I have read a number of people opinions on using italics for thoughts... I think it's kind of standard to do so... With that in mind, how about when it's a thought that's a question? I have found many different answers for this, but I'm just not sure... In the book I am trying to write, this happens a few times and I'm not sure what the best format is when it come to the question mark in the thought. For example: How am I alive? he thought. How am I alive? He thought. How am I alive, he thought? How am I alive, he thought. assume the "How am I alive" part is in italics... Which one is correct? Where does the question mark go?
Purely from a mechanical/syntactic perspective, the first one is correct: How am I alive? he thought. It's just like dialog, except without the quotes. The last one would only be correct if it was not a question. The two in the middle are completely wrong.
If it's in italics, cut out the "he thought" entirely - you don't need it. Then it becomes: How am I alive? Or you could get rid of the problem with: He wondered how he could still be alive. I would do either of those things before I used any of the options you suggested, because I find them clunky.
