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 Post subject: Using Two Fonts
PostPosted: January 26th, 2012, 8:11 pm 
Grease Monkeys
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I think I've seen in places where a story used two fonts to distinguish between narrators. What do you know about this? What methods would you use to distinguish between voices when neither is every directly identified? Scene breaks aren't really enough, because they don't directly alternate.

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 Post subject: Re: Using Two Fonts
PostPosted: January 29th, 2012, 4:37 pm 
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This intrigued me. I, personally, haven't seen this done before, but it sounds quite interesting. :D I think it wouldn't be that difficult, but it would definitely be important to chose two distinguishable fonts.

I'll be watching this thread closely.

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 Post subject: Re: Using Two Fonts
PostPosted: January 29th, 2012, 5:06 pm 
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Me also, Elly. My first thought was that it could get very confusing, even if you do use totally different fonts. I have never seen this done before.

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Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king

J. R. R. Tolkien


My favourite quote: "God will give His kindness for you to use when your own runs out."

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 Post subject: Re: Using Two Fonts
PostPosted: January 29th, 2012, 5:13 pm 
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Another way to do it might be to have one narrator's point of view italicized. Then another font wouldn't be needed.

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 Post subject: Re: Using Two Fonts
PostPosted: January 29th, 2012, 5:21 pm 
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Jonathan Garner wrote:
Another way to do it might be to have one narrator's point of view italicized. Then another font wouldn't be needed.


That would definitely be less confusing, I think.

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All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king

J. R. R. Tolkien


My favourite quote: "God will give His kindness for you to use when your own runs out."

Pippin's Waggy Tales

Autumn Leaves


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 Post subject: Re: Using Two Fonts
PostPosted: January 29th, 2012, 6:13 pm 
Grease Monkeys
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I thought of italics, except that the entire story is split pretty evenly between narrators, meaning that half the story would then be italicized, rather than a chunk here or there.

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Floyd was frozen where he stood. He struggled to breathe, but the air smelled of blood and death and guilt. He tried to formulate a name, to ask, but language was meaningless, and words would not come. He tried to scream but the sound got stuck in his heart, shattered into a million pieces, and scattered to the wind.

In a world without superheroes, who will stand against the forces of evil?


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 Post subject: Re: Using Two Fonts
PostPosted: January 30th, 2012, 9:24 am 
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I think it is a cool idea.

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Be careful of your thoughts; guard your mind, for your thoughts become words. Be guarded when you speak, for your words turn into action. Watch what you do, for your actions will become habits. Be wary of your habits, for they become your character. Pray over your character; strive to mold it to the image of Christ, because your character will shape your destiny.

Ideas can germinate from the smallest seeds. Collect those seeds, and let them grow in the back of your mind. You may be surprised by what finally blooms.

When God takes something from your grasp, he's not punishing you. Instead, He’s opening your hands to receive something better. The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.

Works in progress:

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The Diegosian Rider, 121,400 words (Finished)
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 Post subject: Re: Using Two Fonts
PostPosted: January 30th, 2012, 9:29 am 
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Vanya Katerina Jaynin wrote:
I thought of italics, except that the entire story is split pretty evenly between narrators, meaning that half the story would then be italicized, rather than a chunk here or there.


Aah ok.

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All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king

J. R. R. Tolkien


My favourite quote: "God will give His kindness for you to use when your own runs out."

Pippin's Waggy Tales

Autumn Leaves


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 Post subject: Re: Using Two Fonts
PostPosted: January 30th, 2012, 11:29 am 
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Vanya Katerina Jaynin wrote:
I thought of italics, except that the entire story is split pretty evenly between narrators, meaning that half the story would then be italicized, rather than a chunk here or there.

That makes sense. I'll have to experiment with this. :)

_________________
You're only given one little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it. -Robin Williams
You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one... -Imagine by John Lennon
A day without laughter is a day wasted. -Charlie Chaplin
It's hard to hold a candle in the cold November rain... -November Rain, Guns'NRoses
Romans 12:18- If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.


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 Post subject: Re: Using Two Fonts
PostPosted: January 30th, 2012, 6:38 pm 
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This is an interesting idea! I doubt it would work for my current WIP, since I have so many perspectives I'm trading back and forth in, but it might for some of the other ideas that are spinning around in my mind right now.

On another (and possibly offtopic :P ) note, does anyone have any idea what kind of fonts a publisher will allow? And how exotic they can be? Or how different the different fonts are allowed to be? I would really like to use Centaur for the entirety of the novel. I used it when I printed out excerpts for some people, and every time I looked at it I got all excited. Of course that might have been because I had part of my book in print for (almost) the first time. ;)

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 Post subject: Re: Using Two Fonts
PostPosted: January 31st, 2012, 12:24 am 
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Is that the font you used? I was wondering what font that was.

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Airianna Valenshia

The Rainbow in the Storm- My Blog

Be careful of your thoughts; guard your mind, for your thoughts become words. Be guarded when you speak, for your words turn into action. Watch what you do, for your actions will become habits. Be wary of your habits, for they become your character. Pray over your character; strive to mold it to the image of Christ, because your character will shape your destiny.

Ideas can germinate from the smallest seeds. Collect those seeds, and let them grow in the back of your mind. You may be surprised by what finally blooms.

When God takes something from your grasp, he's not punishing you. Instead, He’s opening your hands to receive something better. The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.

Works in progress:

The Diegosian Mark, 115,600 words (Preparing for Publication)
The Diegosian Rider, 121,400 words (Finished)
The Diegosian Warrior, 15,000 (In Progress)


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 Post subject: Re: Using Two Fonts
PostPosted: February 2nd, 2012, 12:19 am 
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I've seen this used in novels where parts were supposedly from a book and parts were supposedly a commentator, or parts were from one book and parts were from another, or parts were inserted excerpts from a book and parts were "live action", or to distinguish between different languages, but not simply to distinguish between narrators. (Ideally, the two narrators would be different enough that we'd soon be able to tell them apart within a paragraph ...)

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