How to write chat/IM messages?

[kinkycouple234]

Hi,

We are currently working on a story which involves two people communicating through the chat feature of a website, and are wondering what the best way to do this would be.

Currently we are writing it more or less as it would appear on the screen, e.g.

Sarah: Hello, my name is Sarah

Bob: Hi Sarah, my name is Bob

And although this is true to the way they are communicating, it seems a little bit stilted. We have considered using normal speech, but this would come across as an in-person conversation so would not really work. Has anyone had a similar problem? Or seen a story which does this in a good way? Looking for some inspiration.

 

[CuttingEdge]

Yes I have actually.

In real life I write real novels, and recently did a 85,000 word novel where the main character becomes deaf in the third chapter of the book from an industrial accident. That meant the conversations between her and her boyfriend were done by texting.

That said, the goal of a good writer is to make the story a good reading experience for the readers. To make it flow better while reading, I just wrote it as if they were having dialog normally, with the exception that I did not use the word "said".

Example:

"Do you think we can find out who murdered the man", she texted?

It is a real challenge because the typed word lacks emotion which is where we get 50% of our clue from in a conversation, so be sure to add that in by using descriptors now and then. Just like with the word "said", do not do that too much or it sounds hockey to the reader. Just when you need it

It was a fun, but challenging novel to write, and really made me a better writer for doing so, but it was a real, real challenge too.

 

[kinkycouple234]

Thanks CuttingEdge

Thank you for your response.

I think we are leaning towards doing something similar to your novel, where the text will be rendered like normal speech with 'said' replaced with more appropriate verbs to indicate that it is electronic communication.

We have spent the last couple of days working with a more 'realistic' form and it makes it much harder to convey emotions as well as making it a little more jarring for the reader, so I think your way is probably best.

Thanks for your help

 

[sirhugs]

You might get more/better input on the author's Hangout, where the craft is discussed rather than in this forum, where plot ideas are the topic.

 

[ElectricBlue]

-- I do this to designate a text or an email --

Treat it the same as dialogue, and make sure you cue who is texting - same as dialogue, you don't need 'he texted, she texted' all the time.

Keep it simple, just be consistent - as yet, there is no conventional approach.

 

[UtilityCurve]

Check out "Vox," by Nicholson Baker. Fun fact: Monica Lewinsky gave Bill Clinton a copy when she finished (literally, I suppose) at the White House.

And if those names are unfamiliar to you, you're too young to be hanging around this neighborhood. Shoo!

 

[Carnevil9]

I think the best way (if not the easiest) is to use a different font; preferably one that looks more "machine-ey" if possible, like Courier. That emphasizes that it is coming over a computer rather than being spoken. Of course, in a Lit story that can be a lot of work to implement.

electricblue's idea is a good compromise between visual cues and ease of implementation.

 

[kinkycouple234]

Thanks

Thanks everyone for all your ideas, it's definitely given us enough to work with.

We hadn't spotted the authors hangout when posting this - we will definitely use it net time.

 

[sirhugs]

Check out "Vox," by Nicholson Baker. Fun fact: Monica Lewinsky gave Bill Clinton a copy when she finished (literally, I suppose) at the White House.

And if those names are unfamiliar to you, you're too young to be hanging around this neighborhood. Shoo!

We know that Bill finished, but did Monica?

 

[Hypoxia]

Currently we are writing it more or less as it would appear on the screen, e.g.

Sarah: Hello, my name is Sarah

Bob: Hi Sarah, my name is Bob

And although this is true to the way they are communicating, it seems a little bit stilted.

IMHO that's the most straightforward approach, but with more contractions etc. Be advised that LIT won't let you change fonts, and HTML tags like bolding won't work on the LIT Android app. Try plain-vanilla renderings like:

SARAH: Lo Bob.

BOB: Lo Sarah. Sup?​

I agree that "s/he texted" is clumsy.