I imagine at some point my MC is going to recite poetry to my other MC, because he's going to try very hard to woo her. When writing this in the actual novel, how do I format it? Would it be (for example):
"'A mind not to be chang'd by place or time. The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.'"
or something like:
"'A mind not to be chang'd by place or time. / The mind is its own place, and in itself / Can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.'"
...Or something else entirely? Of course, if he recites whole poems, they'll be broken off from the text and in blockquotes, but I'm asking more along the links of 1-3 line quotes.
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2006: Untitled YA novel unfinished at 16,368
2007: Afterwords Cafe ended at 53,643.
2008: Discovering Eleanor... Still trucking.
81,043 / 50,000
Oct 12, 2008 - 06 41
I think the slashes indicating line breaks would be correct, or else just type out the poem with the correct formatting. You could do something like:
And then Jack said:
"To be or not to be, that is the question
whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer
the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune..."
etc. I've seen it done both ways in books. I think if the character is saying more than a couple of lines, it might be easier to set the poem as it would appear in a book, with the line breaks as I've one above.
----------~Erin
New York City Municipal Liaison
Moderator of Romance and Writing 101
Slightly Crazy
See also the (seldom updated) fshk blog
50,264 / 50,000
Oct 12, 2008 - 14 30
I've seen writing the poem out and slashes, so I'd say whichever of the two you feel comfortable with.
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Helen Blakemore: If he insists on coming in here, we'll have to shoot him.
83,847 / 50,000
Oct 12, 2008 - 16 39
Thanks! I'll probably use the slashes, though I guess if I set it off from the text it'll make my book look longer...
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2006: Untitled YA novel unfinished at 16,368
2007: Afterwords Cafe ended at 53,643.
2008: Discovering Eleanor... Still trucking.
60,369 / 50,000
Oct 12, 2008 - 19 26
I think the slashes look strange, and that setting it off in it's own paragraph (sorta) is too formal...but I seem to be the minority. =/ Whichever you decide.
----------I do not know beneath what sky nor on what seas shall be thy fate.
I only know it shall be high; I only know it shall be great.