Writing Helper

[Linguz]

Here I will be putting any rule for writing that I can remember to assist those writing or revising fanfictions. If you know any that I have yet to put here, tell me in here.

Dialogue Punctuation:
✔ "Hi there," the pink pony giggled. (She giggled while saying the words.)
✔ "Hi there." The pink pony giggled. (She said those words, then giggled.)
✔ "Hi there." The pink pony grinned. (The word 'grinned' isn't a 'speaking' verb.)
✔ "Hi there!" the pink pony shouted. (Exclamations and queries replace the comma.)
✖ "Hi there," the pink pony grinned. (It should be a period: ‘grinned’ isn’t a ‘speaking’ verb.)
✖ "Hi there." The pink pony said. (This should have used a comma.)
✖ "Hi there"! the pink pony shouted! (Punctuation of dialogue belongs inside the quotes.)
✖ "Hi there!" The pink pony shouted! (Don’t capitalize "the"; treat the "!" as a comma.)

Capitalization: It is very important.
If you tell your friend you helped your Uncle Jack off his pony, you would be lauded for your concern for the well-being of your fellow man.
However, telling him you helped your uncle jack off his pony is a sure-fire way to be labeled a clop-author.

Commas:
[Will be added when I return home. I've got examples on my own computer.]

Semi-colons:
A semicolon should be used only between two sections of text that can stand as sentences in their own right. This means they both contain a subject and a relevant verb.
✔ The pony jumped over the bridge; the pony landed on the other side.
✖ The pony jumped over the bridge; landed on the other side.

Using a semicolon implies a close link to two sentences. Your hat’s color and its shape would be suitable descriptions to link with a semicolon. Your hat’s color and the current temperature would not.
✔ The pony jumped over the bridge; the pony landed on the other side.
✖ The pony jumped over the bridge; the man swung his bat.

When not separating sentences, a semicolon’s other use is as a super-comma, separating listed objects that contain commas, such as names of state capitols.
✔ The pony jumped over the bridge, landing on the other side; took off running, galloping faster than ever before; and followed the herd, who were heading to the west.
✖ The pony jumped over the bridge; took off running; and followed the herd.

Any other use of a semicolon, and too-frequent use even when correct, is not taken very well.

Notes:
Any and all notes should be kept off the fanfiction. If you need to explain something in a footnote, for example, then it isn't important enough for you to explain in the fanfiction and therefore isn't important to me.

More in-depth help can be found in The Editor's Omnibus and Escher's Hints.