads)
| |
v | real world
---------------------------------------------------------------------
narrator audience <----+ "frame" fictional world
| ^ |
| | |
(narrates) (hears) may or may not be identical
| | |
v | |
1st-person 2nd-person |
viewpoint and/or viewpoint <---+ "story"
character character
```
The **author** writes the book in the real world. In the book, the story is told by the **narrator**. The narrator may or may not explicitly appear in the book. If he appears, it can be in a framing narrative (such as someone telling a story to an audience or someone remembering his past), as the protagonist (who narrates the story as he lives it), or as a side character (who observes the events from within the story, for example as a companion to the protagonist or as the antagonist). The **viewpoint character** is a part of the story, either as its protagonist or as a side character. The viewpoint character can be identical to the narrator ("I went ..."), to the audience ("You went ..."), or a different person ("He went ..."). Like the narrator, the **audience** can explicitly appear in the narrative (as a second-person viewpoint character or as the listener in a framing narrative) or he can be implied. When the narrator addresses a reader ("Dear reader ..."), in fiction this "reader" is not the real world reader of the book, but the audience: an instance of the text. (Only in non-fiction does the author actually address the reader directly. In non-fiction there usually is no narrator and audience ["I'll explain to you how to bake cake. You take a cup of flour ..."].)
### Examples to explain the narrative instances
In your examples, the "I" is the narrator and the "you" is the audience. Let us look at some other examples to hopefully explain the narrative instances better:
An author writes a story, in which a storyteller sits down with some children and tells them a tale. The storyteller is the narrator of the tale, and the children are the audience. Both are fictional characters inside the framing narrative, and both do not take part in the story that the storyteller/narrator tells. You, the reader, read the book. The storyteller will address the children with "you" and speak of himself as "I":
>
> Listen, children, **I** am going to tell **you** a story.
>
>
>
In that example, the "you" refers to the audience (the children) *not* the reader, but both narrator and audience are not part of the story.
>
> Listen, children, **I** am going to tell **you** a story. There once was a man and **he** ...
>
>
>
Now we can change this book so that the narrator tells *his own* story to the children. He will tell the story in the first person, and the "you" is still the audience, and neither the reader nor a character in the story. (And the narrator is not the protagonist either! He tells his own story, but looking back on it, so there is a temporal difference between the narrator and the protagonist.)
>
> Listen, children, *today* **I** am going to tell **you** a story. *Yesterday* **I** went to ...
>
>
>
But now we can go a step further and imagine that the narrator, on August 31st, 1953, tells the children the story of how he *and the children* went to Coney Island on August 30th, 1953 (and you write about that and I read it). Then, both the "I" and "you" are characters in the story *as well as* characters in the framing narrative. They are both protagonists – a first-person and a second-person protagonist – in a **mixed first- and second-person narration**.
>
> Listen, children, **I** am going to tell **you** how we went to Coney Island and **you** ran away and **I** had to search for you.
>
>
>
And of course you can leave the framing narrative away, and then we have an example similar to yours, where the narrator and first-person viewpoint character are identical and the audience and second-person viewpoint character are identical as well:
>
> Yesterday we went to Coney Island and **you** ran away and **I** had to search for you. You all cried, because you were afraid, but when I came, you smiled, because I brought you ice cream. Then we got on the bus and rode home.
>
>
>
### Difference between mixed first-and second person narration and first-person narration
The previous example (and your examples) are *not* first-person narration! *The following* is first-person narration:
>
> Yesterday I went to Coney Island with the kids and they ran away and I had to search for them.
>
>
>
### Mixed first- and third person narration is rare
Whether it is *mixed* first- and third-person narration will depend on whether we have a head-hopping narrative in which the third-person has its own viewpoint (with an internal view of the third-person character: "I thought/felt ..., and she thought/felt ..."; this is rare and generally considered bad writing) or merely a side character (with only the first-person viewpoint character's outside view of them: "I looked at her and wondered what she thought."; this is common first-person narration).
---
### Tense
There are no different terms for second-person or mixed narratives in different tenses. You could say: mixed first- and second-person narrative in past tense. But that is not a term but merely descriptive.
Different kinds of [narration](https://www.grammarly.com/blog/first-second-and-third-person/) can be distinguished by point of view – that's what you are asking about –, voice, and time. They are all explained in the Wikipedia article on [narration](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narration). |
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>
<p>I'm not sure if this is a bug or a option that I don't understand. Is there a way of fixing this issue relative to dialog that doesn't involved turning off auto-correct globally? </p>
<p><strong>UPDATE:</strong> based on answers, if remove the erroneous comma, when I type:</p>
<pre><code>“Certainly.” she replied cheerfully and vanished.
</code></pre>
<p>Scrivener still auto corrects to </p>
<pre><code>“Certainly.” She replied cheerfully and vanished.
</code></pre>
<p>However, per the answer about using comma's within quotes, if I type:</p>
<pre><code>“Certainly,” she replied cheerfully and vanished.
</code></pre>
<p>Scrivener doesn't correct anything. This seems to be inline with the American style of dialogue described below. </p>
| [
{
"answer_id": 36185,
"author": "August Canaille",
"author_id": 25629,
"author_profile": "https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/25629",
"pm_score": 2,
"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 I don't understand. Is there a way of fixing this issue relative to dialog that doesn't involved turning off auto-correct globally?
**UPDATE:** based on answers, if remove the erroneous comma, when I type:
```
“Certainly.” she replied cheerfully and vanished.
```
Scrivener still auto corrects to
```
“Certainly.” She replied cheerfully and vanished.
```
However, per the answer about using comma's within quotes, if I type:
```
“Certainly,” she replied cheerfully and vanished.
```
Scrivener doesn't correct anything. This seems to be inline with the American style of dialogue described below. | 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/punctuating-around-quotation-marks.html)):
>
> “Certainly,” she replied cheerfully and vanished.
>
>
>
Using a period within the quotation marks would indicate an end of the sentence in American style. That's why Scrivener is auto-capitalizing.
British style puts commas and periods outside single quotation marks:
>
> 'Certainly', she replied cheerfully and vanished.
>
>
> |
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>Anyone know or have opinions they could share?</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",
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] | 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 have opinions they could share? | 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 some **absolutely crucial** reason for why their lips must not be visible in this scene, I would write it like:
```
A grassy field extends to the horizon. In the distance, Bill and Ben ride quad bikes.
BEN
Dude, this is awesome!
BILL
I'm pooping my pants, man, quad bikes scare the crap out of me.
```
It's up to the director (and dictated by a number of factors like, the terrain of the location, the camera equipment available, etc. etc.) to decide how your scene is shot and whether to film them at a distance and use voice-overs or pan in for a close up.
But if you have good reason for directing how your scene should be shot, it may be worth editing your question to include that information. |
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 documents. This and other works open with front matter, including a table of contents built in HTML, clearly intelligible but without any markup saying "This succession of <code>p.table-of-contents</code> containing one link each is a table of contents."</p>
<p>Recently I received a Kindle quality notice that my book should have an NCX table of contents. I've repeatedly asked that Amazon either explain how to do that with a plain old HTML original, or withdraw the request. I've repeatedly been pointed to <a href="https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201605710" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201605710</a> and failed completely in my efforts to communicate that the instructions given are ePub-specific and not an option in a single HTML file:</p>
<pre><code>2. Use your TOC as an HTML TOC (recommended)
For customers on older devices, this saves many clicks when they want to jump to a part of your book.
Activate a guide item in the Kindle Go To menu to make a link to the HTML TOC accessible from anywhere in the book. To do this, reference your TOC in the navigation document with a landmarks nav element (sample code below).
In the epub:type attribute, set "landmarks" as the value.
In the epub:type attribute, add a link with "toc" as the value.
Sample code:
<nav epub:type="landmarks">
<ol><li><a epub:type="toc" href="table-of-contents.xhtml">Table of Contents</a></li></ol>
</nav>
</code></pre>
<p>What, if any, options are there to make any appropriate changes that are feasible within an HTML source, and/or ask Amazon to stop asking for ePub-specific features on a single non-ePub HTML source?</p>
| [
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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 matter, including a table of contents built in HTML, clearly intelligible but without any markup saying "This succession of `p.table-of-contents` containing one link each is a table of contents."
Recently I received a Kindle quality notice that my book should have an NCX table of contents. I've repeatedly asked that Amazon either explain how to do that with a plain old HTML original, or withdraw the request. I've repeatedly been pointed to <https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201605710> and failed completely in my efforts to communicate that the instructions given are ePub-specific and not an option in a single HTML file:
```
2. Use your TOC as an HTML TOC (recommended)
For customers on older devices, this saves many clicks when they want to jump to a part of your book.
Activate a guide item in the Kindle Go To menu to make a link to the HTML TOC accessible from anywhere in the book. To do this, reference your TOC in the navigation document with a landmarks nav element (sample code below).
In the epub:type attribute, set "landmarks" as the value.
In the epub:type attribute, add a link with "toc" as the value.
Sample code:
<nav epub:type="landmarks">
<ol><li><a epub:type="toc" href="table-of-contents.xhtml">Table of Contents</a></li></ol>
</nav>
```
What, if any, options are there to make any appropriate changes that are feasible within an HTML source, and/or ask Amazon to stop asking for ePub-specific features on a single non-ePub HTML source? | 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 HTML file:
<https://litworldinterviews.com/2015/07/02/how-to-create-a-ncx-table-of-contents-for-amazon-upload-using-calibre/>
I've read the document through a couple of times and it looks straightforward enough (there are pictures!) but if you want anything clarifying then I'll be happy to try to do so in the comments. |
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 you start actually creating the game and its visuals, how would you write these interactions down to describe such visual cues to someone creating the visuals, without it getting in the way of what is actually shown as text on screen?</p>
<p>Here's how I did it so far, just as an example:</p>
<pre><code>EVENT: boy and girl hear someone angrily shouting outside of their house
boy: Sounds like someone's angry.
girl: *sarcastic* Noooooo! How could you tell?
</code></pre>
<p>Obviously things like the whole EVENT line and *sarcastic* won't appear like that in the text, they'd be turned into visuals, with boy and girl turning their heads to the window when they hear the shouting and the girl rolling her eyes or something.</p>
<p>How should you describe these kinds of interactions? Should I continue with this loose structure? Are there better alternatives?</p>
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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",
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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 actually creating the game and its visuals, how would you write these interactions down to describe such visual cues to someone creating the visuals, without it getting in the way of what is actually shown as text on screen?
Here's how I did it so far, just as an example:
```
EVENT: boy and girl hear someone angrily shouting outside of their house
boy: Sounds like someone's angry.
girl: *sarcastic* Noooooo! How could you tell?
```
Obviously things like the whole EVENT line and \*sarcastic\* won't appear like that in the text, they'd be turned into visuals, with boy and girl turning their heads to the window when they hear the shouting and the girl rolling her eyes or something.
How should you describe these kinds of interactions? Should I continue with this loose structure? Are there better alternatives? | 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 the name, before the speech. Although you might like a more concise format than the standard script format.
The standard script format is specifically designed with very wide margins and double spacing so a page of dialogue will require about 60 seconds to film; and overall the duration of the film in minutes will be approximated by the number of pages in the script. That may not be important to you in a game; and you can always stopwatch reading the lines out loud, or going through the motions of acting out your scene, to get an idea of how much animation will be required to render it.
>
> Girl (sarcastic): Noooooo! How could you tell?
>
>
>
As you will see at the link, you can use more than a word, often whole sentences are used. As in a script, with **no** parenthetical, the expression to use is up to the actor and director; in your case that would be whomever is rendering your video. In your position I would make a point of deciding in each case; sooner or later *someone* has to decide.
>
> boy (amused): Sounds like someone's angry.
>
> girl (sarcastic, amused): Noooooo! How could you tell?
>
>
>
EDIT: Here is a [list of 100 one-word facial expressions](https://www.filmmakerforum.org/scripts/1655-facial-expressions-words-great-script-writing.html) you might find useful. |
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 sentences beginning with <strong>Thus</strong>, <strong>So</strong>, or <strong>Therefore</strong> etc.) for the <strong>First</strong> and or <strong>Second</strong> arguments, or whether I always have to wait and summarize all points in a final concluding sentence? The paragraph would be structured as follows:</p>
<pre><code>Beginning of the paragraph
Topic sentence
Argument 1
So, this is why argument 1 ...
Argument 2
Thus, argument 2 implies ...
Argument 3
Concluding sentence
End of the paragraph.
</code></pre>
| [
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"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",
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] | 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 sentences beginning with **Thus**, **So**, or **Therefore** etc.) for the **First** and or **Second** arguments, or whether I always have to wait and summarize all points in a final concluding sentence? The paragraph would be structured as follows:
```
Beginning of the paragraph
Topic sentence
Argument 1
So, this is why argument 1 ...
Argument 2
Thus, argument 2 implies ...
Argument 3
Concluding sentence
End of the paragraph.
``` | 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)* comes to mind, the line "everyone who knows anything about ... knows" gets used on a number of occasions to outline the things that people think, about both vampires and witches, that just aren't so. In this way readers are led to an understanding of how the rules do and don't work in this particular world through a number of small incidents rather than it feeling like a book of rules about the powers of witches and vampires; which is kind of what the novel actually is.
Tell the audience only what they need to know to understand the piece in front of them and only tell them where you're breaking with canon when it makes a serious difference. |
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 shallow level of understanding.</p>
<p>With a lot of searching I found some articles about technical side of this difference, but still, it's completely unclear for me, probably because I never worked with DITA or S1000D before.</p>
<ul>
<li><p>From <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/JosephStorbeck/dita-and-s1000-d-two-paths-to-structured-documentation-no-animations" rel="noreferrer">Slideshare presentation</a> (slide 24):</p>
<blockquote>
<p>DITA maps specify hierarchy and the relationships among the topics; they also
provide the context in which keys are defined and resolved.</p>
<p>S1000D Publication Modules contain references to data modules, other publication modules, or legacy data of a publication and its structure.</p>
</blockquote></li>
<li><p>From <a href="http://www.ditawriter.com/book-excerpt-dita-and-other-structured-xml-formats/" rel="noreferrer">one article</a>, which in turn an excerpt from the book:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>This points to one of the key differences between DITA and S1000D, which is the granularity of the level of reuse. While S1000D encourages reuse at the data module level (roughly equivalent to a topic within DITA), it does not have mechanisms for intra-data module reuse.</p>
<p><strong>My note</strong>: The word "intra" applied to "data module", not "data".</p>
</blockquote></li>
<li><p>From <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130729055447/http://www.dclab.com/S1000D_DITA.asp" rel="noreferrer">another article</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Both S1000D and DITA use the same underlying concepts and aims ... <strong>(from here to the end of the article)</strong>.</p>
</blockquote></li>
<li><p>Also, in <a href="https://www.pdsvision.se/blog/xml-dita-docbook-s1000d-shipdex-confused/" rel="noreferrer">one another article</a> it is clearly stated that DITA and S1000D are assuming completely different <strong>types</strong> of authoring. DITA is topic-based, while S1000D is module-based:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>There is one more major alternative to the book based and topic based DTD and that is to chop up the XML content in modules. In our meaning not that far from the topic based but it is really about linking it to the product structure.</p>
<p><strong>My note</strong>: Well, from what I read about there are different types of modules in S1000D. We have "data modules" which are something similar DITA's "topics" and we have "publishing modules" which are something similar to DITA's "maps". For this reason, it's not clear which one of them implied within "modular-based authoring" term. Authoring based on data modules or authoring based on publishing modules? Argh.</p>
</blockquote></li>
</ul>
<p>So, what is the <strong>techinical</strong> difference between DITA and S1000D? How DITA's topic-based approach differs from S1000D's module-based approach? Does it all mean that S1000D is not so flexible in content reuse as DITA (see second quote in my post), and how exactly this unflexibility looks, in comparison with DITA?</p>
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"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 understanding.
With a lot of searching I found some articles about technical side of this difference, but still, it's completely unclear for me, probably because I never worked with DITA or S1000D before.
* From [Slideshare presentation](https://www.slideshare.net/JosephStorbeck/dita-and-s1000-d-two-paths-to-structured-documentation-no-animations) (slide 24):
>
> DITA maps specify hierarchy and the relationships among the topics; they also
> provide the context in which keys are defined and resolved.
>
>
> S1000D Publication Modules contain references to data modules, other publication modules, or legacy data of a publication and its structure.
>
>
>
* From [one article](http://www.ditawriter.com/book-excerpt-dita-and-other-structured-xml-formats/), which in turn an excerpt from the book:
>
> This points to one of the key differences between DITA and S1000D, which is the granularity of the level of reuse. While S1000D encourages reuse at the data module level (roughly equivalent to a topic within DITA), it does not have mechanisms for intra-data module reuse.
>
>
> **My note**: The word "intra" applied to "data module", not "data".
>
>
>
* From [another article](https://web.archive.org/web/20130729055447/http://www.dclab.com/S1000D_DITA.asp):
>
> Both S1000D and DITA use the same underlying concepts and aims ... **(from here to the end of the article)**.
>
>
>
* Also, in [one another article](https://www.pdsvision.se/blog/xml-dita-docbook-s1000d-shipdex-confused/) it is clearly stated that DITA and S1000D are assuming completely different **types** of authoring. DITA is topic-based, while S1000D is module-based:
>
> There is one more major alternative to the book based and topic based DTD and that is to chop up the XML content in modules. In our meaning not that far from the topic based but it is really about linking it to the product structure.
>
>
> **My note**: Well, from what I read about there are different types of modules in S1000D. We have "data modules" which are something similar DITA's "topics" and we have "publishing modules" which are something similar to DITA's "maps". For this reason, it's not clear which one of them implied within "modular-based authoring" term. Authoring based on data modules or authoring based on publishing modules? Argh.
>
>
>
So, what is the **techinical** difference between DITA and S1000D? How DITA's topic-based approach differs from S1000D's module-based approach? Does it all mean that S1000D is not so flexible in content reuse as DITA (see second quote in my post), and how exactly this unflexibility looks, in comparison with DITA? | 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 publications contain the same information, you only need to update that information in one place. DITA calls these pieces topics, and S1000D calls these pieces data modules.
S1000D is more of a whole *process* for creating technical documentation. The specification includes XML schemas which are used for the actual authoring of content, but it also covers much more, such as data exchange, quality assurance, version control, presentation in both page-based and electronic formats, etc.
That said, the S1000D schemas are more rigid than DITA. DITA allows a lot more customization of the schemas through *specialization*. S1000D really only allows you to add extra constraints on top of the schemas by use of *Business Rules Exchange (BREX)* data modules, and a tool which can validate S1000D modules against a BREX.
For example, the schemas allow the values of attribute `emphasisType` to be `"em01"` thru `"em99"`, but you can limit your project to only using `"em01"` (bold) and `"em02"` (italics) with a BREX rule:
```
<structureObjectRule>
<objectPath allowedObjectFlag="2">//@emphasisType</objectPath>
<objectUse>The value of attribute emphasisType must be em01 (bold) or em02 (italics)</objectUse>
<objectValue valueForm="single" valueAllowed="em01">bold</objectValue>
<objectValue valueForm="single" valueAllowed="em02">italics</objectValue>
</structureObjectRule>
```
The BREX validation tool would present the erroneous XML branch to the user with the `objectUse` message if they used `"em03"` for example.
S1000D also has a very particular paradigm for the creation of modules, using a *Standard Numbering System (SNS)* and *information codes*. The SNS tells you what component of the product that module is about, and the information code tells you what kind of information the module contains about the component.
For example, if you define the SNS `32-00-00` to mean "Landing gear", and you take the information code `040` which means "Description", you get the data module "DMC-PLANE-32-00-00-00A-040A-D" which is titled "Landing gear - Description".
To hopefully clear up your confusion about *publication modules*, they define the structure of a publication only. They list what data modules will appear in the publication, and in what order:
```
<pm>
<identAndStatusSection>
<!-- snip -->
</identAndStatusSection>
<content>
<pmEntry>
<dmRef>
<dmRefIdent>
<dmCode modelIdentCode="PLANE" systemDiffCode="A" systemCode="00" subSystemCode="0" subSubSystemCode="0" assyCode="00" disassyCode="00" disassyCodeVariant="A" infoCode="001" infoCodeVariant="A" itemLocationCode="D"/>
</dmRefIdent>
<dmRefAddressItems>
<dmTitle>
<techName>Aeroplane</techName>
<infoName>Title page</infoName>
</dmTitle>
</dmRefAddressItems>
</dmRef>
<!-- more data module references... -->
<dmRef>
<dmRefIdent>
<dmCode modelIdentCode="PLANE" systemDiffCode="A" systemCode="32" subSystemCode="0" subSubSystemCode="0" assyCode="00" disassyCode="00" disassyCodeVariant="A" infoCode="040" infoCodeVariant="A" itemLocationCode="D"/>
</dmRefIdent>
<dmRefAddressItems>
<dmTitle>
<techName>Landing gear</techName>
<infoName>Description</infoName>
</dmTitle>
</dmRefAddressItems>
</dmRef>
</pmEntry>
</content>
</pm>
```
You can also create hierarchical groups by nesting `<pmEntry>` elements and titling them with `<pmEntryTitle>`
Lastly, I'd like to slightly correct one thing you quoted:
>
> This points to one of the key differences between DITA and S1000D, which is the granularity of the level of reuse. While S1000D encourages reuse at the data module level (roughly equivalent to a topic within DITA), it does not have mechanisms for intra-data module reuse.
>
>
>
S1000D does have intra-data module reuse, via *Common Information Repositories (CIR)* (or Technical Information Repositories (TIR) pre-Issue 4.1). But these are limited to specific kinds of information such as parts information, common warnings and cautions, functional item numbers, etc., for which the specification has defined a CIR. DITA still has more granular reuse, because with the `conref` mechanism and XInclude, you can reference just about *any* element in *any* document. Although XInclude is not specific to DITA, the S1000D schemas do not allow the use of it as of the latest issue (4.2).
**CIR example:**
You have a common part called the "ABC connector". Your parts repository contains details about it:
```
<partSpec>
<partIdent manufacturerCodeValue="12345" partNumberValue="ABC"/>
<itemIdentData>
<descrForPart>10 mm ABC connector</descrForPart>
<partKeyword>connector</partKeyword>
<shortName>ABC connector</shortName>
</itemIdentData>
</partSpec>
```
In a procedural data module where this connector is required as a spare part, instead of duplicating the above information, you can reference it:
```
<reqSpares>
<spareDescrGroup>
<spareDescr>
<partRef manufacturerCodeValue="12345" partNumberValue="ABC"/>
<reqQuantity>1</reqQuantity>
</spareDescr>
</spareDescrGroup>
</reqSpares>
```
This data module is said to be *CIR-dependent* because it only contains a reference to the part. You have two main options for delivering it:
1. Resolve the CIR reference by copying the information from the parts CIR in to the data module. This could be an automated process at publish time, for example. Afterwards, the data module is said to be *standalone*.
2. Distribute the CIR with the data module. This is more common when you're publishing to an *Interactive Electronic Technical Publication (IETP)* viewer that can fetch the information from the CIR at run-time. |
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
already acquired knowledge of God, belief in God, and the conviction
of the truthfulness and absolute reliability of the Prophet.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>(In Arabic, <em>shar‘a</em> means <em>Divine Law</em>.)</p>
<p>The main part of the sentence suits to what I want to express in my writing:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>Faith</em> can be active and effective only when man, through the exercise of his Reason, has already acquired knowledge of God, belief
in God, and the conviction of the truthfulness and absolute
reliability of the Prophet.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>[Note that my main intention is not to quote, but to let the reader know that certain part of that sentence is lifted from some source.]</p>
<p>What is the official style to such paraphrased quotes? (Note that there is another worry with the original source: The author is referring to another source!)</p>
<p>For example, something like,</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>Faith</em> can be active and effective only when man, through the exercise of his Reason, has already acquired knowledge of God, belief
in God, and the conviction of the truthfulness and absolute
reliability of the Prophet. [Izutsu 1965, p. 146]</p>
</blockquote>
<p>seems wrong for several reasons. However, explaining the whole issue (that the original is slightly different, and the author is referring to another work, etc.) seems to distract the reader without purpose.</p>
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"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/22176/"
] | 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, belief in God, and the conviction
> of the truthfulness and absolute reliability of the Prophet.
>
>
>
(In Arabic, *shar‘a* means *Divine Law*.)
The main part of the sentence suits to what I want to express in my writing:
>
> *Faith* can be active and effective only when man, through the exercise of his Reason, has already acquired knowledge of God, belief
> in God, and the conviction of the truthfulness and absolute
> reliability of the Prophet.
>
>
>
[Note that my main intention is not to quote, but to let the reader know that certain part of that sentence is lifted from some source.]
What is the official style to such paraphrased quotes? (Note that there is another worry with the original source: The author is referring to another source!)
For example, something like,
>
> *Faith* can be active and effective only when man, through the exercise of his Reason, has already acquired knowledge of God, belief
> in God, and the conviction of the truthfulness and absolute
> reliability of the Prophet. [Izutsu 1965, p. 146]
>
>
>
seems wrong for several reasons. However, explaining the whole issue (that the original is slightly different, and the author is referring to another work, etc.) seems to distract the reader without purpose. | 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 publications contain the same information, you only need to update that information in one place. DITA calls these pieces topics, and S1000D calls these pieces data modules.
S1000D is more of a whole *process* for creating technical documentation. The specification includes XML schemas which are used for the actual authoring of content, but it also covers much more, such as data exchange, quality assurance, version control, presentation in both page-based and electronic formats, etc.
That said, the S1000D schemas are more rigid than DITA. DITA allows a lot more customization of the schemas through *specialization*. S1000D really only allows you to add extra constraints on top of the schemas by use of *Business Rules Exchange (BREX)* data modules, and a tool which can validate S1000D modules against a BREX.
For example, the schemas allow the values of attribute `emphasisType` to be `"em01"` thru `"em99"`, but you can limit your project to only using `"em01"` (bold) and `"em02"` (italics) with a BREX rule:
```
<structureObjectRule>
<objectPath allowedObjectFlag="2">//@emphasisType</objectPath>
<objectUse>The value of attribute emphasisType must be em01 (bold) or em02 (italics)</objectUse>
<objectValue valueForm="single" valueAllowed="em01">bold</objectValue>
<objectValue valueForm="single" valueAllowed="em02">italics</objectValue>
</structureObjectRule>
```
The BREX validation tool would present the erroneous XML branch to the user with the `objectUse` message if they used `"em03"` for example.
S1000D also has a very particular paradigm for the creation of modules, using a *Standard Numbering System (SNS)* and *information codes*. The SNS tells you what component of the product that module is about, and the information code tells you what kind of information the module contains about the component.
For example, if you define the SNS `32-00-00` to mean "Landing gear", and you take the information code `040` which means "Description", you get the data module "DMC-PLANE-32-00-00-00A-040A-D" which is titled "Landing gear - Description".
To hopefully clear up your confusion about *publication modules*, they define the structure of a publication only. They list what data modules will appear in the publication, and in what order:
```
<pm>
<identAndStatusSection>
<!-- snip -->
</identAndStatusSection>
<content>
<pmEntry>
<dmRef>
<dmRefIdent>
<dmCode modelIdentCode="PLANE" systemDiffCode="A" systemCode="00" subSystemCode="0" subSubSystemCode="0" assyCode="00" disassyCode="00" disassyCodeVariant="A" infoCode="001" infoCodeVariant="A" itemLocationCode="D"/>
</dmRefIdent>
<dmRefAddressItems>
<dmTitle>
<techName>Aeroplane</techName>
<infoName>Title page</infoName>
</dmTitle>
</dmRefAddressItems>
</dmRef>
<!-- more data module references... -->
<dmRef>
<dmRefIdent>
<dmCode modelIdentCode="PLANE" systemDiffCode="A" systemCode="32" subSystemCode="0" subSubSystemCode="0" assyCode="00" disassyCode="00" disassyCodeVariant="A" infoCode="040" infoCodeVariant="A" itemLocationCode="D"/>
</dmRefIdent>
<dmRefAddressItems>
<dmTitle>
<techName>Landing gear</techName>
<infoName>Description</infoName>
</dmTitle>
</dmRefAddressItems>
</dmRef>
</pmEntry>
</content>
</pm>
```
You can also create hierarchical groups by nesting `<pmEntry>` elements and titling them with `<pmEntryTitle>`
Lastly, I'd like to slightly correct one thing you quoted:
>
> This points to one of the key differences between DITA and S1000D, which is the granularity of the level of reuse. While S1000D encourages reuse at the data module level (roughly equivalent to a topic within DITA), it does not have mechanisms for intra-data module reuse.
>
>
>
S1000D does have intra-data module reuse, via *Common Information Repositories (CIR)* (or Technical Information Repositories (TIR) pre-Issue 4.1). But these are limited to specific kinds of information such as parts information, common warnings and cautions, functional item numbers, etc., for which the specification has defined a CIR. DITA still has more granular reuse, because with the `conref` mechanism and XInclude, you can reference just about *any* element in *any* document. Although XInclude is not specific to DITA, the S1000D schemas do not allow the use of it as of the latest issue (4.2).
**CIR example:**
You have a common part called the "ABC connector". Your parts repository contains details about it:
```
<partSpec>
<partIdent manufacturerCodeValue="12345" partNumberValue="ABC"/>
<itemIdentData>
<descrForPart>10 mm ABC connector</descrForPart>
<partKeyword>connector</partKeyword>
<shortName>ABC connector</shortName>
</itemIdentData>
</partSpec>
```
In a procedural data module where this connector is required as a spare part, instead of duplicating the above information, you can reference it:
```
<reqSpares>
<spareDescrGroup>
<spareDescr>
<partRef manufacturerCodeValue="12345" partNumberValue="ABC"/>
<reqQuantity>1</reqQuantity>
</spareDescr>
</spareDescrGroup>
</reqSpares>
```
This data module is said to be *CIR-dependent* because it only contains a reference to the part. You have two main options for delivering it:
1. Resolve the CIR reference by copying the information from the parts CIR in to the data module. This could be an automated process at publish time, for example. Afterwards, the data module is said to be *standalone*.
2. Distribute the CIR with the data module. This is more common when you're publishing to an *Interactive Electronic Technical Publication (IETP)* viewer that can fetch the information from the CIR at run-time. |
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, it's just that we don't see too many people of your kind around here?
Hmm? What do you mean by that?
For the past few decades, there's been a steady decline of monsters in our islands
Well, what happened to them?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>How should I start the second sentence instead?</p>
| [
{
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"author": "Community",
"author_id": -1,
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"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"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",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/32510/"
] | 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 see too many people of your kind around here?
> Hmm? What do you mean by that?
> For the past few decades, there's been a steady decline of monsters in our islands
> Well, what happened to them?
>
>
>
How should I start the second sentence instead? | 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 publications contain the same information, you only need to update that information in one place. DITA calls these pieces topics, and S1000D calls these pieces data modules.
S1000D is more of a whole *process* for creating technical documentation. The specification includes XML schemas which are used for the actual authoring of content, but it also covers much more, such as data exchange, quality assurance, version control, presentation in both page-based and electronic formats, etc.
That said, the S1000D schemas are more rigid than DITA. DITA allows a lot more customization of the schemas through *specialization*. S1000D really only allows you to add extra constraints on top of the schemas by use of *Business Rules Exchange (BREX)* data modules, and a tool which can validate S1000D modules against a BREX.
For example, the schemas allow the values of attribute `emphasisType` to be `"em01"` thru `"em99"`, but you can limit your project to only using `"em01"` (bold) and `"em02"` (italics) with a BREX rule:
```
<structureObjectRule>
<objectPath allowedObjectFlag="2">//@emphasisType</objectPath>
<objectUse>The value of attribute emphasisType must be em01 (bold) or em02 (italics)</objectUse>
<objectValue valueForm="single" valueAllowed="em01">bold</objectValue>
<objectValue valueForm="single" valueAllowed="em02">italics</objectValue>
</structureObjectRule>
```
The BREX validation tool would present the erroneous XML branch to the user with the `objectUse` message if they used `"em03"` for example.
S1000D also has a very particular paradigm for the creation of modules, using a *Standard Numbering System (SNS)* and *information codes*. The SNS tells you what component of the product that module is about, and the information code tells you what kind of information the module contains about the component.
For example, if you define the SNS `32-00-00` to mean "Landing gear", and you take the information code `040` which means "Description", you get the data module "DMC-PLANE-32-00-00-00A-040A-D" which is titled "Landing gear - Description".
To hopefully clear up your confusion about *publication modules*, they define the structure of a publication only. They list what data modules will appear in the publication, and in what order:
```
<pm>
<identAndStatusSection>
<!-- snip -->
</identAndStatusSection>
<content>
<pmEntry>
<dmRef>
<dmRefIdent>
<dmCode modelIdentCode="PLANE" systemDiffCode="A" systemCode="00" subSystemCode="0" subSubSystemCode="0" assyCode="00" disassyCode="00" disassyCodeVariant="A" infoCode="001" infoCodeVariant="A" itemLocationCode="D"/>
</dmRefIdent>
<dmRefAddressItems>
<dmTitle>
<techName>Aeroplane</techName>
<infoName>Title page</infoName>
</dmTitle>
</dmRefAddressItems>
</dmRef>
<!-- more data module references... -->
<dmRef>
<dmRefIdent>
<dmCode modelIdentCode="PLANE" systemDiffCode="A" systemCode="32" subSystemCode="0" subSubSystemCode="0" assyCode="00" disassyCode="00" disassyCodeVariant="A" infoCode="040" infoCodeVariant="A" itemLocationCode="D"/>
</dmRefIdent>
<dmRefAddressItems>
<dmTitle>
<techName>Landing gear</techName>
<infoName>Description</infoName>
</dmTitle>
</dmRefAddressItems>
</dmRef>
</pmEntry>
</content>
</pm>
```
You can also create hierarchical groups by nesting `<pmEntry>` elements and titling them with `<pmEntryTitle>`
Lastly, I'd like to slightly correct one thing you quoted:
>
> This points to one of the key differences between DITA and S1000D, which is the granularity of the level of reuse. While S1000D encourages reuse at the data module level (roughly equivalent to a topic within DITA), it does not have mechanisms for intra-data module reuse.
>
>
>
S1000D does have intra-data module reuse, via *Common Information Repositories (CIR)* (or Technical Information Repositories (TIR) pre-Issue 4.1). But these are limited to specific kinds of information such as parts information, common warnings and cautions, functional item numbers, etc., for which the specification has defined a CIR. DITA still has more granular reuse, because with the `conref` mechanism and XInclude, you can reference just about *any* element in *any* document. Although XInclude is not specific to DITA, the S1000D schemas do not allow the use of it as of the latest issue (4.2).
**CIR example:**
You have a common part called the "ABC connector". Your parts repository contains details about it:
```
<partSpec>
<partIdent manufacturerCodeValue="12345" partNumberValue="ABC"/>
<itemIdentData>
<descrForPart>10 mm ABC connector</descrForPart>
<partKeyword>connector</partKeyword>
<shortName>ABC connector</shortName>
</itemIdentData>
</partSpec>
```
In a procedural data module where this connector is required as a spare part, instead of duplicating the above information, you can reference it:
```
<reqSpares>
<spareDescrGroup>
<spareDescr>
<partRef manufacturerCodeValue="12345" partNumberValue="ABC"/>
<reqQuantity>1</reqQuantity>
</spareDescr>
</spareDescrGroup>
</reqSpares>
```
This data module is said to be *CIR-dependent* because it only contains a reference to the part. You have two main options for delivering it:
1. Resolve the CIR reference by copying the information from the parts CIR in to the data module. This could be an automated process at publish time, for example. Afterwards, the data module is said to be *standalone*.
2. Distribute the CIR with the data module. This is more common when you're publishing to an *Interactive Electronic Technical Publication (IETP)* viewer that can fetch the information from the CIR at run-time. |
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>
<li><p>I have different number of monologues for each character (20-30)</p></li>
<li><p>Each monologue has length of 4-5 pages</p></li>
<li><p>There are multiple stories happening simultaneously and some characters know each other at some stage in history</p></li>
<li><p>Sometimes in a monologue a character is the narrator of the actions of other main characters</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Later on, all characters will be involved in a main event</strong>, all of them will be part of a huge event to finish the story...</p></li>
<li><p>I have a complete story but told from characters <strong>POV</strong>, when mixing all monologues a story exposes, but I want to know the best aproach to develop it.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>The way I have the story is:</p>
<pre><code>1.Char 1, monologue 1
2.Char 1, monologue 2
3.Char 2, monologue 1
4.Char 2, monologue 2
5.Char 1, monologue 3
6.Char 3, monologue 1
7.Char 3, monologue 2
8.Char 4, monologue 1
9.Char 5, monologue 1
10.Char 6, monologue 1
11.Char 1, monologue 4
12.Char 2, monologue 3
13.Char 4, monologue 2
14.Char 4, monologue 3
15.Char 5, monologue 2
16.Char 3, monologue 3
17.Char 6, monologue 2
18.Char 1, monologue 5
19.Char 2, monologue 4
20.Char 2, monologue 5
21.Char 2, monologue 6
22.Char 1, monologue 6
23.Char 1, monologue 7
etc...
</code></pre>
<p>Why this order?</p>
<p>Each character tells their <strong>POV</strong>, and when sorting it in a cronological order, this is the result</p>
<p>I do not know if it will be convenient to tie each monologue with a short Narrators stuff, something that completes history or tells us something that characters didn't do...</p>
<p>Could you please suggest a way to make this kind of history formed by <strong>6 characters POV</strong> nice to readers?</p>
<p>I was trying a <strong>3rd person approach</strong> but when I red the history, I felt a lack of impact that is given by telling the history as <strong>POV</strong>... </p>
<p><strong>I want the reader to feel close to a specific character's point of view</strong></p>
| [
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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",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/33683/"
] | 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 monologue has length of 4-5 pages
* There are multiple stories happening simultaneously and some characters know each other at some stage in history
* Sometimes in a monologue a character is the narrator of the actions of other main characters
* **Later on, all characters will be involved in a main event**, all of them will be part of a huge event to finish the story...
* I have a complete story but told from characters **POV**, when mixing all monologues a story exposes, but I want to know the best aproach to develop it.
The way I have the story is:
```
1.Char 1, monologue 1
2.Char 1, monologue 2
3.Char 2, monologue 1
4.Char 2, monologue 2
5.Char 1, monologue 3
6.Char 3, monologue 1
7.Char 3, monologue 2
8.Char 4, monologue 1
9.Char 5, monologue 1
10.Char 6, monologue 1
11.Char 1, monologue 4
12.Char 2, monologue 3
13.Char 4, monologue 2
14.Char 4, monologue 3
15.Char 5, monologue 2
16.Char 3, monologue 3
17.Char 6, monologue 2
18.Char 1, monologue 5
19.Char 2, monologue 4
20.Char 2, monologue 5
21.Char 2, monologue 6
22.Char 1, monologue 6
23.Char 1, monologue 7
etc...
```
Why this order?
Each character tells their **POV**, and when sorting it in a cronological order, this is the result
I do not know if it will be convenient to tie each monologue with a short Narrators stuff, something that completes history or tells us something that characters didn't do...
Could you please suggest a way to make this kind of history formed by **6 characters POV** nice to readers?
I was trying a **3rd person approach** but when I red the history, I felt a lack of impact that is given by telling the history as **POV**...
**I want the reader to feel close to a specific character's point of view** | 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 "Chronicles" novels which were pretty much prequel events to the main title. All books are written in First Person Prospective though the narrative character will change. Incidentally they had
The main book titles featured one of the six characters (Jake, Rachel, Tobias, Cassie, Marco, and Ax) doing the narration, with some exceptions (Books 19, 34, 42, 47, and 54). These books would also follow an ordered rotation of narrators that was changed late in the series. From books 1-40 (inclusive) the rotation was ordered such that each character got two books out of every ten, except Tobias and Ax (who got one book a piece out of every 10, due to being notoriously difficult to write). This saw that each character would consistently get books that ended in the following digits:
Jake (1, 6)
Rachel (2, 7)
Tobias (3)\*
Cassie (4, 9)
Marco (5, 0)
Ax (8)\*
Starting on book 41 on, The rotation followed that the narrators would cycle Jake, Rachel, Tobias, Cassie, Marco, Ax so that the full rotation occurred every six books.
The Megamorphs Titles were generally seen as not having much impact and were basically a few breathers before or after some major plot element. The big difference of the Megamorphs from the main title was that all books were narrated by all six characters over the course of the story, though it was as needed and not as in any particular order. Three of the four dealt with time travel in someway, so while the events are remembered by the characters, the events got hit with a reset button and undone at the end. And two highlight that these events were going to be reset, at least two books had a character die and thus, was not narrator until the death was undone... if at all for that book.
At the time they were written, main title books were written once a month, so the Megamorphs usually served to delay the release of the major event for another month... or serve to introduce a narrative device that the next book relied on (The first was after a major victory for the heroes in book 7 and just before the first book Ax would narrate in full, allowing readers to get a feel for his POV. The second one was right book was just after another major victory in book 18 and just before a very emotional book 19 which is the first one to feature two narrators (possibly placed to emphasize the way the switch worked). The third occurred before book 30, which was another emotionally heavy story and the fourth occurred before the new rotation was introduced.).
Finally, the Chronicles Books normally followed the POV of a secondary character in full, and deals with issues that occurred prior to the events of Book one, though all of them are framed as the protaganist recounting memories during some point in the main line series (The novel "Visser" does not have a Chronicles title, but it's structurally the same thing... it also is the only book to pick up directly from events of the previous main series). The Hork-Bajir Chronicles is the only Cronicles that featuse multiple First Person narrators (four of them) and, which follows the Megamorph format.
As the books had numbered chapters with no titles, any time a narrative transition occurred, it was always during a chapter break. The new narrator would be named (The Chapter would read "Chapter 6: Jake" and followed by a picture of the narrator, normally taken from the cover art or recent book with the character) and the next chapter would feature that chapter's narrator, even if it was the same character (though this was rare).
In the Main Line books that did this transition, the character who was the narrator in that rotation would not be introduced in every chapter in this format, but rather, only when the guest narrator was transitioned out and the regular would resume their narrative. The only exception to this was book 54, as it was the last story in the series, so it took turns describing everyone's reaction to the aftermath, though it did start with the proper character in the ordinary rotation (Rachel).
I know it's a lot to describe, but this was mostly to show that the system was largely consistent and was used to great effect through out the series.
/\* The reason for this was that both characters were very hard to right consistent stories like the other four. In the case of Tobias (who had been trapped as a Hawk morph in the first book), he filled the team's scout role and spent significant time alone and isolated from the other characters. Most of his books were very introspectively narrated or required him to go on solo missions without much in the way of back-up. Ax, being an alien among five humans, was also featured in stories that were mostly him having long solo moments and often focused on him being put into moral dilema's that forced him to choose between his loyalties to his Honorable Warrior Race and his Human allies that he worked with, specifically Jake, who Ax early on professed an oath to serve (Honorable Warrior thing...) but realized Jake was not always the most orthodox leader by his alien standards. He would often keep information from the rest of the team because of this and had to work his way through the ramifications of those choices. |
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 correct or will it be a waste of space?</p>
<p>By spaces, I mean the following.</p>
<pre><code>Sentence 1....
(Space here)
Sentence 2...
(Space here)
Sentence 3....
(Space here)
</code></pre>
| [
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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",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/28618/"
] | 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 a waste of space?
By spaces, I mean the following.
```
Sentence 1....
(Space here)
Sentence 2...
(Space here)
Sentence 3....
(Space here)
``` | 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 should. Too much becomes exhausting to read, as though the author is saying "This is important!" "This too!" And this!"
Think of it like italics. You could italicize a word in every sentence for emphasis. Hopefully you agree this would be a bad idea, and that it would become visually annoying after about three instances. You'd probably even scan ahead and get the idea that the author *really* abused italics. Same with offsetting single sentences.
Use the tool sparingly.
^^See what I did there? That sentence could have been included in the previous paragraph. It carries more oomph by being offset. But now try to imagine every sentence in this answer as having its own paragraph. This page would appear to have about fifteen paragraphs--each a single sentence--and you'd start to wonder if I was soft in the head. So, the answer to your question is yes, but please read some of your favorite books to get a feel for how often to do this, and with which types of sentences. (Perhaps concluding sentences.) |
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 formatted like above, it would feel like there's more emphasis on the pause being at the end of the first sentence, rather than the beginning of the second one like I want it to. Idk, what do you think?</p>
| [
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"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",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/37593/"
] | ```
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 there's more emphasis on the pause being at the end of the first sentence, rather than the beginning of the second one like I want it to. Idk, what do you think? | **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 on it, the ISBN can never be used again. Even if a title goes out
> of print, the ISBN cannot be reused since the title continues to be
> catalogued by libraries and traded by used booksellers.
>
>
>
If you'd like ISBNs to use on new self-published titles, you'll need to purchase them fresh. |
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, but the author doesn't have to cut back on the part that is interesting when cooking is not imminent. Here's <a href="http://www.doradaily.com/my-blog/2016/02/spelt-berry-breakfast-porridge.html" rel="noreferrer">an example</a> of the basic idea -- if you click on the "print" link it starts your browser print dialogue with a subset of the page's content. But that site made a separate page for the print version, and I want to post the recipe once not twice.</p>
<p>As somebody who sometimes posts about cooking, including recipes, on my blog, I'd like to be able to offer that printer-friendly version, too -- but I don't want to have to create the content twice. Is there some script or HTML magic that can help me? I write my blog posts in markdown and can include HTML tags. How do I modify my source to mark a portion of the post as content for a "print" link (and generate the link)?</p>
| [
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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 the author doesn't have to cut back on the part that is interesting when cooking is not imminent. Here's [an example](http://www.doradaily.com/my-blog/2016/02/spelt-berry-breakfast-porridge.html) of the basic idea -- if you click on the "print" link it starts your browser print dialogue with a subset of the page's content. But that site made a separate page for the print version, and I want to post the recipe once not twice.
As somebody who sometimes posts about cooking, including recipes, on my blog, I'd like to be able to offer that printer-friendly version, too -- but I don't want to have to create the content twice. Is there some script or HTML magic that can help me? I write my blog posts in markdown and can include HTML tags. How do I modify my source to mark a portion of the post as content for a "print" link (and generate the link)? | 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, then you can define a CSS class such that the pictures and other ancilliary content is shown on screen, but only the actual recipe is printed on paper.
This way, you don't need to have a separate "printer friendly" page, because you're using CSS to define what "printer friendly" means for your particular content. Of course, it assumes that you have control over the CSS in the first place! The person visiting your web site just prints via their browser's normal "print" function.
Specifically, as discussed [on MDN](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/Media_Queries/Using_media_queries), you can either target `print` media, or a specific characteristic of a media (a feature). For the former, you'd add something like
```
@media print {
img.food-photo { display: none; }
body { color: black; }
}
```
to hide `food-photo` class `img`s and set the text color to `black` when the rendering media is identified as `print`.
For the latter, you can target non-color-capable media (whether screen, print, or otherwise) by writing something like
```
@media not color /* untested, but looks like it should work */ {
body { color: black; }
}
```
to set the text color to `black` where color is not supported.
These can be combined to form even more complex rules, and of course the normal CSS inheritance rules apply as well, so you can override only those attributes that need to be different between, say, print and non-print.
You might also be interested in CSS [feature queries](https://drafts.csswg.org/css-conditional-3/#at-supports), which look to be similar but geared toward even more specific feature support; for example, [one example](https://drafts.csswg.org/css-conditional-3/#typedef-supports-condition) shows how to apply specific CSS depending on whether `display: flex` is supported. This looks more useful for when you want to know that the user agent (browser) supports a feature, than for targetting specific media types or capabilities.
I came across a Stack Overflow question at [What does @media screen and (max-width: 1024px) mean in CSS?](https://stackoverflow.com/q/4189868/486504) which has some more complex examples that you may find enlightening.
I think that **the biggest downside** to using CSS for this is that it leaves the visitor with no easy way to print the whole page *including* the "narrative/journey" if that's what they want to do. There are tricks that one can use, but those by their very nature *are* rather technical. |
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 software (Amazon Storywriter). Am I doing everything correctly?</p>
<p><strong>My current sample :</strong></p>
<pre><code>Bob slowly averts his eyes towards the trees.
QUICK FLASH
Hands bend a thick rope into a loop.
BACK TO SCENE
Eyes down again. Grimaces. Finds the courage to return his gaze.
QUICK FLASH
A noose sways in the breeze. Heavy off-beat BREATHING.
BACK TO SCENE
Head down. Winces.
</code></pre>
| [
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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 Storywriter). Am I doing everything correctly?
**My current sample :**
```
Bob slowly averts his eyes towards the trees.
QUICK FLASH
Hands bend a thick rope into a loop.
BACK TO SCENE
Eyes down again. Grimaces. Finds the courage to return his gaze.
QUICK FLASH
A noose sways in the breeze. Heavy off-beat BREATHING.
BACK TO SCENE
Head down. Winces.
``` | 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 sequences. I'm not too fond of the 'back to scene' tag as I don't feel it really tells the reader anything. So for example I might try something like the below for what you have:
EXT. HOMESTEAD - DAY
Bob slowly averts his eyes toward the trees.
EXT. RANCH - AFTERNOON (VISION SEQ)
Hands bend a thick rope into a loop.
EXT. HOMESTEAD - DAY
Eyes down again....
Seems like it might be more flexible for moving scenes around.
If these visions are occurring a lot throughout the scene and form a continuous scene on their own then you could also use an intercut: introduce the scene headings at the beginning and then have a heading saying INTERCUT BETWEEN...etc. |
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 in "strange fonts".</p>
<p>So far, so good.</p>
<p>Now my problem is I need to convert all this into a format suitable for Kindle as I want to self-publish with Amazon.</p>
<p>I have seen standard tools (i.e.: Kindle Create), but that seems to lack all the kinds of formatting I'm using and its input (if I want to enable reflow) is restricted to Microsoft .docx format, which I don't know how to produce.</p>
<p>OTOH I have control over my program so, given a suitable markup (e.g.: Markdown) I can generate what is needed.</p>
<p>Question is: which "suitable markup" is available for novel rendering?</p>
<p>Ideally it should:</p>
<ul>
<li>handle standard headings (easy; almost every markup does).</li>
<li>handle TOC and some limited cross-referencing (this is also standard).</li>
<li>handle font change "on the fly" (font face, not just bold/italic).</li>
<li>handle (possibly nested) direct speech, possibly keeping track of speaker.</li>
<li>output a professional-looking ebook for Kindle (mobi, epub or azw3/4).</li>
<li>if possible generate, from the same source, also PDF (not mandatory).</li>
</ul>
<p>Does such a beast exist?</p>
<hr>
<p>UPDATE:</p>
<p>judging from comments and the lonely Answer I did not manage to make the message through (or I'm saying something completely foolish, which could well be).</p>
<p>What I really like in LaTeX is it's possible to use things like <code>\tqt{Yesterday my boss said: \tqt{jump!} and I had to jump.}</code> to define a (nested) direct speech fragment and it will be converted according Your (global) choices.</p>
<p>In my book I use:</p>
<pre><code>«Yesterday my boss said: “jump!” and I had to jump.»
</code></pre>
<p>but that could be easily (and globally!) converted to a different style, e.g.:</p>
<pre><code>— Yesterday my boss said: «jump!» and I had to jump.
</code></pre>
<p>This (again AFAIK) is possible neither in plain HTML nor with programs normally used to edit books (MSWord, kindle-create, Calibre or Sigil).</p>
<p>Other uses of semantic tagging could include:</p>
<ul>
<li>differentiating (visually or otherwise) speech from different entities (e.g.: speech from a vampire could be in a different font)</li>
<li>long citations.</li>
<li>nested tales (e.g.: flashbacks).</li>
<li>separators (horizontal line vs. stars vs. graphic image).</li>
<li>add "invisible" metadata (e.g.: time and duration of a scene, to be used to prepare a timeline).</li>
<li>etc.</li>
</ul>
<p>"Normal" markup languages (e.g.: Markdown) are not really suited for this even if they have a lots of features, mostly useless for novel writing (cross-reference, lists, tables, math, ...).</p>
<p>I am thinking about defining (and implementing) something myself.</p>
<p>Let me know if there is some interest.</p>
<p>Any comment welcome.</p>
| [
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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",
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] | 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 fonts".
So far, so good.
Now my problem is I need to convert all this into a format suitable for Kindle as I want to self-publish with Amazon.
I have seen standard tools (i.e.: Kindle Create), but that seems to lack all the kinds of formatting I'm using and its input (if I want to enable reflow) is restricted to Microsoft .docx format, which I don't know how to produce.
OTOH I have control over my program so, given a suitable markup (e.g.: Markdown) I can generate what is needed.
Question is: which "suitable markup" is available for novel rendering?
Ideally it should:
* handle standard headings (easy; almost every markup does).
* handle TOC and some limited cross-referencing (this is also standard).
* handle font change "on the fly" (font face, not just bold/italic).
* handle (possibly nested) direct speech, possibly keeping track of speaker.
* output a professional-looking ebook for Kindle (mobi, epub or azw3/4).
* if possible generate, from the same source, also PDF (not mandatory).
Does such a beast exist?
---
UPDATE:
judging from comments and the lonely Answer I did not manage to make the message through (or I'm saying something completely foolish, which could well be).
What I really like in LaTeX is it's possible to use things like `\tqt{Yesterday my boss said: \tqt{jump!} and I had to jump.}` to define a (nested) direct speech fragment and it will be converted according Your (global) choices.
In my book I use:
```
«Yesterday my boss said: “jump!” and I had to jump.»
```
but that could be easily (and globally!) converted to a different style, e.g.:
```
— Yesterday my boss said: «jump!» and I had to jump.
```
This (again AFAIK) is possible neither in plain HTML nor with programs normally used to edit books (MSWord, kindle-create, Calibre or Sigil).
Other uses of semantic tagging could include:
* differentiating (visually or otherwise) speech from different entities (e.g.: speech from a vampire could be in a different font)
* long citations.
* nested tales (e.g.: flashbacks).
* separators (horizontal line vs. stars vs. graphic image).
* add "invisible" metadata (e.g.: time and duration of a scene, to be used to prepare a timeline).
* etc.
"Normal" markup languages (e.g.: Markdown) are not really suited for this even if they have a lots of features, mostly useless for novel writing (cross-reference, lists, tables, math, ...).
I am thinking about defining (and implementing) something myself.
Let me know if there is some interest.
Any comment welcome. | 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 article</a> I recently stumbled upon that blatantly outlines in the quoted text that some people buy books based on the cover alone (and perhaps a quick cursory glance at the blurb):</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The general evaluation process goes something like this:</p>
<pre><code>Click on book because of cool, relevant cover.
Scroll down and read the tagline/first few words of the blurb.
Leave, click buy, or read a few reviews.
OR
Leave, click buy, or read the sample.
OR
Leave or click buy.
</code></pre>
<p>In other words, a strong cover and blurb can sell your book.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>My question is: Is it really true that many ebook buyers are silly enough to purchase a book simply because of its cover (and blurb) without first sampling the actual writing inside the book? I find this hard to believe.But yet this is the impression or outright assertion that is often made when I hear people talk about the enormous importance of great covers for selling books.</p>
| [
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"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 that blatantly outlines in the quoted text that some people buy books based on the cover alone (and perhaps a quick cursory glance at the blurb):
>
> The general evaluation process goes something like this:
>
>
>
> ```
> Click on book because of cool, relevant cover.
>
> Scroll down and read the tagline/first few words of the blurb.
>
> Leave, click buy, or read a few reviews.
>
> OR
>
> Leave, click buy, or read the sample.
>
> OR
>
> Leave or click buy.
>
> ```
>
> In other words, a strong cover and blurb can sell your book.
>
>
>
My question is: Is it really true that many ebook buyers are silly enough to purchase a book simply because of its cover (and blurb) without first sampling the actual writing inside the book? I find this hard to believe.But yet this is the impression or outright assertion that is often made when I hear people talk about the enormous importance of great covers for selling books. | 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 reader that this story will fall inside the category of books they generally enjoy reading.
Once that's done, the blurb will then confirm those expectations by letting the reader know a little more about the story while making a promise of what they have to look forward to if they buy.
Some readers look inside, read the first paragraph or even the first few pages, but some like to buy and be surprised.
However, at this point, the author has gained the reader's trust. Expectations have been set and promises have been made. It is up to the author to prove that the money spent was worthwhile.
The silly ones are authors who believe that a great cover and blurb are enough to mask a turd and make them money. Sure, they've made one sale (unless the customer is so angry, they return it), but they've also made sure that the reader will never pick up another book they've written or tell a single soul about it (unless it's to say 'Don't buy that book!').
Very few writers make money from one book. The silly ones are the authors who think a strategy of fooling readers by failing to meet the expectations set by a great cover and blurb is enough to build a career. |
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
A.2. def bar
B. Specific Methods
B.1. def ...
C. Further Methods
</code></pre>
<p>However, this looks kinda strange in my ToC, is there any style guide on how to name sections <em>only</em> containing source code?</p>
| [
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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
B. Specific Methods
B.1. def ...
C. Further Methods
```
However, this looks kinda strange in my ToC, is there any style guide on how to name sections *only* containing source code? | 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 guides for the journals in your discipline. Also consider talking with the post-docs and researchers in your supervisor's group. Should all that fail, hash-out a structure yourself, then bring all the leg-work you've done to your supervisor, and ask for their opinion.
(PS: Congrats on your approaching submission!) |
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 trochaic rhythm (/u):</p>
<pre><code> legend
double
ember
</code></pre>
<p>And these words have iambic rhythm (u/):</p>
<pre><code> attempt
compare
until
</code></pre>
<p>Ideally, word choice would come first, but I prefer the restrictions in play when writing in meter. Perhaps it is my job as the poet to sound out various words aloud and decide where the stresses are . . . but some words are very ambiguous or subject to an individual's way of speaking, no? I am wondering if there is a "word bank" for various types of rhythm for me to draw from when writing in specific meters. Thank you. </p>
| [
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"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 trochaic rhythm (/u):
```
legend
double
ember
```
And these words have iambic rhythm (u/):
```
attempt
compare
until
```
Ideally, word choice would come first, but I prefer the restrictions in play when writing in meter. Perhaps it is my job as the poet to sound out various words aloud and decide where the stresses are . . . but some words are very ambiguous or subject to an individual's way of speaking, no? I am wondering if there is a "word bank" for various types of rhythm for me to draw from when writing in specific meters. Thank you. | 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 files in which one writes up all the details about each character such as gender, age, height, interests, place in family, and all the important milestones in that person's life. This may include items that don't enter the story but help make the character who they are. For characters in serials, this is especially important so that the author can go check if Tom had glasses in Book 2 or if that only happened in Book 4. Or maybe it was Harry who had the glasses and Tom who wore a baseball hat everywhere he went, even to church if his wife--or was it his mother--let him.
You mention "forgetting details." This means you had them in your head and/or imagination at one point. Write them down right away. No need to draw; write them down in all their tedious detail. Make a list or chart if that is helpful. People divide their wardrobes into headgear, tops (e.g. shirts, blouses, jackets), bottoms (e.g. slacks, pants, jeans), footwear (different kinds of footwear for different purposes), accessories (e.g. ties, scarves).
I am not into clothes for my characters--they just wear the same drab stuff all the time with a focus on what's going on, but some authors dress their characters in different clothes every day. If you want to do that, I can visualize a chart for each character. Across the top, write the different categories of the wardrobe and down the side write the names of items, leaving room to list a variety of jeans, shorts, slacks, etc. Then, when it comes time to dress Tom for the government meeting or Therese for the party, all you have to do is go into the "closet" aka chart and pick from what's there.
**Using Pictures**
I use pictures, too, for clothing. Since I'm writing about people in earlier decades, I'll ask Google for "girl's dress 1960s" or "men's clothes 1940s." That tends to bring up Sears catalogue pages from the years requested. For the centuries before photographs, it tends to be paintings. I have not gone back far enough to need pottery or cave engravings but I think that's where information of the very ancient styles come from. To not infringe on copyright of contemporary photographs, one can pick and choose elements of the garments to describe. You are not reproducing the photograph.
**How Much Description**
This brings us to another of your questions: How much description is required?
I personally don't like reading long detailed descriptions of clothing when I'm dying to know who killed the corpse we met in Chapter 1. A friend suggested to use just enough detail to get the reader thinking in the right direction. Let readers fill it in with their own imagination.
For example, Tom with the baseball cap in church was probably wearing some kind of pants and footwear though we are never told. I'm making this up as I go. All we know is that he was in a t-shirt with a tie and baseball cap when his mother caught him going out the door. Given that description of his dress from the waist up (I'd add colour and design in a real story), reader imagination will dress him from the waist down. We want to know what happens when this guy gets to church, especially if it's a traditional suit-and-tie congregation.
**Describing A Large Group**
Don't try to describe every person in a crowd of a hundred people. Describing the six key men in your group is enough. Authors use various techniques to describe groups. Often they start with a characteristic everyone had in common, then add a bit more to give the reader a general idea. Include enough detail to carry the plot. Maybe all six men carried a briefcase or wore a tie. Maybe in your large crowd everyone is wearing a uniform or religious symbol or is "prepared to take a stand." You can use clothing and body postures to set the atmosphere of the scene (calm, tense, angry, joyful, etc.). For example, a scene with a priest who boldly displays his cross and a lawyer who pushes out the chest of his expensive suit as he struts up to him with a briefcase both describes people and suggests conflict.
**How I Get The Details Down**
You ask how I get the details down. Often the details are the last thing I add to the scene. I'll visualize in my head the exact location (room, lawn, etc.) where the characters are, what else is in their immediate environment, what tools they are using, what clothing they are wearing. Then I'll add enough to make the scene come alive as described above. |
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 hearing. (Please note that I'm an elementary special education teacher and that <em>transcribing</em> is far from a specialty of mine!) I want to indicate that the opposing counsel was incredibly rude, unprofessional, and borderline attacking throughout our meeting. </p>
<p>I've been researching the rules of transcription and I've read that you can indicate <em>tone</em> at the beginning of a quotation (e.g. [<em>angry</em>] "I don't want to go.") Is there a way I can indicate the opposing counsel's rude/attacking tone when quoting her? Or express her tone/behavior in the surrounding body paragraphs? Here is an example from my transcription:</p>
<pre><code>EA was asked to speak in a more professional manner and to refrain from raising her voice at MDT members.
EA: “I’m not raising my voice.”
B: “Well, your tone has been- [EA scoffs and visibly rolls her eyes]. Ma'am, we would appreciate if you'd stopped--"
EA: “We can agree to disagree. Document in the Prior Written Notice that the parent is requesting..."
</code></pre>
<p>Can I write at the beginning of her quote something like <strong>EA [brashly]: "____"</strong> or maybe [impertinently]? It's important that the hearing officer is aware of the EAs aggressive tone and behavior throughout our 2 hour meeting.</p>
<p><strong>Thank you for your time and help!!</strong></p>
| [
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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 that I'm an elementary special education teacher and that *transcribing* is far from a specialty of mine!) I want to indicate that the opposing counsel was incredibly rude, unprofessional, and borderline attacking throughout our meeting.
I've been researching the rules of transcription and I've read that you can indicate *tone* at the beginning of a quotation (e.g. [*angry*] "I don't want to go.") Is there a way I can indicate the opposing counsel's rude/attacking tone when quoting her? Or express her tone/behavior in the surrounding body paragraphs? Here is an example from my transcription:
```
EA was asked to speak in a more professional manner and to refrain from raising her voice at MDT members.
EA: “I’m not raising my voice.”
B: “Well, your tone has been- [EA scoffs and visibly rolls her eyes]. Ma'am, we would appreciate if you'd stopped--"
EA: “We can agree to disagree. Document in the Prior Written Notice that the parent is requesting..."
```
Can I write at the beginning of her quote something like **EA [brashly]: "\_\_\_\_"** or maybe [impertinently]? It's important that the hearing officer is aware of the EAs aggressive tone and behavior throughout our 2 hour meeting.
**Thank you for your time and help!!** | 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, and I feel your pain... but it's just not done in the legal sector. As an impartial third-party seeing an example of what you're attempting, I think it damages the credibility of the document if you show your value judgements in there.
Maybe you could mark for your own notes the exchanges that need elaboration or explanation, so if it comes down to argument, you have something to argue (or introduce an audio clip as evidence). |
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/items/CarrieStephenKing/Carrie_-_Stephen_King.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">link</a>) is a 60K book in 100 pages, but it looks congested. Was Steven King's manuscript also 100 pages?</p>
| [
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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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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/Carrie_-_Stephen_King.pdf)) is a 60K book in 100 pages, but it looks congested. Was Steven King's manuscript also 100 pages? | 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/answers/threadview?id=608972> |
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>
| [
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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/answers/threadview?id=608972> |
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 they can help me in some tasks, so that they can see the project growing, and I can have time to focus on writing new articles. I sincerely consider me as being overloaded right now. The tasks they may help includes:</p>
<ul>
<li>Share it to other potential readers, either on their Facebook wall or via chat </li>
<li>Help me engage with other readers: manage pages, posts, comments</li>
<li>Write emails to other targets: publishers, people they don't know personally but probably see its importance in their work</li>
</ul>
<p>My questions are:</p>
<ol>
<li>Is this reasonable?</li>
<li>How should I approach them?</li>
</ol>
<p>Related: <a href="https://writing.stackexchange.com/q/50027/11428">What to ask next when people tell me that my article is excellent?</a></p>
| [
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"pm_score": 2,
"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 can help me in some tasks, so that they can see the project growing, and I can have time to focus on writing new articles. I sincerely consider me as being overloaded right now. The tasks they may help includes:
* Share it to other potential readers, either on their Facebook wall or via chat
* Help me engage with other readers: manage pages, posts, comments
* Write emails to other targets: publishers, people they don't know personally but probably see its importance in their work
My questions are:
1. Is this reasonable?
2. How should I approach them?
Related: [What to ask next when people tell me that my article is excellent?](https://writing.stackexchange.com/q/50027/11428) | 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/answers/threadview?id=608972> |
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 is the best way to name the 4, 5, and 6 sections?</p>
<p>First version:</p>
<pre><code>4. To check whether key exists
5. To retrieve value
6. To check whether variable or function is True or False
</code></pre>
<p>or maybe</p>
<pre><code>4. Checking whether key exists
5. Retrieving value
6. Checking whether variable or function is True or False
</code></pre>
<p>or maybe</p>
<pre><code>4. Check whether key exists
5. Retrieving value
6. Check whether variable or function is True or False
</code></pre>
<p>English is not my native language.</p>
| [
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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",
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] | 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 the 4, 5, and 6 sections?
First version:
```
4. To check whether key exists
5. To retrieve value
6. To check whether variable or function is True or False
```
or maybe
```
4. Checking whether key exists
5. Retrieving value
6. Checking whether variable or function is True or False
```
or maybe
```
4. Check whether key exists
5. Retrieving value
6. Check whether variable or function is True or False
```
English is not my native language. | 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"
[booknote] "this block is a quote from a specific text"
[idea][todo] "something I need to get done that is associated with an idea for some other endeavor"
</code></pre>
<p>This would result in, for e.g., a file "idea.txt" that contains the first and third lines along with a timestamp for the write date of these various snippets or of the last write date of the files they come from. In terms of scale, there are a few hundred files to process.</p>
<p>I've seen references to Evernote, OneNote in this thread (<a href="https://writing.stackexchange.com/questions/21727/how-can-a-writer-efficiently-manage-many-text-snippets">How can a writer efficiently manage many text snippets?</a>) but are they best suited for the task I'm after? I wasn't sure if they'd work with text snippets or only whole files that have been tagged. I'm also looking for a lightweight application and to run all this locally and not upload my files to the cloud.</p>
| [
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"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",
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] | 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 quote from a specific text"
[idea][todo] "something I need to get done that is associated with an idea for some other endeavor"
```
This would result in, for e.g., a file "idea.txt" that contains the first and third lines along with a timestamp for the write date of these various snippets or of the last write date of the files they come from. In terms of scale, there are a few hundred files to process.
I've seen references to Evernote, OneNote in this thread ([How can a writer efficiently manage many text snippets?](https://writing.stackexchange.com/questions/21727/how-can-a-writer-efficiently-manage-many-text-snippets)) but are they best suited for the task I'm after? I wasn't sure if they'd work with text snippets or only whole files that have been tagged. I'm also looking for a lightweight application and to run all this locally and not upload my files to the cloud. | 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. They would make stupid banter with the villains and do dumb stuff that seemed more in-line with a Dungeons and Dragons campaign than a fantasy novel. The idea was to point out that a bunch of friends saving the world would be acting a lot more like the Z Fighters in DBZA, with their own in-jokes, quirks, making constant references to pop culture, and such (I mean, look at how people today talk), than the super-dour and grim depictions seen in most media that completely scrub any reference to contemporary culture to avoid lawsuits and dating the work.
**It failed. Miserably.**
After doing a plot autopsy I came to several conclusions as to why the story failed to work. First is that humor is hard. It's easy to write a story where everyone is serious but humor is so tailored to the individual that what one person finds funny another person will not. So it's hard to make jokes land. Team Four Star has even mentioned this in saying that jokes from early DBZA and Hellsing Abridged seem painfully awkward and politically incorrect now.
The second issue is I tried to balance horror tropes and general scariness and it failed miserably. The intent was that main characters would snark with/at the monsters but the monsters were still scary in their own right. The problem is that in stories you can be silly or serious, but not both at the same time. One usually comes at the cost of the other. This is why most stories have the comedy in the first act and the drama in the second. Some abridged series *have* balanced levity and seriousness. Cell in DBZA is the prime example. Many people have noticed that when Cell showed up on screen in DBZA the humor toned down and things became more serious. And even then Cell was only funny by engaging in a brand of humor so dark it made Mr. Popo take notice. Trying to do both will give your readers narrative whiplash.
Using an abridged-style tone throughout your series means your readers never get "engrossed" in the plot. The constant jokes relieve tension (which is why people IRL joke in stressful situations, in fact). The fact that the characters don't take the danger seriously means the readers never do as well. The characters could be in a legitimately life-and-death situation, but the fact they are cracking jokes means the audience never feels that way. On a related note this is a common criticism of the "Whedonesque" style seen in many Marvel movie, for the exact same reason. It deflates tension and makes the movie "bland". There is a time to be serious and a time to be funny. The audience looks to character behavior as a "cue" to inform them how they should feel.
Another aspect of why abridged series are often funny is *because* the original authors took them so seriously. Look at the four most popular abridged series of all time: *Hellsing Ultimate Abridged*, *Dragonball Z Abridged*, *Yu-Gi-Oh the Abridged Series*, and *Sword Art Online Abridged*. What do all of them have in common? Their plots are all treated with utter seriousness by the original authors but they have a ton of goofy plot holes ("children's card games", power levels/episode progression, a lot in *Sword Art Online*) Heck, *Yu-Gi-Oh the Abridged Series* made a running gag out of the fact that battles for the fate of the world, global geopolitics, and the creation of prestigious academies were determined by "children's card games". It's much harder to make something funny for its own merits compared to poking fun at what already exists. This is why people find *true* opinions expressed by crazy people online funny but knowingly fake opinions aren't. We find it funny not because of what's being said, but out of the idea that someone is nuts enough to legitimately believe this. |
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 become part of my style. I'm not fully sure if that's good or bad?</p>
<p>What I originally wrote, using only narration:</p>
<blockquote>
<ol>
<li>He wasn't going with total strangers or anything. Both Houses were connected by marriage. The leader of House Basthed being his father's brother-in-law. But if Morgan ever met his uncle and his family, he
was probably too young to remember.</li>
<li>"Right?" asked Cailin, her big eyes on the verge of tears. Making it
hard to say no.</li>
<li>His uncle was content about talking of his old friend, but there was
something that bothered Morgan.</li>
<li>Emmer hadn't changed much. His presence brought back some bad
memories.</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
<p>Compared to the same paragraphs, including internal thoughts:</p>
<blockquote>
<ol>
<li>He wasn't going with total strangers or anything. Both Houses were connected by marriage. The leader of House Basthed being his father's brother-in-law. <em>‘I can't remember meeting my uncle or anyone from his family. Maybe I did when I was just a baby?’</em></li>
<li>"Right?" asked Cailin, her big eyes on the verge of tears. <em>‘It’s
hard to say no if you look at me with that expression,’</em> he thought.</li>
<li><em>‘He looks so happy talking about his old ally… Then why he doesn’t speak about him more often? Unless…’</em></li>
<li><em>‘He hasn’t changed much since I left.’</em> Looking at him brought back
some bad memories.</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
<p>As you can see, there's a huge difference, and I'm not fully sure which one is better.</p>
<p>I feel like the first series of examples are more professional. But because of that reason, they are drier.</p>
<p>And this is supposed to be for a YA audience, so maybe the lighter tone of the second series of examples would be better? What do you think?</p>
<p>I'm writing third-person limited. And I'm doing POVs with more than one character.</p>
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"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
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] | 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 style. I'm not fully sure if that's good or bad?
What I originally wrote, using only narration:
>
> 1. He wasn't going with total strangers or anything. Both Houses were connected by marriage. The leader of House Basthed being his father's brother-in-law. But if Morgan ever met his uncle and his family, he
> was probably too young to remember.
> 2. "Right?" asked Cailin, her big eyes on the verge of tears. Making it
> hard to say no.
> 3. His uncle was content about talking of his old friend, but there was
> something that bothered Morgan.
> 4. Emmer hadn't changed much. His presence brought back some bad
> memories.
>
>
>
Compared to the same paragraphs, including internal thoughts:
>
> 1. He wasn't going with total strangers or anything. Both Houses were connected by marriage. The leader of House Basthed being his father's brother-in-law. *‘I can't remember meeting my uncle or anyone from his family. Maybe I did when I was just a baby?’*
> 2. "Right?" asked Cailin, her big eyes on the verge of tears. *‘It’s
> hard to say no if you look at me with that expression,’* he thought.
> 3. *‘He looks so happy talking about his old ally… Then why he doesn’t speak about him more often? Unless…’*
> 4. *‘He hasn’t changed much since I left.’* Looking at him brought back
> some bad memories.
>
>
>
As you can see, there's a huge difference, and I'm not fully sure which one is better.
I feel like the first series of examples are more professional. But because of that reason, they are drier.
And this is supposed to be for a YA audience, so maybe the lighter tone of the second series of examples would be better? What do you think?
I'm writing third-person limited. And I'm doing POVs with more than one character. | 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 indirect speech, is in the narrator's voice, and written in the same tense as the narration. Since it doesn't come from the character, is a form of concision or summary, in that it doesn't strictly move in real-time. Albeit, the time ratio can be anything; from 1:1 (real-time), 10:1 (time passing fast), or 1:100 (time slowing down). When used well, summary moves the story forward quickly because it can directly speak of conflict in the story without, necessarily, feeling like expository information.
Direct thought, like direct speech is in the character's voice, and is written in present tense. Since it is exactly what a character is thinking, or saying, it is in real time, and works well with beats -- statements of character action to establish a sense of motion and filling space.
The two can be mixed together to create an engaging, emotional distance with the character and vary the rate of time passing to establish tension and suspense in the story.
That said, either can be used to make abysmal writing and agonizing story telling -- and not in a good way. If your words make for engaging sentences and your choices of what to share in summary/concision and what belongs in scene/real-time, then both direct thought and indirect thought are effective techniques.
Always keep in mind that they call it 'storytelling' and not 'story-showing' for a reason. And there are no fixed rules about how to do things or express things. There are patterns and expected forms certainly. They exist because they are how past writers figured out how to tell their stories, and other writers copied the method. Future writers benefit from aping those techniques, but are entirely free to figure out new methods and their own tricks to use in their storytelling. If they are effective, then writers will ape their techniques. |
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 confidential and should only be used in the scope of this collaboration. DO NOT SHARE!</p>
</blockquote>
<p>My colleague is quite opposed to using all caps, they perceived it as abrupt, shouting and unprofessional. From my experience, the all caps is common practice and the preferred way to emphasise in legal notices, i.e. instead of more stylish typographical changes like italics or bold.</p>
<p>What do you think? Is my colleague right, and I am remembering things from TV and books instead of real life business documents?</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
| [
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"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 | [
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The text I proposed was something like this:
>
> The data in this table is confidential and should only be used in the scope of this collaboration. DO NOT SHARE!
>
>
>
My colleague is quite opposed to using all caps, they perceived it as abrupt, shouting and unprofessional. From my experience, the all caps is common practice and the preferred way to emphasise in legal notices, i.e. instead of more stylish typographical changes like italics or bold.
What do you think? Is my colleague right, and I am remembering things from TV and books instead of real life business documents?
Thanks. | (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 checked them).
Licenses are often written in nothing but ASCII, limiting the typographical choices for emphasis severely. Other options would include [letter spacing (sperrsatz)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emphasis_(typography)#Letter-spacing), but this is (nowadays) usually reserved for headings.
I would find the notice as given entirely appropriate. You might even consider setting the *whole* notice in all caps.
You also regularly see phrases like "ALL RIGHTS RESERVED" in all caps.
Remember that in ASCII, typography is even more limited than with a typewriter. You can not double stroke to create boldface, you can not underline by moving the carriage back and re-typing on the same line with underscores. You don't have italics. Spacing and all caps are pretty much the only options for emphasis, but spacing often does not look that good. Compare:
>
>
> ```
> The data in this table is confidential and should only be used in the
> scope of this collaboration. DO NOT SHARE!
>
> ```
>
>
>
>
> ```
> The data in this table is confidential and should only be used in the
> scope of this collaboration. D O N O T S H A R E !
>
> ```
>
>
>
>
> ```
> The data in this table is confidential and should only be used in the
> scope of this collaboration. D o n o t s h a r e !
>
> ```
>
>
The last two are unnecessarily hard to parse, *especially* when viewing the document in a reader that ignores consecutive whitespace like a browser (note that I *had* to set the text as code block to get verbatim monospace formatting).
When using Unicode, one might opt to use narrower spaces. Note that in the font used here, whitespace, thin space and hair space have the same length (I tried using narrower spaces), and are much harder to type. Also, hair spaces are not supported by all browsers or other readers/text editors. For compatibility reasons, it is best to only use the normal whitespace.
So yeah, given the limited options for emphasis in such notes and given that all caps is the accepted form for emphasis in many open source licenses, I do not see a reason not to use all caps for emphasis.
**User Interface** / **Rich Text Documents**
However, if the interface you are displaying in supports other forms of emphasis, like boldface, these are very worth exploring. Especially bold can draw the eye of the reader *immediately* to the "do not share" phrase, even better than all caps.
Compare:
>
> The data in this table is confidential and should only be used in the
> scope of this collaboration. DO NOT SHARE!
>
>
>
>
> The data in this table is confidential and should only be used in the
> scope of this collaboration. **Do not share!**
>
>
>
Emphasizing legal notes like "do not share" in business documents is standard practice and not something to worry about. I wouldn't even think twice about it if I read such a notice. In fact, I'd probably find it odd if it was not emphasized, because that runs the risk of me inadvertently not seeing the notice. |
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 anyway? As in should the body of the letter only use appropriate pronouns (I, we, us, and 'the party of the first part') when referring to the correspondent?</p>
| [
{
"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 should the body of the letter only use appropriate pronouns (I, we, us, and 'the party of the first part') when referring to the correspondent? | 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 but formal letter should be signed with one's full name, but printing the name below the signature is less common. However it should be done if there is any reasonable chance that the recipient will be confused on who is sending the letter.
If the sender is unknown to the recipient, and particularly when the sender wants an organization to check the proper file it is often wise to start with a name. For example
>
> Commissioner Jones:
>
>
> My name is Jane Doe. My Contract number is 2124789. I want to bring to your attention ...
>
>
> ...
>
>
>
> ```
> Jane Doe
>
> ```
>
> |
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 actor, how long and loud the actor should sound like when he utters the line. How is this normally done?</p>
| [
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"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 sound like when he utters the line. How is this normally done? | 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, so I wouldn't worry too much about there only being 5 'O's over 12. 2-3 exclamation marks should be enough as well.
Another option is to use annotations in the shape of [parenthetical-script](https://writebetterscripts.com/parenthetical-script/):
```
CHARACTER
(trailing off)
Noooo....!
``` |
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>It may look like</p>
<blockquote>
<p>This tag is assigned if the field <em>City</em> is <em>Chicago</em>.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I'm struggling with the 2nd <em>is</em>.</p>
<p>Perhaps the following:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>This tag is assigned if the <em>FieldName</em> contains <em>Value</em>.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>That may be a little open-ended if one value is expected.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>This tag is assigned if the <em>FieldName</em> value is <em>Value</em>.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>What verb would you choose in this case, or how would you rework the sentence?</p>
<p>For context, I'm trying to document an SQL query like:</p>
<pre><code>select * from locations where city = 'chicago'
</code></pre>
| [
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"answer_id": 55420,
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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 the field *City* is *Chicago*.
>
>
>
I'm struggling with the 2nd *is*.
Perhaps the following:
>
> This tag is assigned if the *FieldName* contains *Value*.
>
>
>
That may be a little open-ended if one value is expected.
>
> This tag is assigned if the *FieldName* value is *Value*.
>
>
>
What verb would you choose in this case, or how would you rework the sentence?
For context, I'm trying to document an SQL query like:
```
select * from locations where city = 'chicago'
``` | 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 field: *FieldName* is *Value*
This tag is assigned if field *FieldName* equals *Value*
To me, none of these seems any better than the others.
---
The important thing is that you **should not** use *contains* in place of *is* or *equals*.
*Contains* suggests this SQL query, which is likely to have very different results:
```
SELECT * FROM locations WHERE city LIKE '%chicago%'
``` |
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 thinking about doing this throughout the essay but as it's not something I've done before I'm not sure whether to do this as a one of, none of or a running theme. So essentially is it ever okay to have the last sentence of a paragraph a broken sentence with an ellipsis which is completed by the next tile?</p>
<p>What are your thoughts?</p>
| [
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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 throughout the essay but as it's not something I've done before I'm not sure whether to do this as a one of, none of or a running theme. So essentially is it ever okay to have the last sentence of a paragraph a broken sentence with an ellipsis which is completed by the next tile?
What are your thoughts? | 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 graded. BUT it is fairly unique, and in the world of writing today, unique at least stands out. If your audience appreciates character and personal expression, and is willing to overlook just how clever it's being, it will make your work stand out.
So really, it's entirely about your audience. If it's for a class, ASK the professor if they appreciate experimental techniques. If they do, you're set. If they tell you you're deviating from the formula and will be graded accordingly, then there's your answer. |
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 another. If so, how much is too much? I am thinking there might be some situations where it make sense, but it doesn't make any sense most of the time. Could you give a few example of novels that have several plots one after another and does so effectively without losing the readers?</p>
| [
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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 too much? I am thinking there might be some situations where it make sense, but it doesn't make any sense most of the time. Could you give a few example of novels that have several plots one after another and does so effectively without losing the readers? | 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 larger one. |
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) eight topics.</p>
<p>With the aim of writing a concise text, I want to minimize the semantic overlap between topics. So, when comparing each topic/chapter with any of the other chapters, I would like to see a high cohesion within each topic and limited overlap between chapters.</p>
<p>Visually, if I'd cluster all the book’s words, I’d expect to see distinct groups with each topic a separate group (after filtering out stop words and other generic words). Or put differently, I would expect to be able to get lists of words that are unique and telling for each topic since they don’t appear in any other topic.</p>
<p>What’s a technique (or even term for this need, other than “textual analysis”) that I could use? Any tool that you’d know? Any other book (!) that you can recommend on this topic?</p>
<p>[English isn't my native language, so apologies for any grammatical errors.]</p>
| [
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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",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/51675/"
] | 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 aim of writing a concise text, I want to minimize the semantic overlap between topics. So, when comparing each topic/chapter with any of the other chapters, I would like to see a high cohesion within each topic and limited overlap between chapters.
Visually, if I'd cluster all the book’s words, I’d expect to see distinct groups with each topic a separate group (after filtering out stop words and other generic words). Or put differently, I would expect to be able to get lists of words that are unique and telling for each topic since they don’t appear in any other topic.
What’s a technique (or even term for this need, other than “textual analysis”) that I could use? Any tool that you’d know? Any other book (!) that you can recommend on this topic?
[English isn't my native language, so apologies for any grammatical errors.] | 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 did this in an AI lab at UNI where we were tasked with classifying articles into one of two sets. (Someone defined them as "coal" and "cauliflower.")
You start by filtering out stopwords as you mention.
Then for each of the remaining words, you count how many documents it exists in. Let's call this value `N1` for the number of documents containing the word in set 1 and `N2` for the number of documents containing the word in set 2.
Finally, you determine the value of the word as:
```
ABS(N1 - N2)
```
This means that if the word exists in many documents in both sets, the number gets low. If it exists a lot in one set but not in the other the number gets high. If it doesn't exist a lot in either set the number gets low.
The number of documents in each set must be the same, or you should transform `N1` and `N2` into percentages of documents having the word in each set (i.e. divide `N1` with the total number of documents in set 1, etc).
When we compared the lists of words for each set we found "coal" was highly ranked in one set and "cauliflower" was highly ranked in the other. (And we took this list of words that was a good representation of the difference between the document sets and created a decision tree, but that's beside this discussion.)
I'm not sure how to do this for more than two sets of documents though, but the essence of the process would be to find words used a lot in one set and used much less in all the others.
Perhaps, for each set and each word do:
```
MAX(0, ABS(Nthis - N1 - N2 ... -Nx))
```
Where `Nthis` is the number of documents having the word in the current set. And `N1 - N2 - ... - Nx` is the number in the other documents. (Or percentages if the document sets are of different sizes.)
Or create an accumulative word score by calculating the score for the word in the current document set against all other document sets one at a time summing the word score.
You need to fire up your IDE and test approaches.
**Update: Pseudo code**
Not sure this helps but I couldn't stop myself... This would be how to calculate a word score for more than two sets... maybe...:
```
words // all words in all document sets minus stop words
wordScore // score of words
docSetWords // a list of doc sets that is a list of words in that doc set
// i.e. docSetWords[0][0] = first word in first set (pseudowise...)
foreach word in words
for i = 0 to docSetWords.length - 1
for j = i + 1 to docSetWords.length
N1 = count word in docSetWords[i]
N2 = count word in docSetWords[j]
wordScore[word] = wordScore[word] + ABS(N1 - N2)
// I.e. sum of word scores
end
end
end
``` |
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:
When I went outside my home I had a feeling,
something wasn't right. (that)
I guess I didn't have the time (but)
that is how I almost died (and)
</code></pre>
| [
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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 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/59706",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/52814/"
] | 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 outside my home I had a feeling,
something wasn't right. (that)
I guess I didn't have the time (but)
that is how I almost died (and)
``` | 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 *habit*. It is not a bad practice. Don't do it if the meaning is damaged.
If the word is not necessary to the meaning, then brevity beats wordiness. |
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 out west on the old frontier.
There I can be free,
and I'll have no problem chasing my dreams.
I want the old west back,
so if I have the chance
I'll jump into the past.
I'd trade anything
to have the old west back.
</code></pre>
<p>How can I be sure my songs are stories?</p>
| [
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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 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/60888",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/52814/"
] | 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 frontier.
There I can be free,
and I'll have no problem chasing my dreams.
I want the old west back,
so if I have the chance
I'll jump into the past.
I'd trade anything
to have the old west back.
```
How can I be sure my songs are stories? | 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'm not feeling any less sour
>
>
> I promise myself to treat myself
>
>
> And visit a nearby tower
>
>
> And climbing to the top
>
>
> Will throw myself off
>
>
>
Gilbert O'Sullivan: You have a story in the first lines: The singer has made a conditional promise: If they don't feel better soon, he will "treat himself".
The listener is engaged and wondering what will happen. This is a story.
>
> … "Let us be lovers, we'll marry our fortunes together
>
>
> I've got some real estate here in my bag"
>
>
> So we bought a pack of cigarettes and Mrs. Wagner pies
>
>
> And walked off to look for America
>
>
>
Paul Simon: Bingo, a story in the first line: A proposition is made, "Let us be lovers and marry our fortunes together".
Will it happen? Yes, we get the answer in a few lines, but then WHAT will happen? The song is the story of a desperate search for a place to belong. (IMO).
Many songs are just about a momentary feeling, love, or sorrow, getting fed up and breaking up, struggle, etc. You could call these "declarations". I feel strong. I feel victorious. I feel angry. I feel healed. I feel saved.
Story songs are often also about a theme feeling, but told as a sequence over time. "A" happened, so "B" happened, so "C" happened.
In the song "Alone Again", the song theme is loneliness, but told in a sequence: We begin at the end: He is stood up at the altar and this is the last straw, he is suicidal. Then we flash back, to all the times he has lost people and felt alone, time and again.
>
> … I learned the truth at seventeen
>
>
> That love was meant for beauty queens
>
>
> And high school girls with clear skinned smiles
>
>
> Who married young and then retired
>
>
>
Janis Ian. Again: Story from the first line: \*\*What is the truth?!?!"
None of these songs require interaction with others; Paul Simon's has a lover but they are not in conflict, they are fellow searchers taking comfort in each other.
All the songs have an emotional theme, we recognize it whether we can name it or not.
The difference in story songs is they relate events that brought on this emotion. Why is Gilbert O'Sullivan feeling suicidal?
Why is Paul Simon feeling lost and melancholy?
Why is Janis Ian feeling unloved, ugly, left out?
For your "Old West" song to be a story, the emotional THEME would be you want the Old West back, the STORY would be WHY you want the Old West back.
What happened to you?
Or what is happening to you?
You have 2 or 3 verses and a chorus, what are the 2 or 3 life problems that would be solved if you were back in the Old West?
What was allowed or prevailed then that you wish was allowed or prevailed now?
Duels? A simpler life? Riding the open range and living under the stars? Fresh air? True love?
Pick your theme, the feeling you want to convey. Then your story (in poetic verses) is the 2 or 3 most important incidents that have made you feel that way. |
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 make sense? Can it be improved?</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Good time to get your dream out of the drawer?</p>
</blockquote>
| [
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"selected": false,
"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",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/54090/"
] | 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 sense? Can it be improved?
>
> Good time to get your dream out of the drawer?
>
>
> | 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 the reader has to use their brain to find an answer unless the answer is obvious.
Asking whether it is a good time to pursue something, the reader has to consider the alternatives, evaluate whether they are more important/urgent than the dream, and decide whether the risk of wasting time on a dream is worth it. All this takes time, and by then they have already passed a few other banners.
### Example 1:
A simpler banner like:
```
Got a dream?
```
Makes the reader think about the dream, about the fact that they have not pursued, and consider whether it is time to do so.
### Example 2:
If you want them to feel the urgency, then add a reference to it:
```
Time up for your dream!
```
### Example 3:
If instead this is just a ploy to advertise watches then focus on the time element and push the dream out of the picture:
```
Now is the time.
``` |
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>However, my question is about the reverse scenario: Is it acceptable to place a question mark after a dash? Here's an example:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“But do you think the island even—?”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In this example, the speaker is asking if the island even exists but is interrupted. Would such an abruptly ended question be punctuated with an em dash and then a question mark at the end?</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 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/62686",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/51709/"
] | 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 about the reverse scenario: Is it acceptable to place a question mark after a dash? Here's an example:
>
> “But do you think the island even—?”
>
>
>
In this example, the speaker is asking if the island even exists but is interrupted. Would such an abruptly ended question be punctuated with an em dash and then a question mark at the end? | 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 spend much time worrying about it either way. That's the kind of thing that, if you're going the traditional publishing route, your future editor would have an opinion on. Or if you're going the self-publishing route, that decision is the kind of detail that readers (in my own completely subjective opinion) don't care about. I've read so many thousands of books and what bothers me is things that are obviously grammatical/spelling errors (of which I usually notice plenty even in the more well-written books), not so much the things like this. |
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 animation studio would be interested in buying the rights to produce it, or the rights to produce a pilot to see how it does?</p>
<p>And if a studio were to buy the rights, how much would they most likely pay for it?</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... | 2022/07/09 | [
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/62688",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/55856/"
] | 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 animation studio would be interested in buying the rights to produce it, or the rights to produce a pilot to see how it does?
And if a studio were to buy the rights, how much would they most likely pay for it? | 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 spend much time worrying about it either way. That's the kind of thing that, if you're going the traditional publishing route, your future editor would have an opinion on. Or if you're going the self-publishing route, that decision is the kind of detail that readers (in my own completely subjective opinion) don't care about. I've read so many thousands of books and what bothers me is things that are obviously grammatical/spelling errors (of which I usually notice plenty even in the more well-written books), not so much the things like this. |
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 automatically (and renumber if pieces are dragged around)</li>
<li>make it easy to indent (create a deeper level of hierarchy) or outdent (shift the indentation to the left)</li>
<li>When viewing it, make it easy to hide or unhide (fold/unfold) a subtree</li>
<li>I should be able to save my outline on local disk</li>
</ul>
<p>Can someone recommend an application which is doing this and runs either on Microsoft Windows or MacOS (i.e. <strong>not</strong> a web-based application)?</p>
<p>What I tried:</p>
<p>I tried Microsoft Word, and it makes it easy to handle the numbering and manipulate the hierarchy, but I can't tell it to hide a whole subtree.</p>
<p>I considered writing the outline using HTML and the <em>collapsible</em> style element of CSS, but this seems to be too tedious and detracts me from the actual writing process.</p>
<p>I tried Dynalist, which really looks good, but it does not number the outline (uses bullet points instead) and does not allow me to backup my data on my local disk.</p>
<p>I googled for the terms "software outline", but what came out, were mostly tools for drawing a mindmap. I didn't find a single one, which would even match what Microsoft Word already has to offer.</p>
| [
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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",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com",
"https://writers.stackexchange.com/users/56221/"
] | 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 around)
* make it easy to indent (create a deeper level of hierarchy) or outdent (shift the indentation to the left)
* When viewing it, make it easy to hide or unhide (fold/unfold) a subtree
* I should be able to save my outline on local disk
Can someone recommend an application which is doing this and runs either on Microsoft Windows or MacOS (i.e. **not** a web-based application)?
What I tried:
I tried Microsoft Word, and it makes it easy to handle the numbering and manipulate the hierarchy, but I can't tell it to hide a whole subtree.
I considered writing the outline using HTML and the *collapsible* style element of CSS, but this seems to be too tedious and detracts me from the actual writing process.
I tried Dynalist, which really looks good, but it does not number the outline (uses bullet points instead) and does not allow me to backup my data on my local disk.
I googled for the terms "software outline", but what came out, were mostly tools for drawing a mindmap. I didn't find a single one, which would even match what Microsoft Word already has to offer. | 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 numerical labelling, you use the compiler. |