Wikipedia:Manual of Style (Harry Potter-related articles)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a manual of style for Harry-Potter related articles on Wikipedia, the aim of which is to create a uniform look and feel for Harry Potter-related articles, to make them easier to write and read, and by ensuring that they adhere to Wikipedia's various guidelines and policies, to make them encyclopaedic.
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[edit] Writing about the Potterian universe
See main article at Manual of style for fiction articles.
Articles on fiction can approach their subject from two main angles. The first treats the fiction as if it were real and describes it from the perspective of the people and characters of the fictional universe. Topics covered sometimes include:
- Birth and death dates of fictional characters;
- Plot synopses framed as biography;
- Exposition framed as the history of fictional locations or organizations
and so on. This is often referred to as an "in-universe perspective."
Articles can also describe the subject matter from the perspective of the real world. Examples include:
- Its author or creator;
- Its design;
- Its development both before its first appearance and over the course of the narrative;
- Its popularity among the general public;
- Background information regarding real world figures, locations or situations which have influenced or appear in the work
- For commercial offerings, its sales figures;
- Its reception by critics;
- Critical analysis of the subject; and
- Its influence on later creators and their projects.
This is often called an "out-of-universe" or "real-world perspective."
Harry Potter-related articles should strive to combine description of the fictional characters and world with which they are concerned with verifiable facts from the real world. In other words, a Harry Potter-related article should be more than simple plot description or biographical details of the characters, but should include specific information about
- why and how the subject of the article is important in the world of Harry Potter
- real-world details of creation, development, and critical reaction
For the purposes of Wikipedia it is desireable to include as much referenceable critical analysis as possible. In the case of Harry Potter-related articles, since it is known that the series will include seven books, one of which is as yet unreleased, and since several of the corresponding films are as yet unmade, this will be an ongoing task. In this case, the only primary source facts which can be reported are those from the books, and from writings and comments by J.K. Rowling. However, should a notable and referenceable body of discussion arise, then this information may also be included.
Summaries can be written either from an in-universe or a real-world perspective; a real-world approach may be easier to understand and follow. Consider the following in-universe plot synopsis that draws from several different books in the series:
Harry Potter is a young boy. He finds out he is a wizard, and goes to wizarding school. He saves his best friend's sister and kills a Basilisk. He discovers there is a prophecy about him and the Dark Lord, and makes up his mind to kill Voldemort.
This type of description is fine, provided that the context is clear and that some sort of indication is given as to where these various pieces of information come from (cite.php, for example). References should be made for specific important pieces of information and facts, and should indicate the specific source. Care should be taken, however, not to overwhelm the article by citing every point.
Alternatively, the description may be written from a real-world perspective:
Harry Potter first appears in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the plot of which involves Harry's discovery that he has magical abilities and the start of his magical education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry rescues Ginny, his best friend's sister, and slays a Basilisk, saving the school. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry discovers that there is a prophecy concerning him and the dark wizard Lord Voldemort, and vows to do whatever it takes to kill the Dark Lord.
[edit] Article titles
In the case of articles about characters, the article title should be the name by which the character is most commonly known, but the characters's full name should be given in the first sentence, if known. Thus, the article on Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore is located at Albus Dumbledore, and his full name is given in the first sentence. Academic and professional titles (such as "Professor," "Minister") should not be used in article titles.
The article should commence with a single sentence paragraph giving the most vital information about the subject, explaining that this is a character/place/thing in the Harry Potter series written by JK Rowling.
[edit] Character's names
While it is standard practice to refer to real people by their last names in articles ("Jackson," not "Michael"; "Winfrey," not "Oprah"), it is usual to refer to fictional people by the name most frequently used in the text.
Thus, Harry Potter should be referred to as "Harry," not "Potter"; Ron Weasley should be referred to as "Ron", not "Weasley"; Hermione Granger should be referred to as "Hermione," not "Granger," and so on.
However, if a character is mostly referred to by his or her last name in the books, then descriptions in articles may follow this convention. Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape, for example, are most often called by their last names in the books, and their first names may be less familiar to readers. They may be referred to as "Dumbledore" and "Snape" in articles.
Academic and professional titles (such as "Professor," "Minister") should not be used before the name in the initial sentence, or generally through the article.
[edit] Format
As much as possible, Harry Potter articles should follow a similar format.
[edit] Articles about characters
Articles about characters should include the character template. Depending on the character other templates and succession boxes may also apply.
[edit] Opening paragraph/lead section
While taking care not to give away any spoilers, the opening paragraph should give:
- Name(s) and title(s), if any
- (Briefly) what they do/did
- Character's appearance
- Why they are significant.
- Interesting general information about the character which does not constitute a spoiler.
- Name of actor(s) who play(s) the character in the movies
DO NOT include their fictional date of birth immediately after their name, as they are fictional characters not real life people (you can include that later in the body of the text).
[edit] Background and role in the series
It may be necessary to provide a spoiler warning for such sections.
The Background section should provide known information about the character's place and date of birth (and death, if applicable), nationality, immediate family and upbringing or early life.
The Role in the series section describes briefly the known facts about the character's role in the development of the story.
In shorter articles, these sections may be combined as "Background and role in the series," and provide all the relevant information about the character's role in the development of the story.
[edit] Articles about locations
Articles about locations should include the school or place template.
[edit] Stubs
A special Harry Potter stub template can be found here, and should be placed at the bottom of articles that are currently stubs.
[edit] Literary analysis
See also: Speculation
Literary analysis, or literary criticism, is the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Literary analysis is often a useful tool for understanding a given work, and may provide interesting insights or interpretations of the work.
Literary analysis can also be useful in writing Wikipedia articles, but should come from verifiable secondary sources. Unverified literary analysis by Wikipedia editors may be unreliable, and at worst may be fancruft.
[edit] Sources
Every article should include a section called References, which is a list sources detailing where specific information given has been found. In the case of Harry Potter articles, the Harry Potter books and films will often be the main sources; these should still be cited.
Specific writings or comments during interviews by J.K. Rowling may also be useful. It is important to provide a source for such information, and links wherever possible, since claims like "Rowling says X" are otherwise difficult to verify.
Sources other than these must be used with caution. Fan sites and websites by those who "ship" certain characters are in general to be avoided as specific sources of information, but may be included where they are likely to be of interest for "further reading." References to such websites should attempt to give a balanced sample of views.
Websites such as The Leaky Cauldron and the Harry Potter Lexicon, which contain detailed information about the series and its characters and which have been endorsed by J.K. Rowling, at least to the extent that she has granted them interviews or linked to them from her own website, are considered more reliable.
[edit] Speculation
See also: Literary analysis
Wikipedia articles must not contain speculation. Sibyll Trelawney may have a crystal ball; Wikipedia editors don't.
Upon the release of Book 6, for example, many editors were moved to include their theories about the circumstances surrounding the death of a main character in the articles about that book and that character. Many have also speculated about the specific relationships between characters, or about as yet unrevealed future events. Such content, while interesting for fans of the series, should only be included where it is clear that a dominant view has developed amongst readers of the books, or where it is used to illustrate the debate which is continuing.
[edit] Spelling
Harry Potter is a British series by an English author that features mostly English characters and settings. Preference should be given to British spellings and original titles (Philosopher's Stone, vs Sorcerer's Stone, for example) in Harry Potter articles.
[edit] Spoilers
Spoiler warnings should be placed in the appropriate places in articles that give away plot details or endings.
It is not useful, however, to simply place a spoiler warning at the very top of an article. The lead section (the first paragraph or section of an article) should contain relevant, general information that describes the character or topic. A spoiler warning can be placed at the top of the next section, or if only one or two sections contain spoilers, at the top of the relevant section(s).
[edit] Tense
It is standard practice, when writing about literature and films, to describe the action that takes place in the story in the present tense. Present tense should be used even when desribing action that takes place in an earlier book in the series, or about facts that have changed by a later book in the series.
Thus, in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Hagrid safely delivers Harry to the home of the Dursleys. Later, he meets Harry at the lighthouse, and takes him to King's Cross Station to meet the Hogwarts Express.
On the other hand, action that takes place before the story's present (ie: in the past) is normally described in the past tense. This includes characters who died before the start of the first book. Thus, Horace Slughorn was a teacher at Hogwarts, but retired before Harry's first year. In Book 6, he returns to the faculty as professor of Potions.
When writing about characters who were alive during the series' present but who subsequently die, be mindful of giving away information that some readers may not wish to know. In general, it is good style to write even about these characters in the present tense.
[edit] Terms and abbreviations
The Harry Potter series includes many invented terms, or terms used in unique ways, such as muggle and squib. These terms can be used in articles, but should be explained and linked upon their first appearance: "Muggle (a non-magical person)."
Terms that are commonly abbreviated, such as "the DA," should be written out in full on their first appearance and the abbreviation provided: "Dumbledore's Army (the DA)." The abbreviation may then be used in subsquent appearances. Only terms that are abbreviated in the books should be abbreviated in articles.
J.K. Rowling's name is sometimes abbreviated by fans as JKR/J.K.R. This abbreviation should not be used in Wikipedia articles.
