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deception-united · 5 months

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Hello! Hope this ask finds you well 😄

Do you have a guide on how to incorporate dialogue into a story? I'm quite confused in this aspect, like, do I end every dialogue in a comma? (excluding questions and exclamations)

Also just writing things like, "he said, she cried, they snickered, John retorted, Jane whined" becomes tiring after a little while.

I've seen some authors just write dialogue without specifying who said it and the reader relies on context clues to decipher it.

All the rules on writing dialogue is perplexing and any guidance you have on this is much appreciated 🙏

Thank you!

Hi, thanks for asking and so sorry for the late reply! Seamlessly incorporating dialogue into your story is an essential aspect of storytelling that can really bring your characters to life.

Let's start with punctuation. Generally, you would use a comma to separate the dialogue tag from the spoken words; however, this isn't a strict rule. You can also use periods or other punctuation marks depending on the structure of your sentence. For example:

"Hello," he said. "Hello." He smiled. "But," he insisted, "I never actually saw her." "But—" He paused. "Never mind."

Regarding your concern about repetitive dialogue tags, you're absolutely right. Using "he said," "she cried," etc., repeatedly can become tiresome. It's good to mix it up and use a variety of dialogue tags, or even omit them altogether when it's clear who is speaking.

Using context clues to identify the speaker is a great technique. It adds a layer of engagement for the reader and can make the dialogue feel more natural. Here's an example:

"I can't believe you did that." The anger in her voice was palpable.

In this case, we don't need a dialogue tag because the context clues ("the anger in her voice") indicate who is speaking.

Here are a few more tips to help you navigate writing dialogue:

Use action beats: Instead of using dialogue tags, you can describe the actions of the characters to indicate who is speaking. For example:

John slammed his fist on the table. "I won't stand for this!"

Sarah wiped away a tear. "Please don't leave me."

Vary your dialogue tags: Instead of always using "said," try using different verbs that convey how the character is speaking, such as whispered, shouted, muttered, etc.

Omit dialogue tags when possible: If it's clear who is speaking based on the context—for instance, when two characters are talking back and forth—you can omit dialogue tags altogether.

Show, don't tell: Use dialogue to reveal character traits, emotions, and relationships between characters.

Read dialogue aloud: This can help you identify any awkward phrasing or unnatural-sounding dialogue.

Remember: writing dialogue, like any skill, will undoubtedly improve with practice and research. Don't be afraid to experiment and find what works best for your story. Happy writing!

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#ask #writeblr #writing #writing tips #writing advice #writing help #writing resources #creative writing #writing techniques #writing dialogue #dialogue #character dialogue #writing characters #character writing

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bokunoherokomikuko · 1 year

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Fellow redditors who are new to Tumblr are welcome here, and while there aren't any moderated rules like in subreddits, there is a sort of social decorum that's pretty easy to pick up on.

Some tips if you're new though: - First of all: If you're new, for all the that is sensible in the world, change your icon, make a bio (doesn't have to be grand, but a little blurb is good), and/or make a post stating that you are not a bot, even if your blog is otherwise empty. This site is often plagued by spam bots, and blank blogs with default icons are often blocked out of self preservation by users.

- Second of all: Go add "X-kit Rewritten" (or "New X-kit") to your browser extensions.

- THIRDLY: You can follow tags and specific users to curate the content you want to see on your dash. Blocking doesn't stop you from seeing someone's content but you can add terms, tags, and names to your Blacklist (found in blog specific settings) and shield yourself a bit that way. If you have one of the extensions mentioned above, you can also block specific posts.

- Commit to the bit; If there's a joke, a bit, a playing going on, contribute (if you want to)! Makes it more fun.

- Nothing dies here. There are still posts from 2008 circling around and still making laughs. Don't worry about when a post was made, if you like it, reblog it!

- Reblog things!! No seriously, if you like something, the upvote system here is to reblog it so other people can see it. Likes are more like your private stash of posts you've liked or seen already (you can make likes and follows private in settings). Reblogs do not need a caption, if you've got nothing to say, don't. Lurk all you want, make your blog reblogs only, it's okay!

- Want to say something but don't want too much attention? Reblog and type in the tags area instead of the caption area. Doing this is more talking to yourself and maybe a few followers in spirit. If people like what you had to say, they'll add your tags to a post, just be aware. If you don't want that, a basic courtesy for yourself is to tag your post #do not reblog OR #Do not screenshot caption

- Tumblr tags can have spaces in them! They're separated by commas.

- You can make sideblogs! Got multiple interests but don't want them all in one big blog soup? Create a side blog to curate what you post and reblog. Make sure to use tags if you want that extra bit of organization.

This isn't everything, we'd be here all day if I listed it all, but it's a good few tips. This is a safe place for new peeps trying to get their feet wet. Please enjoy yourselves, be safe, and have fun.

#reddit #reddit exodus #reddit migration #reddit blackout #reddit refugee #tumblr #tumblr tips #how to tumblr #tumblr 101 #tumblr etiquette #tumblr help #new to tumblr

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onewomancitadel · 1 year

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Also reminder to new Tumblr users, if you are on desktop (it might be available on mobile? Idk how it would work with the app), you can download an add-on called Xkit Rewritten, a new new version of the old Tumblr supplement, Xkit, which lets you make tweaks to the website. It's kind of similar to RES on Reddit if you ever used that.

Here are the ones I have turned on:

I also just noticed it lets you hide Tumblr Live as well, if that annoys you.

The one I find most useful is Quick Reblog which includes the ability to add tags, where you just separate them by a comma:

and of course if you even want to hide your follower count from yourself, you can do that, too.

Have fun.

#xkit rewritten

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starlightthemes · 2 years

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THEME PACK: THE ARCHIVE

Styled after AO3, this pack includes a theme and matching pages, and was designed for writers and readers alike.

🖋️ Theme 11: Archive Of Your Own

Live preview | Static previews: index page, permalink | Code

Full-width posts in an AO3 work index page format

Sidebars with optional sections such as featured tags, updates, rules, progress bars, and more

Unlimited custom links (display on sidebar or in top navbar), plus several social links in the footer

Add a custom logo beside/replacing your avatar

Inbuilt tag filtering plugin by glenthemes

All fields editable directly in the Customize menu, no HTML required. See below the cut for a full guide

🖋️ Page 3: Archive Records

Preview | Code

A WIP page designed to resemble an AO3 work page

Add tags for ratings, warnings, fandoms, characters, and more, as well as statistics like start dates, word counts etc.

Spaces for summary, start and end notes, and the 'work' itself

🖋️ Page 4: Archivist

Preview | Code

A combined about/navigation page based on the AO3 profile page

Include user statistics or any data you'd like, plus a longer bio

Sidebar navigation with link sections - unlimited links and link groups

The theme and pages all include options for multiple color palettes (initially set to Default and Reversi), text styling (choice of Tumblr/Google fonts and casing options), and more. -

Each page includes instructions on how to edit it, and color/image variables have been gathered together to make customization easier. While not necessary, basic knowledge of HTML is helpful.

For help, check my codes guide, or feel free to send me an ask. Theme 11 customization guide and credits are under the cut.

Theme 11 customization

Regarding the simpler fields:

"Secondary title" refers to the title just above the posts, under the header and navigation. This defaults to "[Total posts] Works in [Username]" when the field is left empty.

"Filtered tags" takes a comma-separated list of tags, entered exactly as they'd be written in the Tumblr post editor but without the hashtag. E.g. the tags #politics, #red and blue, and #green would be entered as "politics, red and blue, green" (make sure there's spaces, and no comma after the last item!). The filtering plugin will then put a warning message over any posts with those tags, along with a button letting you show the post.

"[Section] title" act as the headers for the corresponding section, if provided. "Custom links title" defaults to "Pages" if nothing is entered, and is used when the custom links are displayed on the navbar.

"Featured tags" takes a comma-separated list of tags, in the same format as Filtered tags. This field will display links to those tags, along with the number of posts in that tag on your blog, in the left sidebar.

The Recent posts section displays the 5 most recently posted/reblogged posts on your entire blog, displaying in the left sidebar. If you enter a tag under "Recent posts tag", it'll instead display the 5 most recent posts in that tag on your blog. Only 1 tag is allowed.

Rules and FAQ

Both these sections work the same way. Each new item, a rule or a question, consists either of one statement, or a statement and some more text, usually as an answer or additional note. E.g. the screenshot below shows three rules, where the last one has more text in the dropdown.

To create an item, prefix it with <li> . To add more text, create a <li> item and add a [more] label underneath, then write your extra text after that. To illustrate, here's the Customize page code for the above:

Updates

This section is similar to Rules/FAQ, though it flips the order around. After each <li>, first list the date, then add the [label] marker, then add your actual update. Again, here's an example:

And here's the Customize page code that created that:

Toggles

This section displays checked/crossed-out items, and uses a simpler version of the formatting for the above sections. Use <li> for each new item, then add [on] or [off] at the end, depending on whether you want it checked or crossed off. Here's an example:

And here's the corresponding Customize code:

Progress bars

This section also uses <li> items, where each item has two parts: the text label, and the number(s) for the progress percentages, put inside square brackets like with the other sections. Here's an example (note how the top two use fraction values while the bottom one uses a percentage):

And here's the code that made these. In short, the format is <li> Text here [##/##], or <li> Text here [##%], where ## refers to any number.

Social links in footer

The footer links, aside from the email and personal website fields, take usernames or user IDs for various websites. Be sure to check you're not entering a username in a user ID field!

The Email address field takes a standard email in the format [email protected] and adds a link to let people mail that address.

The Personal website fields will generate a link in the footer's Follow section. Personal website name is the human-readable text label for the generated link, and Personal website URL is the URL that will open when the generated link is clicked. Make sure to add https:// to the start of the personal website URL so the generated link doesn't just redirect you to a different part of your blog.

Credits

Layout and design by Archive of Our Own

Style My Tooltips by malihu

Phosphor Icons

Expanded Tumblr localization and NPF photosets plugin by codematurgy

Custom audio posts by annasthms

Tag filtering by glenthemes

Palette toggle by eggdesign

Scroll to top by Fabian Lins

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em-dash-press · 2 years

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Grammar, Spelling, and Punctuation: Writing 101

I adored grammar lessons in grade school, but I realized they were specific to the school I was in when I switched school systems.

Not everyone gets to grow up with grammar quizzes and sentence diagram tests. Don’t feel bad if you can’t tell an em dash from a hyphen! Browse this guide and you’ll refresh yourself on everything you need to know.

Note: this is for American English and assumes you already speak it as a first or second language. It won’t explain verbs, nouns, etc. Also, some parts will vary by in-house style guides with various publishers. However, you can use these refreshers to problem-solve your WIP and feel more confident about how you wield your words.

1. Punctuation Around Dialogue

American English grammar rules almost always firmly state that punctuation around dialogue goes inside quotation marks.

Examples:

Wrong: “I don’t want to go to the park”, she said.

Right: “I don’t want to go to the park,” she said.

This rule won’t apply if you’re asking about something someone said. Otherwise, punctuation always goes inside the quotation marks to end what’s being said.

Examples:

Wrong: Did the teacher say, “Do your homework?”

Right: Did the teacher say, “Do your homework”?

Also, dialogue tags always have a comma separating what’s being said from the tag itself. That’s because the tag is an integral part of the dialogue since it identifies who’s saying the spoken words.

Examples:

Wrong: “I love chocolate ice cream.” he said.

Right: “I love chocolate ice cream,” he said.

2. Adjectives vs. Adverbs

Adjectives and adverbs often get confused. They both start with “ad” and describe other words. So what do they mean?

Adjectives are descriptors that apply to nouns.

Adverbs are descriptors that often end in -ly and apply to verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. (Basically anything but nouns.)

Examples:

Adjective: He is a hairy cat. [“Hairy” describes the noun “cat.”]

Adverb: The hairy cat ran quickly across my yard. [“Quickly” describes the verb “ran.”]

Adverb: He really likes to roam. [“Really” describes the verb “likes.”]

Adverb: Even though we have a very small neighborhood. [“Very” describes the adjective “small.]

Adjectives are also considered stronger descriptors in writing because they’re more specific. Using adverbs occasionally is often fine, but publishers and editors that sift through submissions with a fine-tooth comb don’t like repeated adverb usage when a more direct description could fit the sentence.

Examples:

Adverb: I really enjoy going to the movies.

Stronger verb: I love going to the movies.

3. There, They’re, and Their

People often get these confused because the English language is very confusing. To put it bluntly:

There: a location

They’re: a contraction for “they are”

Their: the possessive pronoun form of “they”

Example:

They’re driving their car to that store over there.

4. Run-On Sentences and Fragments

Run-on sentences go on for too long. Fragments are incomplete sentences.

You’ll know both when you spot them because it isn’t how people normally talk. People pause to collect their thoughts, take a breath, and describe their thoughts in complete sentences (even with slang, the sentences still make sense).

Examples:

Run-On Sentence: She went to work and had a meeting at 11:00 before going to lunch at the restaurant across the street which had her favorite food on the dessert menu so she enjoyed it before going back to work and clocking out at 5:00. [This sentence addresses six different actions in too many phrases for a running list of commas with a conjunction at the end.]

Fragment: Every single animal. [Every animal what? There’s no context, so the sentence is incomplete. Sometimes writers use fragments as creative descriptors if they break grammar rules effectively, but you have to know how to avoid fragments to use them well.]

5. Em Dashes

Ah, the em dash. I’m so biased when it comes to this punctuation mark.

Em dashes indicate a purposeful pause, followed by essential information. They can also distinguish phrases or lists in the middle of a sentence.

Most importantly, they’re the length of an m.

You’ll know you’re using them correctly if you can replace your em dash with a pair of commas, a colon, or a semicolon.

Examples:

I love using em dashes—especially for sentences like this—so I may use them a little too often. [You could replace the em dashes with commas and it would still be correct.]

I couldn’t resist it—Em Dash Press had to be the name for my blog. [This em dash could be a semicolon.]

6. En Dashes

En dashes are the little sibling to em dashes. En dashes are two hyphens long or the length of an n. They point out the range in numbers or time, but can also stand in for “to” or “and.”

Examples:

The war lasted from 1434–1442.

I’ll be at the library from 6:30–7:30 p.m.

The final score was 32–34.

You have a ticket on the Chicago–New York flight tomorrow evening.

7. Hyphens

At this point, you’re likely wondering what’s even left for hyphens to do. The answer is quite a lot.

It’s one dash wide and joins words.

Examples:

Hello, my name is Alvina Stuart-Kelly.

I’m looking for a dog-friendly apartment.

She has a two-year-old child.

Typically, they don’t go after adverbs and don’t join words after nouns.

Examples:

Incorrect: My apartment is dog-friendly.

Incorrect: That child is two-years-old.

8. Commas (Oxford and Otherwise)

Commas are a curse and a gift for writers. Myself included.

We often use commas that are unnecessary because in our mind, that’s where we’re pausing to breathe or collect our thoughts as we type the sentence.

Sometimes it just feels right to use too many—until it’s time to edit.

There are multiple types of commas. The first is the comma that connects a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, for, so, yet, nor).

Example:

He’d love to hang out, but he has to finish his homework.

A comma can also go after an introductory phrase.

Example:

When we last spoke, it was still November.

Commas also go around phrases within a sentence.

Example:

My neighbor, who is a great painter, is open for commissions.

Then there’s the Oxford comma, which goes before the coordinating conjunction at the end of a list.

Example:

We need to get paper towels, apples, and flour at the supermarket.

You can also place a comma in between two nouns that are interchangeable.

Example:

The fresh, cheesy soup is delicious.

The cheesy, fresh soup is delicious.

There should be a comma after a conjunctive adverb at the beginning of a sentence if it’s contrasting something.

Example:

I don’t like swimming in rivers. However, I’ll make an exception for you.

Introductory prepositional phrases (you can find a complete list of prepositions below) also get followed by a comma if they’re more than four words long. However, you can put them after smaller prepositional phrases too.

Examples:

[“After the game” is the prepositional phrase below.]

Correct: After the game we should get milkshakes.

Also correct: After the game, we should get milkshakes.

Also correct: After the game ends tonight, we should get milkshakes.

When a prepositional phrase ends a sentence, you don’t need to put a comma before it because they’re typically describing a verb.

Incorrect: We should get milkshakes, after the game ends.

Correct: We should get milkshakes after the game ends. [“After the game ends” is describing the timing of the verb “get” in relation to the object “milkshakes.”]

9. Prepositions

Prepositions are words that come before a noun, verb, or pronoun to indicate details like the place, time, direction, location and relationship to an object.

There are too many prepositions to list in this post, but you can find a ton of them over on this website.

Examples:

He left ~for college~.

They were born ~in 1972~.

~From September to November,~ I’m going to be very busy.

You’ll know you’re using a preposition incorrectly when it’s essentially dangling at the end of the sentence or can be removed without changing the meaning of the sentence.

Examples:

Incorrect: Where’s the mouse at?

Correct: Where’s the mouse?

Incorrect: He leapt off of the couch.

Correct: He leapt off the couch.

Notably, some uses of prepositions are colloquial. In real-world conversations, you might say things like, “Where are you at?” and that’s absolutely fine. It’s even fine to use them like that when writing dialogue for characters who have a specific vernacular usage of them, like regional or cultural phrasing.

When neither of those are present in the written word, editors will recommend revising your sentences to reflect prepositional usage rules like the ones above.

10. Apostrophes

Apostrophes have a couple different jobs.

First, they show possession when something or someone owns something.

Examples:

That is Henry’s car.

Watch out for the tree’s loose branches.

Apostrophes also go after an “s” if the plural noun has possession of something.

Examples:

The stores’ new parking lot looks much better.

The wagons’ wheels were made of wood.

The classmates’ party just began.

When a plural noun doesn’t end in an s, it usually gets the standard apostrophe before an s.

Examples:

The sheep’s pen needs a repair.

The people’s voice matters.

The women’s shoe section is over there.

Apostrophes join words to create contractions too. Contractions join two separate words to save time, effort, or word count. They’re what most people use in everyday language because contractions are less formal in tone. (I just used one in that previous sentence!)

Examples:

It’s time to go to bed.

They’re making dinner now.

I can’t run very far.

11. Colons

We use colons to make sense of too much information. Basically, they give order to lists, phrases, or titles.

Examples:

They need to call the following guests: Isabelle, Ana, and Richard.

The Urgent Need for Answers: A Call for Solutions to Healthcare Inequities [This would be the title of an academic paper, book, or article.]

We have one thing in common: the desire to write more stories.

12. Semicolons

Don’t be afraid of semicolons; they are here to help you!

Semicolons join two related ideas or clarify lists with multiple long phrases.

Examples:

I ate dessert before dinner; life is about doing what makes you happy. [The second half of the sentence provides clarity or reasoning to the first half. The semicolon could get replaced by an em dash or “, because” if you preferred it that way.]

When I wake up, I brush my teeth with an electric toothbrush; swish a sensitive-teeth mouthwash in my mouth for 30 seconds; and wash my face while I shower. [If you replaced the semicolons with commas, the phrases would be considered too wordy. Semicolons provide more visual order for readers in this context.]

13. Exclamation Marks

Some people avoid ever using exclamation marks. Others use them all the time.

I say that the correct usage depends on the situation.

If an overly enthusiastic, excited kid were telling their friends they were going to Disney World, they might breathlessly say something like, “I just got the best news! My mom got time off of work! So we’re going to Disney World!”

However, if a more serious or laid-back person said they had a good day and wanted to describe it, they’d likely say, “My day was good! I had a great lunch and the drive home was easy.” Finishing the last sentence with an extra exclamation mark would be out of character for them.

You also wouldn’t want to use exclamation marks in formal writing settings, like academic papers or newspaper articles, because it would come across as too casual. But it’s fine if you’re writing a social media post or texting a friend.

As long as the exclamation mark indicates excitement or urgency, you’re using it correctly. Consider who’s speaking and why to figure out if their dialogue would result in more than an occasional exclamation mark.

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I hope this helps clarify the basics so you’re more confident about writing your next story. Grammar is complicated and ever-changing (I’m looking at you, AP Style Guide), but you can count on these basics to structure things correctly for your readers.

#grammar #grammar tips #writing tips #writeblr #writers of tumblr #writing advice

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late-to-the-party-81 · 5 months

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Answer the questions and tag five fanfiction authors you know!

Thank you @metalbvcky. NPT for @mrs-illyrian-baby @doasyoudesireandlive @km-ffluv @labella420

🍓 How did you get into writing fanfiction?

As a teen I was a voracious reader and tried to write my own stuff based on other books I'd read. I also loved ST:TNG and wanted dearly to be in an episode and had lots of the books. I wrote my own ST stories with OC's (gratuitous self inserts), but they never went anywhere. In my late teens I read some Xena fanfic on the internet. But that was it for a great number of years.

At the beginning of 2021 I sat and watched the entirety of the MCU films in chronological order (I'd seen most of them before and was mainly a Thor gal.) I fell down the Stucky rabbithole. Deep. I decided to look up fanfic. AO3 was now a thing! I wrote (a very poor) Stucky fic and here we are, almost 3 years later

🍇How many fandoms have you written in?

As my ST stuff never made it further than my parent's old PC in the days of dial-up, I won't count it.

I've written for MCU, various Chris Evans and Seb Stan Characters and one fic for RWRB. I've been toying with writing a one-off Criminal Minds fic as a gift for a friend.

🍈How many years have you been writing fanfiction?

Three in July since I first published anything on AO3.

🍎Do you read or write more fanfiction?

I try to balance it out. If I have a period of hyperfocus writing I try to then go through a period of reading. I read on both Tumblr and AO3, so try to keep that even as well.

🍌What is one way you've improved as a writer?

Getting betas to pick me up on tense changes, overuse of words and rogue commas. Reading more. Practising. Writing outlines for longer stories so I don't go off-piste.

🍑Do you have any bad habits as a writer?

Getting bored half-way through a long fic, especially if the first few parts haven't had a lot of interaction. Which is why I try to write the whole thing before I start posting.

🍍 What's the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

Engineering courses at MIT and, for a separate fic, Violet wands, including the ways to use them and the differnt types of accessories you can use with them. I even watched a Youtube video.

🍉What's your favourite type of comment to receive on your work?

Any comment! Anything that gives me the validation I need!

🍐What's the most fringe trope/topic you write about?

I wrote a transformation into Tsum-tsum fic that was both cracky and smutty. That's pretty niche.

🥭What is the hardest type of story for you to write?

Action scenes. I loathe them. I'm constantly wondering if they are long enough, and make sense.

🍏What is the easiest type?

Short things that are either PWP or fluffy slices of life.

🍑Where do you do your writing? What platform? When?

Mainly on my elderly laptop on G-Docs, and in every moment I can - normally afterwork before dinner and on Mondays when I don't have work.

🍋What is something you've been too nervous/intimidated to write, but would love to write one day?

There are a few characters and ships I haven't written that I'd like to. And I suppose I'd like to write a proper long, over 100k fic at some point.

🍇 what made you choose your username?

When I made my AO3 account I felt as though that at 40, and only really starting in Fandom in this way, I was late to the party, so that is who I became.

#tag games #getting to know you #jen answers

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dvar-trek · 1 year

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Okay so I just reblogged that poll from you, but I have to ask: how the heck did you manage to get a comma in the tags??

i got it from another post ages ago! it's a character that isn't actually a comma, but looks exactly like one, so it's very useful for tumblr tags. it only works if you copy and paste. i added it to my phone's dictionary and automatic suggestions so it only takes me an extra second or two. here it is, for all your tumblr tag clause-separating needs:

‚

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americanrecord · 6 months

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my one grammatical pet peeve (i have many, this is just The One) that will unfairly push me from reading something is improperly punctuated dialogue…and it’s SO fixable and will clean up so much writing so quickly. like. okay. writing advice, and it’s the main pillar that, when i see violated, has me like walter white screaming in the car.jpeg

“This is a sentence.” ✅ (perfect, no notes.)

“This is a sentence,” ❌ (commas are never a final punctuation mark if there’s no following dialogue tag.) (dialogue tag = he said, she said, you said, i said.)

“This is a sentence,” he said. ✅ (comma after the quote/between the dialogue tag, non-capitalized dialogue tag.)

“This is a sentence,” He said. ❌ (no capitals! he said is not a new sentence, but rather apart of the quote.)

“This is a sentence.” He said. ❌ (most common. wrong. it’s one sentence 😔, there’s a comma to separate the tag, and the tag should not be capitalized for reasons: see above.)

“This is a sentence.” He laughed. ✅ (he laughed is not a dialogue tag, it’s an action, therefore a new sentence & capitalized. This is sometimes debated, so if it’s easier to conceptualize using another verb, do so.)

“This is a sentence,” he said. “When starting another one or interrupting it with a dialogue tag, it’s best to capitalize the start of this new sentence. However, you can also interrupt dialogue with action,”—like this, where you insert your action, motion, or thought of choice—“using em dashes. When you resume the sentence, it won’t be capitalized, unless it’s a proper noun, until you start a new sentence because it still apart of the old one. Make sure to use a period at the end of the sentence when it’s all over.”

“This is a sentence,”—he laughed, slapping his knee—“and this is an example of how you can interrupt a line of dialogue using an action. Notice the pronoun isn’t capitalized? Nor the resuming dialogue?”

Related, but different: “This is a sentence.” He laughed, slapping his knee. “And this is an example of how you can break up a line of dialogue using action, while not necessarily interrupting it. They’re two distinct sentences and often depend on how the author intends for the reader to read/hear the line—quickly, in one breath, or paused, properly spaced.”

#omg goodnight #it’s just one of those things that when u see it u will never not #so hopefully this is helpful #because i used to do all of these and had to unlearn and edit etc #writing advice #writing #writeblr

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k2ntwo · 9 months

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20 Questions for Fic Writers

A bunch of writers that I follow have already been tagged and responded @helloliriels @khorazir @7-percent @discordantwords @totallysilvergirl to name just a few. Now I have a few new things to read that I somehow missed the first time around as well as a bunch of old favorites to go and re-read. So much good fic is out there by so many talented writers!

In the spirit of adding to folk’s ever growing MFL list I’ll just pile onto the bandwagon with my answers as well.

1. How many works to you have on AO3?

56 although there are several collections of snippets that technically could be counted separately. On AO3 I'm KtwoNtwo.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

496,860

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Primarily Sherlock Holmes (most all iterations from ACD to Sherlock) and James Bond. However, I dabble in a good number of other fandoms upon occasion.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Metamorphosis

Conversations from Q-Branch

50 Reasons (The Q-Branch Edition)

A Rare Breed

Brothers Three

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes, even if its just a “I’m glad you liked it.” The only ones I don’t respond to are the generic solicitations to join some random contest or fic publishing website. Those get blocked and reported.

6. What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Well, I don’t really write major angst but The Four Riders has got a bit as does the poem Gun in the Drawer though they both end on a hopeful note.

7. What’s the Fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Most of my fics have happy endings but probably A Toast to the Science of Deduction resolves the happiest of the lot.

8. Do you get hate on fics.

Nope. Only got one anonymous troll alleging trademark infringement due to a title. I fired back a factual rebuttal: basically "there is no book by that name by that author, there is no lawyer by that name, you didn’t provide contact information and btw trademark doesn’t work the way you allege" then added a set of quotation marks to the title. Never heard anything more about it.

9. Do you write smut?

I have but I’m not terribly good at it. Most of the time the characters look at me then politely, or not so politely, shut the bedroom door in my face.

10. Do you write crossovers?

Oh God Yes! Technically I think I write fusions, where both fandoms end up in the same universe, as opposed to crossovers but I’m rather unclear on the difference between same so I tend to just call 'em crossovers and leave it at that.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I could find or prove. I did have a couple of strange search results pop up with my use name and some fic titles attached but the websites all seem to be defunct now.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not to my knowledge.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No.

14. What’s your favorite ship?

Sherlock Holmes/John Watson

15. What’s the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

There’s a fic based on a song by Abney Park that I’ve got an outline for but it never seems to go anywhere.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I can merge and/or crossover all sorts of different fandoms.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Typos and punctuation. Being slightly dyslexic I can’t spot the former and I never know if I’m using commas correctly or not.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I actively avoid doing so because I’d butcher it badly.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Emperor’s Edge by Lindsay Buroker. I will admit that I wrote in my head, but never got around to put on paper, a number of Star Trek stories when I was significantly younger.

20. Favorite fic you’ve ever written?

I like all of them for different reasons. The one I’m most proud of however is The Emerald Falls my Study in Emerald inspired ACD Fic.

I'd love to have some of the artists/podcasters respond to this with whatever modifications are necessary to fit the medium involved. Hours of podcast or number of artworks as opposed to number of words for example. @podfixx @bluebellofbakerstreet if you haven't responded to this thing already and I just missed it.

#20 questions for fic writers #my fanfiction

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nightdreamdraws · 13 days

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Your art is so cute!

Just to let you know, the hashtags you're leaving at the end of the post itself don't do anything at all. You ahve to actually put the words into the tags of the post, separated by commas so that they get those hashtags , before they will actually trigger and put your art into the tags.

For that skizzleman nadder art, if you take the words at the end of the post and just put each into the tags, tumblr will see them and use them accordingly.

Keep creating! I loved the piece!

okay wait i was about to say "omg i'm actually so dumb how did i not know this" but I think I do do the correct thing. What happened is i put the whole description in my notes app so i can just copy and paste to all my socials at once and just forgot to delete the hashtags for the Skizz one LMAO 😭 but thank you so much for the tip! :) and thank you so much!! I'm so glad you like my art :')

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ask-whitepearl-and-steven · 2 years

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Sorry for being dumb, I'm literally terrible when it comes to social intelligence, so could you explain what is painful so I can avoid asking it?

Anon, you are very kind for reaching out, but I need you to understand that you are absolutely not the person I was targeting with that throw-away tag.

This? This is not for you.

You wanna know why?

Because you have one of these:

and also one of these

What I am referring you is not literally a painful topic.

I am referring to sentence soup the likes of which is incomprehensible by anyone except the person who wrote it.

I am referring to run-on sentences so long they stretch into a new topic of conversation without a single comma or a period in sight before being guillotined by a character limit

And look. This is not a callout. I understand that this isn't English class - this is tumblr. I don't care if you use the right 'your' vs 'you're'. It's casual. I don't care if you capitalize stuff. Y'all'd've been perfectly fine if you just kept it short and sweet as long as I understand it.

But therein lies the problem.

As long as I understand it.

Writing messages on the internet has a goal.

That goal is to communicate an idea to another person. To establish a peer-to-peer connection. To make yourself heard.

And although I respect you guys sticking it to the man and refusing to capitalize, and using casual speech and inventing fun new words like 'yeet'

You need to realize

that if you yeet your basic ass punctuation

you will also yeet

my ability to understand you

If the message I receive looks like this

hey just wanted to ask if you i thought maybe could u draw me pony big one could be playing together with a different one could you do it please i rly like your art would be paid or no its ok if no want to show u my stuff as well have a lot of art u could maybe like anyway the pony is blue if u still want

Then halfway through this mess I had to stop, start over, and re-read everything while muttering swear-words to myself.

Because this is not a message

This is just you shoving 3-5 sentences into a blender and throwing them at my head and giving ME the task of untangling it.

USE. PERIODS. BETWEEN SENTENCES. PLEASE.

If your teachers did not explain to you how to do this - I apologize. But periods are a pretty ubiquitous part most languages. This is not an EFL or ESL issue. This a big ole' F grade on the Theory of Mind Test.

I cannot read YOUR mind. We are not connected through an ethernet cable. You need to make an effort to make your ideas CLEAR. That means breaking up your separate sentences and using a question mark once in a blue moon.

THAT is what I mean when I say some of y'alls messages pain me.

I still love you all. I just need you to come in after class, because we need to do some one-on-one tutoring.

#chekhov answers #sometimes i side eye the tumblr age limit #because there is no way some of the people i get these messages from are 13 and still write like this #if you wanna assault your friends with this #fine #but not strangers on the internet who are not familiar with you #please put effort into communication #if you want effort returned

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booksteaandtoomuchtv · 1 year

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Witchy Woman (3/10)

0.5 | 1 | 2 | AO3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

art by @cocohook38

Summary: When Emma came into her position as Storybrooke Coven Leader, she ended things with the powerful Vampire Overlord, Killian Jones. She’s spent over a decade working alongside him and ignoring the growing tension between them.

During his best mate’s wedding, Killian decides he is done waiting. He is ready to have his mate back in his arms (and bed) again. Emma is not an easy woman to woo, but Killian has never backed down from a challenge.

When Emma’s jilted ex-boyfriend returns to town and Emma goes missing, Killian will stop at nothing to get her back and ensure that nothing can ever separate them again.

Rating: E

CW: Mention of domestic abuse, blood and blood drinking (vampires), threatening situations, minor violence, death, mention of parental death

Entry for Captain Swan Supernatural Summer 2023 (@cssns)

Tagging: @anmylica, @elfiola, @goforlaunchcee, @jrob64, @kmomof4 , @stahlop, @teamhook, @tiganasummertree, @undercaffinatednightmare, @xarandomdreamx, @zaharadessert

Author Note: Thank you so, so much to @ultraluckycatnd. I am sure commas haunt you in waking and sleeping hours.

“What the hell was I thinking?” Emma muttered to the clothing piled on her bed. The clothing offered no response. She wasn’t sure what she expected given this particular pile of useless clothing seemed incapable of being helpful in the ways that clothing should actually be helpful. None of the dresses seemed to fall right, the shirts seemed too professional or too casual, and the skirts merely mocked her with their soulless neutrals and business styles. She didn’t date and the clothing that refused to cower under her darkest glare was a testament to the decade she spent prioritising her career over most everything else.

A light knock on her bedroom door sent her heart racing. She whipped around to see Elsa pushing open the door a bit more. Elsa’s eyes widened at the scene before her. “Good. You aren’t nervous about tonight, then.”

“Ridiculous, isn’t it?”

“Not at all.” Elsa gave her a reassuring smile. “You’ve been protecting your heart for so long. Letting yourself be vulnerable with Killian isn’t going to be easy. But, I think it’ll be worth it.” She tugged a crimson dress from the pile and handed the hanger to Emma. “This one is perfect.”

“Thanks." Taking the proffered dress, Emma attempted a smile. "I wish I were as certain as you were…"

"I am not telling you what I saw," Elsa's tone was final.

Emma huffed out an annoyed breath and slipped the dress over her head. The red silk flowed gently to her knees, the deep plunge of the neckline and clenched waist was exactly the balance between flirty and sexy she was seeking. “It would be so much easier if this were actually a first date. There is just all this…,” she paused, searching for a way to summarise over a decade of yearning and regretting the decision she made, even as she continued to believe she’d made the correct one, “history.”

Elsa raised her eyebrows. “Is ‘history’ what you call over a decade of ignoring whatever it is that burns whenever you two are in a room together?”

“Oh, shut up.”

“What happened to Aunt Ingrid was awful, but you can’t let it stop you from finding happiness.”

Their aunt had been a powerful witch who’d fallen for a vampire who was hungry for that power. He courted her, dazzling her with his adoration of her, showering her with gifts and praises, waiting for the day she would trust him above all others. When she surrendered to him and allowed him to drink from her, he drank even after she demanded that he stop. He kept drinking until he had consumed enough to make her powers his. At the loss of her power, Ingrid had become a hollow ghost of herself.

“I know,” Emma sighed. “Well, I think I know.” The fear of a similar loss still sat like a heavy boulder in her chest. Emma could not imagine a fate worse than losing her powers and having to navigate life without the constant companionship of her magic. The connection between her and the power flowing through nature all around her was as deeply a piece of her as the relationships with her sisters. Living without it would be like living without her heart.

Elsa made a small noise of understanding. “Killian’s a good one.”

“Yeah, I should probably put an end to his waiting.” Emma checked her reflection one more time before leaving to meet said vampire for dinner.

§§§§ §§§§ §§§§ §§§§

Killian was seated comfortably in the booth tucked in the back of the busy restaurant. He was nursing a strong pour of spiced rum and watching busy tables in an effort to pass the time until Emma arrived. He watched the patrons as they enjoyed their meals; couples chatting about their days, urging each other to try a bite of their meal, and enjoying the restful quiet which accompanies people so familiar with each other they no longer feel threatened by the absence of noise or distraction. Closing his eyes against the yearning that gripped his heart, Killian took a long pull of the burning liquor to steady himself. Emma was late, but that was like her. It did not mean she wasn’t going to come.

I can’t take the chance that I am wrong about you. Her words from that night echoed in his head, clear as the moment she’d spoken them and ended their courtship without allowing him a single word to challenge her decision.

Yesterday, when she pushed her way into his office, he’d taken that as evidence she was ready to take that chance on him. After over a decade of working alongside her and adhering to her strict boundaries, even when she crossed them, he hoped that he’d earned her trust. But as another minute ticked by, he grew more certain she reconsidered.

“Can I get you anything else, sir?”

Killian brought his focus to the young man - vampire - now standing at the end of his table. “Another drink would be welcomed.”

“Right away,” the waiter lingered a moment. His voice lowered so only Killian could hear him. “Sire, there is a vamp outside that…”

“I’ll see to it,” Killian said, interrupting whatever explanation that followed. “Forget the drink,” he said as he stepped from the booth and paid for the drinks he already consumed. His jaw muscles jumped as he strolled toward the exit, annoyance rolling from him in waves. Emma hadn’t shown up, but he could think about that after he dealt with whatever asshole was causing trouble outside of the restaurant.

§§§§ §§§§ §§§§ §§§§

Emma hurried toward the restaurant where she knew Killian would be waiting for her, halfway through his first drink. She was trying to think of a ridiculous excuse for her tardiness that would bring a smile to those deliciously tempting lips. There was a three-person pile-up in front of the library. Traffic on the sidewalk was unbelievable!

Between one step and the next, she was suddenly pulled off balance and slammed into the wall of the restaurant. Dark spots danced in her vision at the impact, but she could clearly see Neal's sneering face as he held her firmly against the wall, his fingers digging bruises into her arms.

She reached for her magic to shove him off, but it had scattered when her head hit the wall and she couldn't quite grasp it yet. She refused to give in to the panic that had her heart pounding in her throat. She needed to try to calm down and focus on pulling the threads of her magic back to her.

“Let go of me,” she demanded. Her rising anger and panic made her too flustered to accomplish more than an ineffective spark between her fingers.

“I am not letting you go in there,” Neal replied, calmly.

“You don’t have a say in this,” Emma snapped, still trying to get free from his grasp. He tightened his hold, forcing a grunt of pain to escape her.

“You are not going in there,” Neal replied as if he were talking a child down from a tantrum. He leaned in and she could feel the hot moisture of his breath against her skin; the sensation made her feel sick. She couldn't discern his intentions; did he mean to bite her? Kiss her? Was he going to threaten her again?

He whipped his head back suddenly, turning to focus on something behind him. Emma pulled her knee up in a quick, decisive movement that had Neal releasing his hold on her and bending in half as she ran blindly away from him.

She didn't make it far before she collided with a patron walking out of the restaurant. Their hands wrapped around her to prevent her from falling, but she flinched at the contact and they dropped their hands.

"Are you okay, love?" The accented voice pulled her back to the surface. Her mind and body calming, no longer drowning in the fear she'd felt moments ago. Her eyes started to burn with tears as the adrenaline flooding her system started to wane and she tried to nod in answer to Killian's question. Killian watched her quietly, the concern on his face unmistakable. "Let me take you home?"

Numbly, Emma nodded. Killian threw his coat around her shoulders, the sudden warmth and familiar scent of him surrounding her with unexpected comfort.

"Is this okay?" Killian asked, indicating his intent to place his hand between her shoulders to help guide her to the car. It was a casual touch like so many between them, almost habitual, but tonight it felt like a lifeline, pulling her back to safety. Again, she only nodded. They were quiet as they walked to Killian's sleek Aston, both on alert for any indication of danger.

§§§§ §§§§ §§§§ §§§§

Other than Emma quietly asking him to take her back to his house, the drive was quiet. Killian hadn't stopped scanning for threats or glancing over to assess her injuries until they'd crossed the threshold into his den. He'd turned on the gas fireplace, despite the warmth of the evening, and laid a blanket on her as she sat curled up on the couch. It wasn't until she was holding a warm cup of hot chocolate sprinkled with cinnamon that he finally broke the quiet - Can you tell me what happened? He settled on the floor in front of her, watching her intently, but giving her as much space as he could with his instincts demanding he sweep her into his arms and never let her go.

"I was distracted. I didn't see him," Emma offered, quietly.

"See who?"

"Neal.” Emma continued, her words rushing out, skipping details. "When my head hit the wall, it messed with my magic. I couldn't throw him off."

A wave of anger at Neal and at himself for not being there crashed through him. While he would enjoy ending that pathetic creature's existence, Killian filed away the various gruesome images that accompanied that desire. He could not give in to his anger until he knew that Emma was okay.

He moved to sit next to her on the couch. When she didn't shy away, he gently pulled her into his arms. She relaxed into him, moments of the evening's encounter spilling from her in the same disjointed manner. Killian listened intently, saving his responses for later. Emma needed someone to hear her tonight. When she had time to process, they could discuss a few details that were nagging at him.

He held her firmly, keeping her rooted in the present where she was safely tucked in his embrace. They stayed together like this in a comfortable quiet for a while after she'd finished talking.

"Can I get you anything?" he asked her softly.

A soft snore filled the room.

Killian was filled with a sudden need to capture every detail of this moment - the weight and warmth of her against his chest, the softness of her hair tickling his beard when he looked down at her, the way his arm - currently draped around her waist - rose and fell with her steady breathing, the familiar sweet vanilla fragrance, the softness of her in sleep, and the freeing absence of the all-consuming yearning he'd been slave to all these years - and burn it into his memory.

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