fiction - How can I Switch Protagonists Between Books?

Disclaimer: I am not intending on doing this. It is just a question I thought was fascinating and might be useful to other writers.

Here's the scenario. You're writing a series of novels. After the first book, you decide to change to a new protagonist. The reason isn't important. What's important is that if you've developed the protagonist correctly, the reader is invested in him. He wants him to win. Now he must suddenly shift to a new protagonist.

This presents a problem. The reader will want to stay with the old protagonist. That's the one he likes. He spent a whole novel with that person, learning deep truths about his character as they went through harrowing journeys together. Now he's suddenly forced to work with this new person, when he is only interested in reading about the old one. The reader puts the book down and leaves.

So here's my question: is there some tried-and-tested method for dealing with this? Suppose you write one novel, and then shift to the protagonist's best friend for the next novel. You could theoretically lessen the impact by making the friend a strong secondary protagonist in the first novel, so let's make it worse. What if you're telling a genealogy story, and the next novel picks up with the protagonist's kids? You can't exactly make a one-year-old a secondary protagonist before-hand.

How can you shift to a new protagonist in the next novel?

Note: Ignore killing off the protagonist. This is for if he's still alive and well.

Additional Note: I develop my characters so that the reader cares about them. To me, every protagonist needs a reason for the reader to want him to win. I call this quality Strength. He also needs inner conflict, something unresolved inside of him that makes him endlessly interesting to read about. Inner conflict is usually resolved at the end of the book, but you still have Strength, drawing the reader back to the old protagonist.

The opening pages are very important, because if the reader likes the old protagonist (now a side character) more than the new one, he could easily turn against the new protagonist, which would completely skew your novel.

Do note that this method of character development is my own personal method. It is not part of the question (nor should it be part of the answer), and I only include it to show you where I'm coming from.

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I have marked what's reply as the answer, mainly for the excellent outline it provides which I consider very useful. I wanted to note however, that I found part of Lew's answer also incredibly insightful. I wanted to note it here for anyone else who might have this question:

If your story is character-driven, switching protagonist probably makes little or no sense, unless the person is killed and someone else has to carry the torch (but it is not the case, I understand).

If your story is plot-driven, you can pick a new protagonist every time the story requires it. It is your story and you can tell it any way you desire.

Answer

I deeply resent a shift to a new protagonist. There is nothing you can do to make me like it.

Nethertheless it is often done. George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire even does it every chapter. When I read his books, I read all chapters with one protagonist in sequence, and then those of the others, because I couldn't bring myself to care about the new protagonist.

What I dislike about protagonist shift is exactly what you describe: that I have begun to indentify with and care for the protagonist, and I am torn from living that story and forced into another one that I don't currently care about. Maybe you too have experienced the sadness at having to leave a book and its characters at the end of a novel. It often takes a couple of days for me to grieve that loss and fully return to my own life, before I can begin another book. A series that changes protagonists is one of the most hateful things I can think of.

There is only one kind of book where switches in viewpoints work for me: love stories. Because they don't switch protagonists. Two-viewpoint love stories actually don't have one protagonist, they have two. And switching viewpoints, the story does not switch protagonists at all. The focus remains on the developing relationship between the two – and the reader is never forced to leave any protagonist and can always stay with both, no matter which viewpoint the story takes on.

So the solution to your question is simple. If you don't want to traumatize the reader by tearing him away from a protagonist, what you need to do is

If the reader has begun to care about the new protagonist in the first volume, because that second-volume protagonist was part of the life of the old protagonist, central to the plot, and well developed; and if the old protagonist remains an essential part of the reader's reading experience of the second volume; then the reader will experience the change in protagonist, or rather viewpoint, as part of that character's development, and not as a loved one torn from his life.

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Here is a decision tree for the problem:

1. If the same story can be told without a switch in protagonist, then that is the story most people will prefer to read.


2. If you must switch protagonists, make each protagonist a central part of the other protagonist's narrative. This is not a protagonist switch but a switch in viewpoint.


3. If a protagonist must disappear completely, prepare the reader for that loss by letting them know well in advance, perhaps even from the outset (blurb). If possible, have other characters remember that person and show the continuing influence of his actions on the ongoing story.


4. If the story demands that the switch must be abrupt and total, then – but only then – will an abrupt and total switch be an enjoyable read.


5. When a series is not narrative but thematic (like Kim Stanley Robinson's Three Californias), then no switch can be intentionally irritating (as in Michael Moorcocks Jerry Cornelius).

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In reply to an argument in comments with @Graham, who claims that readers like to read protagonist switches, I have created a statistic of protagonist shifts in the best-selling fiction series listed in Wikipedia's List of Best-Selling Books. This list contains every kind of series, from children's books to adult erotica, and from 1896 to the present, that has sold at least 15 million copies. I have only counted series published in English or a European language, and only fiction. Any further exclusions are noted below.

Frequency of Protagonist Shifts between Sequels in Bestselling Fiction Series

Not counted (with reason):

• Choose Your Own Adventure (the reader is the protagonist in different stories)


• Star Wars (based on a movie series)


• American Girl (based on a series of dolls)


• Where's Wally (not a story in the ordinary sense)


• Rich Dad Poor Dad (autobiographical, non-fiction)

Note:

• Multi-series series, such as Dragonlance and Riftwar, have been counted according to the first published sub-series.

While these are only extreme bestsellers, and the distribution might be somewhat different if we counted everything on the New York Times bestseller list and only contemporary adult fiction – which you are welcome to either do or stop arguing –, I think the sample is representative enough to refute the claim that readers love to read protagonist switches. Only about a seventh of all mega-bestsellers contain protagonist switches.

So while protagonist switches certainly do not prevent a book from becoming a bestseller, not switching protagonists makes it six times more likely that your book will become a bestseller.

It might be notable that protagonist shifts happen more often with group protagonists, that is, a change from one group of characters in the first book to another group of characters in the sequel. When the protagonist is an individual character, he usually remains the protagonist: the ratio is 1:11.5 as opposed to 1:3.3 for group protagonists. This means that in every fourth best-selling series with an ensemble cast the cast changes between sequels, but only in every twelfth series with a single protagonist. Probably this is due to the fact that identification with characters is weaker with a group of protagonists, and shifts between them have been happening throughout the book already.

What's the best full-bleed color printer for frequent graphic design/office use?

What's the best color printer (any technology) that can do full-bleed printing so that I don't have to print 8.5x11's on bigger paper and then cut? Affordable ink/toner is important.

UPDATE: If someone has an LED or laser printer that can do borderless (aka full-bleed) printing, please let me know. In the meantime, I bought a Brother MFC-J6910DW inkjet all-in-one printer. It's truly amazing so far. The only issue is it won't do both full duplex (front and back) printing and borderless at the same time. And it won't do full duplex on paper other than plain paper. It seems to have the most affordable ink on the inkjet market.

Answer

I worked at a graphic design studio and all our large scale printers were Epson. These provided some of the most accurate colors I've seen from any printer. Since then I've only used Epson for home office use, with genuine Epson ink. Yes, they can be expensive but there are many advantages to using genuine inks. My old CX7800 is still going strong. If you want to go the affordable route, there are "continuous ink systems" designed for different printers. I have not used these myself but have seen very good results. Nowadays most photo printers should be capable of full-bleed prints.

gui design - Dropdown, side bar or second nav bar for a submenu in a website?

What is the best form/ position for a submenu in a website, a dropdown for the menu item, a list in a sidebar or a second nav bar?

Answer

TL;DR:

• Don't make users scroll, and make it as visible as possible.
  
  
  
  • Second navigation bar for a small number of items.
  
  
  • Side bar for a medium number of items.
  
  
  • Mega-menus for a sub-menu with a number of categories.
  
  
  
  


• Mobile navigation is too broad of a subject to address.

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The Nielsen Group regularly notes that:

Hiding content behind navigation diminishes people’s awareness of it.

This is mirrored by Don Norman in the Design of Everyday Things, who says:

In each state of the system, the user must readily see and be able to do the allowable actions. The visibility acts as a suggestion reminding the user of the possibilities.

So if possible, don't hide your navigation.

Use a form of navigation which makes the user's options immediately visible, such as a second navigation bar.

An added advantage is that the user will also have fewer types of navigation to contend with.

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If you can't fit your items on a second navigation bar, the next best thing is a side-bar.

But only if your users won't need to scroll to see the items at the bottom.

If they do, a mega-menu might be more suitable.

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It's sometimes not possible to show all items.

Nielsen and Li (March 2017) describe in detail why mega-menus work so well for categorised navigation with a large number of items.

They summarise by saying:

Large, rectangular menus group navigation options to eliminate scrolling and use typography, icons, and tooltips to explain users' choices.

They also note the advantages over a standard drop-down menu:

• 
  
  

  For bigger sites with many features, regular dropdown menus typically hide most of the user's options. Yes, you can scroll, but (a) it's a pain, and (b) scrolling hides the options at the top of the menu. As a result, you can't visually compare all your choices; you have to rely on short-term memory.

  
  


• 
  

  Mega menus let you visually emphasize relationships among items. This again helps users understand their choices.

  
  


• 
  

  Mega menus make it easy to use pictures and icons when appropriate. And, even if you stick to text alone, you have richer typography at your disposal (letting you differentiate link sizes according to their importance, for example).

  
  

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How about mobile?

I've intentionally not addressed mobile because it's a very broad area to cover.

For those wanting to delve into it, here's some great places to start:

fiction - How to avoid repetitive sentence structure?

I've realized that I always start sentences with (name of character), he, she, it, they, her, his, the, after (a moment/that), and then. I wonder if there's any useful exercise or tip to reduce this?

A sample of my writing:

Adele wondered where was everyone. It occurred to her that maybe they were in a safe place now. Maybe everyone knew about this, and I was the only one who didn’t, she thought. She stared at her hands, and thought about the things that had actually belonged to her in this world. She realized that nothing really had. All the material things she’d ever owned had turned into dust. Boys had possessed her, but they’d never been hers. Her friends had just been people who had accompanied her throughout her life. Adele sat down, and looked back to the moon. She’d been left alone in the world, waiting for the moon to fall from the sky.

Answer

Even though you notice the problem in the first words (in the subjects of the sentences), I think the problem is elsewhere: Each of the first five sentences has a verb that reminds that we're in Adele's head. But we already know we're in Adele's head, so these reminders are unnecessary, and they weaken the sentences.

Consider this edit, which removes all five reminders:

Adele wondered where was everyone. Maybe they were in a safe place now. Maybe everyone knew about this, and she was the only one who didn’t. She stared at her hands. What had actually belonged to her in this world? Nothing really had. All the material things she’d ever owned had turned into dust. Boys had possessed her, but they’d never been hers. Her friends had just been people who had accompanied her throughout her life. Adele sat down, and looked back to the moon. She’d been left alone in the world, waiting for the moon to fall from the sky.

I think this is an improvement, though it is perhaps too relentlessly staccato now.

If you want to explore the dangers and delights of sentence structures, try this exercise.

1. Pick a scene you've already written, about 500 words long.


2. Rewrite the entire scene using sentences no longer than 10 words. If this is too easy, try sentences no longer than 7 words.



3. Rewrite the original scene using sentences no shorter than 25 words (or 35 if 25 is too easy).


4. Read each version aloud.


5. 
   

   Make notes about:

   
   
   
   
   • the effects of sentence length
   
   
   • what different sentence structures you used
   
   
   • the effects of different sentence structures
   
   
   • the rhythms created by different lengths and structures
   
   
   • which effects you liked and which you disliked
   
   
   
   • anything else you notice
   
   
   
   


6. Rewrite the original scene, using everything you've learned about the effects sentence length.

Call vs. Put Option

I have two interrelated questions that have been bothering me for some time. I have read all the stuff online and it still doesn't make sense to me:

Let us assume:

• 0% interest rate (both hedge funding and discounting rate)


• 0% dividends

Hence, Forward=Spot.

1. 
   

   Why is the price of a ATM put equal to the price of a ATM call? What is happening to the log-normal distribution here, shouldn't the call be more expensive? (two 50% increases lead to a greater payoff(225% Spot) than 2 50% decreases (25% Spot).

   
   



2. 
   

   Very related.. why is then a 110% Call Option worth more than a 90% Put option (under the same conditions as above)?

   
   

fiction - How do you write boy & girl protagonists without turning them into a love story?

I've played with the idea of a multi-book fantasy story for years, where a female and male protagonists' lives intertwine with one another, the series running from 12-22 years old for them.

There will probably be a time for them where they will consider each other as a romantic possibility, as with a lot of boy-girl relationships, implied moments where they're thinking about it, but I haven't decided yet whether to pair them together in the end.

It's not the focus of the story, but their relationship (in a non-romantic sense) is one of the, if not, the most important relationship in the series and I would really like to do their relationship (their friendship, their professional relationship with one another) justice. It's a challenge I want to pursue, to write them without romance taking over the relationship.

Any tips or examples of fiction where this is shown well?

Is killing a character to further the plot necessarily a bad thing?

I've heard quite a few complaints about character deaths being used to further the plot. They say it's boring and overdone and mention that there are plenty of other ways to get to the same point without killing off a character.

I am writing a novel that involves the death of an important character, which is integral to the plot. I am not killing her off for "shock value," to make the main character sad/angry/depressed, or to make my novel "dark." This character has a very high-ranking position and has been the prime target for the enemy group since the beginning of the novel (and everyone is aware of this). Despite the efforts taken to protect her, she dies anyway, and her death triggers many other events that could not happen if she was anything but dead. The main character, for example, undergoes great change, and everyone else falls into a state of chaos after losing their leader.

I have tried thinking of alternatives in which she doesn't die, but these alternatives don't quite deliver the same effect, and it would be very difficult (if not impossible, in some cases) to get the same places in my plot if she did not die. After all my consideration, death still seems like the best route to take for this character... but then, I have read things from other people saying that death for the sake of furthering the plot is bad writing. My issue here is that if there was no death, there would be no plot. So is the whole "death used to further the plot = bad/boring/overdone" thing really true?

Answer

There is one rule in writing from which everything else stems: you write for the reader. However, from that rule, you can deduce that if you turn out a novel that you know could have been better, you are cheating the reader from reading it.

You've examined other possible routes which do not include the character's death, but you've found that none of them have the same effect. That's all you need. If those other routes weaken your novel, do not use them. Turn out the best novel you can, deaths or no deaths.

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As far as the whole 'death to further the plot is bad' thing..

You have to realize that a lot of authors have no idea what they are doing. Even some of the successful ones are lacking in certain areas. The reason they are succeeding is because there are very few people out there who do know what they are doing (in all areas), meaning there is essentially no competition. Readers and authors then look at those novels, and deduce that they are 'what works.'

Killing off a character to advance the plot is common in fiction. However, because most authors don't know how to do it, why to do it, when to do it, or who to do it to, wrong conclusions are formed when the readers are displeased.

Usually, a character death has no meaning because the character had no meaning. Critics then assume that character deaths in general have no meaning. A death scene that is mishandled can leave readers feeling confused or lost. Some critics then assume that death scenes generally have this effect. And if a character dies that the reader really liked, they will start to look for a reason, and if they don't find one, they will be greatly displeased. Critics then assume that character deaths are largely a bad thing, and should be avoided. You get the picture.

What I'm trying to say here, is that you have to look at feedback while trying to determine the true cause. I know that I've left feedback where I was struggling how to articulate what I meant, and I doubt I'm the only one. Such comments usually cause those that read them to come to the wrong conclusions, and that leads to wrong opinions on how to write.

I would revise the original statement to this:

Killing off a character just to advance the plot is bad. Killing off a character to advance the story is perfectly fine, as long as you are sure it is the best route to go.

The plot is only one part of the story. The story is made up out of setting, characters, stakes, tension, and above all, theme (plus many more). If killing off a character is furthering the story, and you know it's the best route to take, do it.

style - Which opening for my book is better?

I am currently writing a fictional book. I have no idea how to introduce the new country and the history. I already have three ideas on how to start the book, but I don't know which one to use and which is better. If you have a better idea on how to go about this, please share it with me.

Again, I am open to other ideas.

urls - Do long domain names really affect user experience?

I have already purchased one, and I think it might be too long. The domain name is 27 characters, including ".com". However, most browsers now show suggestions based on previous visits to sites, so they would only have to fully type it one time.

The domain name describes the website more than a shorter one would, and I think this would be good for SEO to use a long name.

Answer

While longer than desirable, 27 characters (including .com) is not overly excessive, but yes, long domain names do affect user experience. Some more than others.

'Power users' know how to avoid typing the address if possible.

However,

• there are going to be some users who don't have a browser with a suggestive omnibox


• there are going to be users who hunt and peck at the keys and don't even look at the screen until they've typed the address



• there are going to be users who always type because they prefer the keyboard over the mouse


• there are going to be mobile device users who never use copy/paste and/or find it extra fiddly to type longer domains


• urls can often be seen or shared in a way that does not allow copy paste. (Try copy/paste off the side of a bus)

and an often forgotten group of users:

• admin, support, management and other in-house employees are users too and they will be using the domain on a regular basis when talking, emailing, or networking with those outside the company - spare a thought for them.

It's not like user experience having this binary state of being good or bad or people being affected or not affected.

Users and their experiences always exist along a spectrum.

Ultimately the answer to any question of the form:

Does X affect user experience?

has the answer yes!

charts - Right to left graph labels for right-to-left languages

When building a graph or chart for use by right-to-left languages such as Arabic should the labels also change? For instance it is generally accepted in my English speaking culture that lower numbers are on the left and higher on the right

|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
2001        2002        2003        2004        2005

Would this flip to look like?

|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
2005        2004        2003        2002        2001

I hunted around to find examples but I could find examples of both graphs which maintain the left-to-right ordering even when presented in an Arabic context and those which switched.

Answer

Short answer is don't put years in reverse order for Arab audience or other languages like Hebrew or Urdu which is written right to left.

Numerals in every language are written left to right and putting lower values on the left and higher on the right is standard. Considering that, it is a standard to have lower values on the left and higher values on the right which also holds true for years.

Is there a name for the type of photography or layout where items are arranged on a grid?

Is there a name for this layout?

Answer

The name for this type of layout is called knolling.

This term originated in 1987 though I believe the popularity of this sort of style blew up due to the Things Organized Neatly blog.

publishing - How can I make a collection of essays / arguments more attractive to publishers?

I've written several essays and am still working on some that I would like to eventually get published.

The issues I cover are on a wide range of topics ranging from Scientology to Piracy to Democracy. All of them are controversial topics. I've supported all my arguments with references to try and give them credibility. The average length is about 2000 words, with some being over 6000 words.

What is key is that I think the views I advocate are unique or at least controversial. In all cases my arguments are well supported by evidence and reputable sources.

I would like to publish a book in the line of "Arguably Essays" by Christopher Hitchens or Jon Stewarts early book "Naked Pictures of Famous People".

What can I do to formulate these essays together in a way more attractive for publishing?

• 
  

  Should I try and link them, however loosely?

  
  


• 
  

  Should I try and shorten them, making them more brief and thus perhaps more accessible?

  
  
  


• 
  

  Should I leave opinion out of it to a certain extent?

  
  

Or anything else that has slipped my list of issues to consider.

Type identification: Rödelheim Hebrew typeface

I've been looking for a modern typeface similar to that used in the old Rödelheim siddurim and machzorim (prayerbooks) printed by Heidenheim, Lehrberger, and Kaufmann over the course of the 19th and early 20th centuries. However, as there seems to be a relative lack of suitable search tools for Hebrew type, I've come up empty.

An typeface answer would include all letters, typographer's variants, vowel points and cantillation, and ideally be configured to take advantage of OpenType features.

Below is a sample from a 19th century Rödelheim siddur.

Is there a standard for color wheels?

I am aware of two common types of color wheels - RYB and RGB, but it seems that even two wheels of the same type can look different in different software. Let's take two popular online services, Paletton (http://paletton.com) and Adobe Color CC (https://color.adobe.com), both using RYB type of color wheel.

First, make an "Adjacent" scheme in Palleton with base color being green (#00FF00) and leaving "Distance" with its default value. In this situation, two other colors that Palleton suggests are #00FFFF and #AAFF00. Looking at the wheel we can be sure that the angle between the base color and these two looks equal.

Now select a "Custom" scheme in Adobe Color CC and type in three mentioned RGB values. On Adobe website the angle between #00FFFF and #00FF00 will look greater than the angle between #00FF00 and #AAFF00.

Does this mean that there is no such a thing as a standardized RYB (or RGB) color wheel? Previously I thought that with a beginning of the Computer Age it became possible to digitally render such things using some well-known algorithm, so all color wheels in graphics software should look really close (at least without such clearly visible differences as I describe in this question).

Answer

Really interesting question.

Yes. There are standarized "RGB" color wheels.

An RGB... which is in reality a RYGCBM color wheel is pretty much a mechanical representation.

There are some variations, such as a HSB, HSL, or HSV wheel but the "main" component to of the round part (wheel) is the Hue, with some "normalized" angles. Look at this google image search https://www.google.com/search?q=hsl+color+wheel

They are different transformations and projections of an RGB cube (Which renders an hexagon)

They are "standarized" in the aplications that want to adopt them (but no one is forcing to do so). For example they are adopted in Corel aplications, Gimp, Inkscape, a ton of painting programs that I know, MediBang, MyPaint, Dogwaffle, 3D programs, Blender, Sketchup, video editing programs... Any program that I checked that I have installed on my computers has one form or another of this Color wheel... except Photoshop! (I currently do not have some other adobe programs installed)

No

Because there is a ton of variations on the color solids.

A color model is not a 2D shape, it is a 3D volume because we can separate it into 3 Dimensions. And there are quite a number of 3D volumes trying to describe color.

You can choose different planes to intersect to form a 2D representation.

Perceptual models

As I said. The standard color wheel is a mechanical representation, a cut from a 3D mechanical volume. But there are other volumes, for example the Munsell model.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Munsell_1929_color_solid_cylindrical_coordinates.png

You can see that the model is not a regular shape, because humans are more suceptible to recognize variations in some hues than others.

In this other example in the zone C, we detect less variations than the zone D.

Artistic liberty

The adobe wheel is not an RYB one.

I assume that those color wheels have artistic freedom and interpretation of harmonies because they are intended to provide a perceptual-based tool, so that is (in my opinion) each one has adopted a specific model-variation-interpretation.

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And I am not sure

Of other color models, for example, the Lab* model has some variations, implemented in some extent in Photographic applications, like white balance in cameras. But to tell the truth I have not a good amount of information about it.

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Are thoose circles RYB?

Based on @Kadilov request, i add this part about the color wheel used in the linked sites on the question.

paletton.com seems to have in fact an RYB color wheel. You can see how the colors correspond to the vertices in an hexagon.

But on the case of the adobe... I have no idea. It is not RYB, neither an RGB+CMY or Lab.

icon - How can I have a vector shape that is smart-cloned and kept in sync in Illustrator?

I try to design a vector shape that will render good at different sizes.

I do have an artboard for each icon size: 16x16, 24x24, 32x32 and I do want to "clone" my shape so I will be copied in each of these artboards, but when I modify it the change will propagate to the others. It is like having multiple instances of the same object.

Answer

Illustrator's symbol feature will do what you're looking for. Select the artwork you that you want to use as the 'master' and press 'F8' (the default shortcut) or open the Symbols palette (Window > Symbols) and click on the 'New symbol' button. Now you can duplicate that symbol and scale it to your needed sizes. When you edit the symbol (double click on it by default) the changes will be reflected in every instance.

user behavior - Is offering more than one openid/social-sign-in option a good idea?

Lots of sites nowadays offer the option to log in via Google, Facebook, LinkedIn and so on, and sometimes a standard username/password option as well.

While this goes a long way toward helping users avoid managing credentials per site, it poses a new problem: now users have to remember which openid provider they used when they registered with the site. I can attest to this myself; there are plenty of sites where I can hardly remember if I registered with Twitter, Google or what..

So the question is: should sites offer multiple openid options (to increase the chance of registration) or stick with just one (e.g. google) to not confuse returning users?

Remember that unlike with normal user/pwd registrations, password managers like LastPass can't really auto-fill a social-sign-in form for you. So offering regular basic authentication plus one social option is ok, since password managers/browsers will let you know if you have registered with a password or not.

book length - In a short story, how long is "too long"?

I understand this can and probably will be shut down for many reasons, but how long is too long for a short story?

I want to write a short story, but tend to write novels if I write anything (Even though I have yet to finish one).

My current guidelines are 3 pages and under, too short. 20 pages and up, too long. Is this good? Again, I know this will probably be shut down, but I'm asking anyway.

Answer

The trick is to measure your story in words, rather than pages. Your page count depends on arbritrary things like font size, page size and line spacing. You'll find that, when it comes to publishing opportunities, length is nearly always expressed in words.

The first story I sold was 71 words (here). The publisher wanted stories of no more than 75. This competition is for stories of up to 6,000 words. This one accepts stories up to 15,000.

The short answer is that every publisher wants something different, and there's a home for nearly any length of story somewhere, if it's good enough. But of course, in the real world, some lengths are easier to sell.

Flash

Definitions vary, but up to around 1,000 words is generally called 'flash' or 'short-short' fiction. The piece I mentioned above is a fairly extreme example — paid opportunities for a piece that tiny are rare, in my experience. But in general, there's an established market for pieces in this bracket.

Short

Up to about 10,000 words is generally still called a short story. As a rule, if you're a novice author, the closer you stick to the bottom and middle of the spectrum, the easier it'll be to sell your work. This makes sense if you consider the publisher's perspective — longer stories take up more of the available space in a paper magazine, or, since authors are usually paid per word, simply cost more. When you're an unknown author, your name won't necessarily be selling copies of the magazine, so it's easier for them to justify making a little investment in you than a big one.

Novella

Again, definitions vary. But in my experience, above 10,000 words is the territory in which some people will start to call your story a novella (a mini-novel). I've heard it said that this is a 'difficult' length, or that it's the province of well-established authors who can bank on writing within the universe of an already-successful series. Of course, there's no reason in theory you couldn't write one, but if you're a novice author, the same warnings apply as from the section above.

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So after all that, practically, how should you approach length in your stories? My advice would be this:

1. Write the story you want. It will help to have a length in mind, but at this stage, don't overthink it.


2. When you're finished, edit it. Cut as much length as you can. It will make the story better.


3. When you're finished, you've found out how long that story was. If you think it's ready to shop around, now you know what markets you can aim for.



4. If you start writing your story and it turns into a novel, that's okay! As you repeat the process, you'll develop your sense of what stories you can tell in 1,000 words, and what stories you'll tell best with 50,000. With experience, you'll find the accuracy of the guess you make at step 1 gets better and better.

Hope that helps.

interface design - Changing Opacity vs Changing Color

I have noticed in several professional documents (templates, guidelines, co-workers' projects, etc.) the designer has adjusted the opacity of certain elements to get the desired colour.

Is this best practice for designing?

In my opinion, changing the colour of the element itself (when possible) would be the better practice, since you can visibly see the exact colour you enter (hex, rgb etc.)

options - SABR PDE spot/forward upper boundary condition implementation

When running my Finite Difference code, I observe something odd.

Although implementing a classical (non-reverting) SABR model, I initialized the variables such that it should be equal to Black-Scholes.

Boundary conditions for

• 
  
  

  Lower bound on price

  
  


• 
  

  Lower bound on volatility

  
  


• 
  

  Upper bound on volatility

  
  

are Dirichlet-style (just set equal to a value).

For the upper bound on forward price ($F$), I want to set the Neumann condition of $\Gamma=0$, since I believe this is true for all (put and call) options for large underlying price. This condition yields:

$\dfrac{\partial^2 V}{\partial x^2}(\dfrac{\partial x}{\partial F})^2+\dfrac{\partial V}{\partial x}\dfrac{\partial^2 x}{\partial F^2}=\Gamma=0$

Note that the extra terms with $x$ and $F$ are due to my variable transformation from $F$ to $x$.

Edit June 19: @Yian_Pap I agree, lets forget about smoothing condition and focus on getting Neumann condition working. Let me be specific regarding my steps applying your approach :) This is how I would currently implement it, but once again I'm not very familiar with FD (this is my first use case):

• 
  

  First of all, it is not immediately clear to me what PDE to start with (pricing equation? or just the $\Gamma=0$ equation?). If we start from $\Gamma=0$, why would we bother about cross derivative term being 0 or not?

  
  


• 
  

  If I start with $\Gamma=0$, no transformations in F, then

  
  
  

$\dfrac{\partial^2 V}{\partial F^2} = 0$

discretize using 2nd order central FD approx,

$\dfrac{1}{\Delta F^2} (V_{N-1,j} - 2V_{N,j} + V_{N+1,j}) = 0$,

$V_{N,j}=\dfrac{1}{2}(V_{N-1,j}+V_{N+1,j})$ (1),

which contains the outer grid point $V_{N+1,j}$, which I assume you mean in your answer?

Then, as I understand your comment regarding that the first derivative at $F \to \infty$ is known and constant, you mean that the delta is 1 (0) for a call (put)?

$\dfrac{\partial V}{\partial F} = \Delta = 1$,

$V_{N,j} = \Delta F + V_{N-1,j}$,

use this to substitute $V_{N+1,j}$ in (1),

$V_{N,j} = \Delta F + V_{N-1,j}$,

with $\Delta F$ step size in F. Then I can incorporate this in the coefficient matrix as follows. (Side question: why not use $\Delta=1$ condition directly?)

Say I have implicit scheme $V_{i,j,k} = z_1V_{i-1,j,k+1} + z_2V_{i,j,k+1} + z_3V_{i+1,j,k+1}$. Then for some i (i.e. at some places in matrix) $V_{i+1,j}$ is a bound, hence matrix entry is set $0$. Incorporate bound by adding $z_3$ to $z_2$ at every place in matrix where $i=N-1$. Additionally add $z_3\Delta F$. Mathematically,

$V_{N-1,j,k} = z_1V_{N-2,j,k+1} + (z_2+z_3)V_{N-1,j,k+1} + z_3\Delta F$.

Would this be a correct understanding of how the upper bound F Neumann condition should be implemented?

Answer

Wherever your discretized PDE references $V_{N,j,k+1}$, you will use your expression for $V_{N,j,k+1}$ in terms of $V_{N−1,j,k+1}$ and $V_{N−2,j,k+1}$ to eliminate $V_{N,j,k+1}$ from the discretized equation. This means that the algebraic system you will solve will not involve any $V_{N,j,k+1}$ values directly (so no $C_{k+1}$ contribution from the F-discretization). Rather you will be augmenting the system coefficients of the $V_{N−1,j,k+1}$ and $V_{N−2,j,k+1}$ points accordingly.

Edit Jun 18. OK, let's start again and assume you are using the pricing PDE in the forward F (no transformations). If you use a smoothing condition you'd need to use one-sided finite difference approximations so that you can close your algebraic system at the last line $F=F_{max}$. That said, the reason why you opted for this kind of (smoothing) condition is because when you tried with Neumann, you didn't get correct results. But this was most probably because you made an error somewhere. I would try again as follows for the last line of points of your grid: the first derivative in F (let's call it $D_{F\to\infty}$) you already know (you know its value from the Neumann condition), so this doesn't need to be discretized on the boundary, you just use its known value. The cross derivative also becomes zero there since the first derivative in the F-direction is constant (even in the general case where $\nu$ is not zero). The only derivative in the F-direction that you'll need to discretize is the second derivative and that will reference a point outside your grid (with the standard 2nd order central FD approximation). This "fictitious" point in your discretized equations you will replace by its extrapolated value as $V_{N+1,j,k+1} = V_{N,j,k+1} + D_{F\to\infty} d_F $. This will again close your system and you're good to go. Try and let me know if something is still not clear.

short story - How do I better handle my nameless main character when trying to retain mystery?

I have written a short story, and the main character is referred to as "he" right the way through - the idea being that this character is very guarded and mysterious. My plan was to not reveal the name of the character because that would be too personal and would allow the reader to "get to know" the character, which is undesirable when trying to maintain an aura of mystery.

However, I'm not sure I'm pulling it off as well as I'd like to - I feel I'm overusing the word "he" and I'm stuck for ways to refer to "himself." I've attached a small extract for you to perhaps see what I mean.

The alarm on his watch beeped.

His eyes crept open as he was slowly roused from his light slumber, he knew he had work to do, and now he felt ready to start.

His job was very stressful and had little rewards, but he did as he was told; just a pawn a very large game of chess. It was however, not a large company, which is why a lot of the stress landed on him and it's terribly difficult working for a boss you've never seen nor heard. Strange as the concept was, he and his boss kept in touch by e-mail and text messages. It wasn't ideal, but it was definitely necessary; being that his field of work was a slightly less than reputable one. He only knew his boss by one name, and he knew it was an alias.

Can anyone offer any assistance, perhaps give me some ideas on how to reword some sentences, help that I may then be able to apply to the rest of the short story?

Answer

Some Preliminary Words...

I'm not entirely sure that withholding a character's name is the best way to go about producing an aura of mystery. In fact, this is something that I've seen in a lot of early writers (and I even did it a few times myself back in high school), but which almost never works. Usually, the reader just finds it incredibly annoying. Even if you can pull off the "no-name mystery" grammatically so that it doesn't sound awkward or repetitive, the reader would almost always like something to remember him by.

A lot of writers (I struggle with this, too) decide to retain little details - name, location, whatever - to try for an air of mystery. While we have all probably read books that do this at the beginning, it's usually not for very long - rarely for entire stories. If the aura of mystery hinges on these details, then it's not going to be mysterious enough to keep the reader reading. It will just be annoying.

My Answer, Though...

If I were you, I would work on making sure your story has such a strong "mystery" element to it that you could reveal more about your character if you wanted to, without destroying that element. Then, you can decide what you want to reveal and what you want to withhold, and perhaps the mystery elements themselves will lend you ideas.

In this case, you wouldn't need to give his real name. He could have an alias, too, just like his boss. Just one idea.

Another is to consider the first person perspective. Difficult, but if he is always thinking of himself in terms of "I" and "me" and doesn't run into anybody who uses his name, then that could work.

Regardless of whether you add an alias or write from first person, I would (if I were you) make sure that your information you're giving has more of his attitude behind it. If we aren't allowed to know your character, we should at least "experience" him. Rather than simply being told about his job, we should almost definitely find out about his work via his attitude about it - or something along those liens. If you want to maintain that aura of mystery, then we'll have to be invested in the character enough to care about him, even if we don't know his name.

Definitely eliminate any unnecessary words - include "he" and "him".

In other words, without a name, you gotta pull double duty to keep the reader sucked in! That alone could potentially overcome the repetitiveness of "he" and "him" and such. If done well enough. This won't be great (and it definitely has my tone and attitude thrown in), but here's a quick example of what I mean:

The alarm beeped.

His eyes crept open as he slowly roused himself from his light slumber; he had work to do, and it was time to begin.

The damn job was too stressful, with too little rewards, but it wasn't like he had a choice. Just a little pawn in a large game of chess. A pawn who doesn't even know his king. As one of the few members of such a small organization, most people would have assumed he knew his boss. He'd never even met the man. No, he was expected to do the work of ten men, communicate solely by e-mail and text, and chug along as best he could with the orders he was given.

You know your story, though, so I'm sure you can think of something much more imaginative (and mysterious!) than that. :-)

keyboard shortcuts - If the 'delete' key deletes, what key inserts?

I have an application with a standard data grid in which each row represents an object.

Our current application uses F6 and F7 for add and delete, respectively. I'd like to keep these around for our legacy users but also would like to wean the user off of them over the next few versions and into the more "traditional" keys for inserting a new row and deleting the selected row. The key for deleting the selected row should, of course, be Delete.

But what key binding to use for insert?

The Insert key would make sense, but I've only used it to toggle between insert and replace mode when editing text. I don't know that I've ever seen it used to actually indicate that a new entry should be inserted. The only other meaning I can think of for the Insert key is in the old(er)-school keybindings for cut and copy, but Ctrl+X and Ctrl+C have pretty much taken over the world.

Answer

The Insert key is a perfectly reasonable choice. I’d like to see that become the standard. Might as well start with you. If you are currently using Insert to toggle into overtype mode, don’t. Overtype mode does more harm than good, and that kind of use of the insert key is inconsistent with how other keys are used. MS Word abandoned overtype mode years ago. It never made sense after we left character-cell word processors. It’s time we all forgot about that feature.

True, until then, users might associated the insert key with insert/overtype mode, but the insert key still remains the most obvious and least arbitrary choice, with a self-explanatory name and a keyboard position that compliments delete. All other obvious alternatives (e.g., Ctrl-I for “insert,” Ctrl-A for “add,” Ctrl-C for “create”) also have other traditional functions, functions that are actually useful and you should keep. Keyboard shortcuts are expert features. It’s okay if they take a little learning.

website design - How to present users with multiple service options?

We currently have a marketplace that allows users to create a project, enter specs and service providers fulfill the service.

We want to show a new option on our website which is to provide a concierge service to users. We will be in charge of reviewing & improving the project specs, choosing service providers and coordinating the logistics.

• What would be the best way to inform the user that there is the 'concierge' service?



• Should this be done before the user enters the project creation funnel?


• Would a new button on the homepage/landing page saying 'premium service' that redirects users to information about the service be enough?


• What other alternatives should we consider?

edit Setting up the concierge service would be done after having a phone call with us. Besides informing the user about the concierge service, if the user decides to proceed, we will need to ask for their contact info. There needs to be some interaction between and the user to provide a high quality concierge service.

How to best ask for computer experience in a survey?

Our business software has a heterogeneous user base ranging from tech-savvy engineers, over computer used to be salesman up to older, tech-averse craftsman.

In a coming survey I would like to ask for the computer expertise of them, in order to better sort their responses to our three main personas. I know its quite difficult and biased to ask for habits like how many times do you use or do you feel yourself a expert-user?

Thus I thought about asking for software they regularly use. And simply sum up how many programs they use. Having 9 options for mark, I would put an respondent to beginners (my craftsman) if he/she would mark only up to 4. Up to 7 used programs would be intermediate (my salesman) and more a power-user (my engineers). Using Shortcuts would give an extra point. Additionally I tried to find software, that matches computer expertise (even the understanding and naming of it). So first row for beginners, second intermediate, third pros.

How often do you use our software in a week? ________ times

What kind of software do you use often?
[ ] Outlook or other Mailclient
[ ] Internet Explorer or Browser
[ ] Word
[ ] Excel

[ ] Zip Archiver
[ ] CD/DVD Burner
[ ] CAD Software or 3D Software
[ ] Access or Database
[ ] Navision or Managment System

Do you regularly use Shortcuts? ( ) Yes ( ) No

What do you think about this approach? Any suggestions?

Or do you have any best practises regarding this theme?

Answer

It is a very difficult thing to do successfully. The problem is that some people may use shortcuts without knowing about it, and some of your craftsmen and salesmen may actually use a number of different programs, because they have to, without actually understanding them.

I would suggest, because you probably know your clients well enough, that you list a whole range of software, and ask them if they use it, with some details:

Outlook
Lotus Notes
Internet Explorer
Firefox
Chrome
Excel (for spreadsheets)
Excel (programming)

etc. Then you put weighting on each choice - firefox should weigh more than IE, and Chrome slightly more, because these are unlikely to be their defaults. You can put Excel programming with a high weighting, as they are probably fairly technically savvy.

If you also include some very techy stuff - whatever is appropriate for you most techy users - you should be able to get a score, and then divide into your 3 categories - or possibly more, because it is unlikely that all of you salesmen, for example, are at the same level of skill.

And this is why it is difficult to do - because there are no simple answers. Your best craftsman may be more technically savvy than your worst salesman.

style - What's the difference between purple prose and vividly descriptive writing?

Elements of Style describes purple prose as "hard to digest, generally unwholesome, and sometimes nauseating." In short, it's ornate, contrived and breaks the narrative.

There's plenty of advice on how to avoid it, but my question is geared towards how one can identify it.

Since writing is so subjective, what can seem like purple prose to one person can be seen as something vivid and beautiful to someone else.

Where is the line between the two? Can it even be determined? And if how?

How do I create a two toned color or watercolor look in illustrator or photoshop?

I am trying to create the two toned watercolor texture effect like the image found below.

I have tried unsuccessfully to create it using Photoshop and Illustrator. Results I come up with don't effectively blend the colors like the example.

Answer

It's really a 3 tone effect. If you want to easily recreate it in photoshop or illustrator, follow these steps:

1. Google search "Fee Vector Watercolor" or something similar



2. Use 3 different brush vectors, or flip horizontally and vertically so all 3 of them have different edges, and align them very close to each other on the site you want the effect.


3. Set the 2 bottom layers to 50% opacity and pick the 2 colors you want there.


4. Leave the top layer at 100% and set that as the color you actually want the body to be.

It is easy to do it this way, that way you don't have to worry about the two bottom colors blending into the right color on top.

pagination - When is it better to paginate and not to paginate?

I've heard some people say that if you have a long document you should break it into relatively short pages. Others (including the curmudgeon Jakob Nielsen) say that pagination is common practice but bad usability.

I am presently wondering if I should de-paginate my website, which exists primarily as a showcase of writing; the shortest works fit on a page and the longest works are the length of a small book. At present all the longest works, and many of the medium-sized works, are paginated.

Which offers better usability: pagination or non-pagination? If the answer is "pagination is sometimes better usability", when is pagination or non-pagination better? You can see my site at http://JonathansCorner.com, and I am presently contemplating depaginating it, cutting the "breadcrumbs and navigation" paragraph to just be breadcrumbs at the top, and trying to simplify. I would welcome advice on whether pagination in particular helps or hurts on my site, and if it hurts, whether it should be refactored into better pagination, or refactored out so that when you click a link, you get the whole logical document in one page immediately.

Thanks,

Finding Arbitrage in two Puts

A European Put Option on a non-dividend paying stock with strike price 80 is currently priced at 8 and a put option on the same stock with strike price 90 is priced at 9. Is there an arbitrage opportunity existing in these two Options?

I know we have to used the fact that Put Options values are convex with respect to their Strike Prices and could use the equation $P(\lambda K) < \lambda P(K)$? But, in the solution book that I have, they take $\lambda$ to be 8/9 and I don't know why this is.

Answer

Let $K_1=0$, $K_2=80$, and $K_3=90$. Then \begin{align*} K_2 = 1/9 \, K_1 + 8/9 \, K_3. \end{align*} Moreover, \begin{align*} Put(K_2) &= Put(1/9 \, K_1 + 8/9 \, K_3)\\ &< 1/9 \, Put (K_1) + 8/9\, Put(K_3)\\ &= 8/9 \, Put(K_3). \end{align*} Taking $K=K_3$ and $\lambda = 8/9$, we have that $$ Put(\lambda K) < \lambda Put(K).$$

fiction - What is an easy way to create a detailed character profile for a short story?

What is an easy way to create a detailed character profile for a short story? I'm new to this Stack Exchange, and need help creating an organized character profile, with the information I have on my character.

Answer

One of the best ways I ever saw was with those for-entertainment-only personality quizzes; such as "What Disney Princess/Prince are you?" or "What's your Myer's Brigg's personality designation." Usually, these quizzes have about 20 questions associated with them, so they don't take that long. The key is to answer each question as your character would. This will result in a tidy character description that reflects the internal workings of the person. For appearance, simply pull a pic from online, or a magazine. For family/friend/occupation, add this information as necessary for the story, and to give you, the writer, the sense your character is a complete person.

Lastly, identify all the conflicts in this characters life. Spend a little time on this and try to be original. Perhaps his boss is his best friend, but he's uncomfortable with his landlady because she's always hitting on him. Whatever conflicts he has (even separate from the major one the story is about), these are what will serve to bring your character to life.

adobe photoshop - How do I extend an image by adding blur to sides?

I need to make an image 1080 x 1920. But when I do, the image looks very distorted. Is there a way I can extend an image by adding this blur to the sides of it? Also, does anyone know what this is called? I use Gimp as my primary editor. Any feedback would be appreciated

Answer

These are steps with Gimp (or any other image processing software) to add a blurred border to an image.

1. Select all of the image (Select > All)


2. Shrink selection to desired size for paste below (7).



3. Feather selection to desired size for paste below (7).


4. Copy selection (Edit > Copy) to clipboard


5. Scale image to desired output size.


6. Blur the scaled image (here I just used a radial blur):

7. Paste the image from clipboard:

---

From the set of G'MIC plugins we also have a preset filter for a simple blurred frame (Frames > Frame [blur]).

---

In case the background of an image we want to extend is not blurred but has many details we can use the Heal Selection tool to fill the extended areas.

1. Crop-Extend source image to desired size:

2. Select the extended background to apply heal selection:

3. Add blur to hide the artifacts produced by heal selection:

resume - Explaining that experience is far greater than official job title implies

Hopefully this meets the FAQ under the 'Non-fiction, technical' section.

I work as a Graphic Designer, but I want to apply for a job as an Advertising Account Manager. While my title at my current job says "Graphic Designer," in practice I do a lot more then that. Our company is frankly pretty bad, and as a result our Acct Mgrs just try to lie and swindle to get clients to sign a contract; then they pass the file off to me to do everything else. They don't follow-up with me, they don't proof the ads, they don't do anything but convince the person to sign the contract - I do everything beyond that. On multiple occasions clients thought I was the Account Manager, because they end up talking more to me then with the actual Acct Mgr. I've also been responsible for some up-selling and finding new leads.

I do freelance on the side which means I am my own Acct Mgr for those clients. Part of being an Acct Mgr is being a good Brand Ambassador, and I've got experience in that area too - I served in the US Peace Corps, which is very much being a Brand Ambassador 24/7 in the "glass fishbowl," as they like to say.

Part of me wants to just explain the above without being negative towards my current job. The other part of me wants to write in a way that shows I understand the point. Something like

I am a creative, friendly, detail-oriented problem solver. I thoroughly enjoy analyzing questions and designs to make sure that they serve their point and are completely free of errors. For the work I do, that is to communicate an idea and create interest in a product or company. In the case of this letter it is to create interest in myself. If offered a position I would bring this same dedication, salesmanship, creativity, and outstanding attention to detail in creating an interest in both AGENCY NAME, and in our clients.

But I'm concerned in the above that it doesn't really explain my experience and my resume doesn't particularly show Acct Manager experience just Graphic Design experience. How could I better convey the above and also explain my current experience without it becoming too long?

The description:

AGENCY has an opening for an experienced and ambitious Account Director. This person will drive new business and manage creative marketing programs utilizing our full range of services—design, digital, strategy, and product development.

The Account Director will be responsible for developing a deep understanding of client needs and objectives, and managing resources to deliver relevant, integrated solutions. A successful candidate will be able to lead several multi-disciplinary projects simultaneously, while still identifying and developing the next great client opportunity. Expert communication, project management experience, and creative thinking required.

Job Functions: Account Management, Business Development & Sales, Design Management, Marketing, Project Management, Research, Strategy & Planning

marketing - Is it unusual to use product placement within a fictional novel, and what are the legalities around this?

We intend to use the name of a well known brand within our novel and have written to them to gain permission to use their name. They have got back in touch today to say they would be honoured for us to do so. It does in no way detract from the storyline, in fact because of the popularity of the brand we feel it enhances it. I suppose there are two questions here;

1) Is it considered unusual to do such a thing within fiction? 2) Are there any requirements as with television to state that a brand name is placed within the book.

For clarity we are not being paid for doing so, simply gaining permission.

Answer

You have covered the legality, because you have their permission. The issue is therefore closed and complete. You have, however, possibly missed an opportunity, because you might have been able to obtain some payment for using the name, although this is very unlikely. In films, such payments are much desired and sought, but in fiction, it is very rare for a company to pay a writer for the opportunity to put the name of a product into a book.

On the other hand, you usually don't need permission, because if the product is in the public eye, it is expected that it can be mentioned without compensation because it is as much a part of the cultural framework of our lives as, say, Mount Rushmore. Mount Rushmore is a famous, named entity, but you don't have to pay anyone to mention it in a book, any more than you have to pay Coca-Cola just to mention its name in a book.

It becomes a different thing, however, if Coca-Cola becomes a character or a major plot element in your book. That's when you have to think about paying the Coca-Cola company to use the name.

(And see RhysW's comment below for an important additional note.)

animation - Optimal duration for animating transitions

Is there an optimal duration for animating subtle transition effects? 150-250ms usually seems about right to me for most effects. Is there any research to confirm that this is good for most users or give a more precise duration? Does it vary widely for different kinds of transitions?

Answer

You can use the "Model Human Processor" system to decide the length of an animation.*

On average it takes a human 230 ms to visually perceive something, with a min/max of 70-700 ms across different people. That basically means that some people are faster at perceiving motion than others, and what some people can perceive in 100ms will take others else 600ms to notice. (Like most human traits, perception time distribution approximately follows a normal curve.)

The other answers give good advice for how choose longer vs shorter animations – but these are the numbers that actually define the human limits of how long is too long or too short. If an animation is repeated for many interactions (like a contextual menu), a slower, more-perceivable animation (600ms) is going to feel quite tedious to most of your users. Micro-animations (like a nav bar or a context menu) of ~250ms will be noticeable by most people, but just noticeable enough that they won't feel like they're waiting for it.

[*] This is a methodology of formal Human-Computer Interaction that's used to estimate the time to complete various interactions with a system, including humans' typical times for cognitive processing, sensory perception, and motion.

client relations - How should a designer handle the request to repurpose a design?

Scenario:

• You design a piece for Company A. The piece performs very well for Company A. So much so that they use the piece for several years.


• Eventually Company A shuts down.



• A few years later, you are contacted by Company B who shows you samples of the piece you designed for Company A and wants something similar.


• Through price negotiations you learn that Company B has discovered you did the design for Company A and most likely have the files associated with the piece.


• Company B wants you to use the files created for Company A and merely cut/paste their info into the same piece.


• You know full well that Company B will pay someone to replicate the design if you refuse the work.

Do you smile and oblige?

Do you refuse?

Are you at all concerned about copyrights?

Is there an obligation to Company A to maintain their pieces and not share them with every company who merely asks?

Does the fact that Company A has shut down alter your decisions?

Of note: I'm not referring to "template" design. A full product is developed for Company A and they pay for that product accordingly. Nothing was ever referenced as or maintained to be a "template". "Template" indicates a client is aware that the design is used many times over for various (other) businesses. Customarily, "template" use reduces the initial costs to the client.

Answer

I wouldn't do it, just because a company's doors may be shut down still doesn't mean someone isn't planning on in the future to re-open. It's a tough economy and myself couldn't justify having a store front with the way everything is going and yes there may be an ethical issue. I say this from experience, just because the doors aren't physically open doesn't mean the company cannot one day be sold, or someone owns the rights.

Also, as stated its an ethical issue. Do you really want to be associated as the designer who does not create custom work but sells previous work to clients? I know that it may not seem like that so look at it like this. Possible Client C knows your work but sees that the work for Client A you purposed for Client B. Not saying you mean to do it personally but you have to agree it looks bad.

Solution: Offer the ethical option and explain why. If they are decent and you approach the situation as "I cannot in my heart do that" I would imagine and hope if they are wanting to start with a good reputation that they will understand and you can work on making something similar.

From the design spectrum you know they already like your work. They have hunted you down to see if you could do something with it. I don't see why you shouldn't be able to create something different or find something other than duplicating work in your favor.

publishing - How does copyright generally work?

If someone could explain - in the words of a layman - about copyright in general, I'd be much obliged. I'm still a long way from publishing, but I don't have the faintest clue how it works.

Does it differ from country to country? Are there any loopholes to watch out for? Is it just enough to put © on everything, or is there much more than that?

Answer

Copyright is what it says it is, the right to make copies of a written work. Copyright covers a finished form of expression -- book, movie, etc. It does not cover an idea. There is no protection for ideas.

Copyright is automatic. As soon as you write down an original work, you own the copyright on that work. The copyright declaration is simply a piece of information to the reader telling them who owns the copyright. It does not create the copyright and the copyright is just as valid with or without it. It basically says, this is who you ask if you want to make copies.

Each country had their own copyright laws, but most countries are signatories to the Berne Convention which establishes basic principles of copyright law and binds each signatory country to respect the copyrights of the citizens of other signatory countries. In other words, your copyright is automatically protected in all signatory countries as soon as you write your work down.

Some countries will let you register a copyright to prove you were the originator of the work. Some people think you should do this to protect yourself against people wanting to steal your work. But this fear is unfounded. Publishers and agents are looking for writers, not individual works. If you can write a story worth publishing, they want to sign you as a writer, not steal your stuff. And Tony Soprano can make more money running protection rackets than stealing unpublished manuscripts.

If you post your stuff on the Web, occasionally some numbskull will come along and copy it to their site. Some think they are doing you a favor by giving you more exposure. Some are just trying to generate traffic. They mostly don't know copyright law from a poached egg. Suing them would be more trouble that it is worth in most cases. A letter threatening to report them to the hosting provider will usually suffice. Best advice: don't post fiction on the Web unless you are simply intending to give it away. All you are doing is using up some of the rights you were hoping to sell to publishers.

The only real criminal use of copyright is when some disgruntled unsuccessful writer spots some superficial resemblance between their work and the work of some big hit author like J. K. Rowling and tries to sue them for copyright infringement. But by the time you are a big enough name for these people to be want to sue you, you will have the money to fight them.

The real function of copyright, therefore, is not to protect your from manuscript thieves, it is simply the thing you have to sell to publishers. Publishers buy "rights" from authors, which basically means the right to make and sell copies of their work in certain jurisdictions for a certain period of time. An author may sell the copyright outright to a publisher for a fixed sum, but the more usual arrangement is that the author retains copyright and licenses certain specific rights to make and sell copies. This is why you need an agent: to negotiate those rights for you.

Copyright is not forever. At a certain point, the copyright in a work ends and it reverts to the public domain, meaning that anyone can then make and sell copies of it. This is why there are a hundred different copies of classic novels on Amazon for 99 cents a copy -- someone downloaded the text from Project Gutenberg, made an ebook, and put it on Amazon. However you will be long dead before your copyright runs out. (Rules may be different in different countries, but basically copyright belongs to you from the moment you write it till you die, at which point it passes to your heirs and remains in force for many years afterwards.)

Your exclusive right to make or to license the making of copies of your work are limited by the "fair use" doctrine. This says that people may quote a certain amount of your work in their work for the sake of criticism and various other purposes. By the same token, if you want to quote pieces of other people's work in yours, you can only do so up to the limits of fair use or you will have to ask for their permission, for which they may or may not charge you money.

Copyright law also includes the right to make derivative works. If someone wants to turn your novel into a musical, they need your permission. If you want to turn their musical into a novel, you need their permission.

If someone pays you to write something for them, this is considered "work for hire" and they own the copyright, not you. The rules for when something is considered work for hire are quite specific and you should look up what they are for your country.

Beginning writers often get mixed up between copyright and plagiarism. Plagiarism is the academic sin of presenting someone else's work as your own. It is important to remember that if you copy a section of someone's work and attribute it to the original author, you are not guilty of plagiarism, but you may still be guilty of copyright violation if your use is not covered by the fair use doctrine. Plagiarism can get you fired or kicked out of school. Copyright violation will get you sued.

As a beginning author, there are three basic things to remember about copyright.

• It is yours automatically as soon as you write your work down.


• Don't copy other people's stuff, even with attribution, except as provided for by fair use. Don't make derivative works based on their stuff either.


• Copyright is the thing you own and can sell. Get an agent to negotiate the rights you sell to your publisher.

Finally, I am not a lawyer. This is the layman's summary you asked for, not authoritative legal advice.

website design - Where can I get logo inspiration?

I am wondering if there is any free online place that I can use to get some design ideas. I want to get those ideas and then use a service like Fiverr to get a for example logo designed for me.

For example I want my logo shows the concept of insight, but I don't know what graphic shows that concept. Is there anywhere on the web or any book that has some design samples for different concepts?

Maybe a more appropriate question is: for a person who is not a gifted graphic designer, is there a way to find some design ideas? For example how to find a design idea for the concept of insight? Is there a book or a resource that can help?

Answer

There are millions of communities to get inspiration from do a Google search:

Google logo inspiration:

search - One button for two actions

I have a comparison site. On the landing page there are two text boxes which are used for products to be compared, and a button to trigger "compare".

If a visitor fills these two boxes, products are compared according to their technical specs.

People also want to search single product details.

So, my solution is like;

On the landing page there are two text boxes and a button that is labeled "Compare/Search". If visitor fills one box and hit the button, it searches. Else, if two boxes are filled, it compares.

Do you think this is clear for visitors? Or do you suggest any other solution?

Thanks a lot.

Answer

You buttons should always say what they do. Avoid vague terms and, most especially, do not confuse the user by having a single button do two things! Also, giving the user two text fields can cause issue - if I only type something into the second box, what happens?

UX Movement has an article on naming buttons: Why Your Form Buttons Should Never Say 'Submit'. It is a good review of putting purposeful, descriptive, labels on your buttons. While it does not go directly into having a single button do two things, the consequences of doing that are apparent from the article... a button that does two things is not purposeful (it is very vague) and it is not descriptive.

What is your user doing most often? Your field should focus on that. Let's assume Search. If there is enough value added for including a compare then include it -- but only if it is truly adding value to your experience.

Show a search field, with the option to compare.

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The action to compare could take you to a new UI for comparing -- one that is very clear. I'd suggest that having two very distinct UIs is your first choice.

Take a popular example: Google Maps. They provide a search for a location:

You can also "compare" two locations... by getting directions to them:

Getting directions ("comparing") has a discrete button to get to, and the UI to do it distinctly different than the regular search.

If it must remain in-line with the search.

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Your UI should change (be it going to a new UI, or updating in-line) to remain descriptive.

1. Labels ("what's this field for?") should change appropriately. No matter your placement style (above, to the left, or inside placeholders)


2. Have a unique "Compare" button, in a unique location. This isn't the "search" button, don't make your users think it might be.

If, for some reason, you truly need a single button make sure you are as descriptive and forthcoming as possible on what everything is for and how to use it:

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Tell the user what happens if they only put in a value in the top. Tell them what happens if the add a second. Update the button text as a result. I'd not recommend this, but it will provide more context to your user than a static "search/compare" button.

Does briefly showing advanced search options on page load increase their use?

Early last year, Jakob Nielsen complained that:

In general, we almost never see people use advanced search. And when they do, they typically use it incorrectly — partly because they use it so rarely that they never really learn how it works.

Since then, I've noticed the BBC using a nifty technique. They display all the advanced search options on page load, and hide them again a second or two later.

It's a little like advertising your advanced search. You can see it best on their Food site.

Has anyone tried this technique, or better yet, have any evidence that it has an impact on search behaviours?

Screenshots:

(I had to be quick to catch the options open. So quick that the RHC hadn't loaded yet.)

style - Creative writing use and abuse

I am wondering what is the limit, if any, of justifying one's writing style as being creative.

I have often seen the use of a single word or phrase as a 'sentence' for creating impact. Example: "It was a large knife. Sharp and shiny."

Some other examples are starting a sentence with a conjunction (e.g. and) and using one sentence paragraph.

Question: Is it justifiable to disregard grammar rules for a specific creative purpose such as creating impact in the minds of readers?

Note: The above is usually not a problem to a person who does not speak English as his/her first language. English is my fourth language and I can tell you that. However, it may appear incomplete or incorrect to someone whose first language is English.

Answer

Grammar "violations" are perfectly fine in fiction, as long as they create the effect you desire in the reader.

Incomplete sentences can (sometimes) pick up the pace, or make the reading choppy and staccato. When you want those effects, use incomplete sentences.

Starting a sentence with a conjunction can (sometimes) make sentences flow together in an almost hypnotic way. They can suggest that the narrator is speaking/writing/thinking informally. When you want those effects, start a sentence with a conjunction.

For me, it's the same with every rule, whether it's a rule of grammar or a so-called rule of writing. What effects does following this rule create in the reader? What effects do "violations" create? Which effects do I want to create?

software - Can Articy Draft be used to write a book?

I recently bought Articy Draft to catalog my writing endeavours. It seems good for writing scripts, but what about writing a book?

Reference: http://www.nevigo.com/en/articydraft/overview/

I'm planning writing a novel using this tool. It's built primarily for game design (scripts and dialogs included). It's very useful for creating your universe's database and you can relate database items (like characters) inside your scripts, so you know when/where they are used. I thought it would be a good tool for coherence's sake.

controls - Location of new items in list

I have a medium-sized list (about a few dozen items, the container is very likely to have internal vertical scrolling). There is no sorting, so items are displayed in the order of their addition to the list. They are added through a series of controls located above the list with a "submit" button at the end. A colleague and I disagree as to where the new items should appear – at the bottom of the list, or at the top.

Answer

No ordering is a missed opportunity

If you have 'no order' it is a missed opportunity to make the list easier to navigate. Chronological order of addition, or alphabetic order can only improve on 'no definite order' as far as navigation goes. Once you have an order, you have an answer as to where to add.

I'm assuming a time-of-adding order is more useful to your application than alphabetic, or you'd be already using alphabetic and not have a question - so you're left with a choice between chronological or reverse chronological.

Chronological or Reverse Chronological?

Are users more likely to be interested in older entries or newly added entries? That can decide whether chronological or reverse chronological order of addition is the right order. Put the most interesting at the top. If the preference might vary, then add the sort up/down arrow, so the user can choose. Again you now have a definite order and know where to add entries. If there is almost never a difference of interest in older or newer, so that it's not worth adding the sort arrow, then make the new entries appear at the end of the table that is nearest the submit button. That way, with their focus of attention on the button, they see the change as it happens.

Something near to the submit button needs to change when its clicked, e.g. a count of records, if not actual appearance of the new entry, so there is some visual feedback near to the button that something happened. It's where they are looking.

controls - Please recommend a widget to alter ratios totalling 100%

Possible Duplicate:

How to build a budgeting interface (sum of items must equal 100)?

I need the user to be able to change the ratios of items adding up to 100%. Essentially, I'm talking about an interactive pie chart, but even if such a thing existed, it would probably not be very usable (especially with a large number of slices), or accessible.

I currently have a vertical series of 0-100% sliders (with adjacent text field readout, also editable), with a dynamically updating total below, labeled "must be 100%". The form cannot be submitted until the total is 100%. There can be up to 14 items in the series.

Can anyone think of something better?

verification - Automated way to verify user identity

Whats the best way to get people to verify their identity for the purpose of preventing fake accounts on a social site.

For example, Zoosk does the following:

Members who choose to verify their photo will be prompted by the system to record and submit a video “selfie” that will capture the individual’s face from a variety of angles. If the moderators approve the member’s photo, he or she will be notified and a Photo Verified badge will be added to their profile.

However I'm interested to know if there's a clever way to do this without human intervention (aside from using Amazon Turk service or the like, I mean fully automated)

Answer

There are a variety of ways to verify a person on a site, and almost none of them are foolproof.
For example, the Zoosk method can be circumvented because a user could simply submit someone else's photos for approval.

So the real question is, what level of verification is suitable the specific needs of your site? Here are some design questions to as yourself:

1. 
   

   Am I willing to pay the cost of higher verification? More verification means more burden for users (submitting evidence, photographs, additional information, captchas, etc). Studies have proven this will turn off users and cause abandonment / no signups. So the more you verify, the more users you may annoy / abandon the site.

   
   


2. 
   

   Do I need to prevent spam accounts, or verify the identify of a person?. There is a big difference. To prevent spam accounts, it's often enough just to verify that a user is human. You don't need to verify their identity. For example, a captcha is an automatic attempt to verify that a user is human. It doesn't verify the identity of the user. The Zoosk approach also verifies that the user is human, rather than that person's specific identity.

   
   

With that in mind, here are various approaches to verifying human vs identity. The choice for your site will depend on how you decide to weigh the tradeoffs in #1 vs #2 above.

Ways to verify that a user is human

• Use captcha or recpatcha


• Ask for a mobile phone number and send an SMS code to the phone.


• Ask for a credit card number.


• Ask the user to pay a small fee for an account (i.e. provide economic dissuasion for fake accounts)

Ways to verify user's identity

• Piggyback off a social site's verification system (e.g. require user to log in through Facebook and/or LinkedIn)


• Ask user for their social security number (this can be automated)



• Ask for a copy of their driver's license, passport or a recent utilities bill that shows their name (this will be labor intensive)


• Ask for a notarized copy of their passport or birth certificate, or a public notary identity form.

Obviously all these approaches involved different levels of automation and also vastly different levels of inconvenience to the user. Only you can decide what the ideal tradeoff between inconvenience and accuracy is for your site.

I would not try to "reinvent the wheel" here. Sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and dating sites have spent a lot of time thinking about verification and spam, so study them carefully to understand why they made the choices they did. Unless your site has unusually high need for verification, I suspect that an existing approach will be suitable for you....but only you can answer that question.