: How to write ages and dates in a newspaper article inside a work of fiction I'm trying to write a newspaper article inside my work of fiction. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how to write ages

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With each number written out in letters, readers will, more likely than not, skip over that part because it's slightly tedious to read.

If the date andor age in question is of any importance--be it minor or crucial-- to the plot, use quick and simple numbers.
And good luck with your writing!

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There is actually quite a variety in the way dates are depicted in a newspaper article.

It depends, as usual, on the nature of the event. Please note that the samples below are all fairly old. A quick scan of today's newspapers and on-line publications seems to show that detailed dates are on the decline, with just plain weekdays mentioned most frequent for subjects that happened at a specific moment.

Some samples:

'Thursday night' for a well-known headline event.

'April 6' for a snippet about an obscure discovery.

'Friday, Dec. 9' for a courtroom report.

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Definitely numbers, not words, in this case. The second way you have it written does not track at all with a newspaper article. It looks more like some kind of scientific paper.

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If you're "reproducing" a newspaper article in your book, write it exactly as you would an actual newspaper article. That makes it look real, and helps keep the suspension of disbelief for your reader.

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