query

[tigriswolf]

Is there something wrong with the way I do titles?  Not capitalizing every word, I mean.  I like it.  If the words need to be capitalized, I capitalize them.  If I'm using lyrics/poetry, what's wrong with using lowercase?

*pouts*  Now I'm second-guessing myself, and I don't like that.

Comments

[noybusiness.livejournal.com]

I hadn't noticed. It's entirely situational.

[tigriswolf]

That's what I thought.

[marbleglove.livejournal.com]

You can format your titles however you like and it's not wrong because it's the way you want it to be.

Traditionally, titles get practically everything capitalized. There are different grammar styles but Associated press grammar style says that the only words that don't get capitalized are: “a,” “an,” “and,” “at,” “but,” “by,” “for,” “in,” “nor,” “of,” “on,” “or,” “so,” “the,” “to,” “up,” and “yet.” And even those get capitalized if they're the first word.

However, works of art aren't restricted by most rules because its art. There are an infinite number of styles of art (or, in this case, writing) and no one of them is "right" or makes any of the others "wrong."

[tigriswolf]

I knew that, about the traditional way, and I used to do it like that. Then I started writing tons of fanfiction, and sometimes it just didn't fit, you know? *sigh*

But I got called illiterate because I didn’t use capital letters in the title, and now I’ve just been stewing about it for over an hour.

[rionaleonhart]

I got called illiterate because I didn’t use capital letters in the title

That's absolutely ridiculous. It may be a little unconventional, but it's a perfectly legitimate artistic choice, and anyone who spent two seconds reading your writing would know that calling you 'illiterate' would be like calling an elephant a desk.

[tigriswolf]

Thank you. To be fair, she did like the drabble. And then she told me the title was wrong.

[marbleglove.livejournal.com]

My immediate reaction is to think the person who called you illiterate is extremely defensive over their own claim to literacy. They know enough to know that there are rules but not enough to know that there are contradictory sets of rules or to understand the value in intentionally ignoring a rule. It says significantly more about them than it does about you. I think your titles match your stories perfectly.

[tigriswolf]

I've actually said that I can break the rules because I do know them. In my every day life, I speak incorrectly all the time. It's fun.

But first, to hear that you liked the drabble, and then get smacked in the face because I didn't capitalize the title? It was just... weird.

[zannes.livejournal.com]

Write it however you want to. I've seen fic where every piece of dialogue is formatted incorrectly and it drives me insane, but titles reflect the author's personal expression/feelings regarding their story, so dress it as you please! Fanfic follows its own rules (no paragraph indenting, for example) so it's pretty much free range writing. Go nuts and put capitals in the middle of words and see what they say!

[tigriswolf]

*hee* Using capitals incorrectly would drive me insane, so it's either all or nothing for me.

[realpestilence.livejournal.com]

You can title your works any damn way you want to! That's the joy of fiction and of being a fanwriter. SPN writers, in particular, often use lowercase; and they're known for titling their fics these long-ass names with parenthesis, too.

Somebody been picking on you? ~scowls

[tigriswolf]

No, it was just a one-off comment on a drabble.

And I think SN fics were the first I began playing around with the titles for. And now that's half the fun.

[realpestilence.livejournal.com]

Ok, 'cause I was gonna strap on my hobnails and trample on somebody for you, if you needed that.


~rolls sleeves back down

[tigriswolf]

Thank you so much for the thought. *cuddles*

[maldeluxx.livejournal.com]

Nope, nothing wrong with it *hugs* The usual things I stumble on when reading are the spelling mistakes and maybe some grammar, but never the one you mention :) <3

[tigriswolf]

I usually have spelling and grammar mistakes?

[maldeluxx.livejournal.com]

No, not you, just mentioning the things that can stop me during reading fics anywhere - haven't found these in yours :)

[tigriswolf]

Oh, phew. *wipes brow in relief*

[irnan.livejournal.com]

*g* I stopped capitalising my titles when I began writing outside of SPN fandom so when I looked at ffnet lists of my fics in the login area I could tell which were SPN and which weren't ;)

[tigriswolf]

*hee* That's one to do it. Half the time, I can't even remember what I titled something.