How can I write acronyms in fiction?

Question

I'm wondering whether I can use acronyms without the period between each letter in fiction writing. Adding the period seems kind of clunky and stops the flow of the sentence a little but I don't want to remove it if it's a mistake to.

E.g. would the following be acceptable in fiction:

1. "I'll be there ASAP."

   Is this ok or does it have to be "A.S.A.P."? I'm guessing doing it lower case, asap, is not an option.

2. Similarly to the example above, I guess the answer will also apply to:

   • I'm going to meet my mother-in-law, AKA the witch of Orange County.

   • You need to get an STD test before I go near you again.

3. How about WASP-y?/WASPY? I have an urge to reference "WASP-y" wives. Is it ok to write it "WASP-y"? Is there a better way such as "WASPY"? I can't find it in the dictionary and am debating whether to use it but it fits my sentence perfectly. I'm guessing "waspy" is a no-no.

Maybe some of these things are preferences rather than hard rules?

Answer 1

In fiction, you can do anything you like, so long as you do it consistently.

In general, though, ASAP is written without any periods, as is STD. ASAP is trite, don't use it.

The only way to abbreviate "also known as" is "a.k.a." Anything that's NOT capitalized should have periods.

"WASPy" is correct, although why you'd use it is beyond me. It's been overdone.

Still, as I may have mentioned earlier, in fiction you can do anything you like, just be consistent. If you write "wAsPy," make sure you don't change it to "WASpY" three pages later.

Answer 2

Many acronyms can be found in Webster's or Oxford dictionaries. Start with your dictionary. If the acronym is a company or organization, it is typically capitals without punctuation. Lower case s after capitals or numbers don't require apostrophes. AP style guide recommends not using hyphens with acronyms in narrative or dialogue. Chicago has nothing to say on the matter.

Answer 3

There is a distinction between an Acronym and an Initialism. Acronyms tend to have no periods and be pronounced as a single word (SCUBA, LASER). Initialisms may or may not have periods, but each letter is pronounced separately (I.R.S., I.B.M., AT & T).

So WASP and ASAP are acronyns. AKA and STD are initialisms.

How do you know which is which? Consult a dictionary to see what the pronunciation is and to see if it includes periods or not. Consult more than one dictionary to see if the usage is firmly established, or if it varies by source.

See http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2012/05/the-difference-between-an-acronym-and-an-initialism/

Finally, keep in mind that some company names that started out as abbreviations (AT & T for American Telegraph and Telephone) were later incorporated as the formal name of the company. For example, AT & T is no longer the abbreviation for American Telegraph and Telephone. The formal, legal name of the company is "AT & T." So for names of organizations, you'll need to see how the organization itself presents its name.