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Q&A How to write the action of someone reading in a story? An example, please

If you format the email as separate from the narration, that will take care of most of the transition between the narrator and the text of the email. Set it aside in its own paragraph and do one o...

posted 5y ago by Cyn‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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#4: Attribution notice removed by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-20T00:40:44Z (about 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/44939
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T11:48:41Z (about 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/44939
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by (deleted user) · 2019-12-08T11:48:41Z (about 5 years ago)
If you format the email as separate from the narration, that will take care of most of the transition between the narrator and the text of the email. Set it aside in its own paragraph and do one or more of the following: indent, italicize, change the font type, change the font size, or place in a box.

You might be thinking of the email as internal dialogue, which requires quotes and actions and so forth. But it's not. It's a separate piece of text. Make it obviously separate and your reader will completely understand what is going on, with only the briefest of lead in's.

> Fred kicked off his shoes as he sat down and opened his email. He froze as he saw it. Mark's reply.
> 
> > Yadda yadda yadda.
> 
> Fred grabbed the computer and his shoes and ran out to his car.

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2019-05-03T20:14:10Z (over 5 years ago)
Original score: 2