Writing Style

[Mighty_Wingman]

Why not just end it with a quote that's at least two sentences long, as most are?

 

[Your Huckleberry]

Chad,

A kind word of advice. Take the insults and jokes with a grain of salt. Think of it as you and your best friend trading insults. Most guys/gals here are a lot like you. We're all sports writers even though we don't all think similar, plus there are some really great minds on this site. It is a great place to learn from other writers and consider their opinions. Obviously you won't agree with them all but you will pick up something every now and then that you might later appreciate.

I've had some folks come down on me too (check Mitch Albom thread), but I don't take it personal. Enjoy these people and this site. They have a lot to offer and if you can get over that initial sting of when somebody first insults you or hurts your feelings, you can really gain a lot. Plus, your input adds a lot and I think some of what you are arguing has plenty of validity.

If you think a poster is being unreasonable, check his profile and see how many people are ignoring them. That's a pretty good sign as to whether they are an ass or not.

I think the comment "I know Chad Conant. I've once saw Chad Conant. You my friend are no Chad Conant" is hillarious. And you took it all wrong. You should have just played a long. Have a little fun. ... Who the hell said that anyway? Some Congressman from Texas I think. He was dogging Dan Quayle in a debate of Vice President hopefuls but I can't remember that crusty *******'s name!!!

I was going to ask you if you needed some anger management therapy, but you seem to have lost that hostile edge you had earlier. Just add your opinion, debate it and don't take it too seriously when you get some slapstick remarks.

All opinions are welcome here.

 

[Mighty_Wingman]

Lloyd Bentsen.

 

[sirvaliantbrown]

So strange that this has come up tonight - just wrote a story I loved; copy desk made one change only: for whatever reason, moving the attribution on the last quote from the middle to the end of the sentence. and...making it, "she laughs." (AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! i have so many days off! i was going to be so happy! "she laughs"...at the end...man...okay...I need to stop caring about stuff like this...okay, goodnight.)

 

[sirvaliantbrown]

So strange that this has come up tonight - just wrote a story I loved; copy desk made one change only: for whatever reason, moving the attribution on the last quote from the middle to the end of the sentence. and...making it, "she laughs." (AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! i have so many days off! i was going to be so happy! "she laughs"...at the end...man...okay...I need to stop caring about stuff like this...okay, goodnight.)

in addition, i worked 17 hours today. so i was really looking forward to having a nice little attribution-in-mid-sentence end-quote. but...no, sir. let's end with "she laughs."

okay, goodnight.

 

[JD Canon]

I hate the 'he said' ending as well. If I have a short ending quote I always make it. Said Jones, "Amazing quote."

You really like beginning a sentence with "Said"? That always looks wrong for some reason, though I can't pinpoint a particular reason why.

i'll start a quote with. Said Johnson, "blah blah."

except i only do it when it's back to back quotes from two different people. and i don't use a comma. i use a colon.

"blah blah blah," johnson said. "blah blah blah."

said smith: "blah blah blah."

also, split quote is appropriate at times. i don't think throwing any piece of the arsenal out the window just because you have some weird pet peeve about it is in your best interest.

i understand the points about overuse and misrepresentation. but all that said and accepted, split quotes work once in a while.

very funny to me: people with pet peeves about ending a story with "jones said" refusing to use a split quote instead because that incites some bigger pet peeve. also, people with pet peeves at all. and the word "peeve," too.

 

[Mighty_Wingman]

in addition, i worked 17 hours today. so i was really looking forward to having a nice little attribution-in-mid-sentence end-quote. but...no, sir. let's end with "she laughs."

That's pretty awful. I can't really think of any excuse to use "she laughs" in an attribution.

 

[Chad Conant]

Huckelberry,

Whenever I think I need anger management, I look at my 18-month-old and all issues are gone.

 

[mike311gd]

in addition, i worked 17 hours today. so i was really looking forward to having a nice little attribution-in-mid-sentence end-quote. but...no, sir. let's end with "she laughs."

That's pretty awful. I can't really think of any excuse to use "she laughs" in an attribution.

That and "...," She smiled. Can a person's laughter or smile spew out a quote?

 

[SF_Express]

As for split quotes: They're dishonest -- poetic license gone amok.

Stating the obvious, of course: If there WAS a pause when the attribution is placed in the middle of the quote, then there's no dishonesty whatsoever.

 

[musicman]

i like the split quote for the way it helps a piece flow depending, of course, on what said piece happens to be ... after making it through this thread, two things seem apparent: some of those that post take themselves far too seriously and others, well, they just try to help.

 

[Your Huckleberry]

So strange that this has come up tonight - just wrote a story I loved; copy desk made one change only: for whatever reason, moving the attribution on the last quote from the middle to the end of the sentence. and...making it, "she laughs." (AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! i have so many days off! i was going to be so happy! "she laughs"...at the end...man...okay...I need to stop caring about stuff like this...okay, goodnight.)

She laughs???????????????? Are you kidding ??????????

First of all it's gramatically incorrect unless you are writing in present tense, which I'm sure you're not.

The correct ending should be "she said and laughed" if they wanted to change it at all. Same goes for "smiled" ... it would be "She said and smiled.

The point is, you can't laugh at the exact same time you say something, because if you did it would come out incoherently. Thus the whole description and quote would be wrong. So, either this person said this statement and laughed or they laughed throughout making this statement and thus the quote is missing all the interruptions of her laughing. I know this is a bit anal, but I was taught this from someone who definitely knows. It's a common mistake that many writers and some editors make.

Tell your editor he/she screwed up your ending and explain it to them how.

 

[sirvaliantbrown]

So strange that this has come up tonight - just wrote a story I loved; copy desk made one change only: for whatever reason, moving the attribution on the last quote from the middle to the end of the sentence. and...making it, "she laughs." (AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! i have so many days off! i was going to be so happy! "she laughs"...at the end...man...okay...I need to stop caring about stuff like this...okay, goodnight.)

She laughs???????????????? Are you kidding ??????????

First of all it's gramatically incorrect unless you are writing in present tense, which I'm sure you're not.

The correct ending should be "she said and laughed" if they wanted to change it at all. Same goes for "smiled" ... it would be "She said and smiled.

The point is, you can't laugh at the exact same time you say something, because if you did it would come out incoherently. Thus the whole description and quote would be wrong. So, either this person said this statement and laughed or they laughed throughout making this statement and thus the quote is missing all the interruptions of her laughing. I know this is a bit anal, but I was taught this from someone who definitely knows. It's a common mistake that many writers and some editors make.

Tell your editor he/she screwed up your ending and explain it to them how.

I was indeed writing in the present tense. I don't do it often, but this was a feature in which the present made more sense.

Otherwise...I know I know I know. The original last line was "Then she laughed." Which was meaningful, in context. "She laughs," as an attribution, was, very obviously, not.

 

[mike311gd]

So strange that this has come up tonight - just wrote a story I loved; copy desk made one change only: for whatever reason, moving the attribution on the last quote from the middle to the end of the sentence. and...making it, "she laughs." (AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! i have so many days off! i was going to be so happy! "she laughs"...at the end...man...okay...I need to stop caring about stuff like this...okay, goodnight.)

She laughs???????????????? Are you kidding ??????????

First of all it's gramatically incorrect unless you are writing in present tense, which I'm sure you're not.

The correct ending should be "she said and laughed" if they wanted to change it at all. Same goes for "smiled" ... it would be "She said and smiled.

The point is, you can't laugh at the exact same time you say something, because if you did it would come out incoherently. Thus the whole description and quote would be wrong. So, either this person said this statement and laughed or they laughed throughout making this statement and thus the quote is missing all the interruptions of her laughing. I know this is a bit anal, but I was taught this from someone who definitely knows. It's a common mistake that many writers and some editors make.

Tell your editor he/she screwed up your ending and explain it to them how.

You can try telling my last editor that. Before I left, the paper was sans that junk. Now, everyone laughs and smiles; but no one says a damn thing.

 

[Your Huckleberry]

Point well taken.

 

[Diabeetus]

Don't be hatin' on said.

 

[Your Huckleberry]

I'm a lover not a fighter. Same goes for hatin'

 

[forever_town]

Don't be hatin' on said.

Especially if you're a greenhorn, you'd better use "said" and ONLY "said." If you use "stated," "explained," etc. I'm going to do my best impression of a crotchety old editor and get you for it.

If you've been around for a while, I'll give you more leeway.

 

[mike311gd]

I read the Bradford Era (Pa.) last prep football season, and again during the soccer season. Every quote was attributed in a different way (said, exclaimed, noted, stated, explained, recalled ...), and I did nothing but hold back vomit.

 

[Diabeetus]

Don't be hatin' on said.

Especially if you're a greenhorn, you'd better use "said" and ONLY "said." If you use "stated," "explained," etc. I'm going to do my best impression of a crotchety old editor and get you for it.

If you've been around for a while, I'll give you more leeway.

Said still works perfectly more than 95 percent of the time, though.