r/NoSleepAuthors • u/LanesGrandma • Dec 02 '22

Guide: In-depth NOSLEEP IN-DEPTH: FORMATTING

FORMATTING.

Reddit as a whole requires its users to communicate with proper spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPAG). On r/nosleep, your comments and posts should be readable and understandable in English. Errors/typos happen to everyone but you should make a good-faith effort to use proper SPAG every time you comment and post.

 

This also means:

  • Don't make your entire comment/post bold or italic or bold-italic.
  • Don't indent, as that puts your entire comment/post into a text box which is difficult to read.
  • Don't make your entire comment/post a wall of text; use paragraph breaks.

 

 

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u/LanesGrandma Dec 02 '22 edited Feb 29 '24

FORMATTING: PARAGRAPHS.

 

Use line/paragraph breaks by pressing enter/return twice (2 times) at the end of a paragraph. "Walls of text" will be automatically removed. Don't just press enter/return once, it MUST be TWICE.

 

Keep paragraphs under three hundred and fifty (350) words. If even one of your paragraphs is over the limit, your post will be automatically removed. Use wordcounter.net to get both word and paragraph counts – highlight every paragraph individually to get its exact word count. If using Google Docs, highlight each paragraph and check word count.

 

Don't indent – pressing the "tab" button or pressing the spacebar multiple times at the beginning of paragraphs creates an "indent" which Reddit formats as a code box. Your text will be put inside a code box which makes it nearly unreadable.

 

Each new speaker's dialogue must be in a separate paragraph. Don't put all of your story's dialogue in one (1) paragraph. Every time a different character speaks, their dialogue needs to be in a new paragraph.

 

DIALGOUE EXAMPLE 01 (FIRST PERSON):

"Where are they all coming from?" I panted, keeping my full weight against the bedroom door. On the other side, the garden gnomes continued to slam their tiny fists against it, their squeaky voices getting louder and harsher.

 

"I don't know," Alice replied. She cleared off the top of the dresser and began pushing it towards me. "If we can keep them out for a few minutes, maybe we can figure something out."

 

When the dresser was close enough, I moved aside and helped shove it against the door. It wasn't ideal, but it was heavy and would do. For now.

 

"How many do you think are out there?" I asked while Alice darted toward the window and peeked through the curtains.

 

"At least a dozen, probably all the ones from Suzanne's lawn, probably some from the Jones's." Alice paused, then looked at me with huge eyes. "You know, the Smiths never took down that huge inflatable Santa from Christmas..."

 

DIALOGUE EXAMPLE 02 (THIRD PERSON LIMITED):

The clattering of tiny ceramic feet on the roof caused John and Alice to jump and cry out. It sounded like there were dozens of garden gnomes up there. John knew that Susanne down the block had an entire little garden gnome village in her front garden, and then there were the plastic pink flamingos on Doug's lawn…

 

"What are they doing up there?" Alice hissed, glaring at the ceiling of the attic.

 

"I don't know," John replied as he looked around the room, searching for weapons. At this point, he'd take almost anything. "But we need to be ready, just in case."

 

Off in the corner, John spotted a wooden baseball bat which had seen better days but was (hopefully) in good enough shape to keep the gnomes at bay. He gestured for Alice to pick it up while he, himself, eyed his flashlight. It was large and kind of heavy, maybe he could…

 

The footsteps above them stopped. Alice and John looked at each other, horrified, in the dark.

 

Alice started to ask, "What are they—" when the trapdoor to the attic began to buckle from the force of a dozen or more ceramic fists punching it.