Post by Ampersand on Aug 29, 2021 6:30:41 GMT
Hi, all! Your nerdy fed head is back with another writing resource! This time, we’re going to focus on punctuation and formatting in regards to dialogue.
I’ve seen folks across the board in multiple feds have challenges when it comes to correct punctuation and formatting. So, if yours isn’t perfect, don’t worry. You’re not alone. I’m going to recommend some programs to you and give you some rules and examples on how to improve your work.
We good?
Great!
There are free programs you can get that will help correct your punctuation. Grammarly and Ginger are two programs you can use free of charge to check your punctuation by clicking the links I've included here. Google Docs also has grammar and punctuation checking functions, however they aren’t always perfect.
I've observed confusion about how punctuation and formatting work in regards to dialogue, so I'm going to go over some common errors below.
Let's do this!
1. Only direct dialogue uses quotation marks. Direct dialogue is dialogue that someone is speaking. Indirect dialogue is a summary of what someone has said.
Examples
Direct Dialogue:
“I’m done being an adult.”
Indirect Dialogue:
Ampersand declared they were done being an adult.
2. When you’re writing dialogue, if a new character begins speaking, the first line of their dialogue must be set apart by a paragraph break.
Examples
Correct:
“What do you think the best Jolly Rancher flavor is? Watermelon or peach?” asked Silvio.
“I think your teeth are going to fall out of your head if you keep eating all that candy,” replied Kane.
Incorrect:
“What do you think the best Jolly Rancher flavor is? Watermelon or peach?” asked Silvio. “I think your teeth are going to fall out of your head if you keep eating all that candy,” replied Kane.
3. Punctuation always goes inside of quotation marks.
Examples
Correct:
“What toppings do you want on the pizza?”
“Anything except existential dread.”
Incorrect:
“What toppings do you want on the pizza”?
“Anything except existential dread”.
4. If a quote starts or is followed by a dialogue tag, you start or end the quote with a comma.
Examples
Correct:
“Look at that bird,” he said.
She said, “Hiro, that’s a mosquito.”
Incorrect:
“Look at that bird.” He said.
She said. “Hiro, that’s a mosquito.
5. If you follow or start a quote with an action, however, you use a period.
Examples
Correct:
“Look at that bird.” Hiro’s gaze angled upward.
Following his gaze, Artemis shook her head. “Hiro, that’s a mosquito.”
Incorrect:
“Look at that bird,” Hiro’s gaze angled upward.
Following his gaze, Artemis shook her head, “Hiro, that’s a mosquito.”
6. When you break up your dialogue with a tag, use two commas. Or, if the first part of your dialogue is a complete sentence, use a comma and then a period.
Examples
Correct:
“I don’t feel,” he said, “like playing a game.” (split sentence)
“Well, I don’t know what to do, then,” she sighed. “I guess it’s time to resort to recreational cannibalism.” (complete sentence)
Incorrect:
“I don’t feel,” he said. “like playing a game.”
“Well, I don’t know what to do then,” she sighed, “I guess it’s time to resort to recreational cannibalism.”
7. There are two different quotation marks (‘ and “). When putting a quote inside of a quote, you need to use the opposite style of quotation.
Examples
Mara laughed to herself. “And then he said, ‘Please, don’t! I have a family!’”
Or:
Mara laughed to herself. ‘And then he said, “Please, don’t! I have a family!”’
There we have it folks! I hope this helps! If you have any other questions regarding punctuation and formatting, please let me know. See you all next time!
I’ve seen folks across the board in multiple feds have challenges when it comes to correct punctuation and formatting. So, if yours isn’t perfect, don’t worry. You’re not alone. I’m going to recommend some programs to you and give you some rules and examples on how to improve your work.
We good?
Great!
There are free programs you can get that will help correct your punctuation. Grammarly and Ginger are two programs you can use free of charge to check your punctuation by clicking the links I've included here. Google Docs also has grammar and punctuation checking functions, however they aren’t always perfect.
I've observed confusion about how punctuation and formatting work in regards to dialogue, so I'm going to go over some common errors below.
Let's do this!
1. Only direct dialogue uses quotation marks. Direct dialogue is dialogue that someone is speaking. Indirect dialogue is a summary of what someone has said.
Examples
Direct Dialogue:
“I’m done being an adult.”
Indirect Dialogue:
Ampersand declared they were done being an adult.
2. When you’re writing dialogue, if a new character begins speaking, the first line of their dialogue must be set apart by a paragraph break.
Examples
Correct:
“What do you think the best Jolly Rancher flavor is? Watermelon or peach?” asked Silvio.
“I think your teeth are going to fall out of your head if you keep eating all that candy,” replied Kane.
Incorrect:
“What do you think the best Jolly Rancher flavor is? Watermelon or peach?” asked Silvio. “I think your teeth are going to fall out of your head if you keep eating all that candy,” replied Kane.
3. Punctuation always goes inside of quotation marks.
Examples
Correct:
“What toppings do you want on the pizza?”
“Anything except existential dread.”
Incorrect:
“What toppings do you want on the pizza”?
“Anything except existential dread”.
4. If a quote starts or is followed by a dialogue tag, you start or end the quote with a comma.
Examples
Correct:
“Look at that bird,” he said.
She said, “Hiro, that’s a mosquito.”
Incorrect:
“Look at that bird.” He said.
She said. “Hiro, that’s a mosquito.
5. If you follow or start a quote with an action, however, you use a period.
Examples
Correct:
“Look at that bird.” Hiro’s gaze angled upward.
Following his gaze, Artemis shook her head. “Hiro, that’s a mosquito.”
Incorrect:
“Look at that bird,” Hiro’s gaze angled upward.
Following his gaze, Artemis shook her head, “Hiro, that’s a mosquito.”
6. When you break up your dialogue with a tag, use two commas. Or, if the first part of your dialogue is a complete sentence, use a comma and then a period.
Examples
Correct:
“I don’t feel,” he said, “like playing a game.” (split sentence)
“Well, I don’t know what to do, then,” she sighed. “I guess it’s time to resort to recreational cannibalism.” (complete sentence)
Incorrect:
“I don’t feel,” he said. “like playing a game.”
“Well, I don’t know what to do then,” she sighed, “I guess it’s time to resort to recreational cannibalism.”
7. There are two different quotation marks (‘ and “). When putting a quote inside of a quote, you need to use the opposite style of quotation.
Examples
Mara laughed to herself. “And then he said, ‘Please, don’t! I have a family!’”
Or:
Mara laughed to herself. ‘And then he said, “Please, don’t! I have a family!”’
There we have it folks! I hope this helps! If you have any other questions regarding punctuation and formatting, please let me know. See you all next time!