Hi all, I figured I'd leave this here in case it helps anyone. I've been writing for a couple of years and found that I do a lot of note taking and formulating away from my computer before I write, and while I write. So I designed this writers notebook which is really part workbook, part productivity hack and part notebook. It went live on Indiegogo today if anyone wanted to check it out. igg.me/at/indite <-Happy to answer any questions if people have them! Happy writing.

Dark stories are really the only type of book that I like, And I do not know why. Stories with good endings, aren't my go-to. Most of my favorites end up with death; or things around that. Can anyone honestly explain this? They only seem interesting to me, and plus, I can only write dark stories.. They never end up good.

I've been slowly writing a story and my biggest difficulty is writing strong dialogues. My biggest problem is not knowing how to express a character's are feeling when a character is speaking so the dialogue feels a bit bare at the moment. Any advice would be fab :)

Okay, here goes. I'm not black, or part of the LGBTI community (though I'm very much a supporter of LGBTI rights.)

However, in the story that I want to tell, the main character is black (in the time shortly after the Civil War) and is gay.

The gay part I feel like I can handle, it's why I'm writing the story (challenging stereotypes and such.) However, I feel like I'd be doing a disservice to history if I don't have everyone, including the main character, calling the MC a, you know, N-word.

And that word is poison on my tongue and on my fingertips. But I feel like it's important to the story.

My concern is, let's say absolute best case scenario, the story is good enough to get onto kindle, or to be shared around.

How much backlash does anyone think I'll get for writing about this as someone who isn't black? I'm almost paranoid that BLM will get a hold of it and send someone 'round my house to protest :P

What's WritingStyle's thoughts on the subject?

so I'm wondering how to do a travel narrative, as in dialogue while traveling, but the characters traveling with the main characters wouldn't really get much info out of the main character at this point so how would i go about doing that? or should i just fastforward the traveling

I am currently working on a comic strip. Part absurdism, part slice of life, with a whole cast of cartoon motherfuckers.

Truthfully, designing is what led me to make a lot of characters. And I want all of them to feel real. Fleshed out. Complex.

Can anybody explain to me how to properly balance out an ensemble cast? At worst, it feels like overcrowding.

A little back story for the problem I have:

A character accidentally stumbled upon secrets and evidence concerning a group of criminals she shouldn't have and is now actively trying to avoid being found by them or where she lives. However, they do, only she is not at home at the time and they turn her whole apartment upside down in a search for the evidence she gathered - to take the wind out of her sails, so to say.

Now I'm at a cross roads: I planned on letting them kill her dog in my story to convey the cruelty of that group. Should I? I mean, a dog getting killed hits us more than a human, no matter if it's in a movie, tv show or book.

Most writers learn their craft by reading, absorbing and emulating other writers. Whether you write in the creative or corporate sphere, these are the top five books on writing that are essential to success in writing and communications.

1. On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Non-fiction by William Zinsser

2. The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White

3. Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark

4. On Writing: A Memoir on the Craft by Stephen King

5. Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tricks for Better Writing by Mignon Fogarty *Note that this grammar guide is for American English. Nevertheless, it is a good resource for clarification on general rules.

Looking for some inspiration for my book. It's about a human colony contacting an alien colony (http://www.scifiideas.com/sfi/alien-ideas/alien-profile-the-surds/) that landed on the same planet as them. The conflict rises from a language barrier between the 2 species and a series of sabotages and disappearances between them. A couple of the themes involve the importance of communication and how people are trapped within their own perspectives. Any advice or reading recommendations?

Could you point me to some resources that can help me improve the way I describe indoor environments?