For more FAQs and info, see the About page.
Because on The Writ, the appearance of your writing is in your hands. We don't have
time to scramble through and adjust each piece based on what is typographically consistent
with our aesthetical ideals. No, instead we rely on you to make your writing look the
way you want it.
There are, of course, some catches. First, it doesn't pay to break
all the rules and do crazy things with your formatting.
You still want people to read what you wrote.
If you drive your audience to a nervous breakdown with massive bright red letters,
rest assured that they (and the editors who choose material for
WRIToracle) will click right past you.
Second, formatting on this system, let alone on the web, isn't all easy and intuitive. So read
on for tips and fixes.
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Here's a secret to the internet: indents don't work.
Format your prose with an extra space between
every paragraph, like this:
Once upon a time I wrote this fabulous piece of writing and then I had to format it on The Writ.
I didn't know what to do! So when I arrived at the editing panel and found this FAQ, I was relieved.
Answers! That's what they were! It all made sense!
As soon as I put an extra space between paragraphs, everything was better.
My piece was readable, my audience was happy, and
my brain grew three sizes that day.
If you don't add the space, your readers won't know where one paragraph
ends and another begins. And that will make people much
less likely to actually read it.
Extra Tip: People are more likely to scan your work than to read it thoroughly on the web. While this is a literary website
and we encourage you to take that seriously, bear in mind that shorter paragraphs and shorter pieces attract more readers.
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Ahhh poetry. It comes in so many shapes and sizes!
But duplicating your particular brand of layout on
the web can sometimes be difficult. Especially when you like to play with indentations.
Unfortunately, there's a glitch in the system right
now. If you push the  button
in the formatting panel, (which creates tags that look
like this: <pre> your poem here </pre>),
you'll have more control over your line spacing, but you'll
also have an extra space unwanted between every line.
It looks something like this:
If you type this...
<pre>Roses are red,
Violets are sad.
I like my lines spacey,
but not THIS bad!</pre>
|
You'll get this...
Roses are red,
Violets are sad.
I like my lines spacey,
but not THIS bad! |
Yes, we know, this sucks. It will be abolished in our next wave of expensive programming fixes (note: if you want to speed the process along,
send us money). There are two hacks for getting around it:
The High-Tech Hack: Instead of using the preformatted text
tags ( <pre> </pre> ), use non-breaking spaces (the code looks like this: ) to
force the indents.
If you type this...
Roses are red,
Violets are blue.
I like my lines spacey,
and this will do.
|
You'll get this...
Roses are red,
Violets are blue.
I like my lines spacey,
and this will do. |
The Low-Tech Hack: Save the fancy spacing for another venue and get down and dirty with
straight-up internet publishing. In other words...
If you type this...
Roses are red,
Violets are grey.
I like my lines spacey.
Just imagine it, okay?
|
You'll get this...
Roses are red,
Violets are grey.
I like my lines spacey.
Just imagine it, okay? |
It ain't fancy, but at least it's stable and easy to do. Your readers may
appreciate the simplicity.
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Don't use them unless you're really trying to make a point. Really. We include colors and fun
formatting options to give you freedom, but we expect you to act within reason. Neon green poems give
people headaches. ALL CAPS LOOKS LIKE SHOUTING! They don't work to your advantage as a writer trying to solicit an audience.
Be gentle, be friendly, and remember your goal is to have people read your work. Adding anything that
distracts your readers from reaching that goal is a bad move on your part.
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If you're still having problems with your formatting,
don't suck it up and settle for a bad layout. Email
Sarah Dopp (aka Madame Webmistress) for help at sarah@thewrit.org
(hint: she didn't build this system, she only works with
it. If you absolutely feel you must blame her for the glitches, at
least thank her for donating her time first).
We know our system isn't perfect, but Sarah's pretty good at finding solutions.
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Check out our general About page for more information.
You can also subscribe to our mailing list for updates and Writ News.
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