Question: how to format actual written words in a novel?

[Brooke]

google isn't understanding what i mean, so i thought i'd ask some (probably) human people--
how do i format words that are actually written down in my story, as in words on a page or a sign the character is looking at? this is a lot like formatting text messages for me-- it seems like everyone does it differently. the most common ones i see are quotation marks, italics, or a different font altogether (or some combination of those).

 

[CageSage]

Generally, it's italics, but different editors recommend specific req's for some items (Grammarly: Titles of full works like books or newspapers should be italicized. Titles of short works like poems, articles, short stories, or chapters should be put in quotation marks.). There are also rules for the names of ships, cities, etc. (Names (of people, places, and things) need to be capitalized, but titles (of things) need both capitalization and either quotation marks or italics.).

For signs, letters, graffiti, etc., I'd go for italics and if more than one line, slightly indented as if it's a quotation (like this).

There are different rules applied by different publishers - some use Chicago Manual of Style (I can't remember the other/s).

 

[izi 出久]

I am definitely people but only possibly human people. But just going to throw this out there: I struggle with long stretches of italics. I realize it’s the standard for some style guides. I still dislike them. One time I put off reading the next chapter in a book for a week because it was fully italicized.

 

[E G Logan]

the most common ones i see are quotation marks, italics, or a different font altogether (or some combination of those).

NOT to say this is right, but this is IMHO:
I would do quotation marks for a extract from a book, for example. For excerpts from newspapers, magazines, etc, I use a different font AND indent it slightly from the main text.
For a probably mythical website excerpt, I'd go for quote marks AND italics.

BTW, careful with your real quotations. Watch how much you are allowed before you breach copyright. And always use quote marks.

 

[Brooke]

NOT to say this is right, but this is IMHO:
I would do quotation marks for a extract from a book, for example. For excerpts from newspapers, magazines, etc, I use a different font AND indent it slightly from the main text.
For a probably mythical website excerpt, I'd go for quote marks AND italics.

BTW, careful with your real quotations. Watch how much you are allowed before you breach copyright. And always use quote marks.

thank you for the advice-- in this case it's a character reading info off the back of a flier. i think i'll use italics for now with written stuff

 

[Peyton Stafford]

Another option for passages longer than a few lines is the block quote. Most style manuals recommend this, rather than italics, because it is easier to read.

 

[Peyton Stafford]

This may help:

MLA Formatting Quotations - Purdue OWL® - Purdue University

owl.purdue.edu

 

[MattScho]

Look at Sanderson. He does this all the time. I think he indents in italics and quote marks. I may be really wrong, but we know he isn't because if you follow his style it's a guaranteed $43 million. Right?

 

[David McGuire]

Depending on how much the character is reading, you could potentially indent and change font? Or is that not the done thing?

 

[Peyton Stafford]

I do not think an imitation Sanderson is guaranteed anything.