Answer: canon-specific capitalization

[green-grrl.livejournal.com]

If anyone has suggestions for better examples (any fandom), please let me know!


windandthestars wants to know: When do you capitalize canon-specific proper nouns? (ex. the Sanctuary)

Technically, all proper nouns are capitalized, so the question within the question is, "When is a noun a proper noun?"

Building names are proper nouns, as are business names and the names of associations and groups. In the example of Sanctuary, the larger organization of people helping abnormals is called the Sanctuary Network, and both the group of people headed by Dr. Magnus and the building they work out of are called the Sanctuary. The other associations/buildings around the world are also capitalized as names, e.g., Tokyo Sanctuary.

If you were using the term in the generic sense, it wouldn't be capitalized:

As the escaping abnormals fled from their enslavers, they could only hope to find sanctuary.

However, because the word is so meaningful within this fandom, it's better to use a synonym like refuge unless you want to deliberately capitalize on the wordplay.

In the DC Universe, the Daily Planet is a building in Metropolis, a business in that building that employs Clark and Lois, and the title of that business's product, Metropolis's major newspaper. The capitalization holds for the nickname, as well: If Superman saves the Planet, he has foiled an attack against the building. If Superman saves the planet, it's the planet in the more general sense—Earth.

Alfred doesn't mind at all if wildlife biologists go looking for a bat cave, as long as they don't find the Bat Cave. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne makes sure that the enterprises Wayne Enterprises is engaged in are successful (although you might want to say activities or deals to avoid redundancy), and Lex Luthor keeps an iron control over his corporation, Luthor Corp.

In short, the rule is to capitalize the names and nicknames of buildings, businesses, and associations, and be sensitive to word choices that have extra resonance in your fandom.

Comments

[starglyph.livejournal.com]

From the Department of Redundancy Department, what about 'Stargate' in the Stargate SG-1 fandom? :)

I know we've (personally) discussed using gate as opposed to 'gate. I compared them by saying that we write phone instead of 'phone. So, I've always used gate in dialogue, especially when the speaker is rushed: "Dial the gate, Daniel!" or laid back: "We'll meet up at the gate." Since the stargate is a generic gate, or gateway, using gate also works in the generic sense. I've seen other writers use 'gate, and while it's not 'wrong,' it makes no sense to me, except to distinguish a stargate from a gate in a fence, but still wouldn't help distinguish between gates in dialogue.

In the narrative, and dialogue, I think the the SGC's gate should be capitalized, as that's the name or title it's been given, but a gate on another planet is a stargate, because it's a generic gate. If the natives of the planet name their gate Big Stone Ring, I'd capitalize it as the name they gave their gate.

Looking it up just now, I see that Stargate Solutions entry (http://www.stargate-sg1-solutions.com/wiki/Stargate) uses Stargate and Gate. Capitalizing Gate always looks wrong to me; it's not a proper noun. All the stargates are generic gates.

What do you think?

Also, are there different (or specific) rules for using nicknames of proper nouns in the narrative? i.e. Hammond peered out the window, absently counting the glyphs on the gate. It's the SGC Stargate; should the narrative use the properly capitalized name?

Thanks!


(capitalize on the wordplay Good one!) :)

[green-grrl.livejournal.com]

I agree: lowercase gate/stargate. It's the name of a thing, a certain class of objects, similar to elevators or computers, but the name doesn't include a proper noun, like an Otis elevator or a Turing engine. In fact, I'd even stay lowercase gate/stargate for the SGC's (at least after the original movie)--they know it's not special, but one of many.

That's the criteria I'd use for Big Stone Ring, too. If it's referred to as something unique and revered on a planet that only sees gods come through it, I'd capitalize. If the people on the planet recognize it as just a thing like many in the universe, then not; I'd use "ring of the Ancestors" for the Pegasus natives.

Also, are there different (or specific) rules for using nicknames of proper nouns in the narrative? i.e. Hammond peered out the window, absently counting the glyphs on the gate. It's the SGC Stargate; should the narrative use the properly capitalized name?

This one's hard for me to answer specifically, because I'd use the generic object names for the SGC's. And the rules laid out in The Chicago Manual of Style don't go into contractions, specifically. The rules do say that reference to generic terms are lowercased when used alone: Catch a cab to the Empire State Building and walk into the building. Personally, if I were one to capitalize the SGC's stargate, I would capitalize the contraction as well: Daniel enjoyed Rothman's gobsmacked look at his first sight of the Gate. But you'd have leeway on Hammond's counting; yes, he's looking at the Gate, but it's the gate he happens to have handy for perusing. Could go either way.

Thinkie questions!

[starglyph.livejournal.com]

Thinkie questions!

I know. *g* And if it hadn't been you posting, I probably wouldn't have asked. It's just one of those little things that have bugged me since I started writing. Reading was so much easier before I learned so much important 'stuff' from my fabulous betas. ;-)

Thanks for the thinkie answers! ♥

[windandthestars]

Thank you for posting this! We've had a bit of a debate going between a couple of us for a while now so it's good to get a definite answer.

[green-grrl.livejournal.com]

\o/ Happy to have helped!