How to distinguish two different voices in one book?
A relative (who is no longer living) wrote a number of autobiographical pieces which I would like to publish in a book. I would like to include four or five chapters written by myself, that would supplement the relative's memories. In addition, some chapters will require a small amount of text written by me, usually at either the beginning or the end of the chapter. By "small," I mean half a page or less.
How do I distinguish between the two voices? I was thinking that for a short bit inside a chapter, I could use italics, or the dreaded footnote. But I don't want to use italics for a whole chapter. I don't want to have to use my first name in the chapter title three or four times. That would be embarrassing. (My chapters mostly come at the end of the book, but there's one that comes in the middle.)
1 answer
Set off your part with some kind of identifier:
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.
Aparente Smith: About two months passed where Joan didn't write in her diary. We can guess that she continued in her job, since the next entry picks up with another lament about her coworker David.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.
For a chapter head, I'd be fine with reading Aparente Smith: Interlude or something similar.
I hear you about one paragraph vs. an entire chapter of italics, and I have to agree. A little is okay, but pages and pages becomes exhausting.
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