Fanfiction is a popular medium for budding writers to express their creativity and love for their favorite books, films, and TV shows. Yahoo fanfiction was well known for its cozy community, ease of use, and wide range of subjects. In 2016 users often asked how to add a grey line. This article will address that question and provide some additional tips and tricks to help you enhance your fanfiction writing experience on Yahoo.

Understanding the importance of the grey line

The grey line in fanfiction is often used as a visual indicator to separate different scenes or parts of a story. It can be used to indicate a shift in perspectives, a time jump, or a change in setting. By using a grey line, a writer can help readers follow the progression of a story without the need for explicit narrative cues.

Unfortunately, Yahoo's fanfiction platform doesn't automatically insert a grey line. You'll need to insert it manually. But don't worry! It's a simple and straightforward process. Let's go through it step by step.

Writing and editing your story

Before you learn how to add the grey line, it's essential to know how to write and edit your story. Create a new story or choose an existing one you want to edit. Once you're ready, navigate to the 'Edit Story' section where you can add descriptions, change categories, or update the content.

Yahoo's fanfiction site utilizes a simple text editor. The symptoms of a more advanced word processing program may be evident, but it's still quite rudimentary.

Inserting the grey line

To insert a grey line, move your cursor to the spot where you want the line to appear. Alternatively, you can select a short phrase where you want to insert the line. Now type "

---

", this represents the HTML code for a horizontal rule, AKA a grey line.

Keep in mind that while typing, any words around the code will be preserved, so it can be typed in the middle of a sentence. However, it's better aesthetically and for clarity to place it in a blank line between paragraphs.

Previewing your Story

After adding the grey line, you'll want to preview your story. This will show you how the story will appear to readers, including the position and appearance of the grey line. To do this, click on the 'Preview' button, typically found at the bottom of the editor.

If you're satisfied with the appearance of the grey line and other elements of your story, you can proceed to publish or update your work. If not, go back and adjust the elements until you're happy with the outcome.

Updating a Published Story

Remember, you can always go back and add a grey line or make other edits even after your story has been published. To do this, go to the 'My Stories' tab, select the story you want to edit, and follow the same steps as before.

However, please note that any changes you make will be immediately visible to your readers. Therefore, it's best to thoroughly preview any edits before updating to ensure there are no mistakes.

Additional Note about Grey Lines

While the grey line is a powerful tool in your storytelling toolkit, it should be used sparingly. Overusing it might confuse your readership. Always ask yourself if the scene transition couldn't be better indicated by narrative cues, a subtler formatting tool, or if it's necessary at all.

Remember, fanfiction is a great opportunity for you to flex your creative muscles, explore new ideas, and engage with a community of like-minded writers and readers. Use all the tools at your disposal, but use them wisely. Happy writing!

FAQs

Q1: Can I use other colors for the line? A: Technically yes, but it's not recommended. The grey line is a universal symbol in fanfiction for scene breaks.

Q2: How can I delete a grey line? A: Just delete the HTML code "

---

", and the line will disappear.

Q3: Can I add other formatting elements? A: The editor on Yahoo's fanfiction platform is quite limited, but you can use basic HTML to bold, italicize, and underline text. But remember, clarity is key in storytelling.

References

Unfortunately, as of October 2020, Yahoo Groups, which Fanfiction was a part of, has been officially shut down, meaning we can no longer show you step-by-step screenshots of these actions.

For additional fanfiction writing tips, check this resource out: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-write-fanfiction#6-fan-fiction-writing-tips

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