Editorial Style Guide

Shortened words need to include an apostrophe to note where letters were omitted.

• ✅ ‘cause (short for “because”)
  ❌ cause
• ✅ ‘course (short for “of course”)
  ❌ course
• ✅ ‘til (short for “until”)
  ❌ til, till

The use of “gonna” and “gotta” are acceptable in dialogue or first-person writing as shortened versions of “going to” and “got to.” The full forms are still acceptable.

• ✅ “We’re gonna break into the building.
• ✅ “We’re going to break into the building.

Out loud is always spelled “aloud.”

• ✅ aloud
• ❌ out loud

Avoid the common misspelling of “whoa” as “woah.”

• ✅ whoa
• ❌ woah

Always use “okay” and never “OK.”

• ✅ okay ❌ OK

Interjections (wow, hey, ouch, whoa) and filler words (umm, uhm, uhh, oooh) do not have strict grammar rules, but don’t use more than three letters in a row for emphasis.

• ✅ Heyyy!
  ❌ Heyyyy! (too much Ys)
• ✅ Ummm
  ❌ Ummmm (too much Ms)

To emphasize words in narration, use italics (not quotes).

• ✅ He didn’t believe in sacrificing himself for the greater good.
• ❌ He didn’t believe in sacrificing himself for the “greater good.”

Acronyms never use periods.

• ✅ NOT Division
• ❌ N.O.T. Division

Em dashes never have spaces on either side.

• ✅ That’s what he said—we’re doomed.
• ❌ That’s what he said — we’re doomed.

Ellipses never have spaces on either side (spacing is added during the typesetting process).

• ✅ That’s what I mean…we’re doomed.
• ❌ That’s what I mean … we’re doomed.

We use the Oxford comma (also called the “serial comma”) because it prevents ambiguity in longer lists. The Oxford comma separates the second-to-last item in a list from the final item introduced by the conjunction and or or.

Example from Leaving Wishville:

• ✅ Of all things to pack for his escape, he chose to bring his drawings. A stupid choice, considering he didn’t know what might be out there. A knife, spare clothes, or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich would have been a smarter move.
• ❌ Of all things to pack for his escape, he chose to bring his drawings. A stupid choice, considering he didn’t know what might be out there. A knife, spare clothes or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich would have been a smarter move.

When two clauses (connected with a conjunction like and, but, or yet) are independent, the conjunction could be removed, and both sentences could stand on their own. For example, “James did his homework, and Matt read a book” could be split into two sentences—James did his homework; Matt read a book—which makes them independent clauses.

Independent clauses should include a comma before the conjunction.

• ✅ Amy walks to school, but Julie rides a bike.
• ✅ I tried to bake, yet I failed.

When a sentence has a dependent clause, removing the conjunction would result in one sentence and one sentence fragment (incomplete sentence). For example, “She grabbed her backpack and ran through the door” could be split into two parts—”She grabbed her backpack; Ran through the door.” The second part is a sentence fragment (incomplete sentence) as it is missing a subject.

Sentences with a dependent clause should NOT include a comma before the conjunction.

• ✅ I wanted to drive but couldn’t as the road was too slippery.
• ✅ I told Sofia to back off and slammed the door.

The rules above can be broken as a stylistic choice—as long as it’s not overdone.

The author may remove the comma that separates two independent clauses to quicken the pace or create a “spiraling” effect. Though not perfectly grammatical, the following sentence is also acceptable:

• ✅ James did his homework and Matt read a book.

For the opposite reason, the author may also add a comma between two dependent clauses to create a pause. Also acceptable:

• ✅ She grabbed her backpack, and ran through the door.

If a prepositional phrase at the beginning of a sentence is three words or less, the “required” comma is optional:

• ✅ Earlier this morning, I ran around the park.
• ✅  Earlier this morning I ran around the park.

If a prepositional phrase is four words or more, the comma is required:

• ❌ At around 6:00 a.m. this morning I ran around the park.
• ✅ At around 6:00 a.m. this morning, I ran around the park.

Punctuation for dialogue always goes within the quotation marks.

• ✅  “You’re kidding!”
• ❌ “You’re kidding”!

When a dialogue tag comes before the spoken line, use a comma.

• ✅ He said, “I’ll be there soon.”

When a dialogue tag follows the spoken line, end the dialogue with a comma. If the line already ends with a question mark or exclamation point, keep that punctuation instead. The dialogue tag should not be capitalized in either situation (unless its a person’s name/proper noun).

• ✅ “I’ll be there soon,” he said.
• ✅ “I’ll be there soon!” he said.
• ❌ “I’ll be there soon.” He said.
• ❌ “I’ll be there soon!” He said.

Never combine a question mark and an explanation point.

• ❌ “Are you seriously kidding me?!”

Never use all caps to indicate that a character is shouting.

• ❌ “ARE YOU SERIOUSLY KIDDING ME?”

Italicizing words or phrases in dialogue for emphasis can be used sparingly.

• ✅ “Are you seriously kidding me?”

When a character trails off and doesn’t finish their train of thought, use an ellipses, not an em dash.

• ✅ “Maybe we could go to the…” I lost my train of thought.
• ❌ “Maybe we could go to the—” I lost my train of thought.

When a character stops speaking suddenly due to a sharp interruption, use an em dash.

• ✅ “Are you going to the—”
  “No. I’m not going.”
• ✅ “Are you going to the—” The word lodged in my throat.
• ❌ “Are you going to the—” I stopped at the sight of Susie.

When another character verbally interrupts to finish the other person’s sentence (three words at most), the interruption should be capitalized and treated as a new sentence.

• ✅ “Are you going to the—”
  “School fair? Yes, I’m going.”

When the interruption finishes the other person’s sentence with a drawn-out phrase (four words or more), the interruption should start with an em dash to clearly communicate the continuation.

Example from Nightshade Academy:

• ✅ “But maybe the school—”
  “—curriculum is different in Miranda?”
• ❌ “But maybe the school—”
  “Curriculum is different in Miranda?

Sometimes dialogue “pauses” to make space for a quick narrative description.

If the interrupting description is a single-sentence action, em dashes should be outside the quotes.

• ✅ “I don’t know if this”—she held up the vase—“should be called a piece of art.”

If interrupting description contains more than one sentence, em dashes should be inside the quotes.

• ✅ “I don’t know if this—” She help up the vase. An amateur had clearly painted its swirly designs. “—should be called a piece of art.”

Exception: When the finishing phrase is short (three words or less), use an ellipses, and treat the final phrase as a new dialogue.

Example from Lone Player:

• ✅ “It was…” I stop myself from saying it. Frightening. Terrifying. Surreal and horrific and upsetting. “Strange.”
• ❌ “It was—” I stop myself from saying it. Frightening. Terrifying. Surreal and horrific and upsetting. “—strange.”

When the imagined lines are meant to echo a real character’s voice, use italics. In these cases, the reader is encouraged to visualize them actually saying these lines verbatim.

• ✅ Nightshade Academy (Narration): Yahshi turned to Vell, who smiled at him. He could almost hear her saying, Get your act together. Don’t cause any drama. There is nothing we can do.
• ✅ Maelin (Narration): Cove noticed my shadow on the wall and looked over her shoulder. “Hey. I was just about to wake you.” I should have known not to expect a chirpy Rise and shine, Cousin!
• ✅ Nightshade Academy (Dialogue): We’re supposed to trust their judgment because that’s what we do, but sometimes I want nothing more than to ask, Why are we doing this? Why do I need to kill her? Is there any other way? But I don’t ask because that’s not what we do, you know?”

When the imagined line only contains one word (typically “hi,” “yes,” or “no”), and italics isn’t necessary to avoid confusion, leave it in plain text.

• ✅ Deadwood Burning (Narration): I take a slow, shaky breath and close my eyes. I think about what it would mean to say yes.
• ✅ Underground Royalty (Dialogue): “You’re not gonna say hi?”

When imagined lines don’t echo a real character’s voice, use plain text. In these cases, the lines are informational, and the reader isn’t meant to picture the speaker saying them verbatim.

• ✅ Deadwood Burning (Narration): Sometimes I pretend my dad is behind me as I work, watching me with his arms crossed. When I start to feel myself slouching, I hear him tell me to fix my posture and save myself the back pain later.
• ✅ Nightshade Academy (Dialogue): “She told me I have a way of making people comfortable. She told me she wished she had that too.”

Sometimes the POV character recalls the dialogue of another person (or group of people), but it’s presented as an approximation rather than a word-for-word recollection. This is common with advice, mantras, and sayings.

When the paraphrased lines echo the speaker’s voice in narration, use italics.

• ✅ Underground Royalty: Even before he had started assisting her as a courier, she had always stressed the importance of keeping people at arm’s length. To protect the Underground, and themselves, they needed to maintain a perfect act as loyal residents. And the thing about an act, she’d say, is that if someone gets to know you too well, they’ll see right through it.
• ✅ Nightshade Academy: He’d seen her avoid Quax like this countless times before. I’m studying, Brother, she’d say. Maybe after my run. You can work on that puzzle while you wait.
• ✅ “She won’t shut up about you. She’s always asking, What’s he doing? Where is he? Why isn’t he here?”
  • This is very similar to the “Impersonation” section.

When the paraphrased lines are recounted in the POV character’s voice, use plain text.

• ✅ Deadwood Burning: My head cartwheels. I’m hardly paying attention when they bring me to another white room I don’t recognize. A pair of Corps healers introduce themselves and rub a stinging ointment on the bottom of my feet. I’ll be ready to run again tomorrow, they say.
  • Note the POV shift. The original line was “You’ll be ready to run tomorrow.” The recounted dialogue has been translated into the POV character’s first-person voice.
• ✅ Deadwood Burning: “If we’re caught giving aid to anyone outside of the Corps—even the Immune—we are reprimanded. Killed, if the patient is a traitor of any kind. Because nature must do its job, they say.”
  • Dialogue attributed to vague groups like “society” are never italicized as they don’t belong to a specific voice—and therefore, by default, they are recounted through the POV character’s voice.

Sometimes the POV character recalls the exact words of another character.

When the full, verbatim lines are recalled in narration, use quotation marks and italics. (Note: italics should also apply to the punctuation of the recalled lines and the surrounding quotation marks).

• ✅ Deadwood Burning: “Catching snakes is a mind game, Cedar,” the Serpent once said. “To overpower one is merely a matter of overpowering your own hesitation. Once you have mastered deciding exactly what it is you are going to do and acting quickly, all else will fall into place.”
• Underground Royalty: “I won’t tell the Prince,” Dice had said, watching Vell prepare her blades in his lab of mushrooms. “I know how much he hates this kind of thing.”

When the full, verbatim lines are recalled in dialogue, use italics only.

• ✅ Underground Royalty: “The man looked at me,” he muttered, “and how tightly I clutched my little sister, and he said, You don’t need her.”

For single words that don’t need quote framing, use italics alone. But if the word is so common or natural in the sentence that italics aren’t even necessary to avoid confusion (typically “hi,” “yes,” or “no”), leave it in plain text.

• ✅ Deadwood Burning: The others have been working out rotations to cover her shift and have someone check in on her every now and then—when the Guards don’t notice, that is. As long as headcount remains the same and someone shouts here during roll call, they usually don’t.

When a character changes their tone of voice to impersonate another character (or group of people), use italics.

• ✅ Nightshade Academy: “Can you believe this?” Vell said in a low tone, impersonating Pinto. She spun around with her eyes on the clouds. “Isn’t this building incredible? The ceilings are so high!”
• “How about this?” Embre straightened her back and spoke in a higher pitch. “After further investigation, the Research Division uncovered that Commander Yahshi Konya of Sitra didn’t know about his father’s affiliation to the Underground. He killed Martu Konya after discovering the truth out of outrage and loyalty to the Force. Then he ran, fearing we wouldn’t believe him.”

Hyphenate multi-word color terms used as adjectives before a noun.

• ✅ navy-blue suit
  ❌ navy blue suit
• ✅ raven-black hair
  ❌ raven-black hair

Leave color phrases open when they follow a linking verb or stand alone.

• ✅ The suit was navy blue.
  ❌ The suit was navy-blue.
• ✅ The sky turned blood red.
  ❌ The sky turned blood-red.

Do not hyphenate when a shade word modifies a single color, even before a noun.

• ✅ a light yellow dress
  ❌ a light-yellow dress
• ✅ a dark red curtain
  ❌ a dark-red curtain

Spell out whole numbers from zero to one hundred.

• ✅ forty-five
• ❌ 45

Use numerals for all numbers with decimals.

• ✅ 45.9
• ❌ forty-five and nine tenths

Use numerals for numbers over one hundred—except for round numbers that end with hundred, thousand, million, etc.

• ✅ 101
  ❌ one hundred and one
• ✅ two hundred
  ❌ 200

Example from Maelin:

• ✅ “The play was cryptic and odd, and the main character paid exactly three thousand coins for everything he purchased, the last item being a book of truth.”
• ❌ “The play was cryptic and odd, and the main character paid exactly 3,000 coins for everything he purchased, the last item being a book of truth.”

For percentages, always spell out the word percent. The number preceding it should follow the same rules outlined above.

• ✅ thirty-three percent ❌ 33% ❌ 33 percent
• ✅ 50.9 percent ❌ 50.9% ❌ fifty point nine percent

Example from Maelin:

• ✅ I received a solid ninety percent for my piece on our twelve-year-old Prince.
• ❌ I received a solid 90% for my piece on our twelve-year-old Prince.
• ❌ I received a solid 90 percent for my piece on our twelve-year-old Prince.

Numbers that appear numerically in the real world should remain numerical and override the foundational rules above.

Room numbers, page numbers, etc. are always numerical, even in dialogue. Capitalization depends on whether or not its a formal label.

• ✅ Room 32 ❌ Room Thirty-Two ❌ Room thirty-two
  • Rooms typically have formal labels, and are therefore capitalized
• ✅ page 5 ❌ page Five ❌ page five
  • Pages are usually generic labels and can remain lowercase

Addresses should always be numerical. Additionally, any abbreviations (St, Rd, Ave) should be expanded into their full forms (St, Rd, Ave)

• ✅ 177 East Hopper Avenue ❌ One hundred and seventy-seven East Hopper Ave.

Phone numbers should be stylized as 555-555-5555, even in dialogue.

• ✅ “What’s your phone number?” she asked.
  “555-555-5555,” he answered.
• ❌ “What’s your phone number?” she asked.
  “five five five, five five five, five five five five,” he answered.

Brands with numbers should retain their numerical forms.

• ✅ 7-Eleven
• ❌ Seven-Eleven

Temperature, speed, etc. should also be numerical, especially if a character is referencing a measurement tool like a thermometer or speedometer. The measurement terms following the number should always be spelled out (miles per hour, not mph; degrees Fahrenheit, not ºF).

• ✅ 40 degrees Fahrenheit
  ❌ forty degrees Fahrenheit
  ❌ 40 ºF
• ✅ 45 miles per hour
  ❌ forty-five miles per hour
  ❌ 45 mph

Dates must be expressed with the month followed by the ordinal day (March 23rd) or as an ordinal number followed by the month (23rd of March)

• ✅ November 14th
• ❌ November 14
• ❌ November Fourteenth

Use numerical forms for the time, and always style AM and PM as following:

• ✅ 3:00 a.m.
• ❌ 3 AM
• ❌ three AM

The terms “a.m.” and “p.m.” can be left out if enough context is included in the text.

• ✅ The sun was just beginning to rise. I checked the clock. It was 5:48.
• ✅ The sun rose at around 5:30 in the morning.

If the term “o’clock” is used, then spell out the time.

• ✅ three o’clock
• ❌ 3 o’clock
• ❌ 3:00 o’clock

Avoid mixing two different styles in close proximity.

• ⚠️ ”Make sure to get there at four o’clock. We’ll leave at 5:30.”
  • This is okay, but not preferable. 
• ✅ ”Make sure to get there at 4:00 a.m. We’ll leave at 5:30.”
  • This style is preferred.