[stylist] Emphasis

[Bridgit Pollpeter]

Atty and others,

This is what I learned in my workshops at UNO:

Thoughts are always italicized  unless followed by, I thought, etc.

Example: Where are they going? (would all be italicized but Outlook
won't let me do it)

Where are they going, I thought. (nothing italicized)

Note: don't include, I thought to myself, because the "I thought,"
states it's to yourself.

Now, if a huge chunk of text is a thought, you may want to edit and cut
it down, or find another way to ensure readers understand it's thought.

Usually, readers, and editors, don't want to read large portions of
italicized text. In most my workshops, while not wrong, many of my peers
didn't like italics, but again, it's more a preference.

As for emphasizing a word and/or point, there are different ways to do
this. One rule I've been taught is to avoid exclamation points like the
plague. Unless something is truly a exclamatory statement, don't use it,
or if a character shouts, then use it, but otherwise, no, no, no! Ha-ha!

Italicizing is certainly used to place emphasis on a word, but
typically, you don't italicize an entire phrase or sentence. Based on
word choice, it should be clear from the text alone what a tone is or
how it would be said. This is why strong verbs are a must when writing.
Indicating tone, intent and characterization should come primarily
through the writing itself.

But there are other ways to place emphasis as well, and depending on
what, and how, you're writing, a quirkier style may be fitting. Anyone
ever read Bridget Jones's Diary? Good example and fun read.

Example: Get out of my way! (used exclamation point to emphasis
excitement or shouting)

Get out of my way. (Outlook won't let me do it, but I mean for "out" to
be italicized)

GET OUT OF MY WAY! (capped all letters with exclamation point, if
capping all, could do just period too)

If dialogue, can follow with description, but avoid dialogue tags
especially with ad verbs.

Example: Karen waved her arms in a frantic circle, shouting at Ted. "Get
out of the way!"

At the end of the day, though, as Chris, or someone said, writing has
evolved so much, and especially with creative writing, the rules are
often loose and up to interpretation. Writers are experimenting with
form and structure, and honestly, there is a lot of room where once it
was rigid and not malleable.

Good luck!

Sincerely,
Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
Read my blog for Live Well Nebraska.com at
http://blogs.livewellnebraska.com/author/bpollpeter/

Message: 5
Date: Tue, 13 Sep 2011 09:47:20 -0500
From: "The Crowd" <the_crowd at cox.net>
To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Subject: [stylist] Emphasis
Message-ID: <76D5B8F3996E44E6A318828454B856C1 at JazminRainPC>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="iso-8859-1"

Hi folks, here I am again writing to my support group. LOL

So if we put thought in italics, then how do we emphasize something? 

For example, I want to make the word 'now' stand out in the
following....

"If you are not pleased, madam, I am sure someone will return to collect
your things."

 

"I want them collected, now. I insist you turn around this instant." 

CC is very infatic when she says now. I want it to red that way.

I don't want to over use exclaim, and I know at times authors single a
word for emphasis. Any help would be great!

Thanks!
Atty