On the Hybrid Method

Well, this is probably the first time I used this feature, so I think I should record for the record the writing style I use in my work.

For those who are probably aware, my work does not use traditional prose, but rather a transcript-like method. However, it is significantly different than a normal transcript as it uses some elements of traditionally liberally to help make scenes descriptive while ensuring the flow of dialogue is smooth and natural. So, how did this method originate? Well, simply put, it was out of boredom and spite with the traditional method.

Around 2024-2025, I was writing another story that was scrapped due multiple plot and character inconsistencies. I was writing it in traditional prose, and I absolutely hated it. Scene descriptions were too vague, character dialogue felt stifled by long-winded intrerruptions, and it just felt stiff. Tried as I might to remedy this problem, it felt like the thing I was writing was forced. It was, to put it mildly, boring.

In the middle of that boredom, I decided to plan out a future scene way further ahead. It had two characters, and originally, it was to be written in traditional prose. However, perhaps out of boredom, I decided to just write back and forth dialogue between them. It was there I noticed something truly strange: it felt alive, natural, and most importantly, fune.

The dialogue itself like it was two people actually speaking to each other. I was astonished by the results, and I realized I found the writing method I wanted to use. However, I also realized it needed refinement. It was great to have this back-and-forth going on, but how should make it easier to tell what was going?

Each character had actions, mannerisms, and were influenced by the current scene. So I experimented, trying to figure out some way to include elements of traditional prose, along with a suitable transcript style to blend the two. I looked to the SCP wiki and some video game scripts for inspiration. On and off, I honed in slowly to create my own method to make writing enjoyable for myself. The CHARACTER speaking was in all caps, followed by a colon with their dialogue below in an indent (or blockquotes). Actions were noted by arrows (like this >) and they were in all caps to bring attention. {Braces} were used to denote programming language and internal thoughts. While traditional practice is to use italicization, the nature of what I wanted to write made me want to do that.

While basic, I felt like I got it to a good foundation, I decided to use it for a new story. That story, of course, was The Warden of the Grand Prison.

I will be honest, the method used for it wasn't the best. While writing it, I placed everything under the character speaking in blockquotes along their actions. The blockquotes were a remedy for the lack of indentation methods on Royal Road, and it was an absolute pain to edit. There was also the fact I put scene descriptions in a separate action box, which could be jarring to read at times.

For what it was worth though, it did help give the feeling of a bizarre, digital transcript with unusualy properties. However, these flaws were quite noticeable, and I sought revisions to my method. The first thing was to remove the blockquotes as they were deemed a hassle. The other solution was the inclusion of [brackets] to describe scenes or long actions from a character instead of having them separate.

Perhaps the biggest change was having character diaogue in quotation marks. Originally, due to the blockquotes, dialogue did not include quotation marks. Given the aforementioned changes, it was deemed necessary to include that to help distinguish when someone was speaking, acting, or describing.

The update helped make the the sequel to The Warden of the Grand Prison, The Convergent Choir (soon to be renamed Returnal), a far better writing experience. The narrative was much more streamlined in terms of dialogue, and also the blending of both elements was beginning to be seen more and more.

Thus, I decided to call it the "Hybrid Method" due to the use of traditional and transcript prose mixed in. Dialogue was more natural, flowed better, and writing and editing was notably smoother compared to The Warden of the Grand Prison. However, there were still improvements to be made.

A few reviews noted that the formatting was "bunched" up and could feel "cluttered". I saw this, and noticed that sometimes the actions/dialogue underneath the characters went on long enough, it became difficult to determine who was speaking and acting. Not to mention, the arrows (>) were singular, and without the caps, could be ignored.

To rememdy the issue with the arrows, I used decided to two arrows < LIKE THIS > to better determine short actions. As for making character dialogue and action clearer, I chose something akin to a essay-style layout.

When a character continually speaks or act without another character interjecting, I leave 5 different actions or 5 of the same action in one box underneath a character before spacing to the character's name again to repeat the process. However, when that happens, I put an em-dash (--) at the beginning of the character's name to signal that they are still the focus of the current state of the scene.

As for doing the same action five times for a single character, they are usually spaced to ensure that paragraph breaks are clear, and also to clarify that the same action is being done.

This has been quite a long-winded deal, but I wished to express my own personal thoughts and ideas regarding the method I use. While not perfect, it has plenty of potential to help strengthen the flow of dialogue and make writing and editing less tedious, at least for me. But if there are things that should be fixed, I will do it mainly based off feedback and the reader's experience.

This has been me, Arakun10809, expressing my thoughts on my writing method to this site. See all later when I decide to yap again. XD