Need help with somthing in stories.?

Question

Would you use contractions ANYWHERE possible when writing a shortstory or maybe ONLY in dialogue? I don't really get when to use these contractions.

Answer 1

Only in dialogue. In narrative it looks sloppy. So keep the contractions to dialogue.

Answer 2

First of all, this decision is entirely up to you, the author. That said, you should consider the narrative voice you are shooting for in a work. Fictional narrators do not need to speak in an elevated or formal style--consider Haulden Caulfield of CATCHER IN THE RYE, who repeats certain phrases (like "I really do" or "it really does" not to mention his swearing) over and over, making his narrative repetitive and conversational, and maybe even inarticulate. He is still a great narrator.

On the other hand, if you want to use big words, long sentences, or very abstract descriptions to construct the narration of your story, you may want to leave constractions out of the narrative since they would not fit so well with the voice you were constructing. The goal is to make a voice the is consistent, so readers can get to know it and glean insights from its subtleties. An inconsistent voice will leave your readers lost.

It is always okay to use contractions in dialogue when you want your characters to talk that way. Don't let anyone tell you different.

As an author, you create every aspect of the world in your story, including its language. Every word on the page is a tool for you to communicate something great. Don't let anybody's "rule" or "guideline" keep you from expressing yourself through fiction. Good luck!

Answer 3

Contractions should be used in dialoge where appropriate.
Any other use is dependent upon you story's point of view.
If the story is third-person, then the narration should not include contractions since the perfect observer is not a character and thus should not be characterized by language.
If the story is first- or second-person, then cotractions should be used in the same places they would occur if the narrative character were speaking. This reinforces the use of language in character development.
Hope this helps you, and Good Writing.

Answer 4

You aren't supposed to use contractions in formal writing like an essay. They are always acceptable in dialogue when the character would use them, and are more or less acceptable in fiction narrative, depending on who you expect to read the work.

Answer 5

I think contractions should be used wherever appropriate. For example, if when you are thinking of a specific character, how do you hear that character talking? Do they have an accent? Are they well educated? Would that character use contractions or would they not because they want to appear smarter than are?

If using a contraction feels right, use it.

Answer 6

'Any' can be used with mass nouns and plural count nouns. For example: Land is valuable anywhere in these days.
'Some' and 'any' as determiners and pronouns tend to occur in different grammatical contexts. For example: 1. They've seen him somewhere. 2. They haven't seen him anywhere. 3. Have they seen him anywhere?

Answer 7

writing is an art, when u do art u don't think about it, just do whatever feels right