# Grammar and Style

## The Style Guide

Always refer to the Style Guide as the "rulebook" for your writing. This keeps our synopses consistent with one another, even when being written by many different writers.

{% content-ref url="<https://app.gitbook.com/o/-MiIw7q7q3zgWF8nL3Pg/s/0kTqThvC0LoFz2I19EOr/>" %}
[Style Guide](https://app.gitbook.com/o/-MiIw7q7q3zgWF8nL3Pg/s/0kTqThvC0LoFz2I19EOr/)
{% endcontent-ref %}

## Smart Quotes

Turn off smart quotes in the Tools → Preferences menu of Google Docs. Furthermore, make sure to use double quotation marks " and **not** two single quotation marks ''.

<figure><img src="https://1843305893-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FudAOxy9UG5xkLqT8SJvd%2Fuploads%2F1T8EpEihON3GxqwPZYbu%2FPreferencesLocation.png?alt=media&#x26;token=b7bf4ab3-f1c9-4ab2-8a28-398a854fd627" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="https://1843305893-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FudAOxy9UG5xkLqT8SJvd%2Fuploads%2F7fv0YBs5xruvOQzLReHT%2FPreferences%20settingc.png?alt=media&#x26;token=b15e5d0f-1bc7-458f-b24b-ac4548fa810f" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## Em Dash

{% hint style="danger" %}
Do not use two single dashes -- in place of an em dash —.
{% endhint %}

Consider creating a shortcut for em dashes in Preferences → Substitutions.

![](https://1843305893-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FudAOxy9UG5xkLqT8SJvd%2Fuploads%2Fgj9z3kuANUq4Ef3AE4K6%2FScreen%20Shot%202022-05-18%20at%2010.47.02%20PM.png?alt=media\&token=15ff826d-6a74-43db-b150-130d97b7a342)

## Vocabulary

### Complex Words

Avoid unnecessarily complex words/phrases. Keep in mind that a significant portion of MAL users are ESL (English as a Second Language). A few "big" words are okay, but their meaning should be easy to infer.

### Uncommon Words

When using obscure terms that are relevant to the plot but may not be known to all readers, especially those of different cultures, ensure that these terms are defined in the synopsis.

* For example, "tengu" and "yokai" are commonly found in Japanese folklore, but these terms would still need to be explained to the reader.

### Overused Words

Avoid repetition of overused words and phrases. Each paragraph should begin with a different word, and two sentences in a row should hopefully not start with the same word.