tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82768983382048583702012-02-16T21:37:53.518-06:00eTFnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8276898338204858370.post-48054241282416882872010-11-15T18:56:00.000-06:002010-11-19T13:40:44.947-06:00These are the abbreviations you need to know so you understand all the writing forum and blog lingo.<br /><br />Technically, these aren’t abbreviations. The official word is <strong>acronym</strong>. An <strong>acronym </strong>is a word formed from the first letters of the words in a phrase or multi-word name. Examples: NATO, laser, and radar are all acronyms. <strong>NATO</strong> is the <strong>N</strong>orth <strong>A</strong>tlantic <strong>T</strong>reaty <strong>O</strong>rganization.<br /><br />An <strong>abbreviation</strong> is usually the first few letters of one word. For example, <strong>St.</strong> is an abbreviation for <strong>street</strong>. But calling this page “Acronyms” confused too many people, and this site is designed to help you.<p>Here are the acronyms you’ll need for Romance Writing. They are listed in alphabetical order:<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(197, 164, 81);"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>HEA - </strong><strong>Happily </strong><strong>Ever </strong><strong>After</strong>.</span></span> Hopefully, how the romance novel you are writing will end. An <strong>HEA </strong>ending is required in the romance genre, or at least an ending that is <strong>HFN</strong>, or <strong>H</strong>appy <strong>F</strong>or <strong>N</strong>ow, depending on what is required by your publisher where you are submitting your manuscript. An <strong>HEA </strong>ending implies that your romance heroes and/or heroines will stay happily together for the rest of their lives.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(197, 164, 81);"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>HFN, or Happy For Now</strong></span></span>, is the alternative to writing an <strong>HEA</strong>, or <strong>H</strong>appily <strong>E</strong>ver <strong>A</strong>fter, ending. If your romance novel doesn’t end with the main characters vowing life-long, undying love to each other (that they will be HEA), then you need to at least make it clear that your main characters are bonded to each other and are probably going to be together for a long time.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(197, 164, 81);"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>MS - </strong><strong>Manu</strong><strong>script</strong>.</span></span> <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">That huge pile of pages that has sucked your life</span> The group of pages you write and submit for publication. This is an official term used by agents, editors, and other people in the publishing world.<br /><br />(Your manuscript might sometimes be called a <strong>WIP</strong>, or <strong>W</strong>ork <strong>I</strong>n <strong>P</strong>rogress, but the acronym <strong>WIP</strong> is often used by writers to talk about an ongoing writing project, while an <strong>MS</strong> is often the final product that you submit.)<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(197, 164, 81);"><u><strong>TSTL - Too Stupid to Live.</strong></u></span> This is a character (usually, but not always, the heroine) who makes so many stupid decisions that the reader starts quietly hoping the character will face the consequences of his or her being a numskull.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(197, 164, 81);"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>WIP - Work In Progress.</strong></span></span> What you’re currently writing.<br /><br />(The acronym <strong>WIP</strong> is often used by writers to talk about an ongoing writing project, while an <strong>MS</strong> is the final product that you submit.)</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8276898338204858370-4805424128241688287?l=www.howtowriteromance.com' alt='' /></div>eTFnoreply@blogger.com0