The constant use of (parenthesis)...

[Selden]

EricG1793,

Unfortunately, using single quotes (or apostrophes) to indicate a telepathic conversation would be very confusing, since DD's books are published in Britian as well as in the U.S..

The British usage of quotes is just the opposite from U.S. usage.

In the U.S., double-quotes are used to enclose someone's speach, and single-quotes are used when that person is quoting someone.

In British books, however, single-quotes are used to enclose someone's speach, and double-quotes are used when that person is quoting someone. Some people think this is much more sensible.

[SopranoHarmony]

I agree that the single quotations would be hard to understand. To me, I am used to just going along with whatever an author decided to use, so once I get a chapter in, I no longer have a problem.

I do, however, think that italics work slightly better than the parentheses.

[EricG1793]

Originally posted by Selden:
EricG1793,

Unfortunately, using single quotes (or apostrophes) to indicate a telepathic conversation would be very confusing, since DD's books are published in Britian as well as in the U.S..

The British usage of quotes is just the opposite from U.S. usage.

In the U.S., double-quotes are used to enclose someone's speach, and single-quotes are used when that person is quoting someone.

In British books, however, single-quotes are used to enclose someone's speach, and double-quotes are used when that person is quoting someone. Some people think this is much more sensible.

Oh, that clears up a lot in my mind. Yes, I see now why using single-quotes wouldn't work. Although it seems as though the parenthesis are less distracting than the italics.

At this point it's pretty much either way for me....

Anybody have any other suggestions besides using italics and parenthesis?

[Dragon Writer]

I basically agree with what Sopranoharmony said: i usually just go with what the author chooses to use, and i have no real problem with doing so...Though that doesn't mean i don't have my favorite styles. I personally still love the italics more.
but that might just be more because i'm used to it then anything else.

[zilvox]

how is it distracting?

[EricG1793]

Talk about ....

But to answer your question.... Parenthesis would be distracting to me because they aren't used as frequently as italics, single quotation marks/apostrophes, and quotation marks. Reading one paragraph and seeing (a lot of) parenthesis around isn't what I'm used to experiencing.

[Azule]

Why the concern?The author merely is showing a visual cognitive to allow to understand the change of voice.This helps to stop saying 'he/she thought...' phraise wich I find dull.

[Birdhead]

Anybody have any other suggestions besides using italics and parenthesis?

Animorphs used to do it with triangle brackets - you know, these things: <thoughtspeech goes here!> I actually think this is a better solution than ordinary brackets because they're more distinctive speech markers than parentheses and tidier than curly brackets and less obtrusive than square brackets - man, I have a lot of brackets for a compressed laptop keyboard. Fun fact for the day: when you're writing in French, double triangle brackets* are the equivalent of quote marks. <<Everyone talks like this - and you thought parentheses were distracting!>>

Anyway, I think the reason parentheses specifically are distracting is because they're quite a common form of punctuation and so every time you hit them you have to reassess whether you're dealing with an aside or with some form of telepathy - I mean, I think on a scale of writing quirks from the occasional typesetting error to prose purple with adjectives and adverbs, this is basically the equivalent for a fondness for split infinitives (rational people will probably get used to it pretty quickly.)

*except not actually - they're a special punctuation mark I don't have a key for and for which I can't be bothered finding the code. But they look like that.

[alla]

Animorphs used to do it with triangle brackets - you know, these things: <thoughtspeech goes here!> I actually think this is a better solution than ordinary brackets because they're more distinctive speech markers than parentheses and tidier than curly brackets and less obtrusive than square brackets - man, I have a lot of brackets for a compressed laptop keyboard. Fun fact for the day: when you're writing in French, double triangle brackets* are the equivalent of quote marks. <<Everyone talks like this - and you thought parentheses were distracting!>>