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Writing styles change over time. Few writers today indulge in the kind of classic writing of Shakespeare or for that matter Mary Lamb or William Bartram. Today's writers are keenly aware of adherence to grammar and punctuation style guides. With regard to punctuation, the use of bold, italics and parentheses depends on sentence structure, grammatical dialogue and plot. 

However, ensuring readers clearly understand what you write is always the major goal with the use of visual enhancements. The rule of thumb in writing is to know your readership as well as you know the buyers of your books. There are pros and cons of using italics to designate character thoughts in fiction. Exploring the pros and cons is important for those new to fiction writing. 

For every professional writer who has ever published their guidelines, few ever agree on standardization or uniformity when it comes to italics. Thus, it is helpful to study pros and cons of this particular issue. 

 

 

Pros of Using Italics to Designate Character Thoughts in Fiction 

  • The use of italics implies a visual signal to the reader 

  • Italics help define coordinated thoughts from dialogue 

  • Italics clarify a break in dialogue to the reader when thoughts are brief 

  • Italics can also be used to designate emphasis of words used in non-dialogue sentences 

Cons of Using Italics to Designate Character Thoughts in Fiction 

  • Italics used too often throughout a fiction novel turn readers off 

  • Italics can be misused when it isn't doesn't match the genre of fiction written 

  • Titles of essays, poems, articles and songs mentioned as thoughts in fiction should not be in italics because it confuses readers 

Choose Your Style Guide 

If you are a new fiction writer and have not yet been published, it is wise to check with a mentor or writing instructor on their views of how to properly designate character thoughts and their opinions of using italics. 

Italics that describe character thoughts should be used only once per page of the manuscript. Remember, italics visually affect the reader of your fiction. A page of fiction with more than one incidence of the use of italics makes the reader feel as if the character thinks more than speaks or acts. 

Italics that Age Your Fiction 

If you write in the style of Agatha Christie, you may want to use italics for character thought. Just use it sparingly to avoid a negative visual appearance. If you write in a more modern style, you might want to avoid italics entirely or use quotation marks.  If you choose to use quotation marks for thoughts, you need to ensure there is a marked difference between actual character dialogue and character thought. You can age your ultra-modern sci-fi tome by using italics. 

It All Comes Down to Personal Preference 

All writers have a writing style that is remarkably unique so you know a Virginia Wolff novel from one written by John Grisham. Try to match your use of italics to your personal writing style, the writing genre and your readers' comfort with the use of italics.