Difference between revisions of "Writing Guide"

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'''Focus and Tone'''
 
'''Focus and Tone'''
  
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As you are writing or editing articles on the wiki, it is important to remember the intended reader for the article. All articles on MormonWiki should be written for non-members of the Church, probably for people who know very little about the Church. This means that you need to pay particular attention to the way you phrase things. Something that seems very clear or understandable to a Church member may be entirely foreign to a non-member. For instance, speaking about covenants, sacrament, stakes, wards, temples, and a hundred other things is confusing to non-members who don't understand what these terms mean. You can either take the time to define the term within an article, or (better still) you can rephrase your thoughts to use words with which the reader is already familiar.
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[[image: Mormon Journal.jpg|225px|right|alt=Mormon Journal Writing| Mormon Journal Writing]]As you are writing or editing articles on MormonWiki.com, please consider the fact that our audience includes friends of all faiths, with varying degrees of knowledge about the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For that reason, it's helpful to define gospel terms as they're used; words and phrases such as "covenants," "stake", "ward", "General Conference," "Relief Society," "Enrichment," etc. should be clarified within the context of a given post.  
  
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As for tone, make sure that the articles are friendly, inviting, and interesting. They should not be offensive, defensive, or condescending. Simply state our beliefs in a way that makes sense for the reader (put yourself in the reader's shoes) and your article will be fine.  
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In reference to the tone of articles submitted, we welcome a friendly, inviting, and professional voice. While the articles should not be written solely for academia, they should be scholarly in the sense that they are well-documented, well-developed, and accurately referenced. Articles should not, in any way, be offensive, defensive, or condescending. As writers simply state our beliefs clearly, those compelling declarations will speak for themselves.
  
 
'''Other Guidelines'''
 
'''Other Guidelines'''
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For more information, see the [[MormonWiki:Style_Guide|MormonWiki Style Guide]].
 
  
 
* Personal information should be limited to the Personal Experiences and Testimonies section and should not be incorporated into other articles.
 
* Personal information should be limited to the Personal Experiences and Testimonies section and should not be incorporated into other articles.
 
* This website is for explaining the doctrines and practices of the Mormon Church from the perspective of faithful members.  Controversial subjects are welcome, but should be treated in light of official Church doctrine.
 
* This website is for explaining the doctrines and practices of the Mormon Church from the perspective of faithful members.  Controversial subjects are welcome, but should be treated in light of official Church doctrine.
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* Profanity or vulgarity of any sort are prohibited.
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* Profanity or vulgarity of any sort is prohibited.
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* Tense is not all that important at present but should be maintained within each article.
 
 
* Third person (he, she, they, it) or first person plural (we, our) are preferable except for personal experiences or testimonies.
 
* Third person (he, she, they, it) or first person plural (we, our) are preferable except for personal experiences or testimonies.
 
* Be prepared to have your work edited.
 
* Be prepared to have your work edited.
 
* Please give the references for all quotes used and cite your sources.
 
* Please give the references for all quotes used and cite your sources.
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* When referring to the proper title of the Church, please capitalize ''The'' in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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* When referring to the proper title of the Church, please capitalize ''The'' in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The first reference to the Church on any page should read, "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (casually known as the Mormon Church)." Subsequent referrals to the Church can follow the standard in the notation below.
 
* It is standard for this website to use the terms ''Mormon'', ''Mormon Church'', and ''Mormonism'', though we try to emphasize the proper title of the Church.  The terms ''LDS'', ''Latter-day Saints'', and ''Saints'' are also perfectly acceptable.  The reason for using the term ''Mormon'' is to make our site easier for search engines to find.  Typically, people looking up information about the Church will use the appellation ''Mormon'' and we want them to be able to find positive information (See President Hinckley's Talk: [[Mormon Should Mean "More Good"]]).
 
* It is standard for this website to use the terms ''Mormon'', ''Mormon Church'', and ''Mormonism'', though we try to emphasize the proper title of the Church.  The terms ''LDS'', ''Latter-day Saints'', and ''Saints'' are also perfectly acceptable.  The reason for using the term ''Mormon'' is to make our site easier for search engines to find.  Typically, people looking up information about the Church will use the appellation ''Mormon'' and we want them to be able to find positive information (See President Hinckley's Talk: [[Mormon Should Mean "More Good"]]).
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'''For More Information, see:'''
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*[[MormonWiki:Style_Guide|MormonWiki Style Guide]]
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*[[MormonWiki:About|About Mormonwiki.com]]
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*[[MormonWiki:Policies|Policies]]
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*[[MormonWiki:Licensing|Licensing]] (read this before using content from this site)
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*[[MormonWiki:Copyrights|Copyrights]] (read this before adding content to this site)
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[[Category:English documentation]]
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[[Category:MormonWiki Help Guides]]

Latest revision as of 22:13, 27 August 2010

Focus and Tone

Mormon Journal Writing
As you are writing or editing articles on MormonWiki.com, please consider the fact that our audience includes friends of all faiths, with varying degrees of knowledge about the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For that reason, it's helpful to define gospel terms as they're used; words and phrases such as "covenants," "stake", "ward", "General Conference," "Relief Society," "Enrichment," etc. should be clarified within the context of a given post.

In reference to the tone of articles submitted, we welcome a friendly, inviting, and professional voice. While the articles should not be written solely for academia, they should be scholarly in the sense that they are well-documented, well-developed, and accurately referenced. Articles should not, in any way, be offensive, defensive, or condescending. As writers simply state our beliefs clearly, those compelling declarations will speak for themselves.

Other Guidelines

  • Personal information should be limited to the Personal Experiences and Testimonies section and should not be incorporated into other articles.
  • This website is for explaining the doctrines and practices of the Mormon Church from the perspective of faithful members. Controversial subjects are welcome, but should be treated in light of official Church doctrine.
  • Profanity or vulgarity of any sort is prohibited.
  • Third person (he, she, they, it) or first person plural (we, our) are preferable except for personal experiences or testimonies.
  • Be prepared to have your work edited.
  • Please give the references for all quotes used and cite your sources.
  • When referring to the proper title of the Church, please capitalize The in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The first reference to the Church on any page should read, "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (casually known as the Mormon Church)." Subsequent referrals to the Church can follow the standard in the notation below.
  • It is standard for this website to use the terms Mormon, Mormon Church, and Mormonism, though we try to emphasize the proper title of the Church. The terms LDS, Latter-day Saints, and Saints are also perfectly acceptable. The reason for using the term Mormon is to make our site easier for search engines to find. Typically, people looking up information about the Church will use the appellation Mormon and we want them to be able to find positive information (See President Hinckley's Talk: Mormon Should Mean "More Good").

For More Information, see:

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