Italics are a handy tool in your manuscript, but like most things, they’re best used in moderation. Overdoing it can make your text look like it’s shouting at the reader in a soft voice—which, let’s be honest, no one needs.
Here’s when and how to use italics properly:
For Emphasis
• If you want to stress a particular word or phrase, italics can do the job. It shows readers where to mentally put more weight without using clunky punctuation like exclamation marks.
• Example:
“I told you not to touch that,” she said, eyes narrowing.
“I didn’t touch it!”
“Then why is it open?”
Internal Thoughts
• Italics are commonly used to indicate a character’s unspoken thoughts, so you don’t need clunky dialogue tags like ‘he thought’ after every internal musing. Just make sure to keep the POV clear.
• Example:
She looked at the door. There’s no way I’m going in there.
Foreign Words or Phrases
• If you’re including words from another language, italics signal to the reader that it’s not part of the regular English vocabulary. However, once the foreign word becomes commonly used throughout the manuscript, you can stop italicising it.
• Example:
He handed her the plate. “Buon appetito,” he said with a grin.
Titles of Works
• Book titles, movies, TV shows, albums, and long-form works get italicised, while shorter works (like poems or short stories) usually get quotation marks.
• Example:
Have you read The Handmaid’s Tale? It’s much darker than I expected.
Letters, Sounds, or Words Used as Themselves
• When you’re talking about a specific letter, word, or sound in the abstract, italics help the reader recognise that you’re referring to the word itself, not its meaning.
• Example:
The word serendipity always made her smile.
She couldn’t remember if it was spelled with one r or two.
Ship Names
• If you’re writing a story with boats, ships, or spaceships, italicise their names for clarity.
• Example:
They set sail aboard the Titanic, unaware of what lay ahead.
When Not to Use Italics
Overdoing It for Emphasis
• Resist the urge to italicise every word that feels important. If everything’s special, then nothing is. Save italics for the moments that really need it, otherwise, it’ll lose its punch.
• Wrong:
She screamed, “I told you to never go in there! Ever!”
• It’s too much—it reads like the manuscript is trying too hard.
Whole Paragraphs of Italics
• Italics are harder to read in large chunks. If you’re showing a long flashback or internal monologue, consider other ways to distinguish it from the main text, like using a past tense or simply framing it with a scene break.
• Wrong:
She remembered the night of the storm. The wind had howled and rattled the windows…
• A few lines in italics are okay, but don’t drag your reader through paragraphs of it.
Sound Effects
• Avoid using italics for sound effects (e.g., Bang! or Whoosh!). It feels amateurish and is best left for comic books. Instead, describe the sounds in the context of the scene.
• Wrong:
The door slammed shut with a Bang!
• Right:
The door slammed shut, echoing through the empty hall.
Examples of Good Italics Usage
Emphasis & Internal Thoughts Combined
• Example:
“You didn’t hear me,” she said.
He bit his lip. I heard you. I just don’t care.
Foreign Words & Emphasis
• Example:
She slid the espresso over to him. “Drink up—buon viaggio.”
Title of a Work & Emphasis
• Example:
They watched Casablanca for the third time that week. “I can’t believe how much I love this film.”
Final Tip:
If you’re unsure about whether to italicise something, err on the side of less is more. Overuse diminishes its effect, and before long, it’ll just look like you’ve spilt a glass of italics over the page!
