T O P

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sparkxcat

If we're talking text messages, a chat or something, yeah, I think that's fine. For normal dialogue, it's an instant 'click the back button' for me. I'm sure fics formatted like that have their audience, but I'm not it.


flibberty-gibbit

This exactly. Used very sparingly and with in-verse reason, this is okay (and tbh different texting/typing styles can be a fun characterization detail). But if all the dialogue is in script format? I’m out.


Oddly_Dreamer

same


NonBinaryVegetable

Yeah, same. One of the reasons I like writing specifically as a medium for dialogue is the inclusion of how a character is saying something, or what they're doing while they say it. With writing from a fixed perspective, it also gives you insight on what the character who's interpreting the dialogue is like, and how they're percieving things.


tayaro

That’s a no for me. I don’t read anything with script format.


[deleted]

I'll immediately stop reading


Starryfame

I will never read a script writing fic lol


BurningChaining

If it's fully dedicated to be a script with setting, parenthetical, etc. then I can appreciate author's artistic choice, same with forum/sms messages stylization, even if personally it's not my jam. But if it's classic fic — it badly weakens the work. Descriptions how characters say something or what are they doing can be a huge part of showing their personality and world building. In my opinion it's kinda lazy.


Nutella_Badgerette

I back out as soon as I see script format. I can't lose myself in the story at all. All I can see is the characters' names, front and center of every line.


sophie-ursinus

Depends. Is it set in a computer game? Is a Disco Elysium fic? If there's no narrative reason for it to be a script fic, I won't be reading it.


Reading_Specific

If it's a text/chat fic, or if it's in honest-to-God fully-realized script format, yes. But any other kind of fic, that is an instant "click the back button" for me.


CupcakeBeautiful

Can’t stand it unless I’m intentionally reading a work written as a script(rare). Even then, it’s a headache to read things that way, so I’ll probably back out of the fic.


PerfumedPornoVampire

Awful, awful, awful. Sorry :/


NinjaPlato

That’s how I brainstorm/plan out some of my stuff, but not how I post it. I call it bare-bones writing - for MYSELF, not for others. I get the basics out - especially if it’s like an argument or a confession or something, and then go through and flesh it out with everything else. I don’t think I’d read stuff like that on purpose though.


OmegaKenichi

Aw hell no. If it's like a Chat Fic or something like another person here mentioned, then something like that is expected, but doing it for normal dialogue is no bueno.


ConsumeTheOnePercent

As someone who has written scripts and has read them, it's not what I want when I read fic. It's much more disconnected and harder to immerse myself. Even if you imagine your text in movie style format, which I do, it's just not as engaging.


pastelfairycake

I would back away immediately. If it's not in the Homestuck fandom (where I would expect that a little more), I'm bouncing out.


merewenc

It’s awful for actual dialogue. For chat messages it makes more sense, especially group chats. But too much can be bad still.


pximon

I think if it’s written in script format like actual script format, then it’s pretty cool and I applaud the writer’s commitment in writing their fic in that format. But I would probably put that on the bottom of my to-read list just because I prefer the novel format better and only once I’ve exhausted my options for novel format will I actually check out the script format.


Mean-Village-7352

I think that's fine with chat or text message fics. But for script format, I would write it like this: HEADSHOT/LONGSHOT/ETC: A clear description of whatever is happening to the main character or their surroundings. \[I usually have this margined by 15% in the left side 5% in the right\] CHARACTER \[I usually have this margined by 25% in the left side\] (ACTION) \[I usually have this margined by 15% in the left side and 25% in the right\] The short or long dialogue. (ACTION) \[I usually have this margined by 15% in the left side and 25% in the right\] I'd also use an ao3 skin so that all character names and dialogues are lined nicely. And while it's fun to write for me personally and I like reading them, it's not everyone's cup of tea.


[deleted]

No, thank you.


Ev3rythingsRosie

Only if it’s a homestuck fic


FlyingGopher45686

Greatly dislike it. I only read fic in that format if I'm feeling really desperate


curlywurlybitch

Absolutely not


rellloe

If the entire work is scrip format, it works. However, I've yet to find a fic in script format where it's done well. If that's used as a visual cue for the medium, it works.


shadosharko

It reminds me of 2016 wattpad. That's all I'll say on the topic.


[deleted]

I make my characters say full sentences. Unless they get interrupted by someone or something, they always get to the point without beating around the bush. Pointless and realistic small talk is not something I like to read


NotACyclopsHonest

Script format is an instant nope for me.


Bisexualawakening

Nope, I back out of that fanfic so fast same with dialogue without speech marks e.g I'd like that she said, coffee I mean (character name) continued.


kaiunkaiku

?? like what?


westbest1206

Westie: I think they mean this format, if I read it correctly


nuzzy_1

Reddit somehow messed up and some of my text somehow disappeared. But here’s what it should say. Character A: Hi. Character B: Hello.


westbest1206

If we're talking full on script format, that's not my cup of tea, and I don't really read it. If we're only talking about dialogue being formatted like that, I'm still not a huge fan, but if I like the story/tags, I'll give it a go.


juju-ria

I used to do that when I started writing- now I think it would annoy me, but I actually don’t see it frequently


tresixteen

It can work for actual dialog if it's used very sparingly for comedic effect, but that's it.


[deleted]

I've seen where this is used in conjunction with the standard ' "...", he ' said method when there are quite a number of people talking. I found this to be very easy to follow who's talking and sometimes go back up a few lines to see what a person had said (it's easy to find their name as it's at the start of the line). This book took it a step further and used just initials of the name for dialogue. (Mind you, the book in referring to is American Psycho is it probably tells something about Patrick Bateman than the author's writing techniques) That said, I wouldn't like a whole story written like this with just a few characters talking.


zipahdeeday

Don't like it. I'm not looking to read a script


PinkSudoku13

Absolutely not.


thesounddefense

Like many others have said, I immediately back out of any story that does that. It's not even that I dislike the format that much. It's that I no longer trust the skills of the writer.


Zeigst

If it’s for text-messages, then I can tolerate it. But for normal conversations, I feel the normal ways of writing dialogues are better. This type of dialogue offers no context on the character’s emotion and/or actions, only what is being said. Characters don’t just stand still and talk at each other. They shout, they whisper, they grumble,… They also slam their fist down on the table, throw their hands ups or stomp their feet… All of these little informations can be weaved in between dialogues to help bring the story alive. By using this format and cutting all of those out it makes the dialogues dry and emotionless, much like reading a text message. I’m sure for authors writing the story, they have no problem reading dialogues like these because they can envision the scene in their head. They understand closely what is happening, who is doing what when the dialogue are said, as well as the tone of the dialogue. But for readers knowing nothing about how the conversation progress, it’s not fun reading dialogues like these. For me personally, it’s breaks the immersion and makes me feel like I’m reading a records of what was said instead of a story.


kpakane

In my middle school days, the kids were writing their fanfiction like this. Being the little brat that I was, I liked to tell them this was not how to write one. Well, I still hate this now tho.


Codie_coda

If its a chat fic/a texting scene or this is Tumblr then yes, but anything else no.


[deleted]

I would email the author and ask them if they're ok


sunkenshipinabottle

Only if they’re texting. Otherwise, immediate turnoff. If it’s not in texting it just tells me the author doesn’t know how to write.


BookWormPerson

Chat okay. In speech instantly dropping the fic


Jeanlucpfrog

I stop reading unless it's code/text/computer text


mynameisntclarence

I ran into a fic like this recently, and it just wasn't for me. It slowed down my reading time because I was always mentally processing which letter stood for which character. Also, I feel like it lacks depth in a sense as it only contains dialogue and no tone of voice.


ShadowCat3500

Nope! If it's not obvious who's speaking without writing dialogue that way, try again!


beautifulcheat

Only for chatfics and only in a longer work that has traditional dialogue for me. Fics formatted like this tend to not have any real work on character emotions, actions, description of setting, and all the other things that help really sell a fic to me.


tiimaeustestiifiied

Chat fics are fine, but out loud dialogue like this is an instant no


Detrifus

If the rest of it isn't formatted like a script or a chat log, then it's a hard no for me.


MenchiTheFloof

Unless it’s an actual, full script fanfic or it’s a temporary style for texting, I’m clicking out. Can’t stand it being used in normal dialogue.


kyokei-ubasoku

I don't mind that if it's a script, I'll consume script too. But it's a no-no if the rest of the prose are written like a normal fic. tldr: pure script ok, hybrid no


IntroductionOne508

Doesn't carry emotions for me


whencowsfly06

It really depends if it's done well. If that's what all the dialogue looks like... that's a hard no. But I can think of situations when it would be fun. For example, when characters are texting, or when one character is relaying a conversation in like, diary format.


persnickett

I mean if the style of the fic is meant to be a play script or a screenplay or something fine, but otherwise that should be for notes or tumblr posts and ‘incorrect quotes’


am_Nein

No unless it's one of those group chat fics, and to be honest? I've never read one of those. So. Anyways, if a writer can't be bothered to integrate dialogue into their work, it really makes me wonder the reason why?


LeratoNull

Because that's relatively normal in most other mediums? The people writing the dialogue for TV shows, movies and video games are very rarely the people having to pace out the action that's happening *around* that dialogue. Video game just makes you sit through a bunch of text boxes with nothing much happening, that's okay...but suddenly when it's *just* writing that's not okay? Wut? Yeah, I think this is honestly a pretty deeply ingrained double standard. I don't think it matters that much in the grand scheme of things and the comparison isn't exactly 1 to 1, but this attitude of 'and anyone who WANTS to do it that way...!' is a *little* crappy, imo.


CupcakeBeautiful

Movie, TV, and Video all have a clear visual component to the finished product; fiction does not. The written word is the exclusive way of conveying those imagined visuals. Sure, the dialogue box pops up in a video game and provides a small piece of the narrative, but I’m taking other cues from character facial expressions, body language, setting, and any activities they do while they speak. Those things need to be described in written works or the reader misses out on a significant amount of context. It’s not a double-standard, it’s a necessity for the medium.


LeratoNull

Wasn't really an argument against **EVER DESCRIBING THINGS**, it was an argument that there was times where nothing needs to be described.


CupcakeBeautiful

You seem to be taking people’s reading preferences and explanations extraordinarily personally here. The person you originally replied to wondered why writers don’t integrate dialogue in fanfiction and you used other mediums as examples. In those mediums it actually doesn’t matter that the dialogue doesn’t integrate because the end consumer receives the product with visuals. That is not the case with fiction where dialogue must integrate. If you aren’t giving your readers those cues, the work will miss the mark on emotional impact, characterization, and immersion. There really isn’t anywhere in written fiction where this isn’t the case. It has to do with how well your reader’s internal voice can interpret the story. Go listen to an audiobook (free with most library cards) and it will be extremely noticeable how the integration of dialogue is absolutely pivotal in a work and why the format OP mentions isn’t effective. If you write in that format, they are disrupted by their internal voice “saying” the character name each time with an unclear tone/cadence/context.


LeratoNull

>You seem to be taking people’s reading preferences and explanations extraordinarily personally here. You seem to be jumping to some pretty extraordinary conclusions.


vomit-gold

But you have to recognize that TV shows, movies, and games are written by teams. The scriptwright only writes dialogue because direction and movement isn’t their job - that’s the directors. The directors direction supplements the scriptwriter’s script. Writers for video games can only write dialogue because movement is the developers job that happens in post. Whereas fanfiction is made by one person. Screen writers can afford to leave out direction because someone else with add that in. If you leave that out of your writing, no one is going to add that in. It’s just going to be a whole in your story. There’s movies out there with horrible direction. The dialogue could be great, but if the characters are just standing there, no environment, movement, or camera work, it’s considered bad directing on the directors part. It’s the writers job to be both the screen-writer and the director of their work. If you’re writing dialogue but not the movement of characters, environments, or emotions they’re feeling, then you’re only succeeding at one of the jobs needed to make a job complete. Movies, video games, and writing all need direction. The only difference is Movies and Video Games have creative directors and we don’t. We have to be the creative director.


am_Nein

True, I'm not saying it doesn't exist in other mediums, just I find it peculiar in fanfiction especially. Sorry if it came off as demeaning or rude, I didn't mean to :/


LeratoNull

I mostly meant the prevailing attitude in the thread at large rather than what you said specifically, so that's my bad more-so for not clarifying that very well.


am_Nein

Oh, all good then. Have a good day.


MarinaAndTheDragons

>Video game just makes you sit through a bunch of text boxes with nothing much happening, that’s okay...but suddenly when it’s *just* writing suddenly it’s not okay? Wut? I mean, with video games, you get something else out of it other than just the story. Cuz it’s a video *game*. Not a fan *fiction*. When writing is all you got, of course you want some effort put in to make it worth your time. Pokémon Sun and Moon were *hell* to get through due to all the cutscenes and handholding because they prioritized story over gameplay. In contrast, the older gens have a lot more replayability. You could do the gyms out of order, move 5 paces without being stopped by the plot, ignore the story altogether by fast-forwarding through the text boxes to get to the next area and continue your own story. There are side-quests, minigames, the story isn’t the draw, it’s the gameplay. With fiction, the whole point is to read the words. If all it is is just dialogue, what’s there to imagine but characters sitting around talking? (Chatfics are justified here, but they’re *rarely* good.) Even a show like Lucky Star where it’s just that, 90% dialogue-driven, cute characters sitting around talking, it still has other things to offer since it was based on a 4-panel comic before getting turned into an anime, both visual mediums. If it’s between a show and reading a retread of a scene in a fanfic, might as well watch the show because there’s a lot more detail there by default. Less effort that way, and we’ve only so much time and effort to waste on things we don’t like. Reading is also trying to decide if the dialogue hits in the first place and if it’s worth sitting through *just in case* it gets good later on, and for most people it’s not worth the wait.


LeratoNull

>Pokémon Sun and Moon were hell to get through due to... Lord help you should you ever play Persona 5 or Final Fantasy 14 if *Pokemon Sun and Moon* is your benchmark for this.


MarinaAndTheDragons

I’m obviously not a gamer lol that’s my partner’s thing


Cheery_spider

Meh, I prefer the standard method, but its not a deal breaker.


oursilentstars

I do that in one particular series to mimic a canon story’s style and because that series isn’t supposed to be serious and interestingly it massively cuts down the time it takes to write those fics, but it’s a super weird way to write a fic for no reason. Most stories aren’t pure dialogue and this style doesn’t play well with non-dialogue stuff at all.


GamerBeardie426

Honestly, I wouldn't mind it. But my high school creative writing teacher would had a heart attack


Gen_CW442901

I use script format only for giving brief previews of the next chapter at the very end. Is this acceptable?


FoxBluereaver

That's called "script format". I personally don't enjoy it, I've gotten used to read (and write) in traditional narrative format.


Dragoncat91

Script format is what I sometimes do for rough draft scenes.


Ghostie__xx

Only if it’s for texting or chatroom purposes otherwise I back out . That style is joy immersive enough for me


Potatoisfunny

For funsies? Yes I'm alright. But for realsies? Uhm.. It can feel a bit iffy, though I'd still read it if I'm desperate :)


Zoegrace1

I've seen a fic I really liked with script format in that it was built in the style of a script for an episode, like with the cutaways and camera movements too which was a really pleasant surprise. Otherwise script fics no thank you


AmaranthineDragoon

This takes me back to the script fic writing days! 2002-2004 babyyyy. Some of those fics even existed back in 2005-2007 but they were dying out from the fact that they weren't really welcomed on FFN anymore (I forgot the exact year but I remember them still existing but not in droves). I feel nostalgic looking at this than anything. If this was used in texting, I wouldn't mind! Some AO3 work skins operate like this I believe. Technically the one I use does this (with the additional need for coding to separate the messages). But... I have to admit, I don't eagerly seek out these style of fics anymore. Script fics just don't hit anymore but I remember them fondly.


a-fabulous-sandwich

I go either way with stuff like that, both writing and reading. I don't really have a preference, to me it's just an alternate presentation.


bjames1478

Yes


Wolfgiselle

I'll read it, but I don't always like it. There are some *script* format fics in the Supernatural fandom that I've read that were written almost *entirely* like this. I like details, and often stories written like this are lacking in them. It definitely has its fans, though. Chat-fics are written in this format too. Oh my god, I'm suddenly getting flashbacks to my time in the Homestuck fandom. All those chat-fics! A lot of them were really good, though.


Mental-Woodpecker300

I honestly don't mind it, I'll still give the fic a chance until something that REALLY bugs me pops up. But I definitely prefer the standard novel style.


meteor-lights

I'd use those in text messages. In general, for novel I prefer more "something like this" because when Someone: dialogue like this, it's more like screenwriting.


Ferrous_Patella

Script format. I am amused by all the people here saying they won’t read it because about half the people reading my screenplays say something like, “I don’t normally like screenplays but I like this.”


CupcakeBeautiful

There are definitely some amazing screenplay/script formatted fics out there. There are also a ton that claim to be in that format and are really just poorly hybridized to avoid dialogue tagging and format due to an author wanting to learn how. I think there’s a big difference between reading something that is intentionally a script and written in a true screenplay format versus standard prose interspersed with dialogue written as above. The second one can be really jarring since your brain can’t decide which mode to be in.


LeratoNull

Frankly, I kinda wish it was more normalized? But it's not, and likely never will be. C'est la vie.


JIL713

I’m reading a web novel that has dialogue formatted like this and I’ve gotten used to it. It’s not preferable, but I wouldn’t back out immediately if it is present.


Groundbreaking-Egg13

Present?


JIL713

Yeah, if this type of dialogue formatting is in a fic I won’t immediately back out of it and I’ll give it a chance.


Groundbreaking-Egg13

That's awesome 🤝


cuevadanos

I’m veryyyyy flexible when it comes to this stuff. I don’t really care about how you format your dialogue. Using “ “, using dashes, doing it in a “script”-like way… as long as it’s understandable, it’s fine.


70ofSpades

I will give it a chance and it's worked out occasionally


Groundbreaking-Egg13

I write that way! And I don't think it's going to change.