: Re: Is inner monologue a bad way to show character traits? Is directly showing a characters inner thoughts and conversations with themselves too telly or cheesy?

@Miguel976

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Inner monologue can be used to GREAT effect. As others have said before me, it isn’t inherently bad or cheesy. Depending on the medium however, should determine how often it is used. If Your Project Is A:

Visual Novel: Inner monologue is practically essential, however if you can see the character than you should have their monologues supported by character animation.

Book: Inner monologue should be used specifically with the protagonists opinions about other characters and the situation at hand. However remember the rule of “show don’t tell,” especially in bigger, pivitol moments your characters actions should indicate your character’s feelings, as actions speak louder than words.

Film: I would use this very rarely. Voice overs are used sparingly in film for a reason. As you can both see and hear the emotions of a character, “actions speak louder than words” and in film this is a must. I would only use it if you deem absolutely necessary, for perhaps the tone you want.

Something Else: Try to think of the most notable example of inner monologue in that medium you can think of. Figure out how effective you think it was, and why it was effective, and use that as your baseline. If you can’t think of any, then there is likely a better way of doing it.

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