Footnotes/Endnotes in a YA novel

RoseColoredSkies · Feb 22, 2009

I'm working on a novel that has quite a few foriegn terms/phrases in it. I want to define them for the reader (beyond the context clues I've laid) but I get the feeling footnotes/endnotes are sort of a turnoff for YA readers. Any suggestions?

Also, I've been italicizing the foriegn terms/phrases. Do you think that's acceptable to do (to make them stand out...bold would be a little bulky).

scarletpeaches · Feb 22, 2009

If you've left context clues, why do you need to translate the phrases? Are you assuming the reader won't know what they mean and if so, why use them?

Kathleen42 · Feb 22, 2009

I've read fantasy novels with glossaries at the end. Would something similar work? It would be out of the way but easy for a curious reader to flip to.

RoseColoredSkies · Feb 22, 2009

scarletpeaches said:
Are you assuming the reader won't know what they mean and if so, why use them?

My novel is historical fiction set in the mid 18th century Europe. The majority of the story deals with the Rom (gypsies) and I would assume that most readers don't know their language (since it wasn't really written down). I'm using the terms because I feel that if I'm talking about this group of people, then I should be using their language.

Kathleen42 said:
I've read fantasy novels with glossaries at the end. Would something similar work? It would be out of the way but easy for a curious reader to flip to.

I thought about a glossary, mostly for the phonetic pronunciations of some of the words. I just want it to be easily accessible for agents as well as readers.

absentnormality · Feb 22, 2009

I've just finished reading 'Slave Girl' by Jackie French which is based on the Viking Groenlendinga Saga and Eirik's Saga. It contains lots of terms which make sense in the context (specific Norse names for things) but the majority of readers may not know what the words referred to exactly so each of the words was numbered footnotes style and the list was printed at the back, things of historical interest where also marked in such a way. It didn't detract form the reading and most of the time I missed the numbers so the words themselves didn't didn't make it harder to understand or follow the plot.

RoseColoredSkies · Feb 22, 2009

So it seems like Endnotes or a Glossary is the best way to go. Thanks everyone for your quick and helpful comments.

Any suggestions on the formatting of the foreign phrases? Do they need to be formatted differently from the rest of the text?

scarletpeaches · Feb 22, 2009

I would underline them to show which parts would be italicised in the published copy.

Stunted · Feb 22, 2009

I'm 18, and I think I'd be turned off.

Have you thought about this:

"Dame el queso" she said, which meant that she wanted the cheese.

That's a little clunky, but something along those lines might work.

Mumut · Feb 22, 2009

I've published two YA historical fantesy novels and they have footnotes. Things I can't give clues to in the text but are interesting, such as in France thethe Periwinkle flower was called 'the violet of the sorcerers'. I've had a couple of comments that it was distracting but I've had far more saying that they were helpful and interesting. Some students say looking things at the back of the book in a glossary is too disruptive but this was OK.

I use them because I find a lot of ting incedibly interesting and want to share my enjoyment of those facts.

Why not write a small section both ways and submit it to SYW and your beta readers?

RoseColoredSkies · Feb 22, 2009

Stunted:

I have done a lot of that, giving context clues but some of the Romani terms need to explained, if only for their phonetic pronunciations (even though they too have explanations).

Mumut:

I think I will try both ways and see which works better. I think I'll be heading over to SYW soon-ish about a different project as well (it hit me almost literally at dinner last night).

Mumut · Feb 25, 2009

RoseColoredSkies said:
Stunted:

I have done a lot of that, giving context clues but some of the Romani terms need to explained, if only for their phonetic pronunciations (even though they too have explanations).

Mumut:

I think I will try both ways and see which works better. I think I'll be heading over to SYW soon-ish about a different project as well (it hit me almost literally at dinner last night).

That's good. Best wishes.

Glenakin · Feb 26, 2009

RoseColoredSkies said:
I'm working on a novel that has quite a few foriegn terms/phrases in it. I want to define them for the reader (beyond the context clues I've laid) but I get the feeling footnotes/endnotes are sort of a turnoff for YA readers. Any suggestions?

Also, I've been italicizing the foriegn terms/phrases. Do you think that's acceptable to do (to make them stand out...bold would be a little bulky).

Footnotes/endnotes, when used properly, can be an absolute blessing and fun to read, Rose.

I think you're on the right track

RoseColoredSkies · Feb 26, 2009

thanks for the confidence booster Glen. I've decided to use footnotes. for one thing they don't add to your wordcount in MS Word. Plus,,once I define words, I don't have footnotes them again!

Martha Flynn · Feb 26, 2009

I see you already made your choice, but I was going to ask whether the story was in first person pov vs third person and whether the footnote would be an extended character first person voice or just a third person informative snippet.

I've seen effective first person pov footnotes that enhance character but they're also distracting and pull out of the story so it's a trade off.

RoseColoredSkies · Feb 26, 2009

It's written in 3rd person so its just extra snippets (translations technically). But you make a good point. I don't generally write in first person as I find it harder to tell the story sometimes. That's just me.

Glenakin · Feb 26, 2009

RoseColoredSkies said:
It's written in 3rd person so its just extra snippets (translations technically). But you make a good point. I don't generally write in first person as I find it harder to tell the story sometimes. That's just me.

Books like The Bartimaeus Trilogy utilised footnotes perfectly during Bartimaeus bits to add technical details and give further explanations to his thoughts.

Also, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell used footnotes really well too, though it was mainly for technicality purposes (like referencing fictitious books, adding fictitious historical detail, defining magical terms, etc) and nothing else, which is what I'm guessing you're trying to do, Rose.

Footnotes/Endnotes in a YA novel

RoseColoredSkies

It's a long and winding road

scarletpeaches

Kathleen42

crushing on fictional characters

RoseColoredSkies

It's a long and winding road

absentnormality

Queen of sensible stupidity

RoseColoredSkies

It's a long and winding road

scarletpeaches

Stunted

Ich heiße Superphantastisch!

Mumut

Well begun is half done...

RoseColoredSkies

It's a long and winding road

Mumut

Well begun is half done...

Glenakin

RoseColoredSkies

It's a long and winding road

Martha Flynn

RoseColoredSkies

It's a long and winding road

Glenakin