Anachronism Examples: How to Avoid Time Inaccuracies in Your Story

Anachronism Examples: How to Avoid Time Inaccuracies in Your Story

Imagine writing a story set in Dickens’ 19th century, Victorian England, and your Scrooge spin-off answers his cell phone, “Wassup?” Or your knight in 13th century France uses phrases like, “spilling the tea.” Those are anachronisms, and they would likely startle contemporary audiences out of the story.
Let’s look at the definition of anachronism, types of anachronism, and anachronisms in your story. 

I.E. vs. E.G.: How to Keep Them Straight

I.E. vs. E.G.: How to Keep Them Straight

We all have our pet peeves when it comes to writing. Maybe you hate the Oxford comma. Maybe you loathe the misuse of the ellipsis. As an editor, I’m supposed to have a lot of writing pet peeves, but one of my biggest is the interchanging of e.g. and i.e. I’m here to tell you once and for all that the two are not the same.

Do You Use Quotation Marks or Italics for Song and Album Titles?

Do You Use Quotation Marks or Italics for Song and Album Titles?

I love music. I’ve been teaching myself to play guitar, and I can stumble my way through four or five songs without wanting to poke holes in my eardrums, but my main appreciation for music is when other people play it. I’m an avid Spotify user, and I take a lot of pride in my ability to make kickass playlists. One of my girlfriends has even given me the green light to create her hypothetical wedding reception playlist.

Not everyone writes out the titles of their favorite songs or music albums regularly, so it’s no surprise I sometimes hear people ask, “Are song titles italicized?”

The answer is no.

Here’s how it works.

When to Use Italics: The Complete Guide

When to Use Italics: The Complete Guide

Italics are used to distinguish certain text from the rest for emphasis or sometimes contrast. As with all grammar and formatting conventions, italics should be used to make a message clearer to the audience. Let’s look at a complete guide of when to use italics.