Citrusy Writing Tips
Hello, Limes just wants to write her own tips down to help the Quibblo population be fantabulastic authors (Not that a lot of you aren't already.) If any of y'all have more tips, please send them to me, and I'll add them.
Alright, I've noticed that this is kind of a common issue, so I felt that this is the best thing to start with. Large, uncut blocks of text are not only confusing, but they are very frightening. When I click on a story that looks interesting and see a huge block of text I get a little freaked out and click away real quick. So, to fix that, you create paragraphs.
When To Start A New Paragraph
1. The easiest to decide is when somebody new starts talking, you skip a line and, of course, write whatever it is they're saying.
2. Now, this one isn't too complex either; when you start talking about something new. For instance, if I'm writing about how lovely the sunset is, then switch to how perfect the weather is, then I should start a new paragraph.
See, it's not too complex, it just takes you being conscious of the concept of paragraphing. Let me give you an example;
Wrong:
The sunlight bathed the horizon with a lovely hue of golden, the sun dipping behind the rolling hills. Night would soon chase away the last of the warming light, leaving me sitting in the darkness, but for now, I was content with watching the majestic view of the sun tainting the sky with its pinks and oranges. The air was cool and sweet, tasting of the upcoming fall. A warm breeze blew hair into my face, but I didn't bother moving it. The weather was perfect right now, just before the darkness leeched the last of the warmth from the air. But now I wasn't worried about any of that, I was in complete bliss. "Dear, you should come in before it gets too dark!" My mother called, "Don't worry, mom, I'll be in in a little bit!" I called back, I sighed, frustrated that she had broken my mood, but she was right. As the sun disappeared behind the horizon, I stood and went home. The day was over, after all.
See how it's a little confusing? It's hard to read and you have a hard time knowing who's talking at each time. Now, this isn't very long, so it isn't imposing, but if it were longer, it would just be a lot harder to read.
Correct
The sunlight bathed the horizon with a lovely hue of golden, the sun dipping behind the rolling hills. Night would soon chase away the last of the warming light, leaving me sitting in the darkness, but for now, I was content with watching the majestic view of the sun tainting the sky with its pinks and oranges.
The air was cool and sweet, tasting of the upcoming fall. A warm breeze blew hair into my face, but I didn't bother moving it. The weather was perfect right now, just before the darkness leeched the last of the warmth from the air. But now I wasn't worried about any of that, I was in complete bliss.
"Dear, you should come in before it gets too dark!" My mother called,
"Don't worry, mom, I'll be in in a little bit!" I called back,
I sighed, frustrated that she had broken my mood, but she was right. As the sun disappeared behind the horizon, I stood and went home. The day was over, after all.
See how it takes a lot less thinking to read? Adding paragraphs to your story makes it more pleasing to the eyes and much easier to read.
Happy writing, and please don't take offence to anything that I write here, it is not directed at anybody in particular, I just hope you find some of it helpful!
Love always,
Limes
When To Start A New Paragraph
1. The easiest to decide is when somebody new starts talking, you skip a line and, of course, write whatever it is they're saying.
2. Now, this one isn't too complex either; when you start talking about something new. For instance, if I'm writing about how lovely the sunset is, then switch to how perfect the weather is, then I should start a new paragraph.
See, it's not too complex, it just takes you being conscious of the concept of paragraphing. Let me give you an example;
Wrong:
The sunlight bathed the horizon with a lovely hue of golden, the sun dipping behind the rolling hills. Night would soon chase away the last of the warming light, leaving me sitting in the darkness, but for now, I was content with watching the majestic view of the sun tainting the sky with its pinks and oranges. The air was cool and sweet, tasting of the upcoming fall. A warm breeze blew hair into my face, but I didn't bother moving it. The weather was perfect right now, just before the darkness leeched the last of the warmth from the air. But now I wasn't worried about any of that, I was in complete bliss. "Dear, you should come in before it gets too dark!" My mother called, "Don't worry, mom, I'll be in in a little bit!" I called back, I sighed, frustrated that she had broken my mood, but she was right. As the sun disappeared behind the horizon, I stood and went home. The day was over, after all.
See how it's a little confusing? It's hard to read and you have a hard time knowing who's talking at each time. Now, this isn't very long, so it isn't imposing, but if it were longer, it would just be a lot harder to read.
Correct
The sunlight bathed the horizon with a lovely hue of golden, the sun dipping behind the rolling hills. Night would soon chase away the last of the warming light, leaving me sitting in the darkness, but for now, I was content with watching the majestic view of the sun tainting the sky with its pinks and oranges.
The air was cool and sweet, tasting of the upcoming fall. A warm breeze blew hair into my face, but I didn't bother moving it. The weather was perfect right now, just before the darkness leeched the last of the warmth from the air. But now I wasn't worried about any of that, I was in complete bliss.
"Dear, you should come in before it gets too dark!" My mother called,
"Don't worry, mom, I'll be in in a little bit!" I called back,
I sighed, frustrated that she had broken my mood, but she was right. As the sun disappeared behind the horizon, I stood and went home. The day was over, after all.
See how it takes a lot less thinking to read? Adding paragraphs to your story makes it more pleasing to the eyes and much easier to read.
Happy writing, and please don't take offence to anything that I write here, it is not directed at anybody in particular, I just hope you find some of it helpful!
Love always,
Limes
46 Comments
lol that was so detailed XD
~blackberry ;3
To what are you referring?
Good tips :)
Thanks that will help alot ^_^
I'll keep that in mind.
This is very helpful... but I find it a bit funny that you, a serious writer, would actually put an apostrophe in "Tips". (In the title.)
Just sayin'.
Other than that, THANK YOU so much for posting this. Finally, someone does something about all the terrible grammar/paragraph mistakes on Quibblo! :O
...There's no apostrophe in tips and there never was... but thanks for your enthusiasm
Alright, I made a mistake. The apostrophe was in "things", in the chapter title. I was just helping; you don't have to be snotty.
Actually, she was correct to put an apostrophe in "thing's". That makes it "thing is". The sentence, without the contraction, would read "first thing is first". I have no idea where the stupid expression came from, seeing as it's kind of obvious and redundant, but that's not the point....
good tips and things! but sometimes (just saying) people rush or just want the story to be over and last (this is why people dont do lots of desciptives) its alot of typing just saying
Yes, but this is for those authors serious about writing, who care to improve. I'm not here to make anybody follow my tips, but if you feel the urge to have any of your writing published, these tips may help.
Also, in the last paragraph of the Taste section, you put an apostrophe in "its", making the word "it's". It's is a contraction of "it is", and you wouldn't say, "The cat licked it is paw", right? :) Again, I'm not trying to be rude or pretentious. Just helping.
Yea, sorry about that, I always struggle with that particular word, I'll be sure to change it when I get the chance. Thank you!
http://www.quibblo.com/quiz/gYcFbKE/WritingGrammar-Tips-Thanks-to-Limes14-for-giving-me-the-idea-to-do-this
^Right there is a link to another tips page written by a very intelligent person, so if you would like another's ideas, please check that out also!
Lol-- I wrote that! XD
And it's okay about the it's/its thing. That just annoys me..... :P
I realize now you weren't trying to be snotty in your reply to the other comment... at least, I don't think you were.
:)
No, I'm sorry if I came across that way, it's my tone of voice that usually saves me with that one, but I guess it doesn't work on here. Sorry if it came across like that. And in "first thing's first" I say it like first thing is first, I dunno, that's just how it works in my mind.
awesome tips! they really helped!
I'm glad!
You're so right..I HATE it when people put character profiles before stories :/ I only do it in grouo stories so I can remember what other people's characters are like, cause I always forget appearances :/
I hate it too! Honestly, a lot of times when I see that in the intro, I don't bother reading the story. Usually it means the writer is inexperienced, I can't stand it.... When people do that for a group story it's okay, but I usually don't read group stories anyway.