Flow.

[R. C.]

Now for something completely different.

In my story, the thread of the action in the scene is often directed, and confirmed, by text messages.

It is easy to separate the of the text messages, indent for effect, bold the name, etc. I've tried numerous fonts, graphics with left-right (send-response) text, and simple line separators. However, all efforts at formatting for a smooth flow seem to disrupt the scene.

Does anyone have a thought on how to insert text messages into a scene and maintain the flow?

Cheers,
R.C.

[notthatamanda]

I had a book with quite a lot of texts. I treated it as dialogue and stayed in the characters head.

I'll make some up here. Text will be italic.

Do you want to go out to dinner or get takeout?

Yes.

Sam frowned. Really, he thought. Two choices is not a yes or no question. But he decided to keep it civil.

I'm in the mood for Italian. Cafe Victor okay with you?

Yes.

Do you want to go out or should I pick something up on the way home?

I don't care.

Sam groaned. I don't care was definitely code for "You decide so I can be angry at you either way."

To be honest I found it pretty simple. If the main character sent 2 texts in a row, I would write "Sam thought about it, then decided to elaborate."

[R. C.]

I've been working on this for days... Sometimes, simple is best.



UPDATE

The image format does not easily translate to ePub or KDP.  I am going to have to re-think the model.

UPDATE TWO

FYI - Because my manuscript is in MS Word, I inserted simple tables to create the effect. I gave the cells colored shading for effect. it looks good in KDP... now off to check ePub creation...

Cheers,
R.C.

[alhawke]

R.C. , are you going to actually color code and format around the text like that? I like that. I never thought to format it like an actual text in a book. In one of my books, my method was to use time to separate it out:

8:45 a.m.: I think Jo Jo’s coming down with a cold. I really need you here for her
9:00 a.m.: We’re going to breakfast. We’ll see you downstairs. If not here yet, TEXT ME
9:45 a.m.: Where are you? What’s happening?
And on and on …
10:02 a.m.: ANSWER YOUR PHONE
10:04 a.m.: ANSWER YOUR PHONE
11:10 a.m.: Leave her! I need you back NOW
He shook his head. He finally sent a message back, telling her he was still delayed.

[The Bass Bagwhan]

I suggest you consult with a very good formatter as to whether your text boxes, etc, will display correctly across a broad spectrum of ereader devices. Some early Kindles are very limited in the fonts they'll display, let alone any trickier stuff. I'm concerned you're putting a lot of time and effort into something that most ereader devices won't reproduce. Just because it works in Word doesn't mean it'll work in a Kindle ... or Kobo.

[R. C.]

I suggest you consult with a very good formatter as to whether your text boxes, etc, will display correctly across a broad spectrum of ereader devices. Some early Kindles are very limited in the fonts they'll display, let alone any trickier stuff. I'm concerned you're putting a lot of time and effort into something that most ereader devices won't reproduce. Just because it works in Word doesn't mean it'll work in a Kindle ... or Kobo.

So far, so good. Based on testing in several "previewer" tools, the images appear in grayscale for the older devices.

Cheers,
R.C.

[Mike_Bravo]

Not sure if times have changed, but when I'd done some LitRPG with tables, the cost went up a non-insignificant amount. You might check to make sure that the formatting you're using doesn't increase your delivery fee by too much.