PeytonMirabelle
Really Experienced
- Joined
- Apr 11, 2020
- Posts
- 191
Something that came up in a discussion between myself and two other writers today and I didn't have a good answer.
If a character is using sign language to communicate, what's the best way to format that? One person in the discussion thought placing the sign-speech in italics was best, though I wonder if that will get confused with internal thoughts. Would you simply establish the person is signing, and format speech as normal, with quotation marks?
* * * * *
Example 1:
Bob shook his head. "What do you think?"
Jill's hands flew. I don't like it.
"Me either."
So what do we do?
* * * * *
Example 2:
Bob shook his head. "What do you think?"
"I don't like it," Jill signed.
"Me either."
"So what do we do?"
* * * * *
Neither of those really look right to me. Is there a better way? Curious what y'all think.
If a character is using sign language to communicate, what's the best way to format that? One person in the discussion thought placing the sign-speech in italics was best, though I wonder if that will get confused with internal thoughts. Would you simply establish the person is signing, and format speech as normal, with quotation marks?
* * * * *
Example 1:
Bob shook his head. "What do you think?"
Jill's hands flew. I don't like it.
"Me either."
So what do we do?
* * * * *
Example 2:
Bob shook his head. "What do you think?"
"I don't like it," Jill signed.
"Me either."
"So what do we do?"
* * * * *
Neither of those really look right to me. Is there a better way? Curious what y'all think.