Harry Potter Capslock Revisited

[sweettalkeress.livejournal.com]

So a lot of us now have talked long and hard about how there's a ton of capslock in Harry Potter and how that's the sort of writing you'd expect from amateur fanfiction. Recently I was reading a random blog post for a bad novel and the writers of the blog were commenting on how there are some versions of capslock more excusable than others, and that the capslock in Harry Potter was an unusually good example of how it could work (see Molly Weasley's threat to Bellatrix, DH). This was compared favorably to the use of capslock seen in hack writing such as, for example, the following sentence from a bad novel I actually own:

"That made Thunderbark EXTREMELY angry."

Note that this is not a line of dialogue.

So what do all you guys think? Do you think Harry Potter's use of capslock actually works at any point? Do you think there's any way it could work in published novels, or should it remain a mistake of amateur fanfic authors?

Comments

[nx74defiant.livejournal.com]

I can't think of an example. I think Caps lock used well doesn't stick out. It the bad that stays in the memory. A rare piece of dialog perhaps.

[sunnyskywalker]

I think that in general, capslock could be effective - when used very, very sparingly and only when the situation actually calls for extreme emphasis. So, "I am very peeved at my friends right now!" does not cut it. More like... maybe if some character has to shout a certain word/phrase loudly enough to echo off a mountain chain for magical and/or avalanche causing purposes at the climax of a book, or is shouting a final "No!" at the villain for some huge refusal to go along with the evil plot at the climax, or something similarly huge. In that case, that particular utterance would be distinct from ordinary shouting. And short enough that it wouldn't get irritating. But I'd think carefully about using it even in that kind of situation.

I think HP uses it often enough that it loses its effectiveness. If we can't tell he's super-upset from the context plus some italics and exclamation points, then capslocking is relying too much on typography rather than, you know, writing. You might as well put all of Luna's dialog in a whimsical font instead of making sure that her actual words are whimsical enough to convey that impression on their own.

If it were cut down by 95 percent? I don't know, maybe I'd be fine with it.

[hwyla.livejournal.com]

I think my favorite incidence of 'CapsLock' isn't for emphasis at all. I love the way Prachett uses it in the DiscWorld series for the voice of Death. I suppose it is emphasis, just not the kind we normally think. It instead emphasizes the 'voice', denoting the deep tones of Death's speech.

As for HP - the only appropriate use of it in the books seems to me to be when Harry keeps yelling at his friends in bk5. But only because it gets on my nerves and so makes me 'feel' for Ron and Hermione - just like being constantly screamed at by a friend.

[oryx_leucoryx]

If we are on Pratchett, there is also 'THIS IS NOT MY COW!' from Thud! - Commander Sam Vimes is in the midst of a chase, in the mountains, while possessed by a spirit of revenge from the beginning of the universe, realizes it is six o'clock and there is no way he can be with his son to read to him as he always does, so he starts yelling the recitation of the book. And yes, is voice does echo in the mountains.

[hwyla.livejournal.com]

YES! I forgot that one. Somehow the AllCaps seems more 'echo-like', just as Death's voice feels 'deeper' in tone in caps.

I do feel a bit 'guilty' complaining about the use of CapsLock when I tend to use it myself for emphasis when posting. I used to have so much trouble with other forum members misreading whatever I wrote that I began writing occasional words that I wanted emphasized in AllCaps.

Of course, I now understand that those particular posters were seemingly purposely misreading whatever I wrote - just to be argumentative - and so there wasn't a need for the AllCaps. Unfortunately, by this time it's a rather hard habit to break.

[condwiramurs.livejournal.com]

Something JKR (and far too many fic writers) should post on their wall as a reminder:

Typography =/= Writing

[kahran042]

I think that capslock looks good when used as robot-speech.

[mary-j-59.livejournal.com]

I'm inclined to agree with Sunnyskywalker. The capslock key should be used very, very, sparingly, if at all. As young writers, we get told we should make emotions clear by the words we choose. The capslock key is no substitute for natural dialogue and well-chosen verbs and nouns! My two cents.