Not trying to start a debate on the merits of annotation/not annotating at all. I’ve just never annotated a book outside of school so I’m curious what people are choosing to tab or note within a book.
Do you mark plot features? Like things that you think are foreshadowing or important background to come back to later? Pivotal moments?
Is it about characters? Their backstory, or important moments of character development, or just scenes with characters you love?
Is it purely aesthetic? Prose you think is beautiful? Or do you take an analytical approach, like noting important metaphors or literary devices as if for an English paper?
No wrong answers, I’m just curious how other readers’ minds work!
by stockholm__syndrome
4 Comments
Mostly beautiful prose. Sometimes foreshadowing.
I love to underline beautiful sentences that formulate specific feelings that I find hard to put into words!! Also things I want to look up again because they resonate with me or because i think it’s impressive writing
Depends on the genre. Beautifully crafted sentences. Things that made me laugh. Repeating patterns that might be important later or continuing themes I want to journal about
I’m just starting to dabble. I’m doing my first annotation on a series re-read. I’m looking for:
Character introductions and development
Relationship development (both romantic and platonic)
World building, foreshadowing, important plot. I’ve also been noting nuggets about characters as they are mentioned like a long lost sibling or a place they’ve travelled to before or little things like that that might come back later if you’re paying attention.
Good quotes or dialogue or passages that make me have some kind of emotional reaction (laughing, crying, gasping out loud)
I think that the annotating is going to give me a different relationship to the story in that I’m slowing down and really sitting with and digesting all the details.
Bonus is it’s pretty 😂