Saturday, January 21, 2006

Book Report

There is a recent thread on Absolute Write
that asks the question - is it okay to use word emphasis in dialogue.

Well, students, it's okay if you're Talitha Stevenson, journalist and award short-listed writer. I have tried to read Exposure, her newest novel, but I just could not get past the first seventy-five pages.

The italicized dialogue was really annoying, and it grated on my nerves after a while. I don't appreciate an author telling me how to read their prose. After all, I am possessed of some imagination and I am capable of hearing emphasis in my head as I read.

So, unless one is already published, the answer to the question is no. Once you've gotten your foot in the door and the contract in hand, go for it. Just don't expect me to read it. But, hey, what do I know? I'm not even published myself.

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