: Using capital letters for shouting I respect that with the power of language, we don't necessarily need to capitalise anything, because a description of how a character is speaking is more powerful.

Vote Up Vote Down

His breathing quickened. "Damn it!" he shouted.

or

His breathing quickened and he shouted, "Damn it!"

All caps reads as amateurish, at least to my eye.

(0)

Vote Up Vote Down

Text in all capitals is harder to read than text in mixed case:

A 1955 study by Miles Tinker showed that “all-capital text retarded speed of reading from 9.5 to 19.0 per cent for the 5 and 10-minute time limits, and 13.9 per cent for the whole 20-minute period.” Tinker concluded that, “Obviously, all-capital printing slows reading to a marked degree in comparison with Roman lower case.” (found via this post on UX)

In the case of a single word this probably doesn't matter, but for consistency you will want to use the same style everywhere in your work that calls for extra shouting. Will that always be just a word or two? Full sentences in all-caps are likely to impede your readers.

Another option is to use italics, which has long been the typography standard for emphasis. Emphasis isn't the same as shouting, but it may convey your intent in context. However, in fiction specifically, be aware that sometimes italic text is used to convey thoughts rather than speech.

So there is no perfect solution. In making a decision consider all the places in your work where you will need to apply it.

(0)

Vote Up Vote Down

I'd be fine with all caps here. It's emphatic in a different way than italics. To me I hear the volume and force behind the word, not just the intensity.
Compare:

His breathing quickened. "Damn it!"
His breathing quickened. "DAMN it!"

The first one could be under his breath — vehement, but not necessarily meant to be heard. The second one is definitely a shout.

(0)