You don't seriously think people write fanfics with screen editors like
VI, do you?  They use word processors, which can and do introduce odd
formatting problems when used to create e-mail messages.

As a matter of fact ... well, I don't use vi.  But yes, I write all my
fanfic using a simple text editor.  One without line wrapping or anything
that.  I do it that way specifically _because_ I know that I won't unwittingly
cause problems with formatting.

(It helps that the editor I use -- BBEdit, if it matters -- has a handy
feature for hard-wrapping paragraphs to a specific line length.)

Yes, it's a bit clumsier than using a word-processor.  But it's amazing
how fast you forget all about that and just start writing.  In other words,
if you're just interested in turning out simple text, a basic editor is
usually just as useful as Word 8, or whatever.  Sometimes more so.

I agree.  I'm simply pointing out that bad formatting does not
necessarily indicate (or "!=" if you prefer) an incompetent writer.

Nor, for that matter (I'm straying off topic here, but what the hell) does
bad spelling or bad grammar necessarily indicate an incompetent storyteller.
(Note the difference between "writing" and "storytelling".)  There are a number
of writers on the list whose spelling and grammar are very poor.  But some
of them are excellent storytellers.  For example, to name names: Catbert25
(aka Sean D'anna).  Lousy punctuation, lousy a number of other things.  But
he's telling a damn interesting story, and I'm keeping on reading.

Angus

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Angus MacSpon                                                Allen Gainsford
http://shell.ihug.co.nz/~macspon/          http://shell.ihug.co.nz/~macspon/