joshtruxton.blogspot.com

ITALICS

 

 

Hi Everyone:

Sometimes, I’m a little slow on the trigger. Maybe it’s the era we live in, or maybe it’s a sign of old age. When asked about getting old, I used to say that old age was your own age plus ten, but who knows, maybe it is arriving sooner than I anticipated.

Last week, while attending a meeting of my literary group, The Writer’s Studio, one of our members, whose novel is currently being edited for publication, indicated that in reviewing the edited version, he decided to put all of the internal thoughts of his characters in italics to differentiate them from the dialogue.

I admit it took me by surprise. I thought it odd and wanted to say something like; “That is why we have quotation marks, they designate when a character is speaking.  If the reader doesn’t see those little quote marks, he/she knows that the comments are internal thoughts,” instead, I remained silent.

Upon returning home, I began a search for the use of italicized print. I grabbed my bible, Strunk and White’s text, The Elements of Style. While these masters of grammar and usage postulate eleven rules for grammar, and an equal number for composition, I found only one reference pertaining to italics. It was for their use with the title of a literary work. I also found one exception, (when the title follows a possessive, i.e., Strunk and White’s Elements of Style). I was disappointed, but undeterred. The search continued.

My reference shelf holds a number of books. One of my favorites is a slim volume, The Elements of Grammar  by Margaret Shertzer. While she lists fifteen rules for italic usage, only the first seemed to apply:

Italics are often used to give emphasis to words or expressions. They

should be used only for strong emphasis, never indiscriminately. . . .”

I thought this was a sign I was correct, but far from definitive, so I plowed on. I checked my copy of The New York Times’s Manual of Style and Usage, which also indicates that news copy uses italics most sparingly while their Magazine and Book Review sections use italics for indisputably foreign words.

Not satisfied, I tried one more source, A Manual of Style prepared by the U.S. Government Printing Office. At last, I had reached the ultimate source; I had found Nirvana. It consisted of two and a half pages of small type (any smaller and it would require use of a magnifying glass). Section 11. Italics contained 15 sub-sections, but only 11.1 dealt with my concern, it reads:

          Italic is sometimes used to differentiate or to give greater

prominence to words, phrases, etc. However, an excessive

amount of italic defeats this purpose and its use in general

work should be restricted as indicated.

 

Perhaps, I thought, my friend’s characters don’t spend much time in thought, or only have brief thoughts, which might be all right after all, but I wonder what his editor will say.

I’d really like to know because I recently sent one of my novels, Alex—Peanut Butter—And Me to a professional editor and it contains some telepathic communication to the main character, Will, from his dead grandmother. Since the messages weren’t spoken and were not Will’s thoughts per se, I chose to use italics. If both editors pan italic utilization, I guess I have a decision to make.

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While Alex—Peanut Butter—And Me is not yet available to the public, you can find three of my novels that are:

The Eindhoven Strategy, a World War II tale of American OSS espionage, Nazi counter espionage, and wartime romance set in the suspense filled days leading up to the Allied invasion of Normandy.

Palm Beach Style, introduces readers to Dugan a Special Agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement as he takes on kidnappers, and then an armored truck heist masterminded by his spoiled girlfriend and her father, the legendary, Lucky whom readers met in The Eindhoven Strategy.

Path to a Pardon: is a story of mystery and suspense; of love and betrayal; of diamonds stolen and lost. Three young adults face challenges that forever change them in this story set against the drama of the courtroom and political battles.

You can read more about these novels at my website: joshswritingroom.com

Don’t forget to check out the Short Story tab for another one of my vignettes. This one is called: Height Challenged.

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Coming Soon to this site:  Chapter 1 of my recent novel, RAPE.  You won’t want to miss the opening chapter. The entire novel will unfold right here for all to read and critique; and it is FREE.