blackconverse_l...
5 months ago

Your poem "the prettiest lie in the room" probably the best poem Ive ever read. Honesty. 

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Arrose
8 months ago

*looks around awkwardly* So...it's been a little while, huh? XD

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Arrose
10 months ago

Ahahahaha! That's one swell reputation. I want that one! Anyway, sorry about the late reply as well. I was ff on vacation. How did your establishing your reputation work?

Possibly kicking some imaginary rocks?

OH SNAPPLES. *grabs my cats* RUN, KITTIES, RUNNNNNNNNN!

Ahahahaha. I know! It has to be one of the mysteries of the world yet they're off trying to cure cancer and stuff. WHO DO THEY THINK THEY ARE? O.O

*shrugs* Sucks to suck.

Um....I'll pass. O.O

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JamiMontgomery
11 months ago

I guess it's okay as far as just getting a book out there and holding all the cards as far as what your book looks like. but it is EXTREMELY difficult to self market if you don't have a lot of money to spend. I mean, I don't think age really matters when querying. It's all about being professional and knowing what you are doing and what you want. 

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Kirkinator
11 months ago

So, for the first and second examples she gives, she is essentially correct.  Also, with the first example, if you have a comma after the dialogue tag and then continue the dialogue, like with "I know," Hikaru sighed, "but just how am I supposed to do that?", the first letter in the succeeding dialogue will always be lower case.  The only exception is if there was no dialogue PRECEDING the tag, in which case the dialogue after the tag will start with a capital letter, e.g.  Paul considered.  Then he said, "Alright, let's do it."

(Note: this is why American grammar rules drive me insane.  In the UK, especially if it's a long sentence of dialogue/more than one sentence of dialogue, in this case where it's the tag and then the dialogue without any preceding dialogue, we can put in a colon rather than a comma.  That way, it's easy to remember the rule: essentially, we have "colon = capital letter for dialogue where tag precedes dialogue; comma = lower case".  It's easy to see why people get confused over that.)

For the third one, though, your friend is wrong.  It doesn't matter what her reasoning is, because if there's one rule of dialogue tags that's simple and easy to remember, it's this one: if a dialogue tag succeeds dialogue, there can NEVER be a full stop. NEVER.  Not even if Lord Voldemin (DBSK's Changmin) tells you otherwise.  Otherwise, the dialogue tag is NOT connected to the dialogue; it therefore isn't qualified and consequently makes about as much sense as a flying whale.  The one she says in incorrect ("No," Mori said) is in fact correct, and the one she says correct ("No." Mori said) is the kind of elementary mistake that will mean agents will discard your work because they think you don't know basic grammar.

Chrome sometimes doesn't let you post in the forums or write your profile.  It works for some people, apparently, but not for me.  I have to use Mozilla Firefox.  Sean said Chrome had been giving some problems, though.

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Kirkinator
11 months ago

Okay.  With the first problem (I'm going to use the examples she gave, just to make life simpler), she's right.

This is indeed correct: "I know," Hikaru sighed, "but just how am I supposed to do that?"

HOWEVER, that rule only applies in two cases: 

1)  when the tag with the dialogue is an action rather than a verb of speaking, e.g. "I know," Hikaru turned away, "but just how am I supposed to do that?"

Unfortunately, "sigh" isn't a very good verb to demonstrate with, as authors tend to use it both as an action and as a verb of "saying".

2) When the sentence, if it wasn't interrupted, would need continue into the second part of speech/needs to be completed by the second part of speech after the dialogue tag.  Again, unfortunately, your friend didn't give you a particularly good example to demonstrate with, because "I know," Hikaru sighed, "but just how am I supposed to do that?" could be equally correct as "I know," Hikaru sighed. "But just how am I supposed to do that?" -> That said, when the dialogue recommences, because it starts a new sentence, it MUST begin with a capital letter.  Let me give a better demonstration.

"I think," said Hikaru, "we should dress up as clowns." -> correct.

"I think," said Hikaru.  "We should dress up as clowns." -> incorrect, as the second part of the dialogue is needed for the first to make sense: it's part of the same sentence, but interrupted.

"I don't know," complained Hikaru.  "Why are you asking me?" -> correct.

"I don't know," complained Hikaru, "why are you asking me?" -> incorrect.  They are two separate sentences, and would (by any grammar-respecting writer) be separated by punctuation such as a full stop or a semicolon if the dialogue tag wasn't there.

Also, if there's an exclamation mark or a question mark, she's right: the punctuation after the dialogue MUST be a full stop, because the !/?has the stopping power of a full stop, but you punctuation the BEGINNING of the dialogue tag as though it were a comma before.

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Kirkinator
11 months ago

Sure!  What's the problem?

Oh, and have you heard about Hexbound yet?  An ex-inkie made the site and it's REALLY like inkpop.  We just need more people on it.

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Chocolov3r
11 months ago

Can you make me another cover? I will dedicate~If you say yes, I will give more descriptions :) Thanks!!!

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beautifulchange...
11 months ago

Hello, I heard you were really good can you make me a cover? 

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Arrose
11 months ago

Shark wrestling? Now, I think that's just a bit TOO dramatic. ;)

*hides my wives, hides my children...wait, I don't have any wives and children. O.O Well, this is awkward*

AHAHAHA. XD It doesn't. Well, I don't think it does. Maybe the light stays on when it closes! YOU NEVER KNOW!

Lollllls. I am awfully sorry. *isn't sorry* IT IS THE BEST THING TO HUMANKIND.

...That doesn't sound that pleasant either. XD

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