Em-Dash murder

[BrokenSpokes]

I’ve noticed recently that in the new stories I’ve submitted, they have gone up with all the em-dashes converted to double dashes. But that’s not all. In all my old stories my precious em-dashes have suffered the same violence as well. (Cue dramatic back of the hand to my forehead and swooning on my fainting couch)

Has anyone else seen this? Any explanation for why it’s happening?

 

[mynameisben]

I’ve noticed recently that in the new stories I’ve submitted, they have gone up with all the em-dashes converted to double dashes. But that’s not all. In all my old stories my precious em-dashes have suffered the same violence as well. (Cue dramatic back of the hand to my forehead and swooning on my fainting couch)

Has anyone else seen this? Any explanation for why it’s happening?

Nope. It's a real shame, though, if it's true. Stupidity never sleeps.


Ben

 

[MrPixel]

"The Em-Dash Murders"

Our dashing typographer, Hy Phen, discovers his paramour splayed on the composition department floor, in a pool of blood face down with a Lino slug in her back. Police are unable to pin down cause of death - was it the trauma, or lead poisoning? We examine the affairs of the heart that led to this tragedy, and the others that followed.

In the end we find out that she was just not his type.

 

[NotWise]

I’ve noticed recently that in the new stories I’ve submitted, they have gone up with all the em-dashes converted to double dashes. But that’s not all. In all my old stories my precious em-dashes have suffered the same violence as well. (Cue dramatic back of the hand to my forehead and swooning on my fainting couch)

Has anyone else seen this? Any explanation for why it’s happening?

I've seen it on new stories. I haven't noticed it in old stories, but I haven't looked.

Just checked. My most recent story has it's em-dashes in place, but my previous story does not. At least some older stories still have their em-dashes in place. If I go back far enough, I wasn't using em-dashes.

I noticed the death and destruction on a story last spring and PM'd Laurel about it. I never heard back, so I don't know why it happens.

 

[TadOverdon]

So, they've got a system that can't handle standard English usage punctuation.

That sucks.

But, it'll save me going and punching in all those html codes. Going forward it's a simpler search-and-replace in a word processing manuscript to substitute double dashes for em-dashes.

 

[NotWise]

I have no solution for your old stories. For new stories, replace your em-dash with the exact code: — (thus, including the & and ; characters). You can check this in the 'preview' field of Lit.

When I first noticed the demise of my em-dashes, the preview showed the em-dash, but the published story had double hyphens.

 

[MrPixel]

Em dashes (yes, I'm a retired typographer!) never worked for me, at least not on the MSWord uploads in the 18 months I've been publishing here. Em dashes were turned into double hyphens from the start for my stories. So I stopped using them and beat 'em to the punch now, using double hyphens in the original uploads.

Maybe the conversion process has been tweaked so everything is treated the same, Word or HTML or whatever. I dunno. Just guessing.

 

[BrokenSpokes]

When I first noticed the demise of my em-dashes, the preview showed the em-dash, but the published story had double hyphens.

Yes, this is what was happening to me. I used the preview when publishing and everything was fine. Then it was posted and all my lovely em dashes were just murdered!

 

[TadOverdon]

I have no solution for your old stories. For new stories, replace your em-dash with the exact code: — (thus, including the & and ; characters). You can check this in the 'preview' field of Lit.

This is what I've always done.

I've never used double dashes. Ever.

The last chapter of the last book I posted here had em-dashes in it at preview and when it posted.

It shows with double dashes now.

 

[KeithD]

I use em dashes a lot, rendering them as real em dashes from the keyboard. I'd heard they recently had begun being rendered as double hyphens in the Literotica file. I confirm that's happening with my stories, but older stories of mine still have the regular em dash. The change is mildly irritating, but I haven't looked into changing how I submit them.

 

[Handley_Page]

So, they've got a system that can't handle standard English usage punctuation.

That sucks.
.

Would that be something to do with the software being 'American' ?
A friend wants to understand, and all that. . . .

 

[KeithD]

Would that be something to do with the software being 'American' ?
A friend wants to understand, and all that. . . .

I don't think so. The American system uses the regular em dash (typewriters don't, as they don't have that character, hence the use of two hyphens in typewritten work). Correctly provide em dashes once held in Literotica. It's some change they've made in capability.

 

[mynameisben]

The em dash is just a hyphen with an erection. It is useful for erecting lengthy — sometimes tortuously lengthy, à la William Faulkner — sentences that would have otherwise been two or even three more sensibly sized, easily digestible sentences, if only the author could have reined in their passion for mental masturbation.


Ben

 

[KeithD]

Well, sure, that's how I use them--a lot.

 

[LAHomedog]

I always double dash -- it is how I was taught -- when I was in the magazine world.

 

[yukonnights]

Just checked my new story out today. Yep, this -- in place of the —. I'm too worn out on this story to bother changing them to the code Ruben showed us. I'll use that on the next ones. The look really doesn't bother me, and pretty sure readers won't notice the change.

PS: I've left my signature viewable to check the link works as it should. Any western readers / fans who see this might like this new romance story.

 

[TadOverdon]

I always double dash -- it is how I was taught -- when I was in the magazine world.

Did the writing appear in the published magazine with double dashes?

 

[NotWise]

I just checked back through several stories. I have one story where the em dashes were replaced by double hyphens. That was published 7/1/2021. All the earlier stories I checked have them in place. My most recent story (10/3/2021) has its em dashes.

 

[Bramblethorn]

The em dash is just a hyphen with an erection. It is useful for erecting lengthy — sometimes tortuously lengthy, à la William Faulkner — sentences that would have otherwise been two or even three more sensibly sized, easily digestible sentences, if only the author could have reined in their passion for mental masturbation.

The em dash—one of my favourite pieces of punctuation—is normally used without spaces, unless one is writing for a newspaper.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Hmmm... I don't use the emdash as I really don't write longwinded sentences. I use short to the point sentences. I rarely use a ; either. Commas, ellipsis, period, exclamation points, and question marks. I feel it make for an easier read.

 

[SimonDoom]

I use em dashes all the time. I probably overuse them. I find them extremely useful, especially as a device for shifting direction in a sentence or clarifying a thought. But since I type them as double dashes in my draft it doesn't bother me if they come out that way in the published story.

 

[TadOverdon]

I use em dashes all the time. I probably overuse them. I find them extremely useful, especially as a device for shifting direction in a sentence or clarifying a thought. But since I type them as double dashes in my draft it doesn't bother me if they come out that way in the published story.

I write in Word, so I format using the em-dash for publication at Smashwords. I've overused them, as I've overused italicized thoughts, and am trying to cut way back on both.

 

[Athalia]

Did the writing appear in the published magazine with double dashes?

In the days when writers submitted their work on stone tablets... I mean typewritten copy... instead of formatted word processing files, we editors would take any double dashes we would find in a manuscript and routinely substitute either em or en dashes, as the context called for, before submitting it to the typesetters.

 

[BrokenSpokes]

Oops, it happened again

Welp, The Journey, Chapter Six posted today, and once again all my em dashes were murdered, their lives cut short during the first bloom of their youth.

Those dirty, dirty double-dashes took their place and mock me from the page.

 

[yowser]

Welp, The Journey, Chapter Six posted today, and once again all my em dashes were murdered, their lives cut short during the first bloom of their youth.

Those dirty, dirty double-dashes took their place and mock me from the page.

Do you upload a .doc or other formatted file, or cut-and-paste with the em-dash coding in the text? I am curious.