Any excuse for writing some dialog in ALL CAPS?

ZMShah · Jan 6, 2011

Or is this simply not proper convention? For example:

"Hey you! Stop! STOP!"

This kind of indicates that the second "stop" is said with more intensity and even louder than the first. Is this acceptable?

RobJ · Jan 6, 2011

It depends.

Some people frown on it. I don't see all-caps used that often. I do see it sometimes. Whether it's acceptable will depend on who's doing the accepting.

Pistol Whipped Bee · Jan 6, 2011

Sure - when your character is yelling.

Jamesaritchie · Jan 6, 2011

I hate it when writers do this. If you want to show the second "stop" has more intensity, then put it in italics. Don't resort to text speak or forum speak. It isn't necessary, and just looks silly.

Greenify13 · Jan 6, 2011

What James said...Using all caps in itself is more telling then showing, and yes the person is speaking, but you should never use a dialogue to tell something that can be shown. Showing is quite important, showing appropriately is even more important and often showing through dialogue isn't necessary.

"Hey you! Stop!"

The teen pulled up his sagging pants as he glanced over his shoulder, purse in one hand, he flipped her off with the other.

"Stop!" Eliza ran after the thief herself, no one in park seemed to notice the juvenille just stole the old woman's purse.

Point being, you don't need to show your intensity through the words themselves. I must say that I don't even like the use of exclamation marks though there are times it can be appropriate.

I've rambled, sorry, my marbles are swimming in too much coffee.

dpaterso · Jan 6, 2011

ZMShah said:
Or is this simply not proper convention? For example:

"Hey you! Stop! STOP!"

I've seen similar usage in novels -- don't have a problem with it, in moderation. Kinda loses its punch if it's overused.

-Derek

Chase · Jan 6, 2011

I agree with James. After junior high school, even once is overuse.

rainsmom · Jan 6, 2011

I think it's all right to use all caps to suggest shouting, especially when the shouting is annoying.

"CAN I GET YOU ANYTHING, DEAR?"
"Mrs. Bates, my mother is blind, not deaf."
"Oh, I see. WOULD YOU LIKE A COOKIE?"

Stew21 · Jan 6, 2011

If you use it, use it sparingly.

dpaterso · Jan 6, 2011

Oh yeah, that reminds me, in Fantasy capitals are sometimes used for speech (or thought-speech) from inhuman characters, e.g. Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels, Death (the actual grim reaper) and golems speak or write IN CAPITALS. Seems odd for the first couple of lines, then you get used to it.

-Derek

Chris P · Jan 6, 2011

I'd say never. HEAR ME?!? NEVER!!!!!

Stew21 · Jan 6, 2011

THANKS CHRIS! :tongue

(when I said sparingly I mean I used all caps for one word out of the last three books I've written. And it was a bad word! :evil

)

Chris P · Jan 6, 2011

Stew21 said:
THANKS CHRIS!

(when I said sparingly I mean I used all caps for one word out of the last three books I've written. And it was a bad word! )

The only words I do in all caps are "I" and "A" (and the second only at the beginning of a sentence).

RobJ · Jan 6, 2011

Jamesaritchie said:
I hate it when writers do this. If you want to show the second "stop" has more intensity, then put it in italics. Don't resort to text speak or forum speak.

Use of all-caps in dialogue has nothing to do with text speak or forum speak. It's been around far longer.

Jamesaritchie said:
It isn't necessary

Lots of things are not necessary. Everyone could write like Jose Saramago if they wanted to. No reason why they should, though, and most people don't.

Jamesaritchie said:
and just looks silly.

And that sounds petty, and insulting to those successful authors who've used all-caps.

CheekyWench · Jan 6, 2011

I'm going to go with... use it however you want unless the house style tells you not to.

Susan Coffin · Jan 6, 2011

No all caps. Italics for emphasis.

RobJ · Jan 6, 2011

Greenify13 said:
What James said...Using all caps in itself is more telling then showing, and yes the person is speaking, but you should never use a dialogue to tell something that can be shown. Showing is quite important, showing appropriately is even more important and often showing through dialogue isn't necessary.

"Hey you! Stop!"

The teen pulled up his sagging pants as he glanced over his shoulder, purse in one hand, he flipped her off with the other.

"Stop!" Eliza ran after the thief herself, no one in park seemed to notice the juvenille just stole the old woman's purse.

Point being, you don't need to show your intensity through the words themselves. I must say that I don't even like the use of exclamation marks though there are times it can be appropriate.

I've rambled, sorry, my marbles are swimming in too much coffee.

Point being, your offering is worse than the original. For a start, it doesn't convey the increased intensity the OP was after, so it fails on that score. In addition, you've added a bunch of needless telling.

pangalactic · Jan 6, 2011

I used to think it was alright in moderation, then JK Rowling went thoroughly overboard with it. Now I can't stand to see it.

maestrowork · Jan 6, 2011

It depends -- house style, etc. (I guarantee you my publisher will lowercase it)

Personally, I hate it. It makes me think of Batman the TV show. Or a kid's writing.

BJThornton · Jan 6, 2011

I've seen all caps used as in your example. When a character is yelling, it makes sense to me and isn't off putting.

EFCollins · Jan 6, 2011

dpaterso said:
I've seen similar usage in novels -- don't have a problem with it, in moderation. Kinda loses its punch if it's overused.

-Derek

This.

Xelebes · Jan 6, 2011

To me, capslock is not emphatic but more commanding.

Examples:

HE WHO PASSES THIS MARK SHALL PASS NO MORE!

No! No! NO!

DancingMaenid · Jan 6, 2011

rainsmom said:
I think it's all right to use all caps to suggest shouting, especially when the shouting is annoying.

"CAN I GET YOU ANYTHING, DEAR?"
"Mrs. Bates, my mother is blind, not deaf."
"Oh, I see. WOULD YOU LIKE A COOKIE?"

This type of example I can get behind. I think it can work in situations where the character is supposed to be annoying or a little humorous.

I'm not crazy about it in general, though. It's a personal choice, and I don't know that it's wrong, but I prefer the use of italics if something is emphasized. Using all caps looks too much like telling to me most of the time.

Wayne K · Jan 6, 2011

I tried it with the new WIP because there was a lot of yelling(a memoir) and it jarred me as I looked at the page. I tried everything, but cant capture the oomph it needs w/o it being too much. Caps is too much for me

I'm going to try James' suggestion, and switch it to italics

Jamesaritchie · Jan 6, 2011

BJThornton said:
I've seen all caps used as in your example. When a character is yelling, it makes sense to me and isn't off putting.

Well, it isn't nearly as off putting as the phrase "off putting."

I guess I'd ask where you saw it?

Any excuse for writing some dialog in ALL CAPS?

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