Next time you're tempted to use italics for emphasis... STOP!
"Why?" you ask. "Isn't it common to use italics to emphasize something?"
Yes. It is.
But your job, as a skilled writer, is to know when to use italics and when to avoid them. The problem is, it's so easy to use italics. Just hit 'CTRL' and 'i', type the word (or words) in italics and hey presto! the reader knows exactly how you want them to read your words. Tap 'CTRL' and 'i' again when you've finished, and you're back in normal text.
BUT - just because something is the easiest method, don't assume that it is the best method.
Stop.
Think.
Is there a better way to show emphasis than using italics? Read on!
1. How To Leave Your Reader Numb With Boredom
Let's leave the written word for a moment. Instead, we'll settle down in a comfy cinema seat and watch an action movie. And hoo boy, is this the action movie to end all action movies! It opens with an explosion. We see people moaning with pain. We see people crying. We see burning buildings... and then we see a car load of Obvious Bad Guys racing away from the scene.
We cut to an office. In the office is The Good Guy, who is being assigned to the case. Within five minutes we are aware that The Good Guy is a maverick. No toeing the party line for Action Man. He's going after the Bad Guys, and he's going after them now. He will probably have a sidekick - either someone he hates, or someone who usually does things by the book. (Hence: immediate and ongoing conflict.)
The movie rolls on. Within ten minutes we are involved in a car chase. In short, sharp grabs, we see cars being sideswiped, sidewalk stalls flying through the air, people diving out of the way, a bus smashing into a store window. The car chase is followed by the Bad Guys shooting at the Good Guys. People are running. People are threatening each other. Good Guy has a heated argument with Sidekick.
By the time the movie is twenty minutes old, we're exhausted. Not only that, but we have become numb to violence, explosions, gunfire, and threats. Because we haven't been given a chance to desensitize - to relax - our defense mechanisms kick in. The outrageous has become 'normal' - so we are no longer affected. There is no suspense. Suspense is anticipation, not action.
Let's leave the cinema. The movie has become kind of boring, anyway. Let's read a book instead.
We open the book. We settle down to read.
A few pages into the first chapter, we become restive. For some reason, we can't relax. It's like being.. under attack.
We find ourselves frowning at the page. The book is nearly as annoying as the movie: it seems that every paragraph has a word or phrase in italics. Sometimes the whole paragraph is in italics. We read on: Angie was mad. Who did he think he was? Mike Tyson? She had better things to do with her life than put up with this!
"You'd better get yourself out here right now!" she yelled. "This is just not on! Come on out here, Jack. I've had enough!" Reading text like this is like being poked every time the author emphasizes a word:
Angie was mad. [POKE!] Who did he think he was? Mike Tyson? [POKE!] She had better things to do with her life than put up with this! [POKE!] "You'd better get yourself out here right now!" [POKE!] she yelled. "This is just not on! [POKE!] Come on out here, Jack. I've had enough!" [POKE!] Pretty soon all that poking has the same effect as the movie with too much action. The reader - in pure self-defense - becomes numb.
Before long, her attention wanders. It looks like it has just been one of those days: first a boring movie, and then a boring book.
Oh well... better go and find something else to do...
Thud! The book is tossed aside.
2. How To Involve Your Reader
To involve your reader, find an alternative to italics for emphasis. Of course, that will involve more thinking. It means slapping your hand every time it tries to hit 'CTRL' and 'i' and sitting there for a bit longer staring at the screen. It means playing around with sentence structure and layout. It means choosing words more carefully so the reader can 'hear' the emphasis right where you want it.
Let's pick up that book again. We'll turn back the pages until we find that scene with Angie. Then we'll stare at the keyboard for a bit until we can think of a way to show Angie's anger and hurt without all those italics. (And preferably without all those exclamation marks too!!!!)
The key is to feel what Angie is feeling. Don't just show her angry words. Blend her words with her thoughts and actions so the reader knows exactly how she feels. Sometimes, it might work to set a word or a sentence off on a line by itself.
Okay. Let's experiment.
Angie stared at him. She had never felt rage this intense: it literally paralysed her. Who did he think he was? Mike Tyson?
She had better things to do with her life than put up with this.
Gingerly touching her throbbing jaw, she swallowed. It took her a few moments to get the words out, in a rasping whisper that sounded nothing like her. "You'd better get yourself out of here. Right now."
He sneered and took a step forward. She held up a hand to stop him, her eyes blazing.
Something he saw in her face made him pause.
"Now. Out. I've had enough." No doubt, with more experimenting and more polishing, we could improve this a great deal. But even as it stands, it's a lot better than the original version. By leaving out the italics and exploring Angie's feelings more, we have achieved a much more powerful piece of writing.
Play around with this yourself. Next time you're editing a scene, take another look at your use of italics. Can you improve it? Can you find ways to italicize without italics? Chances are, you'll end up with a stronger narrative.
Wake your readers up. Get them involved. Don't lose them by bombarding them with italics!
(c) Copyright Marg McAlister
Marg McAlister has published magazine articles, short stories, books for children, ezines, promotional material, sales letters and web content. She has written 5 distance education courses on writing, and her online help for writers is popular all over the world. Sign up for her regular writers' tipsheet at http://www.writing4success.com/
executive chauffeured services Bradford .. Madison to Airport carSo you want to learn to research well, and not... Read More
ESSAY 3Writing an autobiography involves a matching up of a... Read More
If you are reading this article then you probably have... Read More
Language Training - A key to Global CommunicationLanguage Training is... Read More
Good writing is like sex. Two people are involved ?... Read More
Although he has his own website, John Grisham probably does... Read More
Paulo Coelho was born on August 24th 1947 in Rio... Read More
Short Story Writing Tips ?We all have different tastes in... Read More
Writing can be more difficult that just compiling your thoughts... Read More
Your query letter can be a deal maker or a... Read More
Have you ever read someone else's writing and thought one... Read More
Freelance editing opportunities are out there, you just need to... Read More
Agents and publishing houses have their best interests at heart,... Read More
Dream that your book can be a number one best... Read More
Effective screenwriting relies on the good understanding and use of... Read More
The Hottest Word on the WebDid you know marketing people... Read More
How many times have you forced yourself to sit in... Read More
Or do you?Writers write. You shouldn't wait around for inspiration... Read More
Authors need to write their book according to their target... Read More
You sink back into your favourite chair with a new... Read More
Ever wondered how the most successful children's book writers get... Read More
ESSAYS ON AUTOBIOGRAPHY: NUMBER 1Preamble:Nearly seven years ago I wrote... Read More
Writing engaging articles and energizing ad copy takes... Read More
The rejection letter says: "Your story, on the surface, appears... Read More
Listen, consider this scenario.You have a deadline to honour. Time... Read More
O'Hare Chicago prom limo ..Why is it that so many people don't take writing-as-a-job... Read More
As writers, we initially tend to be either more cerebral... Read More
An island in the Mediterranean. A beach in Africa. The... Read More
PASSED, PASTPassed is the past tense of pass. Past means... Read More
A few months ago, I wrote a guide entitled: 101... Read More
Don't they drive you nuts?You can visit all the rules... Read More
If you are a serious writer who wants to publish... Read More
"If you want to change your life," Harry Beckwith wrote... Read More
Complaint letters aren't always fun, but sometimes they need to... Read More
The freelance writing market is a growing market to be... Read More
Readers often send me interesting and exciting e-mails about the... Read More
Want to write your book? But, need a blueprint on... Read More
For many authors just starting out, it can be a... Read More
Every morning I excitedly get out of bed. Just a... Read More
Taming the Book Proposal: The BasicsOh, that most maddening of... Read More
Remember the days when we wrote with pen and paper?... Read More
The tiniest things can be so useful when you come... Read More
There are various forms of structure, including frameworks, work processes... Read More
Our Image-Driven SocietyWe live in a new image-driven society. It... Read More
I???ve spoken to hundreds of editors, employers, and project managers... Read More
"No one will ever know who I am, I'm a... Read More
Plagiarism has been condemned lately by all types of experts,... Read More
The rejection letter says: "Your story, on the surface, appears... Read More
To capitalize on ways to make extra income you can... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?You are plotting the story. You write... Read More
Writing |