Scene seperation?
- Thread starter Dazzle1
- Start date
PennLady
Literotica Guru
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Many people use five centered asterisks. I use (don't know why) x-x-x-x, but I don't center it. I've seen all kinds of separators, ranging from extra line returns to characters used to make a picture, like -----<@ which looks like a flower on its side if you concentrate.
Cruel2BKind
Not Quite Here
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Wow, I just use
---
If I'm switching character perspectives, I do
--------THOMAS--------
Or whatever the guy's name is
---
If I'm switching character perspectives, I do
--------THOMAS--------
Or whatever the guy's name is
TxRad
Dirty Old Man
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5 ***** left justified.
My first editor started me out that way and it stuck. It didn't hurt that she was a retired professional editor for a major book company. She read some of my stuff here on Lit and took pity on me. She is now a writer so now it is my turn to take pity on her.
My first editor started me out that way and it stuck. It didn't hurt that she was a retired professional editor for a major book company. She read some of my stuff here on Lit and took pity on me. She is now a writer so now it is my turn to take pity on her.
Weird Harold
Opinionated Old Fart
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Scene separators are basically Ellipses indicating "something left out." An Ellipsis is (sort of) defined as "three consecutive punctuation marks."
In the novel I'm currently reading, published by Baen Books, they use "three diamonds, centered."
Online, three asterisks are the most common scene break, but I've seen "###" and "@@@" (among others.) I consider all of them equally valid as ellipses used for scene breaks.
Brunne
Really Experienced
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Just curious, as the others seem to be answering the question of what a valid scene break indication is... (which I've often wondered about actually, so very interesting!)
But do you mean that when you submitted your story, the asterisks literally didn't show up when the story published? If so, which method of submitting did you use - copy/paste or uploading a file?
TxRad
Dirty Old Man
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I upload .doc files and they show up.
PayDay
unlabelable
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Vouch.
I use three left stars:
***
Sometimes I have included a title for separated stories:
*** Section Name
Shows up fine on submitted .docs
sun_sea_sky
Literotica Guru
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I helped with that one. The HTML rendering was incorrect, somehow a ">" was left off and the asterisks didn't appear. Not only that, the entire rest of the story was centered.
Apparently this was because the asterisks were centered (as suggested above) so I presume it was a .DOC or .RTF file.
I would use the asterisks, not centered. Personally I submit via copy/paste into the submission window, I don't trust these other document formats. You can still use <B>bold</B> and <I>italic</I> by using those tags as shown here.
TxRad
Dirty Old Man
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There is a list of Lit acceptable tags around here somewhere. I have it bookmarked on my computer at home. I should be back there in another week or ten days.
I am gratified to see that everyone who responded to Dazzle1 and who used any form of the word separate spelled it correctly, unlike Dazzle 1.
It is a weird pet peeve, but with a history. Back in the dark ages of the early '50s, I misspelled separate as seperate in a 2nd or whatever grade spelling quiz. The only one I missed out of, what, 10 or 20? Heartbroken I asked my teacher what was the best way to make sure I didn't miss it in the future. She told me to write it down on a piece of paper, put it in my pocket, and take it out once a day for a week and look at it again. I did that. It worked. And sixty-mumble years later I still remember it.
[Thank the ghods for computers and online dictionaries. Or even the old hardbound ones I learned about and started using a couple of grades later. Saved a lot of room in my pockets from then on.]
It is a weird pet peeve, but with a history. Back in the dark ages of the early '50s, I misspelled separate as seperate in a 2nd or whatever grade spelling quiz. The only one I missed out of, what, 10 or 20? Heartbroken I asked my teacher what was the best way to make sure I didn't miss it in the future. She told me to write it down on a piece of paper, put it in my pocket, and take it out once a day for a week and look at it again. I did that. It worked. And sixty-mumble years later I still remember it.
[Thank the ghods for computers and online dictionaries. Or even the old hardbound ones I learned about and started using a couple of grades later. Saved a lot of room in my pockets from then on.
]
voluptuary_manque
Literotica Guru
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I'm with Tex. Five stars on the left works a treat.
Stella_Omega
No Gentleman
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urgh, that would throw me right out of the story. I would suggest that you start the perspective with a sentence that tells us 1) who's eyes we are looking out of, and 2) what we are seeing.
E.G.
Thomas blinked the salt water out of his eyes and cursed as the tramp steamer waddled away, plowing the Indian Ocean waters. He was never going to swim fast enough to catch it.
Say the previous chapter was from Mark's POV and he was the one that threw Thomas off the boat-- the readers can tell pretty clearly that a scene change is happening.
I have been doing cut and paste
As far as scene seperation (note to spell Nazi go away) I use it when there is a break in the action or when characters go into a diferent area.
Stella_Omega
No Gentleman
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What, so now you're going to keep on misspelling it-- because someone's pointed out that you've misspelled it?
How old are you?
69.
And it was an excuse to post what I hoped would be a humorous anecdote.
From the earliest days in the computer era and of dial-up BBs, Usenet Newsgroups, etc., I have been an active poster, and have eschewed spelling/grammar flames, or any other sort of flames.
But if I offended anyone, I apologize.
And it was an excuse to post what I hoped would be a humorous anecdote.
From the earliest days in the computer era and of dial-up BBs, Usenet Newsgroups, etc., I have been an active poster, and have eschewed spelling/grammar flames, or any other sort of flames.
But if I offended anyone, I apologize.
damppanties
Tinkle, twinkle
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Stella was addressing Dazzle up there. If you offend someone by what you posted the first time around, I hope you keep doing it.
Anyhow, 69 is... delicious.
I'm with Stella on this
Symbols of any kind remind my brain that I'm reading a story. Perhaps you could convince me that it can't always be done, but I would urge you to try using words to accomplish your goal.
B
Symbols of any kind remind my brain that I'm reading a story. Perhaps you could convince me that it can't always be done, but I would urge you to try using words to accomplish your goal.
B
Tyro
Your age is one of my favorite numbers, and, truth be told, I'm catching you up
I enjoyed your story, it stirred up some memories here.
I try not to post spelling (or grammar) flames, but spelling does count, to the reader.
When I teach a class (which I do, from time to time) and have to grade papers, I explain it this way:
There used to be a little restaurant that I would pass every morning on my way to work. It would have a piece of paper taped to the front door each day with the current lunch special hand-written on it. Usually a sandwich and some variety of soup.
One day, the soup du jour was intended to be of the thick, smooth green variety. But, as (mis)spelled, it would have been thin and yellow. (I hope you get my drift.)
I never went back to that restaurant, and it has since gone out of business.
B
Your age is one of my favorite numbers, and, truth be told, I'm catching you up
I enjoyed your story, it stirred up some memories here.
I try not to post spelling (or grammar) flames, but spelling does count, to the reader.
When I teach a class (which I do, from time to time) and have to grade papers, I explain it this way:
There used to be a little restaurant that I would pass every morning on my way to work. It would have a piece of paper taped to the front door each day with the current lunch special hand-written on it. Usually a sandwich and some variety of soup.
One day, the soup du jour was intended to be of the thick, smooth green variety. But, as (mis)spelled, it would have been thin and yellow. (I hope you get my drift.)
I never went back to that restaurant, and it has since gone out of business.
B
TxRad
Dirty Old Man
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- Jan 13, 2005
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Nope, not that one. This is an actual list here on Lit, not a how too. Thanks for trying.
Eosphorus
Virgin
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- Aug 18, 2012
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- 14
Tyro,I am gratified to see that everyone who responded to Dazzle1 and who used any form of the word separate spelled it correctly, unlike Dazzle 1.
It is a weird pet peeve, but with a history. Back in the dark ages of the early '50s, I misspelled separate as seperate in a 2nd or whatever grade spelling quiz. The only one I missed out of, what, 10 or 20? Heartbroken I asked my teacher what was the best way to make sure I didn't miss it in the future. She told me to write it down on a piece of paper, put it in my pocket, and take it out once a day for a week and look at it again. I did that. It worked. And sixty-mumble years later I still remember it.
[Thank the ghods for computers and online dictionaries. Or even the old hardbound ones I learned about and started using a couple of grades later. Saved a lot of room in my pockets from then on.
I mispelled separate on a paper back in college. The professor wrote "remember, there is 'a rat' in 'separate'." I've never made the mistake again.
