Children's Books and the Child's Character Trait Chart

by

Sandy Tritt

 

I was recently contacted by a gentleman, a children’s book writer, who asked me what resources we had specifically for writers of children’s books. He had purchased our workbook and was happy with it, but pointed out that our character trait chart was geared toward adult characters. So, I got to work and created a new CHILD’S CHARACTER TRAIT CHART. It includes some of the same fields as our old CHARACTER TRAIT CHART, but we’ve tweaked them to make them relate to children. 

Here are the fields in the chart: 

Full Name 

Goes By

Date of Birth

Age

Address/Particulars about Where Lives

Race/Ethnic Background/Nationality

Height Weight/Body Build

Hair

Eyes 

Peculiar Traits (Freckles, Limp, Etc.)

Smell

Voice

Usual Walking Style

Health

Mannerisms

Style of Dress

Favorite Drink

Favorite Food

School

Grade

Favorite Subject 

Intelligence

Birth Order

Lives With

Wants to Be When Grows Up

Best Friend(s) 

Worst Enemy

Most Important Possession

Hobbies/Recreations/Sports

Talents

What is a normal day like for this character?

Greatest Fear 

Major Goals

Views Family:

Family Views Him:

Views Friends:

Friends View Him:

Feelings Toward Animals:

Who is His Hero?


If you’d like to receive a free Word or PDF copy of this chart (formatted to fit on a single sheet of paper with space for your notes), please just shoot me off an email at IFWeditors@gmail.com, and I’ll be happy to send you one. If you’d like to see all our worksheets (this one hasn’t been added yet), as well as a collection of our tips and techniques, be sure to order our workbook (http://www.inspirationforwriters.com/products/workbook.html). And, of course, if you’d like an experienced children’s writer to edit and critique your children’s story, send it. A standard edit and critique is only $45 for up to 1500 words. (Please do not send payment until we’ve reviewed your story. We only accept stories we believe we can improve and that we believe will be viable). Email me at IFWeditors@gmail.com.

Shakespeare Revamped--Not

by

Charlotte Firbank-King



Many authors from bygone days, like Shakespeare, are eschewed by writers and described as difficult to understand and boring. I took A Midsummer Night’s Dream and modernized a few lines—how boring is that version? Not to mention, clichés were all that seemed to work.

I think it loses something vital and beautiful in the translation. Writers can learn a lot from the likes of Shakespeare, Dickens and even Homer.


THESEUS
Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour
Draws on apace; four happy days bring in
Another moon: but, O, methinks, how slow
This old moon wanes! she lingers my desires,
Like to a step-dame or a dowager
Long withering out a young man revenue.

Hey, sexy Hippolyta, not long before we tie the knot, babe.
Four days before the next moon rises and the nights sure drag.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had a cool time with you.
But, man, this old moon is slow to disappear, and I really have the hots for you.
That moon is like an old woman pushing my buttons.
And I don’t know how long I can hold back.


HIPPOLYTA
Four days will quickly steep themselves in night;
Four nights will quickly dream away the time;
And then the moon, like to a silver bow
New-bent in heaven, shall behold the night
Of our solemnities.

Relax, four days and nights will go in a flash.
Then a new moon will hang out in the sky like a sliver of light.
And hey, presto, we’ll be saying our vows.


THESEUS
(to PHILOSTRATE)
Stir up the Athenian youth to merriments;
Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth;
Turn melancholy forth to funerals;
The pale companion is not for our pomp.

Hey, Philostrate
Go get our Athenian buddies.
Tell then to snap out of it, catch a wakeup and organize a party.
I don’t want any long faces at our bash, like someone died.

 Exit PHILOSTRATE

I woo'd thee with my sword,
And won thy love, doing thee injuries;
But I will wed thee in another key,
With pomp, with triumph and with reveling.

Hippolyta, my darlin’, sorry I nicked you with my blade in that street rumble;
But, hey, it won your love.
I promise our wedding will be different.
I’ll show you a real good time with all the bells and whistles.



Not the same, is it? Perhaps Shakespeare is antiquated, but there is a lot we can learn from the poetic way he crafts his syntax.

Celebrate National Punctuation Day

by

Wilma Acree

(Grammar Guru)

National Punctuation Day (NPD) was founded by journalist Jeff Rubin in 2004 to draw attention to the importance of the correct use of punctuation. Its mission: to change the world, one apostrophe at a time. The celebration occurs each September 24 in the United States.
NPD maintains a web site (www.nationalpunctuationday.com) and a Facebook page. Rubin welcomes submissions of photos of incorrectly punctuated signs, plaques, ads, newspaper headlines, menus, or business cards (jeff@nationalpunctuationday.com). The organization sponsors a contest for students and adults each year. Www.wikkihow.com/celebratenationalpunctuationday suggests several ways to honor the day.

Why should writers care about correct punctuation? First, it helps readers understand your intended meaning. There is a world of difference in this classic example: (A) Let’s go eat Grandma. (B) Let’s go eat, Grandma. (A) Dines on Grandma while (B) dines with Grandma. Your errors won’t be that extreme, but they will distract and mislead your reader. Secondly, you want your reader to believe you are intelligent and industrious—not too stupid or lazy to learn a few rules.

I recently finished reading a novel with an intriguing plot and compelling characters. It told a good story and could have been a great book, but it was rife with errors, mostly punctuation. The author ignored common comma rules and made up some of his own. If I were rating this book 1-5, I would give it a 3 instead of the 5 it could have earned. If I pay $19.95 for a book, I deserve an edited story, not one that looks like a first draft.

Choose AP or MLA style and review the rules. Show respect for your reader by having someone knowledgeable proofread or edit your manuscript. Celebrate correct punctuation every day!

A Professional Edit Costs How Much?

by
Rhonda Browning White

You received your free sample edit back from a talented editor at Inspiration For Writers, Inc., and your editor pointed out issues in your manuscript that you didn’t even realize were there. Sure, you expected her to correct a couple of typos you may have missed, but you surely didn’t think your story contained passive voice, or inconsistent tenses, or lack of tension in the first paragraph. And you certainly weren’t expecting to learn that something that felt so clear when you wrote it is unclear to your readers (but upon re-reading, you now can see where it might be confusing). Perhaps you were surprised to agree with her when she pointed out that your main character is too flat or cliché. Upon reading—and rereading—your sample edit letter, and reviewing—over and over again—the changes in the sample edit, you understand that a professional edit is exactly what you need to take your writing to the next level.

But maybe you can’t afford it. (Why on earth do proofreads, edits, and ghost-edits cost so much, anyway?) First, let’s determine why the best editors charge fees that people new to writing may consider high. Did you know that the best editors hold writing degrees, are well-published, as well as teach at and attend conferences and workshops where they continually network with agents and publishers in order to stay on top of the ever-changing market? Did you know the best, most careful editors proofread an average of forty pages per day, edit an average of twenty, and ghost-edit an average of six? It takes a long time to do a good job. What kind of salary do you make in an hour? What kind of salary do you think a well-educated, professionally trained and skilled editor should make in that same hour? 

Okay, you say, the best editors work hard and deserve their pay, but I still can’t afford to have my 100,000-word manuscript ghost-edited! What are you to do? Will you give up? Will you let this tumbling block keep you from reaching your dream of becoming a published author?

Surely not! You deserve success!

So what options are available to a dedicated beginning writer who wants to reach publication level? First, you may want to consider having only a portion of your manuscript professionally edited. Make sure you submit the first chapters for professional editing, as these are the pages an agent or publisher will read initially. Purchase the highest level of service your editor recommends for your work, and send as many pages as you can afford. When your editor returns those pages to you, don’t just read them—study them. Study them hard! Print out your customized manuscript analysis, and read it multiple times, committing the lessons to memory. Carefully read the marked-up copy of your edit, and try to determine why your editor made the changes she made. If your editor suggested specific articles, books or websites on the craft of writing, read them. You can then apply those things you’ve learned to the rest of your manuscript, thereby improving both your story and your writing skill for your next project.

 It’s important to consider a professional edit as the investment it truly is—an investment in your writing career, and thus, your future. Can you forgo that extra-whip, double-shot, caramel-flavored latte a couple of times each week, and put that money toward an edit? Can you cook dinner every other weekend, instead of eating out, and put that extra expense toward your lifelong goal of becoming a published author?

Not only do you consider your edit as an investment in your writing career—the IRS does as well. Every penny you pay for a professional edit is tax deductible. (That is, as long as you hire a legitimate editing company that pays taxes, not someone who works on the side and takes money under the table.) This can greatly reduce your net expense. Also, Inspiration for Writers, Inc., accepts all major credit cards, as well as PayPal revolving credit. Know, too, that Inspiration For Writers, Inc. offers a variety of payment options that may help you acquire the level of service your manuscript needs.

It’s your story, it’s your dream, it’s your future. It’s up to you to invest in yourself and your future as a writer. When you are ready to get serious about your career as a writer, we are here to help you reach your goals.

If not now, when?

Concoctastory

by

Charlotte Firbank-King

 

Concoctastory 

(Bet that had you running to the dictionary.)

This is how we "concoctastory." Open a file called Story Outline.

First thing:

In the actual manuscript:

Under “Chapter 1,” I put in the era or year and location of the story in italics. It just grounds the reader, lets them know where they are. But that’s me and it isn’t imperative.

In the Story Outline file:

Put in the date you start the story, for your own interest. 

Give a brief outline of the story for your own benefit, but this will probably change dramatically. 

Next headings:

1) Names and details:

In the View tool, I tick the Navigation Pane, then go to the Paragraph tool under General, find Outline Level, and click on the down arrow—it will open up options. I always use Level 1 for chapter heading in the manuscript and various headings in the Story Outline for easy access. The first heading would be Brief Synopsis. Be sure to change it back to Body Text in the paragraph tool before going to the next line, or you’ll have a million headings.

Name of hero and heroine—hair and eye color, height, build, defining features, age marks, scars, deformities, habits, twitches, tastes, occupation, likes, dislikes, traits—good and bad—ambitions, goals, obsessions, status in society, domicile, marital status, siblings, parents, etc.

In fact, anything you may need to remember as the story unfolds. Many of these details will change as time goes on, but the physical traits will probably remain the same. 

If you name specific details about buildings, furniture, or other setting items, list them here.  If they are mentioned again, you don’t want a purple building or chair to be pink later in the story.

As you write, add each character’s name and physical appearance. One may start off with a cast of characters, but the story may need a new character. It’s all too easy to forget that Joe had cerulean blue eyes. One often errs and gives characters brown or green eyes later in the book.

Minor characters, like a barmaid or footman, don’t need a name if they only make one or two appearances. In fact, it’s better to keep names to a minimum. Only add a description if you gave them a specific thing like eye or hair color, a squint or limp favoring the left leg—you don’t want them favoring the right leg at another point.

The names of ships, streets, buildings and places must also go into this file as they crop up in the story.

Make a note of things like Elvis borrowed $50,000 from Danny the hobo. Or he gave Leonardo da Vinci a $1 tip for opening his chariot door.

Be careful to keep names varied—don’t have Joe in love, working with or related to Jasmine, or worse, Josephine.

2) List of possible names:

Make a list of cool names for male and female people, dogs, cats, horses or any animal names. I make a habit of putting the list in alphabetical order and use only one letter per memorable character—lesser characters aren't important, unless their relationship is too close to the character they interact with.

3) Publishing details:

The author bio, query, synopsis, letters for agents/publishers, plus back cover blurb and tagline. Or you can put them in a new file, then make a folder with the book title.

4) Background info:

Almost all stories need research. Put the books used or where you found it on the Internet or the person who gave you the info. You may need to go back and check something. I have a separate file with all research relating to that story, then put it in the folder mentioned above if I copy and paste from the Internet. 

You would be amazed at how many ideas come to you as you research.

Writing needs preparation like anything in life. There is only one problem: a story can take on a life of its own and change direction—just go with the flow, be sure to change things in the Story Outline if you alter something. 

Above all, let the creative juices flow and enjoy the ride.

Finding an Editor in Today's Market

by

Sandy Tritt

 

 

When Inspiration for Writers, Inc. went online in 1998, there were only three other companies on the Internet. Now, there are literally thousands of editors there. Thousands. Anyone can claim to be an editor. There are no tests, no licenses, no applications. And, unfortunately, nothing will destroy your writing career faster than a bad editor. It’s so disheartening to see so many unqualified editors taking money from unsuspecting writers—and then making an absolute mess of that writer’s work, often not only ruining the manuscript, but also the writer’s confidence. 

 

Some editing firms have only one editor—which could leave you in a rough spot if that editor were to suddenly take ill or have an accident. Or, even worse, simply decided that editing was hard work and took off with your money. Some editing firms have zillions of editors who bid on projects, with your manuscript going to the one with the lowest bid—regardless of his or her qualifications as an editor or in your genre. Some editing firms feature a list of hundreds of editors available for clients to select from, with preference given to the "fastest" editors—those who edit the most words per day with no weight for quality. One company promises that any manuscript under 65,000 words would be delivered in five days. That’s 13,000 words a day. (Our full-time editors average 5000 words in an 8-hour work day). 

 

As far as I can figure, IFW is now the oldest continuously-in-business editing company on the Internet today. We have grown from a one-person editor to a company with twelve editors, a web guy, a grammar guru, and an intern. 

 

So, why have we survived when so many others have come and gone? 

1.  Our editors are professionals. Most have a minimum of a master’s degree in English, are well-published, have won many awards, and are active in the writing community. Editing is not something we do on the side after working all day at a day job. Editing IS our day job. 
2. We have integrity. We are honest in all our dealings. We let you know up front what a job will cost, and we do not have any hidden costs that pop up later. 
3. We provide excellent value for the work we perform. While many editing companies appear to be less expensive, when you add in the “hidden” costs (fees for more than a pre-determined number of corrections, hourly fees for responding to questions, fees for quick turn-around, fees for telephone consultations, etc.) and the high quality of our service, others cannot compare. 
4. We treat our clients the way we would want to be treated. We treat our clients with respect and with kindness. We are honest with them, even when what we have to say is bad news. When we edit, we evaluate the manuscript, not the client. 
5. We provide ongoing service long after we’ve edited your manuscript. We’re here—and will continue to be here for you—for as long as you need us. We can advise you on your writing questions and be your sounding board. It’s what we do. 

At Inspiration for Writers, Inc., we believe writers deserve the best editor for their individual needs. Therefore, our editors never bid or otherwise compete against one another for projects. Instead, each manuscript is evaluated, and the editor who is best suited for the particular genre and writing level is given the job. All our editors are published authors with extensive editing experience and excellent grammatical skills. Each editor has gone through a rigorous training program that includes an apprenticeship before being certified by Inspiration for Writers, Inc. Additionally, Inspiration for Writers, Inc., employs only editors with high ethics and excellent people skills.

 

Before hiring an editor, do your homework. Google both the company and the individual editor. What do other people (not their own website) say about them? Are the editors published by traditional publishers (not self-published)? Are the editors active in the writing community? Do they give workshops? Speak at writing conventions? Teach at the university level?

 

To make sure we have the best match between writer and editor, Inspiration for Writers, Inc., provides a free sample edit for manuscripts over 20,000 words. We want our writers to be comfortable with the personality, style and expertise of our editors. For truly, the writer/editor relationship is a close one, and the writer must feel comfortable asking questions and receiving feedback. If your editor isn’t your trusted friend—the person who is there to guide you and protect you while never leading you astray—you need a new editor.

What are You Reading?

by
Rhonda Browning White

I know you’ve heard it said before, “Good writers must read good books.” For most of us, this is a no-brainer. But do you realize how much what you read affects how you write? It’s true; the books and novels you read will directly impact your writing. Thus, it’s important for each of us, as writers, to read constantly and closely with the intention of improving our own writing. Author Francine Prose’s Reading Like a Writer is an excellent text on how to read with fresh eyes, to receive not only inspiration, but also instruction and technical assistance, from a great story.

What? But won’t reading with such concentration take the pleasure out of a story?

Of course not! In fact, with a little bit of effort, close reading (reading with attention to cunning plots, breathtaking sentences, suggestive detail, and other building blocks of writing) can make your reading experience more enjoyable than it has ever been. When we read a story with a keen eye on the way in which it was crafted, we learn how to apply those tricks to our own stories. Reading a powerful story in which we’ve examined every sentence—every word—seeking to understand why the author chose to use in the way she did, we can experience revelations, both about the story we are reading and about the way in which we chose our own words and phrases. We can discover new pleasures in selecting words for our own stories as we dive into the beautiful, bottomless pool of language discovery. Books and novels become our own private classrooms in which we study lessons in the art of writing. So, then, which classes shall we take?

I highly recommend starting at the top. No, this doesn’t mean we should forgo contemporary stories for Homer, Ovid and Shakespeare (though there’s much to be learned about plot and storytelling from classic literature). 

Begin with the bestseller lists. What makes those stories so popular and powerful within their genre? Read a few recent bestsellers similar to the story (or at least in the same genre that) you are writing. Find an author in your genre whose work moves you, and read everything they’ve written. Pay attention to what it is in their work that captures your attention, and try to mimic that style in your own writing. If you write mysteries, pick up this year’s edition of Best American Mysteries. (You can’t go wrong with any of the Best American series in your genre, whether it’s Best American Short Stories, Best American Essays, Best American Sports Stories, or any of their other excellent collections.) We often learn best from the books we most admire.

Study books on the craft of writing. You’ll hear our editors often tell you how important it is to continually study the craft—professional writers make a career out of studying writing and applying what they’ve learned to their own work. Personally, I read at least five or six books a year on writing craft. This week, I’m reading Jesse Lee Kercheval’s Building Fiction. Next on my list is John Truby’s The Anatomy of a Story. Other texts I’ve read and to which I frequently return for advice and inspiration include The Art & Craft of the Short Story (good advice for many forms) by Rick DeMarinis, and what may be my all-time favorite, The Lie that Tells a Truth by John Dufresne.  

Medical students watch surgeons and copy their skills and techniques in the operating room. Dancers study the moves of famous choreographers and practice until their bodies ache from effort. Professional writers study the best authors, conscious of style, diction and sentence structure, and apply those construction details to their own work. 

Reading is what real writers do. What are you reading?

How to Take a Critique

by Sherry Wilson

Taking a critique can sometimes be difficult for those of us who toil in private for a long time, churning out work and not really knowing how it will be valued by others. Giving up your work for critique is difficult, and receiving a critique with dignity can be challenging.

If your story is the subject of a live critique, you have a great advantage. You're going to receive immediate, honest feedback on your story. That is a privilege. It can also be hard to take. Most of us would like to bury our heads in the sand at this prospect.

I remember my first live critique. It was at a writer’s conference, and I was so nervous I’m surprised I didn’t pass out in the chair. Time was short so she concentrated on what would make the story better and she didn’t pull any punches. I felt like I’d been a few rounds in the ring by the time it was finished. It was probably the longest three minutes of my life.

It is difficult to take at first, but you do develop a thicker skin rather quickly. The most important rule to follow when receiving a critique of any kind, but especially with a live critique—do not argue.

As soon as the writer starts arguing with the person giving the feedback, all feedback stops. People will give you their opinion until you argue about it. Then they won’t bother anymore. As hard as it may be to take, you have to realize that what they are doing is a true gift. You cannot argue with readers once you have sold your work. They will interpret your story in their own way. You can’t control that. So you shouldn’t try to control the feedback from your audience either.

If the feedback is given in an on-line group, it is inevitable that you will receive an upsetting critique at some time or other. The distance of on-line relationships and the mood fluctuations of people will no doubt cause some to send off a hasty critique.

When this happens, do not write a note back arguing with the critique.

Really, don’t do it.

Let it sit for a day or two to gain a bit of distance and then re-read it.

Yes—re-read it.

You don’t have to agree with it. This is one person’s opinion, and that is all it is. But you might as well get something out of it.

So re-read the critique with an eye for what problems the person saw in the manuscript. You may not agree that these are problems, but you will see that there is a reason the person stopped there and made a comment. Perhaps they misinterpreted what you were trying to do. You may decide not do as they suggest, but you can see that you need to make your intentions clearer in that section.

Often, just the distance of a day will let you see that, while the critique might be a bit rude or brusque, there is something to be gleaned from it.

If you are paying a professional for a critique or an edit, you should find that the communication is professional and framed in a positive light. The editor should tell you what you’ve done right as well as point out any problems and give you suggestions on how to improve the story. But there is the occasional editor who will be more negative with his critique. If this happens, again, don’t argue.

If you don’t understand something, it’s perfectly fine to ask for further explanation.

If you can’t figure out why he made a certain comment, ask for clarification.

But don’t argue with him about it. You paid for the editor’s help and you want his opinion. You don’t have to agree with it.

In fact, receiving another critique from someone else can be a great help to you. It will show you which points really need to be changed and which are more a matter of personal taste.

If two individuals make the same point, you should look closer at their suggestions.

You need to develop a thick skin. That only comes from being subjected to critique repeatedly. Being able to use the critique to improve the work is the most important thing in making it. That is how you get better. The writer who gets published is the writer who perseveres.

Tying Up Loose Ends

by Jessica Nelson

 

I woke up the other morning with an irresistible urge to watch Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. So I did.

 

I’m sitting there on the couch, singing along blissfully to one of my favorite animated movies, when I reach this scene.

Look familiar? If you can’t place it, it’s from the beginning of the song “Great Wide Somewhere,” right after Gaston proposes marriage to Belle.

I get to this scene, and the most seemingly random thought strikes me that I haven’t been able to shake ever since.

What ever happened to those farm animals?

Who took care of them while Belle was with the Beast, and Maurice was lost in the woods? When Belle and her father moved into the castle, did they sell the farm or bring their goats and chickens with them?

Like I said, seemingly random and probably unimportant—unless you’re a writer. Those animals are a loose end, an unresolved conflict. An astute reader—or in this case, viewer—will get to the end of the book and wonder about all those loose ends.

In writing, every word, every event, every character—even nameless farm animals—must somehow move the story forward. In this scene, are the animals necessary? They give Belle an audience for her lyrical ranting, but other than that, they serve no purpose—and they create a loose end.

We tend to add things to scenes to dress them up. Things that, at the time, make sense. However, we need to be careful we’re not accidentally adding a subplot that we have no intention of coming back to. When everything is said and done, and our precious paper-baby is all ready to go out into the world, we need to re-read every scene and make sure that everything in it serves a purpose and every conflict introduced is resolved.

Did you write a spy novel in which your character had to steal top-secret files for the CIA, then was chased all over the world before he finally realized he wanted nothing more than a quiet family life with the Arabian beauty who helped him allude the Russians out to kill him? Great! I’d love to read it. But one question: what happened to the files? Did he ever turn them in to his supervisor?

Did you open your paranormal romance with a girl walking home from a birthday celebration at a nightclub with her best friends before she was attacked by vampires? Again, I’d love to read it. But what about the best friends? Do they ever call her? Stop by her place to make sure she’s okay? Call the police when a week passes and no one has seen hide nor hair of her? If they don’t do any of those things, 1.) they are poor excuses for best friends, and 2.) they are a loose end.

If you’re feeling tangled up in loose ends, an editor is a wonderful ally to help you get untangled and tie your loose ends in perfect little bows.

 

 

Beauty and the Beast is an original Disney film. All characters from the movie belong to Disney. The image used was taken from Google Images.

Those Confusing Acronyms



by Charlotte Firbank-King

When editors work they make reams of comments and, coupled with deletions and format changes, it makes a manuscript look like an unmade jigsaw puzzle that the writer is expected to wade through and make sense of. To compound this we add acronyms that confuse the heck out of even the most determined and dedicated writer.

I’ve made a list of the ones I like to use:

MS – Manuscript

This is what we call a story that has not yet been polished or published.

POV – Point of view

POV is the character whose head the writer is in at any given time, the one seeing or experiencing what is being described by the author.

HH – head-hop

This is when the writer switches POV without leading into it. An example is when X character sees a pink moon rising, then in the next sentence have Y character thinks X is nuts because it’s clearly a pink bunny in the sky.

RUE – resist the urge to explain

When the author has conveyed through actions or words that the character is angry, for example, and they tack on something like, “he said in a rage.”

ID – Information drop

Writers have a tendency to use internal dialogue or flashbacks as a way to inform the reader of why a character is the way they are or why they find themselves in a certain situation. I will write a separate blog on this subject.

RUL – Resist the urge to lecture

Writers don’t give readers the respect of assuming they have a brain and, therefore, feel the need to explain everything in detail. It comes over as a lecture and will likely render the reader bored to death. I will also write a blog on this.

ATS – avoid thumbnail sketches

When internal or external dialogue is used to give the reader details about a character, thing or situation. “I love his black hair and blue eyes and the dimple in his chin is to die for, but he’s so screwed up. His mother beat him daily with a powder puff from the day he was born in 1988 in a hole under Westminster Abbey.” It’s similar to ID. I will also do a blog on this.

“graph or graf” – paragraph

This isn’t an acronym, but it’s commonly used slang that editors use for “paragraph.” It’s quicker and reduces some of the clutter in those sidebar comments.