grammar trouble. can you help?

Vixen · Post by **Vixen** » 24 May 2009, 08:58

the story i wish to write requires a lot of thought from the characters. meaning:'no way can i do that' thought Stacy to herself.
almost the whole story will be written from the characters thoughts, but there is just on problem. i don't know the proper grammar for this set up. i know the thought should be in italics but do you need to put in the quotation mark as well?
i don't think so but if some one could confirm it for me i would be very thankful.

Lucinda · Post by **Lucinda** » 24 May 2009, 09:38

From which point of view are you writing the story? It seems you are writing it from third person omniscient. If so, you can avoid the problem to which you refer.

You could write:
Stacey knew she could not do that. Her friends felt equally repulsed.

But you'll want to combine telling with showing.

The conventions of punctuating direct speech are really only essential where conversation is involved. (and them some modern writers do away with the punctuation successfully)

If your issue remains let me know. I can refer you to some stories in which the author has dealt with this concern with great success.

Best wishes...

Vixen · Post by **Vixen** » 25 May 2009, 04:06

3rd person point of view.
the way i want to write it i can't avoid the problem. I'm sure i will figure the problem out eventually, when i can get my hands on the book I'm after. "working with the devil" in this book the main character does a lot of thinking to herself.
if anyone has it can you check the grammar for thoughts in that?

Mer_Blackwood · Post by **Mer_Blackwood** » 28 May 2009, 17:22

You don't put the thoughts in quotation marks in most modern styles. There isn't a hard and fast rule for whether you should put them in italics -- that's a matter of style. If you have only a few direct literal thoughts, it can work to put them in italics, emphasizing them. But if most of your story is what the character is thinking as they're thinking it, I'd avoid the italics. It's harder to read large blocks of italic text.