When objects near and remote are referred to, this and its plural these are applied to the objects near at hand, that and its plural those to objects at a distance.
When reference is made to contrasted antecedent terms, this and these are applied to the latter; that and those to the former, as
“Farewell my friends! farewell my foes!
My peace with these, my love with those!”
—Burns.
Fictitious Writer
Do not say a fictitious writer when you mean a writer of fiction.
Firstly
First is an adverb as well as an adjective. We should, therefore, say first, secondly, thirdly, and not firstly, secondly, etc.
First-rate
An article may be rated in quality as first, or second, or third. If it rates first, it may be called a first-rate article. The word is properly used as an adjective, but should not be employed as an adverb, as in the sentence, “He sings first-rate.”