Dialogue Rules! 8 Rules to get you started writing great dialogue
Nov 22, 2014
Dialogue Rules!8 Rules to get you started writing great
dialogue
Rule #1Paragraphs
You MUST start a new paragraph EVERY time you change speakers…even if the speaker only says one
word!!
Rule #2Exactly what the speaker says will have quotation
marks around it.
“This is an example.”
Rule # 3 Punctuation goes INSIDE the quotation
Marks!
“I absolutely love pepperoni pizza!” exclaimed Matty.
Rule # 4 If the annotation is first, you place the
comma after it:
Jacob said, “I wish I could go.”
Rule # 5 If the annotation is last, you put the comma
inside the quotation marks, and then put a period at the
end. If it is a question or exclamation, the ? and ! go inside the quotation marks:
“I wish I could go,” Jacob said.
“I wish I could go!” Jacob exclaimed
Rule # 6 You do not have to tell who the speaker is
each time if the dialogue is between two people and they are having a lot of
back-and-forth conversations. Your
readers will understand.
Rule # 7 Use a VARIETY of explanatory words such as
“stated, questioned, observed, screamed, and agreed” instead of always
using “said.”
Rule # 8 Whenever possible, always include dialogue in your short
story. It makes it a LOT more interesting!
Dialogue Words to Use Instead of “Said”
accused acknowledged added addressed admitted advised affirmed agreed announced answered
apologized approved argued asked asserted assured avowed babbled barked bawled
beamed began begged bellowed bet bleated blurted boasted boomed bragged
broke in bubbled bugged burst out called cautioned chatted chattered cheered chided
chimed in chittered chocked chortled chorused chuckled claimed clucked coaxed commanded
commented complained conceded concluded confessed confided congratulated continued convinced cooed
corrected coughed countered cried croaked crowed dared decided declared demanded denied described disagreed disclosed divulged
doubted drawled echoed ended exclaimed explained finished fretted gasped gently
gibed giggled greeted groaned growled grunted grumbled guessed gulped gurgled
hinted hissed hollered hypothesized imitated implied informed inquired insisted interjected
interrupted intoned jeered jested joked laughed lied lisped maintained marveled
mentioned mimicked moaned mumbled murmured
mused muttered nagged nodded noted objected observed offered ordered panted
piped pleaded pled pointed out pondered praised prayed proclaimed promised proposed
protested purred put in puzzled quavered queried questioned quipped quoted ranted reasoned reassured recalled reckoned related remarked remembered reminded repeated replied
reported requested resounded responded retorted revealed roared sang sassed screamed
scoffed scolded shot shouted shrieked shrilled sighed smiled smirk snapped
snarled sneered sneezed snickered sniffed sniffled snorted sobbed spat speculated
spoke sputtered squeaked stammered started stated stormed stuttered suggested surmised
taunted teased tempted tested theorized threatened told trilled urged uttered
volunteered vowed wailed warned went on wept whimpered whined whispered wondered
worried yawned yakked
http://www.spwickstrom.com/said/
Other great resources:
http://fictionwriting.about.com/od/writingexercises/qt/
punctuation.htm
http://www.writingfix.com/PDFs/Writing_Tools/
Rules_of_dialogue.pdf
http://writingfix.com/PDFs/Writing_Tools/
Tom_Swiftie_Dialogue_rules.pdf
http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/files/ywp/ywp_10_hs_dialogue.pdf
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