Questions tagged [on-topic-definition]
The on-topic-definition tag has no usage guidance.
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Are reader-centric questions on-topic?
Perhaps this is a strange discussion asked on a site for writers, but...
Are questions that are asked from the reader's perspective on-topic?
Example excerpt:
I've just read Is it better to slowly ...
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Questions on "how do I get to make an AI write for me?"
This is a bit of a follow-up on the ban of AI-generated answers. When an asker comes up with a question along the lines of "how do I get this AI to generate text for me?", what should we do?
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Should asking for tool suggestions be considered on-topic?
I've seen a number of these but here's just one example. The gist is, someone asks "what are some tools that do X?" X is usually a task related to writing.
In the don't ask section it says ...
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Specific cliche requests (and similar questions) - off or on topic?
Recently, I have seen a couple of questions asking if their specific scenario (such as a character or item) is cliche.
I doubt anyone else will have those exact problems so the answers would only ...
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Are questions about book cover services on topic?
I want to ask a question about book cover services but am unsure if it is on topic or not. I don't think this is defined in the help center, yet is still kind of related to writing/publishing. If ...
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Questions about wiki writing in general
Is it on-topic to ask questions about wiki writing in general? Wikis can be great resources but - in my experience - need special writing skills. Finding good titles, organizing content into pages, ...
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Are questions for webcomics but also somewhat about writing on topic?
I've just started writing a webcomic and was wondering if I can ask questions about it here. Obviously I won't ask 'how to draw X', but probably more about the layout of the strip and timing, as well ...
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Writing tips - on topic?
If I post “what are your favorite writing tips” will it get shut down?
I know the answer is probably yes, but I thought it would be cool, since the upvotes would rank them best to worst, and it would ...
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Would this question be on topic?
This is a question I have that pertains to writing, and I was wondering if it would be on topic if so I would migrate it, or ask it on the main site.
Question
What types of methods can be used in ...
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Is it on-topic to ask if the way I want to write a character is plausible?
I do not identify as LGBTQ+, but I am going to be writing a book with a main character who is. Their queerness will only be prominent for one arc, during which the story will focus very heavily on ...
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Are questions about writers on-topic?
The What was the daily routine of Charles Bukowski like during his years at the Post Office? is closed for being about writers, not writing. However, according to What topics can I ask about here?, ...
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Is this HNQ question off-topic?
This question was posted yesterday, asking how two characters on non-overlapping shifts could plausibly form a rapport with one another. This appears to me to be a textbook "what to write" question - ...
F1KrazyMod
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New reviewer, looking for clarification about what appears to be a request to critique
RE: Job description for my employment reference
I've just been given access to the review queues and I'm seeking some clarification. The above question appears to meet the expectation in the Help ...
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Can I ask people about the inconsistency of the tone?
I am wondering if I can post a short excerpt of my writing and ask people to comment on the inconsistency of the tone in various parts of the writing?
Similarly, can I post a short excerpt of my ...
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Song Lyrics - On topic?
I had found a meta discussion from 2010, but I imagine policy may have changed since then?
I have a couple of questions I would like to ask regarding meter, repetition, general structure, etc. Is (...
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Are questions about organizing video scripts and post-production on-topic?
From What topics can I ask about here? and Are questions about screenplay on-topic?, it seems that the answer is yes. We have questions about screenwriting. However, organizing video scripts and post-...
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Would this question be acceptable for Writing, or is it better suited on e.g. Worldbuilding?
I have been informed that using the Writing Meta site as a Sandbox is allowed. If not, let me know and I'll make some structural changes. Here's the question:
When writing a fictional world, is it ...
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Is this question fit for Writing SE or EL&U?
Here's is a simplification of the question, below it is why I an unsure where it should go:
Is this a metaphorical or figurative sentence: "His heart was filled with anguish, anger and sorrow&...
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Are questions about MLA formatting on-topic?
I have a question about in-text citations for my MLA paper, but before I ask it on Writing SE, I feel like it isn't exactly on topic. Would it be more suitable on English SE?
user34214
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On topic: "How do I teach [whatever writing concept]?"
A lot of the information I have is mostly lesson-plan-ish. (Collegiate, so more informal than many public schools require.) When I was a new instructor, I was always googling for good ways to ...
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Could I ask for feedback/suggestions to improve an essay I wrote?
Could I ask for feedback/suggestions to improve an essay I wrote? I have been recently asked to do a practice write of an argumentative class in class. I have finished and turned it in. However, this ...
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What's our stance on writing tool identification requests?
Today we got the question What type of pen is being used here?, which asks what type of pen is shown in a wikihow tutorial. I couldn't find anything on writing tool identification requests on Meta and ...
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Closing ancient questions
I have found today a question from 2014 in the VTC queue. What's our stance on those? It was on topic back then, it isn't now - we've changed what we call "on topic".
We don't want questions like ...
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Are there some hidden rules I am not aware of that would explain the relatively high amount of downvotes on new posts lately?
Something I've recognized since I've started to be more active again is that it feels like some 80% or so of new posts get downvoted, often pretty fast after being posted. Most of the time I can't ...
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Let's break constraints of Constrained Writing
Motivated by ongoing contest, I was looking for less used writing areas on the site and make those areas more exposed, active and open to larger audiences. My first question after the contest's ...
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Topicality of question on how to give feedback
Would a question on how to give good constructive feedback to other writers fit this Exchange? Would it be too broad? That would be my main concern, but I believe that we could give a list of ...
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Do we need to clarify in the help center that questions about existing literary works are off topic, or adjust the close reason text?
A recent incident caused me to, among other things, look at the help center article What topics can I ask about here? in relation to the "existing literary works" close reason:
The community has ...
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Is here the right place to talk about writing/storytelling tropes?
I've seen a lot of questions about tropes or general storytelling trends, like if not having a happy ending or making the villain change sides is acceptable.
I'm not writing currently, but I have a ...
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Is asking how to describe something on topic?
Is asking how something or asking how to describe X on topic?
There are many questions like:
How a mature child would behave
How to show a crying scene
I feel like those type of questions are ...
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"Examples of X in Fiction" questions
I've understood questions of the form "What are examples of X in existing fiction" to be off-topic for us.
Because:
By definition, they're list questions, which work really poorly on SE
They're low-...
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Asking what to include - On topic?
I want to ask what to include in a first page text, would that be considered on topic or off topic? I noticed that asking what to write is off-topic, however I want to ask what to include, for example ...
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Should we allow visual art questions if they are about narrative storytelling or character design?
Inspired by the question: How to design characters for a comic series?
The question is broadly about both creating a character team and art technique. The OP has been directed to Arts and Craft and ...
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What's our stance on terminology questions?
There have been two questions today that ask about writing related terms without specifying a writing related problem:
Is there a term for a first person narrative, written specifically in the past ...
user29032
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Are "how can I hide information" questions on topic?
I was about to ask a question about "hiding information in plain sight" on the main site when I realised that it could be too open ended. I looked into the help centre and couldn't find ...
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Are questions about general plot solutions on-topic?
I asked a question after I carefully evaluated what is considered on-topic (under "Generating plot ideas") and read the related linked question. After some debate in the comments and getting two good ...
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Should we close this? "What are good reads about writing?"
The question what are good reads about writing? would, if asked today, almost certainly be closed.
To prevent your question from being flagged and possibly removed, avoid asking subjective questions ...
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Can I ask for help/feedback for my personal life story on Writing SE?
I am a 100% novice writer. I came here from Stack Overflow as a programmer after stumbling across it.
My partner and I are getting married in August and long story short (no pun intended) she is a ...
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Is asking to proof read text for a specific issue on topic?
I understand I can't just ask a proofreading question.
I want to ask a question if I am using dialog tags well. I see a lot of discussion about it, but I can't understand is my writing makes the ...
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New rule on what to write questions
This post is to capture our new rules on what to write questions, as proposed in Getting Writers out of its Rut.
There are several kinds of questions that can be characterized as "what to write&...
user16226
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Why are examples of writing and critiques off topic again?
I came across an off-topic question where someone had asked for help tightening up a piece of prose. It was flagged as off topic and I found it peculiar. In other exchange sites you might have a ...
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Are service questions on topic?
Been noticing today especially a lot of people are asking us for services that they can go to, to find specific needs. To my knowledge of the help and tour pages, asking for services are considered ...
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Why was this question on good and evil in literature put on hold
I am staggered to see that How can I have a war with no "good" or "evil" side? has been put on hold as a what to write question. It is a question about the role of good and evil in ...
user16226
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Are questions about teaching writing on-topic?
I'm an experienced writer, and I am trying to teach some of what I know, in a working environment, to other members of my team. Are questions related to helping others write better on-topic? They're ...
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Do the on topic rules fit non-fiction, particularly technical writing?
This site is supposed to be about all forms of writing equally. But, as has been noted before, it is actually dominated by aspiring and hobbyist fantasy fiction writers. We have discussed how to ...
user16226
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"where to publish?"--on-topic or no?
Can I ask for recommendations of where to submit pieces I've written? Obviously I can google for "creative writing journals" or whatever myself, so I'm more interested in what journals (or whatever) ...
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Would questions about debating techniques be on topic?
Is debating technique, i.e. what you do in debate clubs, on topic?
I know it's not exactly writing, but it involves composing and structuring arguments, and seems to have a lot in common with ...
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Are ethical questions on-topic?
A question on ethics in journalism prompted me to wonder: are ethics questions on-topic here?
It makes sense to me that there are many ethical questions which are unique to the fields of writing - ...
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Are questions about analyzing a non-literature writing on-topic?
In the What topic I can ask here?, two things attracted my eyes:
Non-fiction, technical, or scholarly writing is on-topic.
Questions seeking to interpret or analyze an existing work is off-topic (...
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Asking about a particular series - on topic?
Driven by recent questions, I want to ask a question about why on earth the Inheritence Cycle sold like it did, when everyone I've met agrees it is bad. The problem is, this question is about a ...
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Matters of taste vs matters of opinion
It seems to me that here (and elsewhere on Stack Exchange) some posts are criticised being matters of opinion that actually can be answered factually, and also that this seems to be very hit and miss,...
user16226