) you might think I should use italics in my work. I know lots of people use italics in different ways. They are most often used to emphasize a single word, but they are also often used to indicate some form of thought. Since the form of communication I am using in my novel is akin to thinking out loud (not exactly, go look at the other thread if you really want to know ) you might think I should use italics in my work.
Why didn't I?
I can't read italics! Even when reading large print books I have to stop, get out extra magnification, and *study* the italics to figure out what they say. I thought this was because of my low vision, but then I did some research and found out that most people struggle with italics. They are meant to draw attention, but they actually do the very opposite! They take extra time to read, slowing the forward motion of the work and sometimes people just skip over them alotgether.
I only use italics occassionally, to emphasize a single word, and even then I wish a new literary trend wuold allow me to use something else. When I've seen italics used throughout a piece I tend to put it down in frustration.
What does everyone else think about italics? Do you skim them or does it take longer to interpret them? When do you use them in your own work?
.When it comes to being able to read italics, I can read them like I can read regular print. Maybe my peepers won't be so good to me when I get "mature in years" 
....
Damn this is putting a proposed solution of my own into major question. If Christine is the only one who feels this way, I may continue with my planned formating. However I for one would simply like to second her question.
Are italics hard to read for you?
PE Sharp
1. I've had problems with italics longer than I've had problems with vision.
2. I first discovered that I was not alone when doing research on on-line design principles. This is where I've seen most of the research on readability, if anyone's interested. Most sources tell people to stay away from italics if possible.
3. There is a serious difference between using italics to emphaisze a few words or phrases here and again and using them all the time. I've seen entire paragraphs (often introductory) done in italics. This says to me..."This isn't really part of the story just skip it." and I do.
Italics are *supposed* to slow you down. They're supposed to make you spend extra time on the word or phrase, because it's important.
Ooooohhhh! I had an epiphone.
Anyway, I still think I was right, but for the wrong reasons. Overusing italics is still an obnoxious problem. As authors, we have to understand the effects using italics has on the reader and use them appropriately. That's not to say they don't have their uses.
Now I desist. : )
quote:
I did some research and found out that most people struggle with italics. They are meant to draw attention, but they actually do the very opposite! They take extra time to read, slowing the forward motion of the work and sometimes people just skip over them alotgether.
Interesting subject though.
James
I also get very annoyed at multiple layers of italics. For a moment, it looks like it's jumping back to normal text. Annoyingly, not even TeX seems to support multiple levels of italics.
You're never forced to use italics, though. I've seen telepathy done in bold (Belisarius Series) and <<big Spanish quotes>> (Ender's Saga). Use whatever you want. Except in a footnote being submitted to a pedant, no one will really object.
Shawn
As hard as I worked on my two-word Chinese sentences, all they really did was slow down my best action scenes. So I re-wrote them as italicized English. That worked great, but then all my characters' thoughts looked like Chinese!
So now my characters think in normal fonts, and my Chinese pilots speak in italics. The fact that italics are a bit harder to read actually adds to the feel of my fighter pilot chatter. I recommend this solution to everyone.
On a separate issue, I've heard that when submitting a typescript to a publisher, you should never use italics, but instead underline the text you wish to appear in italic in the final form. I believed this to simply be a tradition to allow for the fact that typewriters cannot generally print italics, but is it still a good idea to avoid them in this situation anyway?
Shawn
Since most modern stories are told in third person limited point of view, we are inside the head of the point of view character already. In a way, everything mentionedin the chapter is his or her thought, so why would we want to italicize specific thoughts? I've seen this done and found it did nothing but slow down the forward motion of the story.
If you are doing an omniscient point of view, I can see using italics for character's thoughts.
Tom nodded at the confirmation of his assumptions. She's the one. He noted the burns on her fingers. Either she was inept with cigarettes or someone had done some wicked things to her.
In my project, I have a character who goes into a delirium for some time, but to keep him in the reader's mind till he recovers -- actually, to satisfy some of my wise readers' desire to keep tabs on him -- I have a few one-page chapters of him in his delusions. Problem was, the next wise readers weren't sure if he was recovered and back fighting or simply out of it. By putting those short chapters entirely in italics, it gives a good clue that something different is taking place.
Of course, I don't have to worry about anyone speaking Chinese....
[This message has been edited by Kolona (edited June 24, 2003).]
quote:
"Oh, you can tell them stuff. But never honestly. I mean never honestly.Or,
"I mean you didn't really know Walt."
I agree with James -- long segments of italics can be very hard to read. I wonder if, as an author, you can request that that part of the book or story use a different font, like the pre-chapters (is that what they're called?) in ENDER'S GAME.
[This message has been edited by Balthasar (edited June 24, 2003).]