astiob feedback

Author: LightArrowsEXE

docs/guidelines/editing.md

@@ -1,12 +1,19 @@
 # Editing Guidelines
 
-!!! warning "Audience"
+!!! warning "Target Audience"
     This document is written for an English-speaking audience.
     If you are not editing in English,
     a lot of the practices here may not apply to you.
     Always make sure to refer to widely-accepted style guides
     in the language you are editing in.
 
+!!! danger "Editing Bible"
+    This document is not the Bible,
+    regardless of how authoritative it may sound in some sections.
+    Editing is a creative process,
+    and there are infinitely many schools of thought on how to best adapt a script.
+    This document is simply a style guide to help maintain a somewhat consistent style to Kaleido releases.
+
 Editing plays a crucial role in fansubbing,
 helping to make the original text more accessible
 and ensuring the intended message is effectively conveyed.
@@ -22,6 +29,11 @@ Deviations from these guidelines are often intentional,
 and may help give more character to a subtitle
 or fit the style of the original script better.
 
+How close to this style guide scripts follow
+depends on the script and the editor in charge of the project,
+but the majority of Kaleido releases
+should more or less follow this style guide.
+
 ## Grammar and Punctuation
 
 Using proper grammar and punctuation is crucial for creating clear and engaging subtitles.
@@ -132,40 +144,157 @@ Below is a quick overview of some common differences between British and America
          | Lift                                           | Elevator                |
 
 Besides dialect differences,
-there are a couple other spelling rules that are worth noting:
+there are a couple other "rules" Kaleido follows:
+
+!!! example "Other rules"
+
+    === "All right/Alright"
+
+         "Alright" is almost always spelled as "all right".
+
+         This is the accepted spelling in published writing,
+         and is also the spelling we stick to.
+         While cases can be made for "alright",
+         it is always safer to use our preferred spelling.
 
--   "Alright" should always be spelled as "all right".
-    This is because "alright" is only correct in specific cases,
-    while "all right" is always correct.
--   "OK" and "Ok" should always be fully spelled out as "okay".
+         How closely the editor sticks to this rule
+         is up to their discretion,
+         and there's nothing essentially wrong with using "alright",
+         so long as it's not used as a blank stand-in.
+
+    === "OK/Ok"
+
+         "OK" and "Ok" should almost always be fully spelled out as "okay".
+
+         This is strictly for aesthetic reasons,
+         and ultimately they mean the same thing.
+         If there's an "OK" signage on screen,
+         it may be appropriate to keep the abbreviation in dialogue as well,
+         but in almost any other case,
+         "okay" is preferred.
 
 ### Punctuation
 
 Proper use of punctuation is almost always required.
 Do not rely on punctuation used in the original Japanese script,
 as punctuation rules and styles vary greatly between languages.
 
--   Avoid comma splices.
-    This is when multiple independent clauses are joined together with commas,
-    without any other punctuation to separate them.
-    These often result in run-on sentences,
-    which can be more difficult to read.
--   Use the Oxford comma.
-    This is the comma before the "and" in a list of three or more items,
-    and reduces ambiguity.
--   Use em dashes (—) for interruptions or abrupt changes in thought,
-    not hyphens (-) or double hyphens (--).
--   Avoid ellipses like the plague.
-    They are almost always unnecessary,
-    annoying to read,
-    and can often be replaced with different punctuation.
-    The viewer can easily infer that information from the audio.
--   Do not make use of the four-dotted ellipsis.
--   Interrobangs are always written as "?!" in English,
-    never as "!?".
-    The latter is the Japanese punctuation.
--   Brackets should be avoided as much as possible,
-    but can be used to better convey the intended meaning when necessary.
+!!! example "Punctuation rules"
+    === "Comma splices"
+
+        Avoid comma splices.
+        This is when multiple independent clauses are joined together with commas
+        without any other punctuation to separate them.
+        These often result in run-on sentences,
+        which can be more difficult to read.
+
+    === "Oxford comma"
+
+        The Oxford comma is highly preferred.
+        This will typically reduce ambiguity,
+        but [not always](https://www.scribbr.com/commas/oxford-comma/#appositives).
+
+        If you are unsure if an Oxford comma will help,
+        it may be indicative that a line should be rewritten.
+
+    === "Abrupt ends"
+
+        Use em dashes (—) for interruptions or abrupt changes in thought,
+        not hyphens (-) or double hyphens (--).
+
+        In the case of trailing off,
+        ellipses (...) may be used.
+        However, also consider whether a full stop (.) would be more appropriate.
+
+    === "Ellipses spam"
+
+        Avoid ellipses like the plague.
+
+        Permit me to be so brazen as to break character and put my full hate on display here
+        (_we will continue with regular programming shortly_),
+        but ellipses are almost always unnecessary,
+        annoying to read,
+        and can usually be replaced with different punctuation.
+
+        Spamming them every time the character has even a _slight_ pause
+        is not only annoying,
+        but may also give the viewer the wrong impression
+        about the character and the conviction put into the line,
+        and in the worst cases feels like you're positioning a speed bump
+        in front of the viewer while they're trying to read.
+
+        The ellipsis has been abused by many scripts,
+        especially in the 2000s.
+        Thankfully,
+        many editors have started to catch on to this,
+        and it is becoming less common.
+
+        Do not take this to mean that you should never use ellipses.
+        They can be fantastic tools if used sparingly to convey doubt or uncertainty,
+        or a character's trailing train of thought.
+        However, not every pause merits an ellipsis,
+        and they should absolutely _not_ be placed at the start and end
+        of every single incomplete line (looking at you, [a.f.k.])
+
+        !!! failure "Bad use of ellipses (thanks, [a.f.k.])"
+             ![Example of bad use of ellipses from a.f.k.'s Lucky Star 06 release](./img/bad-ellipses.png)
+
+        Always consider whether a full stop or even a comma would be more appropriate,
+        or if a line even needs punctuation at all
+        (such as with broken lines that continue immediately after,
+        as is the case with every single line in the above example).
+        Sometimes a line can be rewritten to convey the intended meaning more clearly
+        without forcefully inserting an ellipsis.
+
+        Naturally, in places where ellipses are required
+        (such as when a character continues another character's line),
+        they are completely fine to use.
+
+        !!! success "Good use of ellipses"
+             ![Example of good use of ellipses from Kaleido's Blue Archive 01 release](./img/good-ellipses.png)
+
+        _Also, never use the four-dotted ellipsis._
+
+    === "Japanese punctuation"
+
+        It's not uncommon for Japanese punctuation
+        to slip into English scripts by accident,
+        especially in the past.
+        You should stay on the lookout for these,
+        and replace them with appropriate English punctuation where necessary.
+        Similarly,
+        you should try to avoid being beholden to the original punctuation,
+        as the rules differ between English and Japanese.
+
+        Examples of this include:
+
+        - Banginterros (!?)
+
+        In English, it's standard to use interrobangs (?!) to convey surprise and shock,
+        whereas in Japanese banginterros (!?) are used instead.
+        While banginterros are occasionally found in English,
+        they are less standardised.
+
+        - Wavy Dashes (~)
+
+        In Japanese, the wavy dash (~) is often used to indicate a prolonged sound (like "Aah~").
+        This is not used in English,
+        and should be avoided.
+
+        - Long dashes (――――――)
+
+        These serve a similar purposes to em dashes,
+        but can become rather extreme in use
+        (admittedly, these are more often found in visual novels than subtitles).
+        These should be replaced with appropriate punctuation,
+        which depends on the context they are used in.
+
+        - 「 」
+
+        While these brackets look cool,
+        they are not used in English.
+        These signify quotes in Japanese,
+        and should be replaced with appropriatequotation marks.
 
 ### Quotation Marks
 
@@ -350,25 +479,6 @@ and how you may go about rewriting them[^gardenpath].
         !!! abstract "Explanation"
             Adding "individuals" makes it clear that the sentence is referring to a group of people.
 
-    === "Example D"
-
-        !!! Quote "Example Sentence"
-            "While the girl sang the song pleased everyone."
-
-        !!! abstract "Explanation"
-            The reader initially assumes that "the girl sang the song",
-            but the sentence is actually saying that the song pleased everyone while the girl sang.
-
-        !!! note "Rewritten"
-            - "The song pleased everyone while the girl sang."
-            - "As the girl was singing, the song pleased everyone."
-            - "While the girl sang, the song pleased everyone."
-
-        !!! abstract "Explanation"
-            - The first sentence clarifies that the song is the subject that pleased everyone<br>
-            - The second makes the timing clearer by indicating an ongoing action.<br>
-            - The third splits the clauses, separating "sang" and "the song".<br>
-
 As illustrated above,
 there are a variety of ways to rewrite sentences to avoid garden-pathing:
 
@@ -381,6 +491,8 @@ there are a variety of ways to rewrite sentences to avoid garden-pathing:
 -   Eliminating unnecessary modifiers or adjectives
 -   Using conjunctions ("and", "but", "or", "so", "for", etc.)
 
+## TODO: rest of this
+
 ## Characterisation
 
 -   Maintaining character voice and personality