SCBWI's Blueboard - A Message & Chat Board
Writer's Room => Picture Books (PB) => Topic started by: christopher-healey on March 29, 2017, 09:36 PM
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:new I apologize if this is elsewhere, but I haven't seen anything so far.
I am currently working on an illustration portfolio and, as part of that, I am also illustrating an original story. I was wondering if one can use elongated words in a picture book?
The easiest example is "pleeeeeease!"...
I didn't know whether the fact that elongating words is technically misspelling them is something that would bother a potential publisher? I have tried emphasizing by using capital letters but the effect usually just becomes more shouty than anything else, which is not the feeling I'm looking for.
Hopefully this rambling question makes sense to somebody :)
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Yes. You can do that.
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I've seen this. And not just in PBs but also in novels to show speech pattern. But not overused, just enough to give you the flavor.
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Thank you both :thankyou
I think I'm only going to use it twice throughout the story. Good to know! :)
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This is especially fine if you are sending a book dummy as the illustrator. Otherwise these things are often up to the design department. (Just noting this in case someone who is an author only stops by.) In the end, the designer may change to a different font or italicize for emphasis, but there's no harm in using it.
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That technique seems totally fine to me and I don't think it would be off-putting.
I don't think something like "kidz" instead of "kids" would work, however. Well, unless, the speaker is a fly or bee. LOL. Like in FLY GUY, for example.