Spelling and Grammar

Keep in mind, I'm an art/zoology major, not an English major. These aren't hard and fast rules, they're just some tips.

Part 1: Spelling and grammar in-game.

It can be very easy, in the heat of the moment, to forget spelling and grammar while text-RPing. You're in the middle of a text duel, you or one of your friends is pressed for time, or a Grue just sat on you and you spelled "help" with a few extra letters, mainly in the "WASD" range.

This is okay. Don't worry! Everyone makes slip-ups, especially during heated moments. But if you have time to look at what you are typing, put your best literary foot forward.

Quick typing fixes:

1. Capitalization! Sentences begin with upper-case letters, as do proper names (like Moe, Larry, and Curly) and place names (like Ironforge). This tip alone will really make your RP look much nicer.
2. Punctuation! I don't ask for much, just give your period key a little love. Put one at the end of each sentence, unless your character is excited or asking a question. This makes sentences read smoother, and eases a little strain on other people's brains.
3. The Caps Lock key. Don't touch it. If it tempts you, remove it. Pull it off and feed it to a younger sibling or cousin. If you need a whole word capitalized, use the shift key.

Part 2: Spelling and grammar in the forums, and advanced spelling and grammar in-game.

Ah, now you have more time! You can preview posts and see how they'll look! You don't have to commit to anything right away, which means there's time to polish!

The typing fixes above still count! Capitalize properly, and use those periods! Try these tips out as well:

Not-so-quick typing fixes:

1. Spell check! Copying your text into a writing program or using an internet browser like Firefox will allow you to check your spelling by running it through a computer program.
2. Spell check LIES. Not all the time, but fairly consistently. Remember, it's a computer program, not a person. It is most certainly not telepathic. It will not recognize World of Warcraft-specific terms, so if you misspell Orgrimmar, it won't have a clue. It also doesn't recognize syntax. If I ran the sentence "Aye one the whirled cop inn hooky" through spell check, it would say there was nothing wrong with it, even though what I meant to say was "I won the world cup in hockey". Just because the word is spelled right doesn't mean it's the right word.
3. Checking your work. First, read your post to yourself slowly. If anything stands out, fix it! Then, read it again out loud. A lot more errors will show up here, such as missing words or awkward pauses. After that, read the post backwards. Yes, backwards. This makes your brain stop taking shortcuts, such as filling in words or transposing them.
4. The comma. Again, I'm not a English major, so I won't launch in to the full this-is-how-you-use-a-comma speech. The rule of thumb is to speak the sentence out loud, and add a comma wherever you hit a natural pause that isn't the end of a sentence.
5. Spacing. If you change subjects or time frames in your post, make a new paragraph (by hitting the "enter" key). If you really want to be kind to other reader's eyes, hit it twice. This gives us a nice blank line to let our eyes rest in between blocks of text.

There is, of course, more than this. But this guide is meant to be a quick one, and to just fix the major and most common spelling and grammar problems. Searching around online will lead you to more in-depth sites, in case you aren't sure about something.