Format Internal Thoughts in Fiction

Author: Sandy Vaile
​First published in Hearts Talk ezine in August 2023
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How to write character thoughts without irritating readers

One way to bring readers closer to fictional characters is to get inside their heads and show their thoughts, to provide intimacy and insight to readers. But is the only way to do this to italicise them? If not, what other options are available to authors?

Formatting internal thoughts in fiction is a subject that causes a great deal of confusion.

It raises so many questions like: Should you differentiate thoughts from the rest of the narrative? If so, how? And if you don’t use direct thoughts, will it distance readers?

In this article we’re going to explore:

• What internal thoughts are (and what they’re not).
• What options are available for formatting thoughts.
• What thoughts look like in different Points of View.
• How each method influences the distance between readers and characters.

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