A question came up regarding what happens if a person using the engineering ability in a city (split production between two items only once per turn) and another player cancelled the action using the writing technology. Does the person using engineering get to use the engineering technology to split production in a different city that turn?

Short Answer: My group would say you can still use "Engineering" for another city if the original intended use was stopped by "Writing."

Long Answer: I think the answer depends on when the "Writing" tech must be used. We play it by having the current player do all of the city action, and then if it is negated, the use of any "We Love the Despot" cards, trade for hammers, and tech abilities concerning production (like "Engineering" and "Animal Husbandry") is refunded.

I'm almost sure this is not how it works but it's easier for new players than forcing everyone to announce their plans and wait for negation techs.