Whether you are writing fiction or nonfiction, you will likely use dialogue in your work. Let’s have a little chat—see what I did there? —about several rules to keep in mind so that your readers have an accurate understanding of what is being said.
1. Use quotation marks
First and foremost, remember to put double quotation marks on either side of what the character is saying.
Example: “Karen is going to the store.”
2. Start a new paragraph for each new speaker
Each time the speaker changes, a new paragraph must be started. This way, it is clear to the reader who is doing the talking. If the speaker performs an action, that should be kept in the same paragraph as the dialogue. Then, when someone else begins speaking, move down to the next line.
Example:
Patty walked in the door and announced, “I have a new job!”
“Oh? I didn’t even know you were looking,” replied her husband.
“I wasn’t. I just happened to bump into a doctor who need a new receptionist.”
“Congratulations, Mommy!” shouted her youngest son.
3. Punctuation goes inside the quotation marks
Another basic rule to remember is that all punctuation that concludes what a character is saying goes inside the quotation marks. Most often, this is a comma or a period, but it could be a different punctuation mark.
Example: “Watch out for that car!”
4. Keep dialogue tags outside quotation marks
You might ask, “What is a dialogue tag?” Simply put, it is a phrase that indicates who is speaking and how they are speaking. One commonly used tag is the word “said.” It may be placed before or after what the speaker is stating. If the dialogue tag comes before the character’s words, it is placed before the beginning quotation mark, separated by a comma. If it is at the end of the character’s statement, it should come after the punctuation mark and the final quotation mark.
Example 1: Mom said, “Put your clothes away and clean your room.”
Example 2: “Put your pencils down and pass your paper to the front of the room,” instructed the teacher.
5. Use single quotation marks when quoting someone else within dialogue
If you choose to use a quote from someone or somewhere in the middle of your dialogue, you need to distinguish that by using single quotation marks around that quote. That will cue the reader to know that the words are not original to the character.
Example: The American History professor explained, “Harry S. Truman was well aware of the costs of war and conveyed that in his address to the United Nations General Assembly by stating ‘If we do not want to die together in war, we must learn to live together in peace’.”
6. Begin with a lowercase letter if the dialogue is interrupted by an action
If you place an action in the middle of the dialogue, you should end the first fragment of dialogue with a comma and quotation marks. End the dialogue tag with a comma, and then begin the second sentence fragment with a lowercase letter.
Example: “In the beginning,” he lamented, “things were quite different.”
7 Ellipses do not require additional punctuation
If your character’s dialogue is going to trail off at the end, there is no need to include additional punctuation marks. Simply place the quotation marks following the ellipses.
Example: The artist considered the subject matter. “Maybe I could use that…”
8. Long paragraphs of dialogue do not require end quotes
If your character speaks for more than a few sentences, it may be a good idea to split the dialogue into multiple paragraphs. The first quotation mark should be placed at the beginning of the dialogue. Do not end the paragraph with quotation marks, but instead place quotation marks at he beginning of each subsequent paragraph of speech. The final quotes are only placed at the end of the character’s dialogue.
Example:
The librarian greeted Brian. “Good morning! How can I help you today?
“Remember that the library has lots of resources, including online. Those can be accessed by reserving a computer over in the lab area. I can guide you through signing in and following the prompts, if you like.
“If you are looking for a specific book or need to find several on a certain topic, I’d be glad to show you how to do a search in our online program. We also have several quiet areas where you can peruse the books you find. Some of them have desks, as well, if you need to take notes.”
Dialogue is an important part of every story. It allows the reader to really know your characters and is also a great way to keep them engaged and wanting to read more. Unfortunately, if you overdo dialogue, that can be a story killer. Allowing characters to speak for too long can end up boring the reader, as can including unrealistic dialogue.
All in all, have fun with dialogue, but be sure to proofread before submitting to anyone.
Use spelling and grammar check software, have your critique group check it, or use an editor. I’d tell you to consult with ChatGPT, but the jury is still out on that one…
Heather Malone writes children’s books that focus mainly on Montessori education, special education, and nonfiction. She also dabbles in fiction. Her nonfiction book, Montessori from A to Z, was published in 2023, and her blog on homeschooling students with disabilities using the Montessori method can be viewed at spedmontessorisolutions.com. Her passion is education, which is evidenced by spending over twenty-five years in the field before leaving the classroom to now provide technical assistance to school districts. She lives with her husband and son in Ohio and enjoys traveling to new places in her free time.
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