No other punctuation marks used. So far 6 chapters and 99k long.
No other punctuation marks used. So far 6 chapters and 99k long.
I'm at a loss as to how such a story could communicate anything other than a list of statements?
See Dick.
See Jane.
See Dick dick Jane.
A bog standard 5.0 SoL story.
See Dick.
See Jane.
See Jane dick Dick.
A Clitorides Flash Story of the Year.
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 [?'.]
Also annoying is a current story that ends sentences with double punctuation symbols
The 'interrobang' (?!) is useful. Too many fonts don't have the β½ symbol.
The 'interrobang' (?!) is useful. Too many fonts don't have the β½ 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
I wonder whether its necessity in a longform story like a novel is a symptom that the author is telling rather than showing.
In dialog, an exclamation using ! to terminate the sentence indicates both elevated volume and a change in tone of voice.
the interobang indicates something that is both a question and an exclamation. Spoken you have both the elevated voice and general tone change of an exclamation and the ending change in tone indicating a question that is NOT rhetorical.
So which is more telling and which is more showing?
Fred asked loudly, "Why the hell did you do that?"
Fred asked, "Why the hell did you do that!?"
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?"
Fred slammed his fist on the table. "Why the hell did you do that?"
1. I wasn't implying that there couldn't be more showing options.
2. Even in your formulation, I think the interobang would add something. Yours still leaves two interpretations on the table. He slams his fist on the table (perhaps just as an attention geter) and then calmly asks the question, or he slams his fist on the table and yells the question.
A properly understood interobang forces the latter interpretation.
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.
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.
"What?! Why?"
I simply write it as "What!"
The character isn't really asking a question. It's an expression of surprise.
The character isn't really asking a question. It's an expression of surprise.
In some cases, it can be both and that was part of my point earlier.
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.
So which is more telling and which is more showing?
Fred asked loudly, "Why the hell did you do that?"
Fred asked, "Why the hell did you do that!?"
Then there's:
Fred asked, "Why the hell did you add that nonsense at the end of your sentences#"
The 'interrobang' (?!) is useful.
"Did you get the information from the enemy spy, Agent Smith?"
"Yes, Commander. I interrobanged it out of her."
AJ
The biggest issue for me was no quotation marks where someone is talking.
Beginning, ending or both?
A story which only uses 'periods' might be because the author can't spell 'menstruation'. ;-)
AJ
Over one hundred and fifty years ago a certain Mrs Mendeleev would spread a red cloth on the kitchen table every month so her husband would know that nookie was off the menu.
Her son used to do his homework in the kitchen and young Dmitri went on to publish what became recognised as the first periodic table.
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
raghead
"ragΒ·head
/ΛraΙ‘Λhed/
noun OFFENSIVEβ’NORTH AMERICAN
a person who wears a turban.
Definitions from Oxford Languages
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.
Arabs and Afghanis in war zones.
note that 'goatfucker' is more than adequate as a replacement.
or the commonly used haji, which has the added bonus of being considered insulting by those who have not been on their Hajj, which is common in those countries. Goatfucker might be less insulting to them.
Goats against rape. #MaaToo
Us old farts see # as the pound sign.
So when you write #MeToo, we read that as "Pound me too".