To Italicize or Not To Italicize

[monsterchic]

"Fine," she said as she clomped down the stairs.

Should clomped be italicized? Because I've seen it both ways for all the onomatopoeia words. To me, it looks funny italicized, but what's the standard for such things? It's a verb, though, so only halfway onomatopoeia...is that possible? Just a little formatting thing, but it's driving me up the wall. Time for more coffee

 

[alchemist]

Don't italicise. You don't need to, and it looks odd if you do.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Don't italicise. You don't need to, and it looks odd if you do.

Wot he said.

 

[monsterchic]

Okay, that's what I thought. Apparently I'm just going nuts...like I said. More coffee is needed.

 

[alchemist]

Maybe the problem is too much coffee ...

 

[Toby Frost]

No, don't italicise. And I wouldn't italicise any onomatopoeia, for what it's worth.

 

[Ivanya]

I'd only italicise if you were putting deliberate stress on that particular word. Some writers use italics for thoughts as well (George R. R. Martin for example) but too much can just look unprofessional.

 

[tinkerdan]

One way of looking at it is that if it's a real word and in context it is clear what it is being used for like thud clank or poof then no need to italicize.

If it is not [yet] a word then in quotes no italicize necessary, but otherwise italicize.

In quotes alone ones that are words you might italicize as you would thoughts.

On the other hand it is also advised to mostly stick to non-italicized when you can.
It seems there are some guidelines with much wiggle room.

Probably keeping in mind if you do italicize it will draw attention to it.

 

[Stephen Palmer]

You can italicise an actual single word that represents the sound, for example there was a ting! sound. Needs to be done consistently though. Clomped is a verb, so don't italicise.

 

[Jester85]

I italicize in a couple situations:

A flashback dropped into the middle of a present scene, to differentiate.

To denote emphasis on a certain spoken word.

 

[sahlmi]

I've seen like 6 different ways authors use italices: direct thoughts, emphacized thoughts (while regular thoughts are not ital.), emphacized thoughts in a separate paragraph, none at all, and any combination therein. As S.Palmer stated, whatever you choose, do it consistently. If it's not a publiher's house style, then at least that would make it easy to change.
I fall into the 'none' category with ital. on emphacized thoughts, or for SUPER emphacized thoughts, a separate paragraph. Depends on the character's state of mind at the moment.

 

[HareBrain]

You can italicise an actual single word that represents the sound, for example there was a ting! sound. Needs to be done consistently though. Clomped is a verb, so don't italicise.

Yes, I've seen this kind of thing before, which I would guess is where you (the OP) got your idea:

"Fine," she said as she went clomp-clomp-clomp down the stairs.

But SP is right, you wouldn't italicise if you used it as a verb.

 

[sahlmi]

oops, read too fast. completely missed the point. ha

 

[Dean F. Wilson]

Adding my voice to the chorus: I wouldn't italicise words like this.

-D