Writing Convince me emojis is a bad idea

[LuoirM]

Lately I've been using :< emoji (or whaeves they called) in both my manga translation and novel
Ergo:

How is that a bad thing?! It express, it tells more story and overall it's cute. Yet no author or editor alive would like to sit at the same table as you when you implement it.

#EmojiLivesMatter
(There's one more instance but I can't access it yet)

In writing in particular, emojis helps deliver a mood easily, while sticking to the age old Show Don't Tell. (You're showing a face) Without having to use much descriptive text where you can't put.

Allat just to defend ":<" but I bet y'all can come up and use emojis way more effectively.

Let's imagine this.

"Hey... You won't stab me right."
":)"

I think that's more of a delivery than

"Hey... You won't stab me right."
Mane Karacter smirked devilishly in response.


I see two arguments and I'll address them.

1. It's not professional, it's not cool, it's not publishable.

Look around you you snobby bastard. You're in SHF, and the old people rules are L anyways. Publishing houses ain't know shit, I don't see the New York Times promoting Yuri Smut System LitRPG yet it racks millions for authors around the world each year.

2. I don't like it.

I don't like you either, but here we are.


Art is the building block of civilization and humanity, if we keep falling backwards into isekai and smut, soon enough the porn that our future grandchildren will have the plots like "Hello wanna bang" "oke sure" then plap for 2 hours straight and it ain't sit right with me.

Thz 4 reading

 

[ThisAdamGuy]

It's bad because your words (or pictures, in the case of manga) should be enough to get your characters' emotions across. If your readers need emojis to know what your characters are feeling, you've failed as a writer and/or artist. And if people can tell what they're feeling without the emojis, then they're just an annoying distraction that doesn't need to be there in the first place.

 

[LuoirM]

It's bad because your words (or pictures, in the case of manga) should be enough to get your characters' emotions across. If your readers need emojis to know what your characters are feeling, you've failed as a writer and/or artist. And if people can tell what they're feeling without the emojis, then they're just an annoying distraction that doesn't need to be there in the first place.

Actually good point

Thread close, I'm convinced

 

[CharlesEBrown]

The ads alone convinced me that "The Emoji Movie" was a bad idea - and then my stepson saw it with his then-girlfriend (now wife) and her daughter and... well, after hearing about it we knew it was true love because he was still with her... and that the movie itself was BEYOND awful...


Oh, you mean using them in a story? Well, what you have there is an "emoticon" not a true emoji like ,? or?. If you're using it with a specific audience in mind who will understand it? Go for it. A generic audience on the internet? Best to go for words.

 

[Corty]

Actually good point

Thread close, I'm convinced

I'll add to it:

It's cringe. ?

 

[LuoirM]

I'll add to it:

It's cringe. ?

Nuh uh

 

[JayMark]

????
????
??




?

?

 

[laccoff_mawning]

Well, what you have there is an "emoticon"

You learn something new every day!

I can see a few potential ways to use emoticons. For example, if you're writing text messages you could include them quite naturally.

I saw once or twice people use emoticons for systems, and that felt natural (The way they did it. Not saying all uses will feel natural, obviously.)

But in general, like the examples you gave, I think it distracts more than it does add.

Also,

":)"

":O"

might certainly be funny, but now compare that to the number of options you have using words and sentences. Your going to have a lot more options using actual sentences than faces. There's probably going to be some word combination that's going to surpass the emoticon choice most of the time.

 

[soupsabaw]

Emojis are used for texting for getting across emotions, not writing, because your ability as a writer should be able to convey characters' emotions properly. Emojis are pictures. Your writing should be able to create imagery, not work with beside it. Illustrations are different because they're professional works of art meant to work with writing. Emojis are silly emoticons and not serious.

Also someone mentioned them being cringe. They are. At least in the writing form. The only time I could see them necessary is if you were typing out a text conversation between two characters. Even then I would probably do something like : heart : : joy : instead of the actual emojis themselves. It's just not fitting.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

You learn something new every day!

I can see a few potential ways to use emoticons. For example, if you're writing text messages you could include them quite naturally.

I saw once or twice people use emoticons for systems, and that felt natural (The way they did it. Not saying all uses will feel natural, obviously.)

I considered using emoticons when I had characters texting, but instead just described the emojis they used. Upped the word count and felt easier to read.
Never considered it for a System, but it would fit there - especially if you get a situation where Systems are talking to each other (even moreso if they're doing so without including the MC).

 

[LuoirM]

This world shall know pain.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

This world shall know pain.

 

[Paul__Michaels]

The ads alone convinced me that "The Emoji Movie" was a bad idea - and then my stepson saw it with his then-girlfriend (now wife) and her daughter and... well, after hearing about it we knew it was true love because he was still with her... and that the movie itself was BEYOND awful...


Oh, you mean using them in a story? Well, what you have there is an "emoticon" not a true emoji like ,? or?. If you're using it with a specific audience in mind who will understand it? Go for it. A generic audience on the internet? Best to go for words.

Someone out there "writes" a story in nothing but emojis. No words, only Emojis. That person would be the master of all creation

 

[StoneInky]

Lately I've been using :< emoji (or whaeves they called) in both my manga translation and novel
Ergo: View attachment 38265

How is that a bad thing?! It express, it tells more story and overall it's cute. Yet no author or editor alive would like to sit at the same table as you when you implement it.

View attachment 38266
#EmojiLivesMatter
(There's one more instance but I can't access it yet)

In writing in particular, emojis helps deliver a mood easily, while sticking to the age old Show Don't Tell. (You're showing a face) Without having to use much descriptive text where you can't put.

Allat just to defend ":<" but I bet y'all can come up and use emojis way more effectively.

Let's imagine this.

"Hey... You won't stab me right."
":)"

I think that's more of a delivery than

"Hey... You won't stab me right."
Mane Karacter smirked devilishly in response.


I see two arguments and I'll address them.

1. It's not professional, it's not cool, it's not publishable.

Look around you you snobby bastard. You're in SHF, and the old people rules are L anyways. Publishing houses ain't know shit, I don't see the New York Times promoting Yuri Smut System LitRPG yet it racks millions for authors around the world each year.

2. I don't like it.

I don't like you either, but here we are.


Art is the building block of civilization and humanity, if we keep falling backwards into isekai and smut, soon enough the porn that our future grandchildren will have the plots like "Hello wanna bang" "oke sure" then plap for 2 hours straight and it ain't sit right with me.

Thz 4 reading

One of my fav novels (Quick Transmigration: Is it Better to be a Beta?) is an amazing example of this. The emoticons are really varied and well done.

So it depends on how you do it. You can do it right.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

Someone out there "writes" a story in nothing but emojis. No words, only Emojis. That person would be the master of all creation

I would be skeptical of this, but I am a fan of an old manga series around a character named Gon. The only words or symbols anywhere are animal sounds, usually him (he's a miniature tyrannosaurus rex) roaring his name, so know it is at least POSSIBLE if not a good idea.

 

[Gray_Mann]

Lately I've been using :< emoji (or whaeves they called) in both my manga translation and novel
Ergo: View attachment 38265

How is that a bad thing?! It express, it tells more story and overall it's cute. Yet no author or editor alive would like to sit at the same table as you when you implement it.

View attachment 38266
#EmojiLivesMatter
(There's one more instance but I can't access it yet)

In writing in particular, emojis helps deliver a mood easily, while sticking to the age old Show Don't Tell. (You're showing a face) Without having to use much descriptive text where you can't put.

Allat just to defend ":<" but I bet y'all can come up and use emojis way more effectively.

Let's imagine this.

"Hey... You won't stab me right."
":)"

I think that's more of a delivery than

"Hey... You won't stab me right."
Mane Karacter smirked devilishly in response.


I see two arguments and I'll address them.

1. It's not professional, it's not cool, it's not publishable.

Look around you you snobby bastard. You're in SHF, and the old people rules are L anyways. Publishing houses ain't know shit, I don't see the New York Times promoting Yuri Smut System LitRPG yet it racks millions for authors around the world each year.

2. I don't like it.

I don't like you either, but here we are.


Art is the building block of civilization and humanity, if we keep falling backwards into isekai and smut, soon enough the porn that our future grandchildren will have the plots like "Hello wanna bang" "oke sure" then plap for 2 hours straight and it ain't sit right with me.

Thz 4 reading

I despise the majority of emoji usage just like I completely ignore any post on ANY platform that adds a tl:dr at the end of their comment/post. You are catering to the lowest denominator. If someone needs an emoji to comprehend the emotions evoked in the story, either the author is piss-poor at conveying the emotion or the reader is an emotionally-stunted bastard. I mean, if you can't read the obvious facial expressions and get an idea of what's occurring, you have other problems and emojis aren't going to solve it for you.

Same with tl:dr. If you can't be bothered to read the post regardless of length, fuck off. You clearly aren't prepared to be involved in the discussion and therefore you aren't and shouldn't be welcome to participate.