Does it look unprofessional if you only use contractions in your manuscript?

[Guest]

I use contractions a lot in my writing, I've seen people saying in here that it looks unprofessional when you use contractions for your book titles. Does it look unprofessional if you only use contractions in your manuscript? Almost every 2 words that can be contracted I do so without thinking.

[Brooke]

• Fiction/Some Non-Fic/Informal: contractions are great.
• Academic/Formal: don’t use contractions.

[Susan]

I only use contractions in dialogue, never in the narrative. I agree it is unprofessional. I think it is distracting, and none of the major authors do it.

[Andra]

Other than what was mentioned before, the crowd you are writing for is also important.

If you write fiction for teens, they might just close the book by the third “will not”.

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[David A.]

The title is meant to get the reader to pick the book up. The blurb and first page are meant to get the reader to buy the book. If they are working for you, you did it right.

[Carrie]

English prof here—in academic writing it is frowned on, but I allow it because students have other things to worry about and learn in their writing. Some students bump into the upper end of word count. If using a contraction cuts out a word or two—go ahead.

Off the top of my head, there is a movie called, “Don’t Look Up,” that uses contractions and it has never occurred to me that it was inappropriate or hard to read the title. I’m trying to think of other titles that use them.

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[Meg]

I find a lack of contractions in fiction makes it feel stiff/formal. Then again, pretty much every author I read, big or "small" uses them, so maybe I'm just used to the casual writing style.

[Mark A.]

If your character would use contractions then use them

My female character is part Brazilian, has a slight accent, and doesn’t speak with contractions.

Watch NCIS when the character Ziva is on. She speaks every word, no contractions.

Everyone doesn’t speak the same way. Use contractions to show the difference.

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[Guest]

Titles tend to be short and sweet mostly, anyway. So there is less of a need to use contractions, in my opinion. I can't actually think of many titles that use them.

Rule of thumb: follow the formula you see on books at the store.

[Douglas]

Kyra, it all depends on what you are trying to portray. For example, if you have two lawyers having a discussion they would likely NOT use contractions as it sounds informal.

If you have character out on the streets talking to his main squeeze or to his buddies he would likely use contractions as it is informal dialogue.

Don’t let people tell you how to have your characters converse, it depends on how YOU want to portray them.