Editing Malazan Wiki:Manual of Style

{{Policies}}
This is a work in progress. Please make changes as required or discuss ideas/proposals on the [[Malazan Wiki talk:Manual of Style|talk page]].

==Layout guide==
{{Main|Malazan Wiki:Layout Guide}}
Articles should have sections in this order if those sections are required for the article.
#'''[[Malazan Wiki:Layout Guide#Title tag|Title tag]]''' Usually not required. Used to alter title (ie; to italicise it).
#'''[[Malazan Wiki:Layout Guide#Maintenance templates|Maintenance templates]]'''
#'''[[Malazan Wiki:Layout Guide#Infobox|Infobox]]''' <code>[[:Category:Infobox templates]]</code>'''
#'''[[Malazan Wiki:Layout Guide#Opening quote|Opening quote]]''' A simple quote about the subject of the article.
#'''[[Malazan Wiki:Layout Guide#Summary|Summary]]''' A summary of the information in the main article. Some articles may not be long enough to justify a main body section and thus only have a summary. Avoid blatant spoilers. See [[Malazan Wiki:Spoilers|here]] for spoiler guidelines.
#'''[[Malazan Wiki:Layout Guide#Main article|Main article]]''' For character and book articles you may want to add sub-sections to the main body.
#'''[[Malazan Wiki:Layout Guide#Trivia|Trivia]]''' For supporting information that could not normally go in a Malazan Wiki article.
#'''[[Malazan Wiki:Layout Guide#Cover gallery|Cover gallery]]''' See [[Gardens of the Moon#Cover gallery]] for an example.
#'''[[Malazan Wiki:Layout Guide#Appearances|Appearances]]''' A list of all the publications that where this person, item, place, etc has appeared or been mentioned.
#'''[[Malazan Wiki:Layout Guide#Notes and references|Notes and references]]''' Should have the'' '''<code>[[:Template:Reflist|<nowiki>{{Reflist}}</nowiki>]]</code>''' ''template in it.
#'''[[Malazan Wiki:Layout Guide#See also|See also]]''' For related articles that are not linked to in the article.
#'''[[Malazan Wiki:Layout Guide#External links|External links]]''' For linking to relevant information that is not on the wiki.
#'''[[Malazan Wiki:Layout Guide#Navigation box|Navigation box]]''' See here for a list: [[:Category:Navigation templates|Navigation templates]].
#'''[[Malazan Wiki:Layout Guide#Category|Category]]''' See here for a list: [[Malazan Wiki:Category index]]
#'''[[Malazan Wiki:Layout Guide#Interwiki links|Interwiki links]]''' Such as links to the article in other languages.

''Please note that not all articles use every section.''

==Maximum widths==
Because of the limitations of the [[Help:Layout|Oasis skin]], there are constraints on how wide inserted items can be on various parts of the page.

===Text===
*Maximum widths of text, tables, divs, etc on a page is <code>650px</code>. After that it will start to overlap other parts of the page or, in the case of tables, a horizontal scroll bar will appear on the table.

===Images general===
*Maximum widths of individual images is <code>680px</code> as they can be slightly larger without creating a problem however, images of that size are used only in exceptional cases. For images on article pages that need to be large (e.g. diagrams) set a maximum width of <code>450px</code>
*The [[Template:IOTW|IOTW]] has a maximum height of <code>600px</code> 
*Slideshows on artist's pages are set to <code>600px</code>
*Infobox images are automatically set a maximum width of <code>270px</code>

===Images within content pages===
*Add the thumbnail code <code>thumb</code>  to all images 
*In addition, for portrait images add a width code of <code>140px</code>

Using only thumbnails will automatically set a maximum width of <code>250px</code>, which is ideal for landscape images, however, in some cases due to image properties, you may need to add an individual width code <code>?px</code>, to adjust to other images on the page. See editing history for [[Silchas Ruin]] for examples of standard thumbnails. Where there are only one image one or two images on a page, they may be set slightly larger but not exceeding 300px.

==Writing style==

'''Edits should be in your own words and apart from occasional quotes where appropriate, do NOT copy verbatim from the books or other sources.'''

===Accurate===
Our main aim is to accurately reflect the information given in the books. Edits need to be presented as factual and objectively as possible. For example, if the book is ambiguous about something the edit needs to also reflect this. Choose your words carefully - the phrase 'were able to do something' implies a lot of things which the phrase 'did something' does not.

===On topic===
Every sentence should have some direct connection to the topic of the article. For example if the topic is 'Darujhistan' then 'was the largest, most influential and last of the Free Cities on Genabackis' is on topic. Adding 'the other ones being X Y Z' would be going off on a unnecessary tangent as 'Free Cities' should be linked and that info would be found there.

===Referenced===
NEVER add information based just on memory. All edits should be made based on the editor having just read the relevant information in the book. Add a minimum of book and chapter reference to your edit - if unsure about formatting a ref, add the source in brackets.
*See [[Help:Referencing]]

===Impartial===
Do not use emotional language not contained in the writing. Avoid using expressions like 'luckily', 'sadly', 'unfortunately' etc. when they are your own evaluation of a situation. For example use 'a large battle' rather than 'the largest battle ever' unless it is a case of 'character X described the battle as the largest ever'. Rule of thumb - if it isn't in the book, don't make it up for the Wiki.

===Spelling===
Both authors of the Malazan world are Canadian therefore Canadian English will be used as the baseline language of this wiki.

===Tense===
Articles are generally written in past tense because there is no omnivalent present time in the Malazan world from the various readers' point of view. However, for real world articles, which include authors pages, as well as all book and chapter summaries, present tense is used. Within those book/chapter summaries, past perfect progressive is used where characters recollect events of another past (see [[NK/1|NoK Chapter 1]] for example). Other than that, we write like historians in the future of the Malazan world writing about its past.

===Linking===
The first time a name, place, object etc. appears on a page which users might search for, it should be put in [ [ ] ] link brackets (no spaces), regardless of whether a page already exists for it. Each subsequent instance of that name, place etc. on that page will not be linked (infoboxes and navboxes are exceptions here). If the page does not yet exist, the linked term will be appear red in the text and will automatically be included in the 'wanted pages' category. Once the page has been created (whenever someone gets round to it), the brackets will automatically change colour to indicate that.

==Very short articles==
A subject may have only a single piece of information about it that can be sourced from a primary reference. In this case it can still have its own article. All named characters should have their own page.

==Theme==
===Colours===
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Hex codes for theme colours
!Main title!!Subsequent titles!!Background
|-
|width="140" style="background:#611E03" align="center"|<font color=white>#611E03</font>||width="140" bgcolor="#8A3931" align="center"|<font color=white>#8A3931</font>||width="140" bgcolor="#EDD9C5" align="center"|#EDD9C5
|}

Links in titles need to be made white. Here is an example of how to do it: <code><nowiki>[[Gardens of the Moon|<font color=white>Gardens of the Moon</font>]]</nowiki></code>

===New theme===
{| class="wikitabl"
! style="min-width:200px;" |Colour area!! style="min-width:200px;" |Hex code!! style="min-width:200px;" |Notes
|-
|Primary highlight|| style="background-color:#BA7041; color:white; text-align:center; font-weight:bold;" | #BA7041 ||
|-
|Secondary highlight|| style="background-color:#7C7F83; color:white; text-align:center; font-weight:bold;" | #7C7F83 ||
|-
|Background|| style="background-color:#E5E6E6; text-align:center; font-weight:bold;" | #E5E6E6 ||
|-
|Parchment|| style="background-color:#FFF9E6; text-align:center; font-weight:bold;" | #FFF9E6 ||
|-
|Links|| style="color:#45A174; text-align:center; font-weight:bold;" | #45A174 ||
|-
|Visited links|| style="color:#804488; text-align:center; font-weight:bold;" | #804488 ||
|-
|External website links|| style="color:#428EBD; text-align:center; font-weight:bold;" | #428EBD 
|-
|Visited external website links|| style="color:#3C57AA; text-align:center; font-weight:bold;" | #3C57AA 
|-
|Red-links (empty pages)|| style="color:#DD0000; text-align:center; font-weight:bold;" | #BA0000
|-
|Visited red-links|| style="color:#A85858; text-align:center; font-weight:bold;" | #A85858 
|-
|Border lines|| style="color:#AAA; text-align:center; font-weight:bold;" | #AAA 
|-
|Spoiler notices|| style="color:#DD0000; text-align:center; font-weight:bold;" | #D00 ||
|}

==Standard abbreviations==
===Linking codes and written abbreviations===
<tabber>Malazan Book of the Fallen=
{| class="wikitable"
!width="250px"|Full Title!!Linking<br>Codes!!Preferred<br>Written<br>Abbreviation
|-
|Gardens of the Moon||[[GM]]||GotM
|-
|Deadhouse Gates||[[DG]]||DhG
|-
|Memories of Ice||[[MI]]||MoI
|-
|House of Chains||[[HC]]||HoC
|-
|Midnight Tides||[[MT]]||MT
|-
|The Bonehunters||[[BH]]||tBh
|-
|Reaper's Gale||[[RG]]||RG
|-
|Toll the Hounds||[[TH]]||TtH
|-
|Dust of Dreams||[[DD]]||DoD
|-
|The Crippled God||[[CG]]||tCG
|-
|The Complete Malazan Book of the Fallen|| ||CMBotF
|}
|-|Novels of the Malazan Empire=
{| class="wikitable"
!width="200px"|Full Title!!Linking<br>Codes!!Preferred<br>Written<br>Abbreviation
|-
|Night of Knives||[[NK]]||NoK
|-
|Return of the Crimson Guard||[[RCG]]||RotCG
|-
|Stonewielder||[[SW]]||SW
|-
|Orb Sceptre Throne||[[OST]]||OST
|-
|Blood and Bone||[[BB]]||BaB
|-
|Assail||[[A]]||Assail
|}
|-|Bauchelain & Korbal Broach=
{| class="wikitable"
!width="200px"|Full Title!!Linking<br>Codes!!Preferred<br>Written<br>Abbreviation
|-
|Blood Follows||[[BF]]||BF
|-
|The Healthy Dead||[[HD]]||tHD
|-
|The Lees of Laughter's End||[[LLE]]||tLoLE
|-
|Crack'd Pot Trail||[[CPT]]||CPT
|-
|The Wurms of Blearmouth||[[WB]]||tWoB
|-
|The Fiends of Nightmaria||[[FN]]||tFoN
|-
|Upon a Dark of Evil Overlords||[[UDEO]]||
|-
|Untitled 7th B&KB novel||??||??
|-
|Untitled 8th B&KB novel||??||??
|-
|Untitled 9th B&KB novel||??||??
|}
|-|Kharkanas Trilogy=
{| class="wikitable"
!width="200px"|Full Title!!Linking<br>Codes!!Preferred<br>Written<br>Abbreviation
|-
|Forge of Darkness||[[FD]]||FoD
|-
|Fall of Light||[[FL]]||FoL
|-
|Walk in Shadow||[[WS]]||WiS
|}
|-|Path to Ascendancy=
{| class="wikitable"
!width="200px"|Full Title!!Linking<br>Codes!!Preferred<br>Written<br>Abbreviation
|-
|Dancer's Lament||[[DL]]||DL
|-
|Deadhouse Landing||[[DHL]]||DhL
|-
|Kellanved's Reach||[[KR]]||KR
|-
|Forge of the High Mage||[[FHM]]||??
|}
|-|Witness Trilogy=
{| class="wikitable"
!width="200px"|Full Title!!Linking<br>Codes!!Preferred<br>Written<br>Abbreviation
|-
|The God is Not Willing||[[GNW]]||??
|-
|No Life Forsaken||[[NLF]]||??
|-
|Untitled 3rd book||??||??
|}
</tabber>
Using linking codes as written abbreviations is also acceptable (except for Assail). Using allcaps versions is also ok.

===Edition abbreviations===
====Bantam====
{| class="wikitable"
!width="200px"|Edition Name!!Preferred<br>Abbreviation
|-
|Trade Paperback||UK TPB
|-
|Mass-market Paperback||UK MMPB
|-
|Hardcover||UK HC/HB
|}

====Tor====
{| class="wikitable"
!width="200px"|Edition Name!!Preferred<br>Abbreviation
|-
|Trade Paperback||US TPB
|-
|Mass-market Paperback||US MMPB
|-
|Hardcover||US HC
|-
|Science Fiction Book Club||US SFBC
|}

====Subterranean Press====
{| class="wikitable"
!width="200px"|Edition Name!!Preferred<br>Abbreviation
|-
|Numbered edition||Sub Press No.
|-
|Lettered edition||Sub Press Let.
|}

====PS Publishing====
{| class="wikitable"
!width="200px"|Edition Name!!Preferred<br>Abbreviation
|-
|Trade Paperback||PSP TPB
|-
|Mass-market Paperback||PSP MMPB
|-
|Various Hardcover editions||PSP HC
|}

====Night Shade Books====
{| class="wikitable"
!width="200px"|Edition Name!!Preferred<br>Abbreviation
|-
|Hardcover ||NSB HC
|}

====Transworld====
{| class="wikitable"
!width="200px"|Edition Name!!Preferred<br>Abbreviation
|-
|Bookclub Association||UK BCA
|-
|Epub Edition
|UK EP
|}

====Harper Voyager====


[[Category:Policy]]