tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post2890991590796557777..comments2024-01-12T00:48:48.031-06:00Comments on Go Teen Writers: Italicizing a character's thoughtsStephanie Morrillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-43250697489365459202016-10-03T00:27:46.760-05:002016-10-03T00:27:46.760-05:00I have just started editing my 2 year old manuscri...I have just started editing my 2 year old manuscript that has more than necessary italicised character's thoughts. I'm starting from again now that I've found this invaluable advice, at the right moment too. Thank you.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17094676285572539204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-72451918682822920172014-08-29T12:46:13.699-05:002014-08-29T12:46:13.699-05:00Stephanie Morrill, a vampire story I'm writing...Stephanie Morrill, a vampire story I'm writing, Red Mist, starts with a dream that's in first person and italics but you don't know that it's the mane character Claire until she wakes up, is that good or bad considering it was not just a dream but a weak psychic flash. The dream itself isn't actually her in it, but her in another's body in the dream, like she's gotten into the head of the person, Brooke, and is looking at what he's looking at though it's a premonition of the werewolf attack and she connects with Brooke because she's his blood donor and he's holding her father's arm. Throughout the story, there'll be brief moments where Claire will have these premonitions and the more Brooke has fed from her, the stronger they become until she can communicate with Brooke and make her presence in his mind felt.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15195132442553804398noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-57948094428115225912014-08-29T12:41:08.619-05:002014-08-29T12:41:08.619-05:00The italics in that is Saphira talking into Eragon...The italics in that is Saphira talking into Eragon's mind and she's a dragon so it's supposed to be special. I was told that if you have a dragon that speaks into minds of other characters, you should italics the words because otherwise it could be any old person talking.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15195132442553804398noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-62105418537379110802014-01-17T12:42:55.305-06:002014-01-17T12:42:55.305-06:00Ahhh this was so helpful. I am always using the it...Ahhh this was so helpful. I am always using the italics - now I know more of how I should use them!<br /><br />Leah Oxendine Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11866547395955852343noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-52339108008225637562014-01-11T03:19:58.896-06:002014-01-11T03:19:58.896-06:00I like to read the italics when they're here a...I like to read the italics when they're here and there and not overdone. It's like this is the character's consious thought, instead of just whatever ran through his mind. Thanks for the post. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-32756558409996759332013-10-17T12:20:44.920-05:002013-10-17T12:20:44.920-05:00Oops! Haha, I'm definitely guilty of this one!...Oops! Haha, I'm definitely guilty of this one! I'll have to watch out for that. X) YOU GUYS ARE SO SMART! :DDakota Densmorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00587804844274127979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-49935988738294741122013-10-16T10:56:12.489-05:002013-10-16T10:56:12.489-05:00I use the italic thingy waaaay too much in my last...I use the italic thingy waaaay too much in my lastest WIP. It's written in first person, and I can and do totally see your point on how we are already in their head. Time for some revising.... :) Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-91408020585456991962013-05-19T04:42:33.339-05:002013-05-19T04:42:33.339-05:00I had the same issue, I wonder sometimes If I'...I had the same issue, I wonder sometimes If I've used too much Italic, even to emphasis things like -<br />'-Naming her Rosa. Labelled Rosa.' I put the 'Labelled' in italics but now seeing this page made me wonder how much italics I was putting in. Sometimes I wonder also if putting some of it in bold italic would break up some of the italic, like a document or dream sequence?<br />Or if it was too much, but I would never do it too often in paragraphs near each other, just drips and drabs.<br /> Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-63639867643070598902012-08-29T22:20:16.433-05:002012-08-29T22:20:16.433-05:00I italicize my character's thoughts, and they ...I italicize my character's thoughts, and they tend to do a lot of thinking, but I hate actually putting it before they speak, and it's usually praying anyways. <br /><br />I guess a lot of the books I've read and loved do this. I hope it works ok with my book and how I use it... Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-27176047139430904162012-07-06T15:03:31.481-05:002012-07-06T15:03:31.481-05:00Wow. *Never* thought about this before. I like ita...Wow. *Never* thought about this before. I like italics in the books that I read so I suppose that's why I've never given it much thought. I can't explain exactly why I like it...I suppose because I still read a majority of 3rd person and it makes it more personal to me, but even in the River of Time books when we were no-doubt in Gabi's head, I liked the italics. Still, I think I have overdone the italics in my manuscripts, so thanks, Stephanie, for pointing this out to me!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06150136011032761640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-60856903066418849482012-07-06T11:06:55.592-05:002012-07-06T11:06:55.592-05:00great post! working on my story, which includes a ...great post! working on my story, which includes a lot of the POV character's daydreaming, and rambling thoughts(much like inside my head!:P). I wasn't sure if they needed to be italicized or even single quoted or something. So thanks.:)ARnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-19909646082181048242012-07-06T10:38:18.439-05:002012-07-06T10:38:18.439-05:00One thing to note, if there are italicized thought...One thing to note, if there are italicized thoughts on every page, if you use them a lot (and it's not for telepathy *grin*) most agents and editors will immediately think, "Amateur writer!" I've heard this again and again at writers conferences and thought the same things myself as I read manuscripts as an editor. So, if you do decide to keep italicized thoughts often, be very careful that you don't over do it.Jill Williamsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11943570354349667196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-51297133319749718932012-07-06T08:30:31.085-05:002012-07-06T08:30:31.085-05:00Becki, thanks for linking to that article!
Margar...Becki, thanks for linking to that article!<br /><br />Margaret, this is why POV is so, so tricky. Because it seems each has it's own rules. Yes, head hopping is acceptable in 3rd person omniscient, though there's certainly a technique to it. I would pick up a modern novel that's done well and is written in omniscient (Harry Potter, Gossip Girl, The Luxe series) to get a feel for it. Many classics are written in omniscient as well, but I would study the techniques of the modern novel as well.Stephanie Morrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-29399308964246725942012-07-06T08:17:50.844-05:002012-07-06T08:17:50.844-05:00Again, this is a style thing, so it's not nece...Again, this is a style thing, so it's not necessarily wrong, but an editor (or agent) might want it done a different way.<br /><br />In my first drafts, I tend to overuse "I thought." I try to cut that whenever I can and just show that the character is thinking this. Kinda like the word said.Stephanie Morrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-34074239684194140222012-07-06T08:14:38.193-05:002012-07-06T08:14:38.193-05:00Cait, I think using italics to emphasize words is ...Cait, I think using italics to emphasize words is perfectly acceptable. However, I think it can be overdone.Stephanie Morrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-88985822139286958272012-07-06T08:13:37.271-05:002012-07-06T08:13:37.271-05:00Yep, telepathy is another good addition, Lindsey.
...Yep, telepathy is another good addition, Lindsey.<br /><br />And for me it depends on the book. If the author has a tendency to lapse into more description than I care for, I definitely start skimming those. I try not to, but my eye seems to naturally do it :(Stephanie Morrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-85425242347748778152012-07-06T08:10:40.065-05:002012-07-06T08:10:40.065-05:00Internal argument is a great addition to that list...Internal argument is a great addition to that list - that could get very confusing otherwise.Stephanie Morrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-56794510325181196952012-07-06T08:09:25.620-05:002012-07-06T08:09:25.620-05:00Lol, RJ. That's always a nice surprise :)Lol, RJ. That's always a nice surprise :)Stephanie Morrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-38161033454183669682012-07-06T08:01:02.631-05:002012-07-06T08:01:02.631-05:00That's your call, Clarebear. (And your future ...That's your call, Clarebear. (And your future editor's.) What I tend to do is if it's a snippet of a moment that comes back to the character, or a piece of dialogue, I italicize it. If it's more than that, then I'll do something like this:<br /><br />Present time, blah blah. That had been the last day things had been good between me and Chris. I can still see him there in the kitchen. "You won't leave?" he had said to me. And when I told him no, blah blah blah.<br /><br />But now, back in the present time, words words.<br /><br />Make sense? I used to be obsessed with italics. If a chapter was a flashback scene, I would italicize the whole thing. Sigh.Stephanie Morrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-45511192216725863292012-07-05T21:19:15.648-05:002012-07-05T21:19:15.648-05:00I've often see (and also use myself) italicizi...I've often see (and also use myself) italicizing used for a character's thoughts when it is written in a dialogue style. Such as: *characters thought* he thought, *more thought*. As though the italicizing is used instead of quotation marks because it is internal thoughts instead of external dialogue. Is this wrong?Elizabethhttp://wordsandbeyondblog.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-21100381004444571352012-07-05T19:35:04.479-05:002012-07-05T19:35:04.479-05:00Margaret, maybe this will help. http://en.wikiped...Margaret, maybe this will help. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narrative_modeBecki Badgerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14421459879883678878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-23953257236765082072012-07-05T17:46:00.895-05:002012-07-05T17:46:00.895-05:00I definately agree. Italicizing is a little like s...I definately agree. Italicizing is a little like skipping around changing POV every few paragraphs (not good!). But I do have a question... :) Should you italicize words that you want to stand out? Like: "I *said* stop it." Or should you avoid that too and hope the structure of the sentence carries the weight of how the word should be emphasised?CG @ Paper Furyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14954615708675952085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-4433561828636237202012-07-05T17:12:21.936-05:002012-07-05T17:12:21.936-05:00Actually, I find this, too, Lindsey. I often get ...Actually, I find this, too, Lindsey. I often get more on my second read of a book, because I skipped large paragraphs on the first read because I didn't see any dialogue.Becki Badgerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14421459879883678878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-57576405603112188752012-07-05T15:42:08.907-05:002012-07-05T15:42:08.907-05:00One of my friends was wondering if head-hopping, o...One of my friends was wondering if head-hopping, or switching into multiple characters' thoughts, is still incorrect if you're writing omniscient POV. Is it? I thought it was incorrect, but I could be wrong.Margarethttp://boldbrightbeautiful.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-56725107179906608772012-07-05T15:39:17.496-05:002012-07-05T15:39:17.496-05:00I tend to not care whether a character's thoug...I tend to not care whether a character's thoughts are in italics, but I guess I am in favour of it. I'm a very dialogue-centric person, and might skip over a long paragraph of description if I don't see some italics. It's like a little flag that says "Hey, internal monologue, pay attention to this!"<br />A rather specialized example of ways to use italics is also this: Telepathy. If you're writing a story where a character has to "think" at someone else (i.e. "Eragon"), then I think italics can function better than quotation marks.Lindsey Bnoreply@blogger.com