tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5691193709206281737.post4854893412459049381..comments2023-10-30T03:57:36.471-07:00Comments on Creepy Query Girl: OMG! You can totally see her double spaces.Creepy Query Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18115161057496086972noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5691193709206281737.post-69170414944943402782011-09-23T07:40:12.295-07:002011-09-23T07:40:12.295-07:00I learned to type in the seventies. And I never h...I learned to type in the seventies. And I never had a problem with double spaces until recently. Now I get pulled up over it all the time. I still use them though, out of spite and because I just can't get out of the habit after over thirty years of using them. I just use the find and replace to get rid of them after I'm done.Cherylhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07138682498522090332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5691193709206281737.post-87687973736578094082011-09-19T14:47:25.900-07:002011-09-19T14:47:25.900-07:00Thank you! THANK. YOU.
I absolutely abhor the si...Thank you! THANK. YOU.<br /><br />I absolutely abhor the single space after the period and don't find it easy to read at all. It looks like one big-ass run-on sentence to me.<br /><br />BUT...I sadly changed my entire ms to single spaces because it's "industry standard." ::crying::Sophia Changhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10946233873722107937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5691193709206281737.post-81042381447760862592011-02-24T06:48:01.515-08:002011-02-24T06:48:01.515-08:00The thing about double space, it's not only th...The thing about double space, it's not only the way it looks - if it's prettier or not - it's really about money. I mean, take a 600-page book for example. Can you imagine how many pages we would end up having to add to that book? And this, not only does represent a higher cost to the publishing company, as well it will represent a higher price for us to buy it. And, when we are drafting the book's dool (a small version of it just to see how the pages are going to be ordered) there is a higher probability of blank pages at the end of it, thus, once again, increasing the price of the book and, taking the eco-responsible's point of view, wasting paper for nothing.<br />And let's face it, single space is just fine! You don't have to double space everything! I mean, if after a period you feel a single space is weird, why don't you double space between each word then?Bernardo Ferrarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00118327576226382382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5691193709206281737.post-71960856409005610692011-02-20T16:29:09.481-08:002011-02-20T16:29:09.481-08:00Oh man, I don't think I could stop double spac...Oh man, I don't think I could stop double spacing. I agree with you that it looks cleaner. Now you've got me wondering what other bad old habits I have in my writing. ???Wendy Altschulerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13705416408052799794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5691193709206281737.post-47573232910711781232011-02-20T08:51:45.012-08:002011-02-20T08:51:45.012-08:00Adding a double space after each sentence would pr...Adding a double space after each sentence would probably add another 10-15 pages to a novel. Heaven forbid!!nickhttp://getnickt.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5691193709206281737.post-1121990091713510982011-02-20T06:51:27.907-08:002011-02-20T06:51:27.907-08:00Jeesh! I'm an old person so obviously a double...Jeesh! I'm an old person so obviously a double-spacer but I don't think this is the REAL problem. I think the real problem is that SOME (not all, really not all) editors and agents are looking to be irritated. They are irritated because we writers are so sloppy and unprofessional that we simply can't keep up with the industry standards and we need to be punished. Punish away. I'm positive I'm doing something wrong - wrong use of em dashes (go to the corner Emily Dickinson), overuse of italics (hang your head Joyce Carol Oates) no attribution on dialogue (damn you James Joyce) and so on. I think I'll spend my time on trying to write a good book. Yep. That's what I will do.<br /><a href="http://www.labanan.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Jan Morrison</a>Jan Morrisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01771180344305042855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5691193709206281737.post-35954768523052123612011-02-18T20:20:44.918-08:002011-02-18T20:20:44.918-08:00Back in the day, I turned in copy with two spaces ...Back in the day, I turned in copy with two spaces after each sentence. The typesetter would retype my work, using only one space after each sentence.<br /><br />The reason your publisher WOULD NOT WOULD NOT WOULD NOT accept your copy with double spaces is that he wasn't going to spring for the book to be typeset. He was going to use your file--just as you typed it. Cheap son-of-a-gun. And, as someone upstream stated, this can be fixed with a global replace.<br /><br />I enormously prefer two spaces because, yes, the single space makes me feel claustrophobic.<br /><br />Cool blog. Now I want ice cream. :)Texannehttp://texanne.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5691193709206281737.post-54561504612675266822011-02-18T11:05:47.290-08:002011-02-18T11:05:47.290-08:00I've seen those no-double space fanatics all o...I've seen those no-double space fanatics all over the Interwebz. I even saw an article in something like HuffPo that suggested people who double space are mentally and morally inferior to single-spacers. <br /><br />But I've also seen small presses that insist that you DO double space and won't consider single-space submissions.<br /><br />I figure I wouldn't want to do business with any of them. Have you ever tried to respace a whole manuscript?<br /><br />This seems very much like the toilet paper over/under debate. I once had a guest stomp out of my bathroom and announce to the room that I had hung the roll the wrong way, and it made her feel nervous about eating anything I prepared, because I was obviously not a careful person. (I had no idea which way I'd hung it because I DON'T CARE.)<br /><br />Guess who didn't get invited back? <br /><br />I single space now, because my last publisher said it was easier for him. I'm always willing to do something to be kind, but never to kow-tow to whiny, judgmental bullies.Anne R. Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5691193709206281737.post-16188210082809525132011-02-17T21:48:36.631-08:002011-02-17T21:48:36.631-08:00And hear I thought I was being very proper when I ...And hear I thought I was being very proper when I remembered to double space. That was what I was taught in typing class back in the stone age. <br />This is the first time I have heard of the no double space rule. <br />Boy, have I been out of the loop. Thanks for setting me straight.<br />The twitter thing with no spaces at all still gets to me, though.<br /><br />Pamela JO<br />http://theresjustlifeyaliveit.blogspot.comTheres just lifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01557649636152032566noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5691193709206281737.post-54334592639528235152011-02-17T17:48:44.438-08:002011-02-17T17:48:44.438-08:00Wow, we have like a divided writing world here, wi...Wow, we have like a divided writing world here, with people on both sides of the issue. I heard about this a couple months ago on a blog. I'm only 28 and I was always taught to double space. And I was never corrected on this in college. I'm still double spacing, and I'm sure no good agent would reject an otherwise awesome book for this. But I suppose I can conform :)alexiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07122487552931794871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5691193709206281737.post-33633622886642446762011-02-17T17:11:06.811-08:002011-02-17T17:11:06.811-08:00I remember reading about this in the mid-90s, when...I remember reading about this in the mid-90s, when I was writing romance, and I promptly worked to consciously change my double-space habit! It took a while but now I don't even think about it. It's always one space after periods, question marks, etc., even when writing blog comments.Stephanie Farishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10461865229341760836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5691193709206281737.post-9224772646180357292011-02-17T07:42:15.084-08:002011-02-17T07:42:15.084-08:00*dies laughing* Oh, my dear... you and I are on t...*dies laughing* Oh, my dear... you and I are on the same page. I like the look better too (and actually wrote a whole blog post once advocating for 'snuck'). Besides THAT, though, professionally, I publish in scientific journals (dense type, tiny print)--and they mostly still demand the double space, so I can't break the habit. I just, when I get to the end, to a 'find/replace' and put in one space for two automatically when I don't have to look at it anymore...Hart Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17599570189253229318noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5691193709206281737.post-75774826695068848662011-02-17T07:41:56.195-08:002011-02-17T07:41:56.195-08:00Huh, I never learned the double space thing but yo...Huh, I never learned the double space thing but you're right. That is kind of prettier...I think it's nuts that it's so offensive. I mean, I say it should be a preference but not a career ending mistake. That seems silly to be so uptight about a space.Colene Murphyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06086195075690893194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5691193709206281737.post-59774834017451175312011-02-17T03:15:10.454-08:002011-02-17T03:15:10.454-08:00Sorry Katie, not with you on the double spaces. I&...Sorry Katie, not with you on the double spaces. I've actually only just started to hear about this... perhaps it's a difference in anglo-cultural worlds? (I'm an aussi) Certainly the old Word spell/grammar check helps in this regard. However - very funny post! TGWAlex Cameronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15340164848883352009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5691193709206281737.post-26425913725650784132011-02-16T21:01:49.332-08:002011-02-16T21:01:49.332-08:00YES... I'm totally with you on this! I'm ...YES... I'm totally with you on this! I'm 27 and I was always taught that you should double space after a period... but then again... I was also taught that dialogue tags were GOOD.. sooooooo.... :DWritingNuthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16326756274887055685noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5691193709206281737.post-33078589660156020652011-02-16T20:30:02.682-08:002011-02-16T20:30:02.682-08:00LOL! i recently blogged about the double tap after...LOL! i recently blogged about the double tap after sentences being a no-no. I heard about it on twitter and have been trying to recover since. *backspace* I was taught it was vital! VITAL!! The new regime must end.<br /><br />New follower!<br />CorinneCorinne Ohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02808893058098769844noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5691193709206281737.post-84517000424200775762011-02-16T19:38:01.521-08:002011-02-16T19:38:01.521-08:00Have you read the Slate.com article where “Farhad ...Have you read the Slate.com article where “Farhad Manjoo” (if that is his real name) takes Wikileaks Julian Assange to task – even questioning his sanity – because he put two spaces after his periods in old love letters?<br /><br />The article was taken down (because, as it turns out, Assange had not actually used the double space thing), but the Assange-less article is here (http://www.slate.com/id/2281146/). <br /><br />These double space haters seem pretty hardcore, though. I wouldn’t want to met them in a dark alley…Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16323871207793126503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5691193709206281737.post-12130754464078072362011-02-16T19:10:01.506-08:002011-02-16T19:10:01.506-08:00I had no idea about this till about 3 months ago a...I had no idea about this till about 3 months ago and I'm still having trouble adjusting. My fingers just hit the space bar twice, I can't help it!Nicole McLaughlinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13467516937078644466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5691193709206281737.post-89592151434566419822011-02-16T16:34:58.583-08:002011-02-16T16:34:58.583-08:00I'll be 28 in a week, and I was taught two spa...I'll be 28 in a week, and I was taught two spaces after a period... are they really saying not to now?!?! That's too confusing!!Kristin Raehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14169967050454852124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5691193709206281737.post-34487557853518871882011-02-16T15:44:41.605-08:002011-02-16T15:44:41.605-08:00Habit is a heck of a thing. I still type hit the s...Habit is a heck of a thing. I still type hit the spacebar twice after a full stop. 'Course this means taking them all out afterwards. Somehow though, I doubt I've ever been rejected based on that alone.J.L. Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05666634455836834179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5691193709206281737.post-78327040099819138622011-02-16T14:32:41.525-08:002011-02-16T14:32:41.525-08:00I've never even heard of two spaces after a fu...I've never even heard of two spaces after a full stop. (and there you have a clue ... I can't bring myself to type "period" - it's unnatural! - and I wonder whether this two space thing is a US foible?) and this two dashes thingy the em-dash? That's a new one to me too. That one I have to get used to if I am going to submit to US magazines.<br />Of course it might just be that when I was at school (in the cave man days) they didn't teach boys to type!<br /><br />:DomDominic de Mattoshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05171145945316152596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5691193709206281737.post-1940393848198509612011-02-16T13:53:21.592-08:002011-02-16T13:53:21.592-08:00I am a 2 spaces type of gal too. Now I just clind ...I am a 2 spaces type of gal too. Now I just clind on Find/Replace and type in a code so it cleans it up for me.<br /><br />ctrl f (find) then put two spaces<br />then ctrl f (replace) one space<br /><br />(It's been a while since I've done it so I hope that works) <br /><br />I'm following you.Dianahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13752019877440100530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5691193709206281737.post-34073079444867138392011-02-16T13:43:00.094-08:002011-02-16T13:43:00.094-08:00hell's bells! i had no idea double spaces were...hell's bells! i had no idea double spaces were annoying. i was taught the rule in school because i'm so old that i took typing class - for you young things, a typewriter is a noisy thing with paper instead of a screen and the keys take some effort to press. <br /><br />anyway, then i forgot to double space when computers took over the world (kinda like i forget to capitalize). then i had to relearn double space after the period when i started my dismal attempts at fiction, because i thought i had to do it that way. <br /><br />that's it. i'm going back to poetry!D. Rhodeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04323416007003244861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5691193709206281737.post-87340846156442427232011-02-16T13:21:59.075-08:002011-02-16T13:21:59.075-08:00Back in my day, double space was the standard. I w...Back in my day, double space was the standard. I was shocked when I got to college and that whole rule was turned over. I'm to use to single space now. Oh well, maybe I'll have to bring it back with you.Kindroshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08320478076212368779noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5691193709206281737.post-85606596280235268242011-02-16T13:03:53.150-08:002011-02-16T13:03:53.150-08:00I'm astounded that so many people on here doub...I'm astounded that so many people on here double space! I always associated it with older folks who did secretarial work back in the days of manual typewriters and shorthand.<br /><br />But then school never taught me to touch type either. Is that when you all leared to double space?<br /><br />Certainly many of the submission guidelines specify not to.K M Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09801740095715755112noreply@blogger.com