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How do you show TEXT MESSAGES?

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    Posted: 03 Aug 2017 at 4:37pm
In my story I use quotes for external dialog and italics for internal dialog.  So how do I indicate a text message or series of text message?
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Bookworm33 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bookworm33 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Aug 2017 at 9:02am
I would use quotation marks and/or indentation. With quotes, use the same rules as for external dialogue (different paragraphs when the speaker/texter changes, etc.). Or for a long conversation, indent the entire passage, as you would for a letter or long email within a story.

Doug tapped out a quick text to Linda: "Where are you?" 

"Right behind you." The reply came within seconds.

"I don't see you," Doug typed.

~~OR~~

Linda had finally had enough of Doug's nonesense. Her fingers flew over her phone screen as she sent a rapid succession of texts:

..........I'm right behind you, Doug!

..........You're looking right at me!

..........I'm waving at you. I'm in a red dress. What's the problem?

Doug only looked around, bewildered. Linda angrily crossed the crowded thirty feet that separated her from her boyfriend. She grabbed his shoulder--only to gasp in shock as her hand passed right through his body.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ScooterDawg Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Sep 2017 at 7:19pm
Originally posted by Bookworm33 Bookworm33 wrote:

I would use quotation marks and/or indentation. With quotes, use the same rules as for external dialogue (different paragraphs when the speaker/texter changes, etc.). Or for a long conversation, indent the entire passage, as you would for a letter or long email within a story.

Doug tapped out a quick text to Linda: "Where are you?" 

"Right behind you." The reply came within seconds.

"I don't see you," Doug typed.

~~OR~~

Linda had finally had enough of Doug's nonesense. Her fingers flew over her phone screen as she sent a rapid succession of texts:

..........I'm right behind you, Doug!

..........You're looking right at me!

..........I'm waving at you. I'm in a red dress. What's the problem?

Doug only looked around, bewildered. Linda angrily crossed the crowded thirty feet that separated her from her boyfriend. She grabbed his shoulder--only to gasp in shock as her hand passed right through his body.

Those don't look like any text messages I've ever seen. It would be more like: 

im rite bhind u

ur lookin rite @ me

im [waving emoji] @ u. im in red dress. WTF?

LOL


Edited by ScooterDawg - 12 Sep 2017 at 7:19pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bookworm33 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Sep 2017 at 2:07pm
Originally posted by ScooterDawg ScooterDawg wrote:


Those don't look like any text messages I've ever seen. It would be more like: 

im rite bhind u

ur lookin rite @ me

im [waving emoji] @ u. im in red dress. WTF?

LOL
I come from a whole family of writers - we all proofread our texts! LOL
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dogmafrog Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Sep 2017 at 9:21pm
I use brackets, and after the first one I make it clear it's a text.

[BRT], I texted.
[Hurry up]
Etc etc
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