Some general questions regarding quill-and-ink writing. -What's it called when someone is writing and they are startled and accidentally blob a lot of ink onto their page bc they jump? Writing this little scene: “Captain Vedramis,” the general said. “Got anything to add?” Daria tried to hide her smile as her normally put-together captain badly blotted ink on her notes, dropped her quill and sat up straight. “Sir?” the captain asked. Does that sound right? -They would sprinkle sand on the ink to make it dry faster, right? -Any other major things about quill and ink writing I should be aware of?
I thought blot was more the act of mopping up the spill (hence blotting paper), although an ink blot is a big splut of ink How about spattered of splattered? or splashed?
Mmm... I know "ink blot" is a term, but for me, not blotted. There's actually a thing called an ink blotter, and its job is to help dry the ink, just as sand was used the past. When I read "...badly blotted ink on her notes" I picture the captain trying to dab the ink up off the page with some cloth, but poorly, given the rest of the description. Dripped, smeared, splashed?
"Blotted" sounds like the right word to me. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/blotted verb (used without object), blot·ted, blot·ting. 1 to make a blot; spread ink, dye, etc., in a stain: The more slowly I write, the more this pen blots. 2 to become blotted or stained: This paper blots too easily.
