The Basics

There is a lot, and I do mean A LOT, to learn when it comes to punctuating dialogue in fiction writing. Is the period inside or outside the quotes? Who’s talking? How do we know? What do we do?!

Well, let’s start with the basics. The *easier* part of things, that are true pretty much regardless of the situation.

1. Dialogue should always be enclosed in quotation marks
   • “Hello,” she said.
2. A new paragraph should be started with each speaker
   • “Do you like cats?” he asked
   • “Yes, I do,” she replied.
3. When quoting something inside of an existing quote, use single quotations
   • “Then she told me, ‘Money doesn’t grow on trees.’”
4. When separating a large block of text in a quote, start all paragraphs with a quotation mark, but don’t put the closing quotation mark until the end of the last paragraph
   • “I thought if I just kept going, kept pretending everything was fine, maybe it would be. You always see through me, even when I’m trying to be clever.
   • “I didn’t tell you about the job offer because I was afraid you’d think I was running away. Maybe I am. But I need to know, can you understand that?”

The Not-So Basics

Okay, so now we know the basics, the absolute minimums and musts for punctuating dialogue. But what now? What about the more complex parts of it? Well, let’s talk about that!

Periods:

Use inside the quotations if the quote is a finished sentence, or you are not following the quote with a dialogue tag

• “Don’t walk too fast. I can’t keep up.” She was trailing behind now.
• She takes so long at the store because she always says, “Just let me look around.”
• He described the cat as “spunky.”

Question marks, exclamation points, and em dashes:

Place them inside or outside the quotations, dependent on whether or not they go with the quoted text

• She shouted, “Hey!” as the person ran away.
• “Can you believe they said it was a ‘dumb idea’?”
• I just want to know what being a “sassy pants” means!
• “Do you think that means—”
• “Yep! You guessed it.”
• People always say to “think positive”—it’s not like I’m not trying—and I just not in agreement.

Commas:

Precede the quotation if it’s not starting the sentence

• Maggie said, “Let’s go to the store.”

Used inside quotations at the end of the quote when being followed by a dialogue tag, and after a dialogue tag if you’re adding something

• “Don’t walk too fast,” she said, running out of breath.

Use at the end of a quote inside a quote if the sentence isn’t finished yet

• “The teacher told me to ‘quiet down,’ but I wasn’t even talking.”

Used to set off a dialogue tag or action that happens mid-quote

• “I don’t know if,” she looked around before lowering her voice, “we can trust her.”

The Takeaways

While punctuating dialogue can absolutely be a daunting, overwhelming, and nuanced thing to deal with, it can really help to make your writing make sense to your readers. Good punctuating, dialogue or not, helps to convey your words exactly how you meant them to those who will read them. In short, IT’S IMPORTANT!