Forum: Story Discussion and Feedback

I think you misspelled 'nightmare'. You found a 'nightmare'.

Is it grammatically correct? If so, so many short choppy sentences. If not, so many mispunctuated longer sentences.

Either way - ugh.

I think I know where the missing commas went. I started reading a story, oddly enough with very similar current chapter-count and length, in which the author seemed to have inserted a spurious comma after every sentence's subject.

AJ

the author seemed to have inserted a spurious comma after every sentence's subject.

Also annoying is a current story that ends sentences with double punctuation symbols - [?.] or [?'.]

A story which only uses 'periods' might be because the author can't spell 'menstruation'. ;-)

AJ

her husband would know that nookie was off the menu.

She could have climbed on the table so hubby could screw her while she was on the rag.

AJ

Also annoying is a current story that ends sentences with double punctuation symbols

The 'interrobang' (?!) is useful. Too many fonts don't have the ‽ symbol.

The 'interrobang' (?!) is useful. Too many fonts don't have the ‽ symbol.

So I hear, but I've never had a case where it was appropriate to use in my writing.

I've never had a case where it was appropriate to use in my writing.

I wonder whether its necessity in a longform story like a novel is a symptom that the author is telling rather than showing.

AJ

Fred asked loudly, "Why the hell did you do that?"

Fred asked, "Why the hell did you do that!?"

Fred slammed his fist on the table. "Why the hell did you do that?"

or he slams his fist on the table and yells the question.

A properly understood interobang forces the latter interpretation.

Actually, if I was reading that scene I wouldn't interpret it that way due to the interobang. From what I've read of the interobang I'd have interpreted the statement as a rhetorical statement, and the same result can be obtained with the plain exclamation mark along with the fist banging.

but then, interobangs weren't covered in any of school or college classes I've done on the use of English. Thus I've had to develop a meaning from things like the Wikipedia article and some old news articles about it. I've never seen a situation where I would find it conveying any more meaning than just an exclamation mark or a question mark, and using either of those with some appropriate text carries a lot more meaning.

while she was on the rag

Does that mean if she performs oral sex she's a raghead?

I've never seen a situation where I would find it conveying any more meaning than just an exclamation mark or a question mark, and using either of those with some appropriate text carries a lot more meaning.

I use it mostly to show surprise in dialogue, but also sometimes simply to show emphasis.

e.g.:

"What?! Why?"

So as not to have to say 'she asked in surprise' and interrupt the dialogue flow. But that's just me.

a person who wears a turban.

More generally anyone from the Middle East, though usually (but not always) reserved for Arabs and Afghanis in war zones.

"What?! Why?"

I simply write it as "What!"

The character isn't really asking a question. It's an expression of surprise.

I generally approve of it. Yes, you can get around it with banging fists, etc, but often it's both a raised voice and the pitch change that's associated with a question. The interrobang is the easiest way to show that.

The 'interrobang' (?!) is useful.

"Did you get the information from the enemy spy, Agent Smith?"

"Yes, Commander. I interrobanged it out of her."

AJ

Yes.