What are some the best/easiest ways to include sext messages into a story?

[Velvet_Cobra]

Hey, y'all. I'm a new member to the site and currently working on my first submission. I'd like to include sexting as part of the dialogue/interaction between the two main characters. However, I'm finding it a bit challenging to figure out the best way to format sext conversations. Any suggestions?

 

[ElectricBlue]

Hey, y'all. I'm a new member to the site and currently working on my first submission. I'd like to include sexting as part of the dialogue/interaction between the two main characters. However, I'm finding it a bit challenging to figure out the best way to format sext conversations. Any suggestions?

<I have done it like this.>

<this is a text message, once you have established context, it's just another form of dialogue marks.>

I've also used it to designate email text. Keep it simple.

 

[JaneRamsey]

What electricblue said, once you establish which symbols denote the texting readers will catch on right away.

I usually use italics in regular stories, but here I tend to use ** symbols at the beginning and end.

 

[EmpressJosephine]

In the forums, I do it by switching fonts.


WTF?

How is it I'm suddenly texting?

LOL!

 

[ElectricBlue]

In the forums, I do it by switching fonts.


WTF?

How is it I'm suddenly texting?

LOL!

Switching font won't work in a published story - the site imposes a standard font.
Also many browsers will also default to the user's settings. For story-side of Lit, an author has to find some other designation within the text, hence my suggestion earlier:
<I use this to designate email or a text> and make the usage clear the first time it's used.

 

[SimonDoom]

I don't think it matters much what format you use, so long as it is reasonably simple and easy to understand and so long as you are consistent.

I don't use special characters or formatting for texting. I indicate texting the same way I indicate dialogue:

"Are you coming home?" she texted.

"As soon as I can," he texted in reply.

I recall doing quite a bit of research on this for one of my stories, and I was surprised to discover that there is no universally recognized or preferred format for this. After thinking about it, I decided to render texting the same way I render oral dialogue.