Writing Tips

Punctuating Dialogue

✧

➸ “This is a sentence.”

➸ “This is a sentence with a dialogue tag at the end,” she said.

➸ “This,” he said, “is a sentence split by a dialogue tag.”

➸ “This is a sentence,” she said. “This is a new sentence. New sentences are capitalized.”

➸ “This is a sentence followed by an action.” He stood. “They are separate sentences because he did not speak by standing.”

➸ She said, “Use a comma to introduce dialogue. The quote is capitalized when the dialogue tag is at the beginning.”

➸ “Use a comma when a dialogue tag follows a quote,” he said.

“Unless there is a question mark?” she asked.

“Or an exclamation point!” he answered. “The dialogue tag still remains uncapitalized because it’s not truly the end of the sentence.”

➸ “Periods and commas should be inside closing quotations.”

➸ “Hey!” she shouted, “Sometimes exclamation points are inside quotations.”

However, if it’s not dialogue exclamation points can also be “outside”!

➸ “Does this apply to question marks too?” he asked.

If it’s not dialogue, can question marks be “outside”? (Yes, they can.)

➸ “This applies to dashes too. Inside quotations dashes typically express—“

“Interruption” — but there are situations dashes may be outside.

➸ “You’ll notice that exclamation marks, question marks, and dashes do not have a comma after them. Ellipses don’t have a comma after them either…” she said.

➸ “My teacher said, ‘Use single quotation marks when quoting within dialogue.’”

➸ “Use paragraph breaks to indicate a new speaker,” he said.

“The readers will know it’s someone else speaking.”

➸ “If it’s the same speaker but different paragraph, keep the closing quotation off.

“This shows it’s the same character continuing to speak.”

More Posts from Bigolidioot and Others

bigolidioot

1 year ago

A Tweet with two replies. The Tweet, by opossom69, reads "I hope the Magnus protocol is so nauseatingly depressing and sad like I want to sob. I mean I’m hoping Jon and Martin have a ‘happy’ ending, but give me the pain give me the angst
@jonnywaistcoat, @AlexanderNewall I eat that shit up." The first reply, by AlexanderNewall, reads "Got you covered." The second reply, by jonnywaistcoat, reads "Everyone can stop worrying about this - I promise everyone has a happy ending unless I'm lying."

they're being ominous again

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bigolidioot

2 years ago

The marauders and things my friends have said P.1

Sirius: Heard back from my therapist! I have ptsd!!!

*does a little dance*

Everyone: *cheers*

Tags

fanfic archive of our own ao3fic ao3 stuff ao3 update

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bigolidioot

1 year ago

persassy: the final evolution

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bigolidioot

2 years ago

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bigolidioot

8 months ago

let durin & disa at sauron. they'd win, i know they would.

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bigolidioot

7 months ago

I just reada really good fic but halfway through I realized "oh shit this is really familiar.... didn't I write something like this once?" And as I kept reading I kept predicting what happened next and the further I went the more convinced I was that they'd ripped off my story-

like, copied the ENTIRE plot and re-written it, just better than I had? The characters were more fleshed-out than mine were, and the POV was more interesting, and the pace made more sense- but it was MY STORY?

So close to the end I was like "holy shit.. do I message them? Ask if my story inspired theirs? Should I be angry? Flattered?" Cause their tags and description didn't mention me AT ALL, which, sure, it's fanfiction to begin with, but if you're using my work than at least credit me as inspo, right? Just to be courteous?

But I get to the end of the final chapter, and it's not finished, and I'm kind of disappointed cause I never finished my story and I was really immersed in their version now and had been looking forwards to seeing how they tied up my loose ends- so I scroll to the bottom to leave a comment, and.

It's MY URL.

IT WAS MY STORY THE WHOLE TIME.

THE ONE *I WROTE*.

In *2013*.

And FORGOT ABOUT

BECAUSE I WAS SO INSECURE ABOUT MY SLOPPY, SHALLOW, AMETEUR WRITING

And I'm just sitting here now staring into space thinking about every shitty story I've ever written now like

IT WAS ALL GOOD?

I Just Reada Really Good Fic But Halfway Through I Realized "oh Shit This Is Really Familiar.... Didn't

IT WAS GOOD THIS WHOLE DAMN TIME??

I'M A GOOD WRITER?????

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bigolidioot

2 years ago

anyone else periodically refreshing the dw socials today

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bigolidioot

7 months ago

elrond as a dad is a concept people don't use enough frankly. just. elrohir and elladan and arwen following their ada around like ducklings. as they grow they keep doing it and it's not uncommon to see three adult elves just shadowing their father whenever they're not off causing chaos.

then arwen leaves and aragorn all but drops on elrond's lap and he picks up on it and now its elrohir, elladan and estel making a line after him. estel gets left behind easily so elrond is in the habit of checking that he's got all his kids following him.

after, in valinor, elrond will sometimes falter, not hearing the familiar steps following his own. even after elrohir and elladan sail, he'll turn every so often and freeze, panicking for a moment because where are arwen and estel? when did he leave them behind? and as soon as that moment is over he's just feeling the loss of them all over again. the twins never say anything, never protest or even seem to notice the sudden stops. they just leave him time to compose himself until he's ready to keep walking.

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bigolidioot

1 year ago

Since bonzo is officially here, here's some absolutely cursed images I've created during the magnus protocol arg