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Topic : Re: Formatting to show system errors in fiction? Okay, here's the thing. I'll keep it simple. I use double quotes for general dialogues. Single quotes for flashback dialogues and italicized letters - selfpublishingguru.com

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Are you asking if you can do it (from a publishing standpoint), or if you should do it (from a stylistic standpoint)?

If the former, sure, there's all sorts of books published with atypical formatting in whole or in parts. House of Leaves would be the obvious example of doing that extensively; then there's also something like The Neverending Story which makes limited but effective use of it (with one storyline in green ink, the other in red). The only publishing concern is that it might not work on some e-reading platforms.

If the latter, one drawback is that some readers might see it as somewhat tacky. Just like excessive italicization or all-caps writing can come off as unrefined, so can using a different font. I guess the question to ask yourself is, how much does using the different font help you tell your story? If it's integral, I'd say definitely do it. If it's just a flourish, I'd say definitely don't. Anywhere between... Well, I'm not sure if that can be answered without better knowing the context.


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