Healthy Shit

No worries at all! Formatting text and social media in a story is admittedly a weird thing to do, and it’s relatively new, so there’s no cut and dry way of going about it. Generally, this kind of stuff is really gonna be up to your publishing team (I think) if you intend to publish, but in the meantime, here are my key recommendations!

1) Change the font for your social media/texts. This is going to a serve a few purposes; firstly, it’s just going to aesthetically make it look a bit better, in my experience. This is because it makes the messages distinct from the rest of the story, and brings more attention to them. This will also serve the purpose of making it clear to your readers that this isn’t standard thought/narration.

2) Consider italicizing, bolding, or spacing letters out. These are all going to mostly serve the same purpose as the first detail, but they give a different look. I’ll write out examples of each for you!

Italicized: The phone buzzed against the wood of the desk. I flipped it over, certain that just a quick look wouldn’t interfere with studying too much.

Bestest of Frends: hey so i heard wat happened earlier why didn’t u say anything???

Bold: The phone buzzed against the wood of the desk. I flipped it over, certain that just a quick look wouldn’t interfere with studying too much.

Bestest of Frends: hey so i heard wat happened earlier why didn’t u say anything???

Spaced: The phone buzzed against the wood of the desk. I flipped it over, certain that just a quick look wouldn’t interfere with studying too much.

B e s t e s t o f  F r e n d s: h e y  s o  i  h e a r d  w a t h a p p e n e d          e a r l i e r  w h y  d i d n ’ t  u  s a y a n y t h i n g ? ? ?

3) Don’t sweat it too much! This is just really a general formatting thing, which is much a minor detail it’s not too big a deal in the grand scheme of things. Do your best to focus on that kind of stuff with editing and drafts!

In the grand scheme of things, Albus Dumbledore was not, strictly speaking, a good man. He was vicious sometimes. Cruel. He manipulated and played his games of chess with real and living people. Some might say he cared. Some might say he didn’t. What is known is what he did.

What he did, when he was young, was this: left his family - his brother and his disabled sister - to survive on their own when he put his learning above them. Participated in the death of his sister, along with his then-best friend and brother. Let his love for his once-best friend make him postpone actions, despite all the harm and hate he did and caused.

What he did, when he was older, was this: spoke for the muggles and muggleborns, who would be harmed by laws the ministry could pass without their knowledge. Allowed a werewolf to school, when others would not. Made accommodations for the werewolf, so he could live as close to a “normal” life as possible.

What he did, even then, was this: let the werewolf’s friends get away with almost killing another student. Manipulated someone into turning spy on someone who would kill him if they learned. Made a useful ally in a war, that he might save lives.

Those last two are the same.

What he did, later even than then, was this: ignored the treatment of students under his spy’s care. Ignored the treatment of his students under a ministry-sent employee. Claimed the actions of students as his, that they might not be hurt more.

What he did, further on than that, was this: taught someone what they would need, to end a war. Trusted the safety of his organisation to a man gone mad from isolation and despair. Entrusted key items to strangers, because they were beloved of the one who was to end it all.

What he did was this: wrongs, that might one day produce a right. Rights, that might help some few.

What he did, in the end, was not good or bad alone. They were both, intermingled, comingled, and depending on what you count, and what you consider he could be hero or villain, but in the end, he was neither. He was a man. He made bad decisions, he made good ones. He made cruel decisions, and he made kind.

And ever, oh, ever was he an enigma, to those who thought they knew him.

This is the same principle as the speedball, heroin and cocaine, which leads to delayed respiratory depression and death.

Do. Not. Mix. Uppers. And. Downers.

Shit will get REAL on you in ways you may not survive and will probably land you in the hospital.

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