Internal monologue
One issue in manuscript formatting that never seems to be cleared up is internal speech. When a character’s thoughts are written on the page, how should they appear? Some authors use italics, some use italics and quotations, and others precede the thoughts with “She thought.” Why the confusion?
Like many style rules, recommendations for internal monologue vary by publishing house and style guide. By the same token, it is important that the author maintain consistency throughout the work. In other words, you may choose to put character thoughts in italics only, but be sure you do that throughout the work.
A sample of popular recommendations for interior monologue:
- Chicago 14th: no absolute rule, but be consistent. Often, but not always, in quotations marks. Alternatives include italics.
- AbsoluteWrite (Cathy C’s manuscript formatting guide): italics, no quotes.
- Blood-Red Pencil (Maryann Miller): italics, first person, present tense.
Remember, any instance of italics in a published work actually calls for the text to be underlined in the manuscript.
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