Unconventional communication types.

[Aminar]

I have a pair of cultures in my current novel that communicate by scripting letters across their skin.  For most of the book the relevant characters will know how to speak, and use that as their primary form of communication, but in the prologue I'm writing now I need to write a conversation using the scripted language and I'm unsure how to present it.  What are the rules for unconventional communication.

I'm debating using > instead of quotation marks.  The language scrolls so that seems like it could help to give a little subconscious help with the motion.

So for instance.

Iraisa scripted, >I have a bad feeling about this> across the palm of her hand, cupping it so only Keth could see.

[belial.1980]

I don't think there are any hard fast rules. But I've seen italics used before for something like this. I've also seen authors use <> to mark what has been communicated. And example might look something like this: 

Joe walked in and greeted the bartender. <Hey, Bob. What's up?>

The other furrowed his brow, emphasizing the message he scripted across his forehead. <You've got a lot of guts showing up here after  the stunt you pulled last week.>

It's a pretty banal example but I think you get the gist. Good luck with your work.

[LizW65]

You could try using a different font for the script.  Just don't make it too weird or difficult to read, or it will be distracting.

[Snowleopard]

I've seen italic used for someone else's mental thoughts so I would think it would work for
skin scripting.  Wild idea by the way.

[Haru]

You could try using a different font for the script.  Just don't make it too weird or difficult to read, or it will be distracting.

I second this. Especially if you want to bring it up later in the book, the reader will instantly connect the different font to the different type of communication, giving him an "in the know" feel, which is a cool thing in my opinion. I have seen writers use a typewriter (or ancient printer) style font to convey digital communication, for example. It will disrupt the flow of the text, but in a good way. Maybe you can get away with colors, which would fit if different people scripted in different colors, eliminating the need for "he said", "she scripted", etc.

[Aminar]

I've seen italic used for someone else's mental thoughts so I would think it would work for
skin scripting.  Wild idea by the way.

Thanks.

I'll have to look into other fonts, I do like the idea.  Besides which the two races that do this have very different languages and it would help to differentiate the two should it come up later.  Now I need a loopy font and a jagged one.  Hmmmmm.

[Quantus]

The animorph books I read as a kid used <  > brackets to indicate telepathic communication. It worked quite well, especially since the only character with it were the hero team and the big boss villain who would occasionally crash into their otherwise private communication. 

I have scene books that use font/size changes, italics, and even bold letters, but those rely a bit more on quality printing (not as big a deal now as it is in those 80's paperbacks).  I have also scene all caps used, but that was supposed to be an overpowering metal shout sort of thing, so it might not be too bad.   Combinations can also work if a single doesn't click with you.

[Aminar]

The animorph books I read as a kid used <  > brackets to indicate telepathic communication. It worked quite well, especially since the only character with it were the hero team and the big boss villain who would occasionally crash into their otherwise private communication. 

I have scene books that use font/size changes, italics, and even bold letters, but those rely a bit more on quality printing (not as big a deal now as it is in those 80's paperbacks).  I have also scene all caps used, but that was supposed to be an overpowering metal shout sort of thing, so it might not be too bad.   Combinations can also work if a single doesn't click with you.

When I was discussing this with my roommates everyone brought up Animorphs too(including me.)  That's a big part of the reason I'm going with the >> method actually.  Nostalgia for the win.

Is there a reason your using scene instead of seen? 

[meg_evonne]

the brackets work for me

[Quantus]

Is there a reason your using scene instead of seen?

Ya, its because there was too much blood in my caffeine stream this morning :-P

[Dresdenus Prime]

The Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne (Fantastic series by the way, for anyone who hasn't read it. It has a lot of Irish mythology and is a first person narrative, much like The Dresden Files.) Anywho, the main character is able to communicate mentally with his pet, and when his pet talks to him, the author uses brackets for the pets speech. So that's definately a plausible way to go.

[Quantus]

For me the main thing is that I personally prefer such things to be done with an alternate character in place of the quotation marks, rather than a font/format change.  As a reader it feels more intuitive, because it is still getting the dialog type punctuation I am used to.  The format changes always look more like an emphasis, rather than speech (using the term loosely) when I first encounter them;  characters I notice as Im reading, formatting is something I only really notice when its breaking my rhythm.  Granted you get used to anything after a while, but as a reader its easier for me, and as a writer I wouldnt ever have to worry about the formatting getting lost should it ever be quoted or moved to a different medium like a e-book. 

[Aminar]

Quantus, after some testing I definitley agree.  Plus using>> and<< allows me to distinguish the two cultures languages.  One scripts one wy, the other the opposite, helping to define how polar of opposites they have become.