Dialogue

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Dialogue

• How to properly punctuate the words your
  characters speak.

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I walked into the room. Mary was there. She
asked, What are you doing? I said, I just came
in to see if you wanted to start dinner. I
already ate before I came home. I said, Well,
will you help me anyway? No. I asked her, Why
not? She screamed, Because I already ate!
Whats wrong with you? Nothing, I said. Im
going to leave, I said. Fine, she said, and
went back to looking at the TV. I left the room.
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Things to remember when writing dialogue

• Write it as realistically as possible.
• Make it clear who is speaking when.
• Do not give too much information or unrealistic
  information in dialogue.
• Keep the conversation moving.
• Make it as easy to read as possible.

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Rules of punctuating dialogue

• Start a new paragraph when a new person speaks or
  a large passage of action interrupts the
  speaking.
• Use quotation marks to surround all spoken words
  on both sides.
• Use speaker tags to show who is talking
• Use the proper end marks.
• Endmarks always go inside the quotes.

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Endmarks possibly the most difficult part of
dialogue.

• Use a comma if the dialogue is a statement and
  there is a speaker tag following.
• Example
• Welcome home, she said, stepping forward to
  take his hand.

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When a speaker tag interrupts the speech...

• Treat it as parenthetical information and use a
  comma on either side.
• I cant believe, she said, that you are
  finally here.

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Use a period...

• If no speaker tag follows the quotation
• Welcome home. She stepped forward to take his
  hand.
• Thank you. He offered his own hand in return.

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When a question mark or exclamation point is
used...

• Follow with a lowercase letter if a speaker tag
  is being used.
• Use a capital if it goes right into action.

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It has been so long! she exclaimed. Hasnt
it? Her hand was warm in his own as he smiled
down at her.
Example
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• Stop! Buddy cried as they approached another
  intersection. At this one, the light had burned
  out and a tall oak stood off to one side. Let me
  out here. Are you crazy, Joe asked. Its still
  at least another twenty miles to Mud Bucket!
• Just let me out, Joe. I mean it.
• Buddy had become desperate. He could think of
  nothing else he wanted more than to become a
  famous musician, and if it took selling his soul
  to the devil to do it, then he would.
• Joe pulled the truck over onto the gravel at the
  side of the road and rolled to a stop. Are you
  sure about this? Its freakin creepy out there,
  man. I have my phone. Ill call if something
  happens.
• Well, Said Joe. dont think Im coming back
  out here for your sorry butt, Buddy got out,
  slammed the door shut, and Joe spun off onto the
  highway, his tires screeching on the blacktop.

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Stop! Buddy cried as they approached another
intersection. At this one, the light had burned
out and a tall oak stood off to one side. Let me
out here. Are you crazy? Joe asked. Its
still at least another twenty miles to Mud
Bucket! Just let me out, Joe. I mean it. Buddy
had become desperate. He could think of nothing
else he wanted more than to become a famous
musician, and if it took selling his soul to the
devil to do it, then he would. Joe pulled the
truck over onto the gravel at the side of the
road and rolled to a stop. Are you sure about
this? Its freakin creepy out there, man. I
have my phone. Ill call if something
happens. Well, said Joe, dont think Im
coming back out here for your sorry butt. Buddy
got out, slammed the door shut, and Joe spun off
onto the highway, his tires screeching on the
blacktop.
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I walked into the room. Mary was there. She
asked, What are you doing? I just came in to
see if you wanted to start dinner. I already
ate before I came home. Well, will you help me
anyway? No. I asked her, Why not?
Because I already ate! she screamed. Whats
wrong with you? Nothing, I said. Im going to
leave. Fine, she said, and went back to
looking at the TV. I left the room.