# Quick question about writing

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-question-about-writing/186220>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [July 4, 2003, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-question-about-writing/186220 "2003-07-04T11:11:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Aslan\_of\_Narnia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Aslan\_of\_Narnia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aslan_of_Narnia)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2003, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-question-about-writing/186220/1 "2003-07-04T11:11:43Z")

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When a character thinks, are you supposed to put quotation marks around it?

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**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2003, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-question-about-writing/186220/2 "2003-07-04T11:26:45Z")

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By no means an authority on the correct answer.

Based on various fictional stories I’ve read, I’d say the vast majority of writers do use the quote marks if the thoughts pertain to something the character might say or wish to say.

Otherwise, I’ve seen various devices to indicate thoughts of a character.

There are those novels and stories where not the first quote marks appear, and there’s plenty of dialog, too.

For my money, using the dramatist’s trick of showing speaker’s name followed by a colon, is the easiest to keep track of.

The constant “he said” or “she said” insertions border on nuisances, and those writers who drop their use are doing the reader a service IMO.

As for a character’s thoughts, I’ve often seen those italicized, or even shown in a separate font/typeface.

As said earlier, I’m no expert.

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**Author:** ![curly\_chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@curly\_chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curly_chick)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2003, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-question-about-writing/186220/3 "2003-07-04T11:27:38Z")

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curly chick thought so  
or  
“Yes” thought curly chick

Depends on the context.  
If you are describing the character’s thoughts, then no.  
If you are reporting the thoughts, yes.

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**Author:** ![Optihut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/edb3f5/32.png) [@Optihut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Optihut)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2003, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-question-about-writing/186220/4 "2003-07-04T13:30:03Z")

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It’s a matter of personal preference. I usually put quotation marks around thoughts, but iirc in the battletech line books, thoughts are without quotation marks, but in _italics_.

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**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2003, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-question-about-writing/186220/5 "2003-07-04T14:33:14Z")

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I thought that I agreed with **curly chick**.

I thought, “I agree with **curly chick**.”

To paraphrase: When it is a general type of thought - then no quotation marks. When it is a specific statement - then use quotation marks.

TV