Wow, I stand corrected. Four updates in one day. It's amazing what ideas sleeping can put into your head.
Chapter 6
Formatting
So one of the major pet peeves I have is when a story is formatted to look like a play's script. You know the ones that look like this:
The Thousand Sunny sailed along the blue waters.
Sanji- Nami-swan! I have your drink!
Zoro- Shut up, dartboard brow! I'm trying to sleep!
Sanji- You want to go moss head? (He placed the drink on a nearby table)
Zoro- (He drew his swords) Hell yah!
Maybe my resent towards reading something that looks like this is due to my many years of being forced to read Shakespeare plays in high school. But regardless if that's the case or not, I still find it hard to read a story that is broken-down that way, well assuming it's not a videogame or a manga.
When a story is formatted this way, it gives off the impression that you're going to hire actors and direct them. Which is odd, to me at least.
So my suggestion to you my dear reader is to try to avoid formatting stories to look like plays. Instead try making them more like this:
The Thousand Sunny sailed along the clear blue waters of the New World. There wasn't a cloud insight.
Nami let out a sigh in relief as she skimmed the book in front of her. It was going to be a peaceful day. The weather wouldn't change anytime soon and she could catch up on her reading. The only thing that could make her day better was the drink Sanji was preparing her.
"Nami-san, your drink is ready!"
"Speak of the devil." She thought humorously.
Zoro twitched in annoyance from his resting spot on the deck. Did the love-cook have to be so damn loud?
He slowly opened his eye slowly and grumbled obscenities as the cook began to gush louder and louder. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore.
"Oi, shut up dartboard brow! I'm trying to sleep!"
The cook's body jerked in annoyance. He placed the drink down on the small table and excused himself from the lovely Nami-swan's presence and trudged over the swordsman.
"So much for a peaceful day." She thought.
"You want to go moss head?" The cook glared down at the man.
In one fluid motion, Zoro stood up and drew his swords.
"What gave it away?"
~Done
Thank you for reading. I hope you have a wonderful day/night. Bye~