Italics are used for emphasis, so a little goes a long way. For example, flashback scenes are typically written in italics, which is one of the reasons readers find them tedious. Dream sequences are also typically written in italics—which tips off the reader it’s a dream and can lessen its effect—and, again, can be tedious. Other common applications for italics:
Words in dialogue and elsewhere that require emphasis:
“I told you it was going to blow!”
I opened my eyes and sighed. Today was my birthday. The big one.
Internal monologue:
Angie sat down hard in the chair. What do I want? She didn’t know.
Remembered dialogue:
My mind raced as I tried to remember what Jim had said about the night Sandy was killed. Sandy told me she was headed to the bar.
Note: If you’re writing a manuscript for submission to an editor, it’s proper form to underline the text versus italicizing; underlining is easier for the line editor and copyeditor to see, and to correct if they disagree.
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