WattyWarriors Fan Magazine 6.0

Writing Tips | Italics, Bold, and Underline

Hey there, everyone! Ren here with another Writing Tips segment!

I've noticed around Wattpad, some writers have trouble figuring out when to properly use italicized, bolded, and underlined text. Here are some tips to help you understand these font's purposes.

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WHEN TO ITALICIZE:
This is probably the most common, and has many ways of being utilized.

— An action or stage direction —
Examplepaw: *runs around doing stuff*

— Dialogue of someone's thoughts —
This is what I'm thinking right now, thought Examplepaw.

— When emphasizing something —
"No, he killed your father. Not me," Examplepaw hissed in defense.

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WHEN TO USE BOLD:
This one's a bit more tricky, as authors don't usually bold any of their words in real, printed books. So, here's a short list of ways people I've seen around Wattpad use it:

— For an author's note —
Hey everyone, what'd you think of that cliffhanger? Hehehe. Next chapter will be posted soon! <3
-Examplepaw

— In a random book, it can be used for titles when listing things —
Major point or word
Text underneath, explaining what the above line is about, etc.
Next Title
Another few sentences underneath that, and so on. This allows the writer to separate important points from specific details.

— Never use it during an actual story —
Examplepaw ran up to their mentor and yelled, "I HATE YOU FOR BEING MEAN TO ME!!!1!"
Also, don't do this:
Examplepaw continued, "Someday, you'll get what you deserve."
That's what italics are for, my friend.

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WHEN TO UNDERLINE:
Another tricky one, so here's some ways I've seen it used effectively:

— In listing characters' names —
Examplepaw- plain cat with regular eyes

— Referencing a book title or movie —
"Have you seen Thor Ragnarok yet?" Examplepaw asked.
(Italics are usually used for this, but underlining can work as well, especially if the whole sentence is already italicized.)

— Titles and subtitles —
Grocery List
-Catmint
-Two mice
-Milk
-Dry moss

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And there you have it folks. Hope this was helpful, and happy writing!