Sunday, January 6, 2013

XYZ Part I, II, III or XYZ Part 1,2,3?

Chao- Some chapters for fan fics are in more than one part. Sometimes the same subject, like an epic fight, an important event, or a great journey, is broken down into chapters. These chapters are given the same title but are also added numbers, so readers know the following chapter is part of the same mission.

Example 1:

"Knowing Himself Part 1"

"Knowing Himself Part 2"

"Knowing Himself etc"

Chao- The chapter gives the clue these sections are dedicated to a character knowing himself. It's different from the whole story as maybe the character is dedicating a few reflecting moments about himself, or he is on a side mission to learn something about himself. Since it differs from the rest of the story, these chapters are given the same title. And people like different ways of keeping track of them.
Example 2:

"Knowing Himself Part I"
"Knowing Himself Part II"
"Knowing Himself Part III"
Chao- So which one should be chosen? It honestly depends on your style. It's important to remember, though, that what you choose you must continue with that style. It'd be pretty strange to see different numbers in different spots.

Example 3:
"Knowing Himself Part 1"

"Knowing Himself Part II"

"Knowing Himself part Three"

Chao- It's odd seeing a set of Roman numerals alongside a typed out number and lower case P, right? But whichever you do choose, keep any numbers the same for the whole story. Fans may not detect this, but as a writer it is your job to provide consistency. It looks cleaner and more professional if you stay with either all cardinals or Roman numerals. Hope this helps!

No comments:

Post a Comment