Spells/Different language-italics or no?

Sunshine13 · Mar 19, 2008

OK, so in my current WIP my MC says a lot of spells which are not english, or you know, their basic language. The first half of my mss I underlined them for italics, and then got away from it the second half because I was so use to it it didn't seem foreign to me anymore lol. Anyway, what is the standard? Is there one? Does it depend on the publisher? Thoughts?

Andrhia · Mar 19, 2008

I think it's a matter of style, and really depends on what seems right to you.

If there's a lot of it, I'd encourage you not to use itals, because lots of italics interspersed with regular text can be disruptive. Or, well, I find it to be disruptive.

If you can, this would be a great question to put before beta readers.

Mumut · Mar 19, 2008

I'd use italics I imagine the same spell would be used on a number of occasions and could be shortened after first use.

donroc · Mar 20, 2008

My historical is set in 17th century Spain. For words commonly used such as siesta and plaza and patio I used no italics. For words not used/understood by English speakers/readers, I did. Publishers agreed.

L.Jones · Mar 20, 2008

I am all about not just how the story reads but how it looks on the page - so to me the spells in Italics would be perfect. i would see it as a block on the page, my mind would know what it was instantly, that I didn't have to try to decipher the words to understand what was going on.

That said, I HATE it when there whole in Italics. But a paragraph or a few lines set it apart. It works

annie jones The Barefoot Believers - Mar 08
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0373786034/?tag=absolutewritedm-20

yappo · Mar 20, 2008

I personally prefer when italics indicate that the talker is aware of the spoken sounds being odd, or at least foreign.

But hey, I'm just one individual buyer of books among millions

Sten

Charlie Horse · Mar 20, 2008

I think it's going to be a preference of the publisher. If it were me (probably the one person anyone should ever listen to), I'd do the first instance of the spell in italic (or underline) and let it go after that. Once the reader's seen it once in italic, they should recognize it as a spell thereafter.

Sunshine13 · Mar 20, 2008

Thanks guys

The spells are typically one liners or a sentence, nothing like a para long or anything of that, and typically only when in a confrontation, so it's not like it's happening every page. I appreciate the feedback!

johnzakour · Mar 20, 2008

Chances are quite good something like that will come down to the publisher's preference. I wouldn't use underlines though because for me that distracts from the flow. It puts more emphasis than you want on the word.

Once again though it's up to the publisher.

Shadow_Ferret · Mar 20, 2008

My character uses Old Norse for his spells. I do not italicize.

Now I'm rethinking that.

Bufty · Mar 20, 2008

I'm assuming it's not just a very, very brief phrase.

If the spell is not in English I wouldn't understand what he was saying anyway - so why do I need to hear what he is saying phonetically.

Isn't it simpler to let me know the magician or whoever simply mumbled an unintelligible incantation.. or similar?

Craig Gosse · Mar 20, 2008

Bufty said:
Isn't it simpler to let me know the magician or whoever simply mumbled an unintelligible incantation.. or similar?

I sort of like the way D&L Eddings did it in the Elenium/Tamuli series. The spells are said in the Styric language, and that's how they describe it: "He muttered briefly in Styric..." The only specifics go something like this:

"My tongue just doesn't seem made to wrap around words like 'orgerlachek' ", he said, with a shrug.

"Ogralerchak." She corrected him.

It gives the overall impression that there is another entire language out there... but you don't need to know how it goes. Otherwise, it's completely generalized - there are times the MC muses on the difference between Styric and his own language, Elenic, and it helps develop both character and story-line... but without having to go too far into specifics.

Andrhia · Mar 20, 2008

One could always follow the footsteps of success: What did Harry Potter do?

Matera the Mad · Mar 20, 2008

I would use italics.
"Hurf nal i malvosh!" she cried, and -- oh, wups, sorry about melting down your computer...

Mythica · Mar 20, 2008

I use italics when my characters speak in another language. There are a few instances where the characters speak Latin that I italicize.

I had a couple characters speaking in ancient Greek, but I removed them when I realized one foreign language was enough. It seemed to become obstructive.

Too much language swapping can be distracting.

LilliCray · Mar 20, 2008

In one of my WIPs, my characters' country of origin has two languages. They're used interchangably. Kind of like two halves to a single language. In cases like, " 'You worthless piece of pahanni!' Clar spat," I'd italicize the 'foreign' word(s). That's my preference, anyway. Though, just a passing mention that someone says something in a different language could be even more effective, depending on the instance.

Spells/Different language-italics or no?

Sunshine13

Mom by day, writer by night!

Andrhia

Mumut

Well begun is half done...

donroc

Historicals and Horror rule

L.Jones

yappo

Charlie Horse

Speaking in metaphors

Sunshine13

Mom by day, writer by night!

johnzakour

Dangerous with a Keyboard

Shadow_Ferret

Court Jester

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

Craig Gosse

Bored fanatic

Andrhia

Matera the Mad

Bartender, gimme a Linux Mint

Mythica

Expert Gerbil Wrangler

LilliCray

Plot? What plot?