Showing EMPHASIS with CAPS

[Typo Fu Master]

I just read a topic over in Story Feedback and a comment suggested it's better not to use caps to show emphasis; the reader will fill it in as they read.

I tend to use this technique and have never had a problem reading it when someone else does it.

So, what are your thoughts?

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Different writers do different things.

Cormac McCarthy uses no quotation marks at all, and often skips with tags. But theres no mistaking whos speaking. And THAT may be the real lesson: Make each character distinct, so you could recognize them in the dark.

 

[PennLady]

I don't mind it, and it does eliminate any potential trouble with HTML tags. However, I'm in the habit of putting <i> and </i> tags around any text I want to emphasize in a story. I copy the text into the submission box and -- no problems. I can remove them later with search and replace later, too.

 

[Typo Fu Master]

I don't mind it, and it does eliminate any potential trouble with HTML tags. However, I'm in the habit of putting <i> and </i> tags around any text I want to emphasize in a story. I copy the text into the submission box and -- no problems. I can remove them later with search and replace later, too.

I had wondered about that. I got the impression the submission box would interpret anything I put in there as text and not formatting. Good to know. Thanks.

 

[fuckwaffle]

Emphasizing with CAPS always reminds me of someone shouting. Of course that could be what you want to show within the text of the story, yet...all caps have been proven to be harder to read. Although so has a sans serif font, such as Arial, so what do studies prove. STILL, ALL CAPS LOOKS AS IF A CHILD OR AOL USER TYPED THE TEXT.

 

[Typo Fu Master]

Emphasizing with CAPS always reminds me of someone shouting. Of course that could be what you want to show within the text of the story, yet...all caps have been proven to be harder to read. Although so has a sans serif font, such as Arial, so what do studies prove. STILL, ALL CAPS LOOKS AS IF A CHILD OR AOL USER TYPED THE TEXT.

Agreed. Though as a general rule I don't use it for long strings of words.

"How could you SAY such a thing?"

"How could you say such a thing?"

To me, the first example also conveys some emotion behind the question. It doesn't seem excessive and when I read it, it doesn't seem like it's being shouted. Whereas if the entire sentence was in caps, it would.

 

[mcguinness]

I would RATHER they DIDN'T.

Just a personal preference. At least it's not as bad as the writers who STACK EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Emphasizing with CAPS always reminds me of someone shouting. Of course that could be what you want to show within the text of the story, yet...all caps have been proven to be harder to read. Although so has a sans serif font, such as Arial, so what do studies prove. STILL, ALL CAPS LOOKS AS IF A CHILD OR AOL USER TYPED THE TEXT.

No. All it proves is that YOUVE been conditioned to salivate like one of Pavlovs dogs, and you get nervous when anyone colors outside the lines.

 

[topace]

I'm sorry but all caps to me equals shouting. I'd rather use bold or italics to emphasis something.

 

[lance gt]

I hate reading stories with caps used. I use a single exclamation point and describe the emotional impact in the story line to set it up. A reader will know if someone's just speaking, or they're emotionally saying something. Like Jimmy said earlier, you should know who's speaking and how they're feeling without seeing them and know who it is, sans tags to denote them. Personalities are part of character development and distinguish one character from another, along with certain speech patterns they use.

 

[TheeGoatPig]

I'm sorry but all caps to me equals shouting. I'd rather use bold or italics to emphasis something.

Plus, sometimes you want to emphasize that someone is SHOUTING BOLDLY!

 

[Anomandaris]

The only place I'll generally use caps is to portray a particularly loud sound. Generally the crack of a paddle or whip across someones ass.

 

[sr71plt]

In publishing, emphasis (and then only rarely) is shown with italics. Neither full caps nor bolding are acceptable. Here, do as you please, just try to keep your style use uniform.

 

[fuckwaffle]

No. All it proves is that YOUVE been conditioned to salivate like one of Pavlovs dogs, and you get nervous when anyone colors outside the lines.

Oh, JJ, poking around outside your cage with that stick again I see.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I'm sorry but all caps to me equals shouting. I'd rather use bold or italics to emphasis something.

ding ding ding arf arf arf

I guess that proves e.e.cummings was whispering?

 

[sr71plt]

ding ding ding arf arf arf

I guess that proves e.e.cummings was whispering?

Yes, of course, just as it indicates that someone who puts their account name in full caps is just here for the attention.

 

[mynameisben]

Whenever I read a story that has fourteen semicolons in the same paragraph, I know I'm dealing with a lunatic. The same thing applies to exclamation marks, em dashes, italics, or any other fancy schmancy form of punctuation. Overuse diminishes the effectiveness of employing any such attention-grabbing technique. Severe overuse damages not only your story, but your reputation as an author as well.

If you ever put two or more non-consecutive words in italics in the same sentence, you are making a huge mistake. Such an abuse forces a reader to analyze the mechanics of your writing, and that is the one thing no author of fiction should ever want to do. Leaving it to your reader to do your job and figure out which part of your opulently punctuated sentence merits the greater focus is a stinging indictment on your writing ability. Every italicized word encountered thereafter is certain to be met with suspicion and, eventually, with contempt.

Never take your reader out of your story with the brilliance of your writing mechanics. It is the surest way to lose them for good.

 

[SydneyBlake]

In publishing, emphasis (and then only rarely) is shown with italics. Neither full caps nor bolding are acceptable. Here, do as you please, just try to keep your style use uniform.

I agree.

 

[SamScribble]

One argument for not using caps is that, according to research, words in caps are more difficult to read. IT'S PROBABLY WHY LAWYERS ARE SO ENAMOURED OF CAPS WHEN WRITING SOFTWARE USAGE AGREEMENTS. The don't want anyone to actually read what they've written.

 

[RodenAddison]

I'd never use all caps!!!

 

[Kurokami]

All caps just seems ungainly to me, so most times I'll just use italics, which are nicer and easier to read. Though I have used all caps once or twice, if only for a few words, just to indicate that someone is particularly pissed.

 

[MaxSebastian]

It's general convention in fiction that you shouldn't need to use all caps, and while sure it's fine for you personally to use them if you like, the advice to steer clear of all caps is simply there to suggest that if you want to please the most amount of your readers possible, don't do it.

It's like spelling words incorrectly - you can do it, but a lot of readers would prefer you don't. It's not good on the eyes, and can seem patronizing to the reader - the author is saying they can't be sure the reader will know how to read the sentence unless certain words are emphasized.

Some award-winning literature types spell words incorrectly to attempt some kind of authenticity to their characters, but it can make their works unreadable to many, and also seems gimmicky.

Using all caps is one of the first signs a story is from an amateur writer, and so avoiding it is an easy way to improve your writing in the eyes of many.