1. Diablo Robotico

    Diablo Robotico New Member

    Joined:
    May 28, 2010
    Messages:
    70
    Likes Received:
    3

    A question about formatting.

    Discussion in 'Word Mechanics' started by Diablo Robotico, Jun 13, 2011.

    I'm not sure where to ask this, but in my novel, there is a point where a character receives a letter and I have written out the entire letter. My question is what kind of formatting should the letter have in my manuscript? I'm guessing there should be some indenting involved, but I was looking for something specific. I tried googling it, but I didn't find anything.
     
  2. Tesoro

    Tesoro Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2011
    Messages:
    2,818
    Likes Received:
    300
    Location:
    A place with no future
    I just read a book with a lot of letters between characters so I checked there and it was indented about 0,5 cm on the left (nothing on the right) and written with one size smaller letters and no italics. (althought I think I have read other books with letters in italics) the book by the way was "Norwegian wood"/Haruki Murakami. I don't know if that formatting is standard, it is just the last example I have read.
     
  3. mammamaia

    mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

    Joined:
    Nov 21, 2006
    Messages:
    19,150
    Likes Received:
    1,034
    Location:
    Coquille, Oregon
    letters and such are inserted in a ms as a 'block indent'...

    to do that, simply double the standard .5" indent on the left and indent the same amount on the right...
     
  4. psychotick

    psychotick Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Feb 10, 2011
    Messages:
    1,526
    Likes Received:
    477
    Location:
    Rotorua, New Zealand
    Hi,

    Most of the time I read letters and such in books they are indented left and right as Mammamaia says, and also in a different font, usually Italicised. I don't know that there's any rule about it, it just seems common practice.

    Cheers.
     
  5. Diablo Robotico

    Diablo Robotico New Member

    Joined:
    May 28, 2010
    Messages:
    70
    Likes Received:
    3
    Thanks, everyone.

    I have seen some letters italicized, but I thought that was probably a style that was added by the publisher, not in the manuscript.
     
  6. Cogito

    Cogito Former Mod, Retired Supporter Contributor

    Joined:
    May 19, 2007
    Messages:
    36,161
    Likes Received:
    2,827
    Location:
    Massachusetts, USA
    Italicizing the block quote is incorrect. Don't use italics like a sloppy home owner uses duct tape. Italics have specific uses. They aren't there for the purpose of marking arbitrary passages as somehow different from the surrounding text.

    Just because youi see in published (and typeset!) books does not mean it is proper use, especially in manuscript.
     
  7. mammamaia

    mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

    Joined:
    Nov 21, 2006
    Messages:
    19,150
    Likes Received:
    1,034
    Location:
    Coquille, Oregon
    agreed!... mss are not the same as printed books... don't confuse the two...
     
  8. Reggie

    Reggie I Like 'Em hot "N Spicy Contributor

    Joined:
    Nov 10, 2010
    Messages:
    678
    Likes Received:
    22
    Location:
    USA
    Italics is mostly used for dream sequences. And maybe it would not be needed at all if the writer can execute the dream sequence well by having the reader to already know that the book is a dream sequence. :confused:
     
  9. Cogito

    Cogito Former Mod, Retired Supporter Contributor

    Joined:
    May 19, 2007
    Messages:
    36,161
    Likes Received:
    2,827
    Location:
    Massachusetts, USA
    Reggie, it is still incorrect.
     
  10. mammamaia

    mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

    Joined:
    Nov 21, 2006
    Messages:
    19,150
    Likes Received:
    1,034
    Location:
    Coquille, Oregon
    good writers don't have to resort to fancy fontery for their fiction readers to know when a character is dreaming, or thinking... leave that up to the publisher and keep your ms in plain font throughout, using italics only to emphasize a word [if really necessary] and for foreign words...
     
  11. Reggie

    Reggie I Like 'Em hot "N Spicy Contributor

    Joined:
    Nov 10, 2010
    Messages:
    678
    Likes Received:
    22
    Location:
    USA
    I am glad that I don't write novels anymore. I tend to think in terms of not using italics at all anyway. Not only that I don't write novels anymore, I find it more complicated to write compared to a movie script. But who knows? A novel isn't my stype of writing style anymore. I guess this explains why I don't have what it takes to follow a publisher's rules of writing a novel.
     

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Dismiss Notice