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Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024

12:12pm EST

Members: 903

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Total Online: 3,215

Writing Blog Number 2

by Santeven Quokklaus

Rated: 18+ · Book · Personal · #2311764

This is a continuation of my blogging here at WdC

This will be a blog for my writing, maybe with (too much) personal thrown in. I am hoping it will be a little more interactive, with me answering questions, helping out and whatnot. If it falls this year (2024), then I may stop the whole blogging thing, but that's all a "wait and see" scenario.

An index of topics can be found here: "Writing Blog No.2 Index"

Feel free to comment and interact.

Show Recent Comments

10 Most Recent Blog Comments:

Kåre เลียม Enga

Dec 21, 2024 at 12:34am
In response to "20241221 Kudzu Plotting"

IMO Anne McCaffrey does this well with the parallel Dragonriders of Pern and Harper Hall trilogies. Adults-with-dragons; youth with fire-dragons. Memorable world building. Wonderful characters.

Kudzu the plant... only a curse for those who don't know its uses: forage, food, fiber.

Santeven Quokklaus

Dec 19, 2024 at 7:09pm
In response to "20241219 'Misogyny' In Writing"

🐕GeminiGem🎁 - I chose Grease because it is so egregious and goes against everything Sandy had demonstrated up to that point. Dirty Dancing was set a few years later (early 60s), and, though Baby changes, it is gradual and is more a change of growing up, being true to herself. So, I think the time period can be used effectively without being so demeaning. As I see it.

🐕GeminiGem🎁

Dec 19, 2024 at 6:58pm
In response to "20241219 'Misogyny' In Writing"

I agree that when a woman changes herself to attract a man shows misogyny and is annoying...but...using the movie Grease as an example it an interesting choice. Yes, the lead female changes her appearance to appeal to the male. I think it was more because of peer pressure, but the peer pressure happened because of the pervasive misogyny of the peers. Interestingly, the male character does the exact same thing for the same reasons.

The movie is set in the 1950's, a time where the misogyny we see now is even waaaay worse. So, here is a thought. If you are writing about a time period like that and are showing social interactions of the characters, something like the pervasive misogyny is going to be true to the time and place the story takes place. Does that excuse it? No, of course not, but having present-day sensibilities in an era like that would make the story seem really off.

Kåre เลียม Enga

Dec 19, 2024 at 3:57am
In response to "20241219 'Misogyny' In Writing"

In my travels I try to connect with most everyone. I wonder what my stats would be... but many contacts have names whether human or not, whether the boss or 'servant' or guest.

In my writings...

thinking.

I do have characters without names.

SAD Holiday Potato

Dec 18, 2024 at 3:54pm
In response to "20241218 Children Characters"

As someone who is an Aunt to two children who have an age difference of four years, I can definitely tell you that they act completely different. Even though one of them is neurodivergent, the older one definitely acts more mature than the younger one.(also the older one has never tried to lick my feet.)

With very few exceptions, I've never had to tell an adult "stop eating my dress," "please don't lick me" or "stop pulling my hair," to anyone over the age of six. Yet within the last year or so I've had to tell my five year old niece these things repeatedly. She thinks this is hilarious.

Anyways, thanks for pointing out that kids aren't just miniature adults! I'll try to keep that in mind while writing.

Santeven Quokklaus

Dec 18, 2024 at 6:44am
In response to "20241218 Children Characters"

Elisa: Snowman Stik - Writing about those who are neurodivergent is not something I feel I can talk about comfortably. I am trained as a teacher of those on the spectrum, and so I would not write a character in that regard because I do not feel it is my story to tell. But, yes, that last point may not apply to a child with developmental issues.

1 Like

Elisa: Snowman Stik

Dec 18, 2024 at 6:28am
In response to "20241218 Children Characters"

I am curious if there is wiggle room for the last point for child characters with developmental disabilities. (I do recognize this kind of character presents its own set of development pitfalls in terms of depicting the disability without stereotyping. That said, I think this can be a reasonable exception to the rule when done with care.)

1 Like

Dave Ryan

Dec 16, 2024 at 1:26am
In response to "20241216 Poor Characterisation"

There was once a variation of "compressed vice" in an original episode of Star Trek ("Who Mourns for Adonais?"), where a landing party of the usual suspects + one random never-seen-before-or-since female crew member are captured by the god Apollo and they turn the usually gruff Scotty into a simpering, love-struck puppy to try to introduce some conflict when Apollo puts the moves on her. Why they didn't just have Kirk horndogging it as usual I do not know - at least then everybody would have remained consistently in character. It looks like Scotty, it sounds like Scotty, but WTF?

1 Like

SAD Holiday Potato

Dec 14, 2024 at 3:41pm
In response to "20241214 Punk Genres"

This is interesting yet confusing. So basically it's like world building but with the word "punk" in there to make it sound cooler.
Maybe I misunderstand.

Kåre เลียม Enga

Dec 7, 2024 at 2:55am
In response to "20241207 Problems With Using Reality"

That or "to-ell-wit-it" and suffer the consequences.

Every society draws the lines differently. A traveler needs to be aware. Even words matter. The British and Thais are strict when it comes to slander.

May 11, 2024 at 1:06am

#1070897

20240511 Formatting Titles

Formatting Titles

Okay, this is technical, and this only applies to formal writing. In fact, in some places, it is being seen as unnecessary, so I am going to assume that, in 10 years' time, this will be completely out of date.

So, titles. Now, I am talking here about the names of things. This is not concerned with titles, occupations, etc. involving people. This is things only.

If we have the title of a book, movie, play, TV show, magazine, newspaper, sculpture, painting the title should be written in italics.
Book: Tales Of Mystery And Imagination by Edgar Allan Poe
Film: Predator
Play: Romeo And Juliet
TV Show: The Big Bang Theory
Magazine: Women's Weekly
Newspaper: The New York Post
Sculpture: David by Michelangelo
Painting: The Pioneer by Frederick McCubbin

Going back 70 years, all words should be capitalised. Now, this is where there are cultural differences. In the USA and Canada, "the", "of" and "and" are generally not capitalised unless they are the first word of the title. In the UK, all words are capitalised. In Australia, depends on the publisher. All other words should be capitalised.

Songs, short stories, poems and journal articles do not use italics, but instead should be inside single quotation marks. When it comes to capitalisation, the same cultural differences apply.
Song: 'Stairway To Heaven' by Led Zeppelin
Short Story: 'The Tell-Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe
Poem: 'The Man From Snowy River' by Banjo Patterson
Journal Article: Post, S. (1991). 'Euthanasia, Senicide, And The Aging Society'. Journal Of Religious Gerontology, Vol 8, No. 1, 57-65.

Now... this last is changing. The journal reference comes from a 2019 essay. Under the rules of referencing that are now being adopted, journal articles would be written thus:
Journal Article: Post, S. (1991). 'Euthanasia, senicide, and the aging society'. Journal of Religious Gerontology, Vol 8, No. 1, 57-65.

When writing the headings of web-pages, the rules of short stories apply:
Web-page: 'Is James Corden the Awful Kisser Emily Blunt Has Been Talking About?'
However, more and more we would see this:
Web-page: 'Is James Corden the awful kisser Emily Blunt has been talking about?'
Note that proper nouns still have their capital letters.

As to names of web sites, there is no definitive way of formatting them.

Finally, traditionally, the formal names of boats (not nick-names) and space-craft should also be italicised.
Boat: SS Titanic
Space-craft: Apollo 13
But... Columbus' boats were the Santa Maria, the Nina and the Pinta. Why? Because Nina and Pinta were not formal names, but nick-names for the vessels.
As to the names of other transport, italics are not necessary. And the names of Oil Rigs can be either simply capitalised or italicised.

The names of businesses are not italicised, but do use capital letters.

So, that's technical. Things are changing. You will see variations on these all over the place. And the simple fact of the matter is, when submitting, you need to check the house style. But I am nothing if not a traditionalist...

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