Writing Corner

Writing # 5

This time I am going to address inner monologue. Basically, inner monologue is your character's inner thoughts on a page. The biggest thing to decide is how much monologing should be going on in your story.

Too much and you bog the pace down. Too little and characters come off shallow. So how much is the right amount?

Usually this depends on genre. Contemporary romance is a genre where a heavy-handed inner monologue seems to be frequently used. Generally, because it swings back and forth between the two love interests.

An urban fantasy novel typically falls in the middle of the too-much or too-little spectrum of inner monologue. These novels seem to be an even split between character driven and a plot drive story (I will address these terms in future writing tips).

The best way to figure out how much inner monologue to use is to study the genre you wish to write in. By examining the work of other writers it should give you an idea of what you want to achieve with your own story.

But remember, you don't have to necessarily stick to 'genre rules'. 

For example if you want to write a contemporary romance but don't like the use of a ton of inner monologue always do whatever feels comfortable to you!🥰