Common Wattpad Writer Mistakes

Numbers in Writing

Welcome to another episode of Mariya Airing Her Pet Peeves for the World to See.

We are going to look at the lovely topic of numbers.  Yayyy. Fun. 

Anyway... 

On more than one occasion, I've received the question, "Is it okay to write numbers as a number?" 

As in: "I am 10 years old." 

The answer is that the sentence is boring but technically correct. 

Technically. 

Some of you may choose to write numbers as numbers (10; 15; 5,032). Some of you may choose to write sentences like this: "I am ten years old." 

That sentence is still boring, but spelling out a number is considered more formal in the writing world. So hey, at least it's formal, am I right? 

Everything covered above is really writer preference, so let's get into the actual errors that I've (and many of you, I'm sure) seen on Wattpad. 

1. "1968," I whispered. "It was written in 1968." 

I know that the lovely "1968" at the beginning of the sentence is satisfying and all that, but technically, it needs to be written out because it is the beginning of a sentence. The one at the end, however, is correctly written. 

In this case, I highly suggest moving the "1968" so it isn't the first sentence because writing "the year one thousand nine hundred sixty-eight" (or just, "nineteen sixty-eight") isn't the most fun activity in the world. Take your pick, though. 

2. I've seen both numerals and spelled out numbers in the same writing. 

This ought to be a no-no. Either spell out your numbers or don't spell out your numbers. You can't have the best of both worlds. See the following: 

"I ran fifty miles!" I bragged to my 10-year-old sister.

This sentence ought to be written as "fifty" and "ten" or "50" and "10." Also, if someone tells you they ran fifty miles at once, they're lying. Now, if a number is over one hundred, it can be written as a numeral (so long as all the others over one hundred are too). The rule of uniformity refers to numbers one hundred and below, and the separately to numbers over one hundred. 

Numbers are tricky in writing. There are lots of different preferences, and different formats have different rules. If you want a set of standardized rules, here you go: 

1. In novel writing, spell out numbers ranging from zero to one hundred. 

2. If a number is over one hundred, use numerals. 

3. Always spell a number out if it begins a sentence. If the writing looks awkward with the number spelled out, consider rewording. 

4. Round or estimated numbers should be spelled out. 

5. Ordinal numbers should be spelled out if less than one hundred. 

Examples of ordinal numbers: first, third, 257th. Alternatives are: firstly, thirdly, 257thly (I guess?).

6. Spell out and hyphenate fractions. 

Do keep in mind that if you are writing in specific formats (Chicago, APA, MLA), there are going to be different rules. Some styles use numerals for all numbers over ten, and others spell out numbers that are two or less words and use numerals for all the rest. The most important thing is that you spell out numbers that begin a sentence and maintain uniformity throughout your writing. 

This also goes for percentages. While my personal preference is to spell out a percentage (i.e. two percent), which follows Chicago Style guidelines, it is technically correct to write "2%," which leans toward APA formatting (which is used often for social sciences, research, and education, not novel writing). I would suggest following the one to one hundred rule with this as well and remain uniform with all percentages. 

In summary, much is up to writer preference, but keep in mind, that while you can "style" your writing to your liking, a unique style is not as quick to be accepted if it's from an unknown or new author. However, at the end of the day, the most important thing is that you follow the hard-and-fast rules to writing numbers and ensure that you maintain the same rules for yourself throughout the novel. 

Phew, that was quite a bit of numbering. I hope my ADHD rambles made at least a little sense. If you have questions, do feel free to ask here! Also, if you have suggestions for future topics, see the "Requests Here" page. Happy numbering! 

References 

"You can't start a sentence with a number because it looks fugly." HappyCoati