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Basic Rules for Punctuating Dialog
When you are writing narrative, as in fiction, words spoken by a character are enclosed in quotation marks. Explanations of actions are not. Look at this dialog closely to notice where words are capitalized. (Notice that “he said” or “replied Jane,” is not a complete sentence.) "So this is a dialog , " said Tarzan. "Yes, that's right . " Jane untied the vines around her grammar and punctuation handbook. "You'll notice that whenever a new speaker starts talking, he or she begins a new paragraph, even if it's very short." "Really?" Even a single word gets its own paragraph, if it's a new speaker taking a turn. "Yes , " replied Jane. "It's a great convenience to the reader. And that way the writer can skip some of the boring ' he said/she said ' stuff, as long as it's clear who's talking." Notice that a quotation within a quotation is enclosed in single quote marks "The paragraphs have to be indented and everything?" "Yup. But of course if the same speaker keeps on talking, it stays within the same set of quotation marks. If one speaker talks for a while and changes the topic, so that you'd want to start a new paragraph, then you show that by not closing the quotes at the end of the paragraph, but opening the quotes at the beginning of the next. "Tarzan, where are you going with that grammar book? Please give me that." Since Jane continued to speak when she changed the subject, her words got a new paragraph, but didn't close the quotation in the previous paragraph. When you are writing a play, you don't use quotation marks at all, but all actions, descriptions, and other instructions must be set off in parentheses, in the present tense. George: ( Slowly ) I don't know why this is, but I feel sometimes as though I'm in a play. George: ( Not hearing) It has something to do with the way my lines are written, I guess. ( Turns and riffles through grammar book) The instructions for what to do are always written in the present tense. It's as though I have no past. Each time I read the script I'm doing the same thing. Notice that because the action is grouped with the character's speech, the character's name doesn't have to be given again. Laura: ( Snidely) Isn't that what you've always done? Notice that the instructions for the characters' actions and expressions are given as briefly as possible. George: ( Sitting down sadly) And my actions are always underlined, or italicized, as though -- oh, I don't know. Notice that the emotions given here are only what the actor can show. The stage directions don't tell what the character is feeling internally, unless he or she expresses or shows it. Laura: Well, that does make it easier to keep the difference between the action and the dialog separate. And the main thing is the dialog anyway -- the actions are very minor. Feel free to make them up. Most actors do. George: ( Confused) But why do our names stick out like this, with our speech indented below? Ordinarily, a playscript would be formatted with a hanging indent, with each character's name flush with the left margin, and speech indented below it. This website editor doesn't have that capacity: use your imagination. Laura: To make it easier for the actors to see, silly. ( Takes George by the hand.) But as usual, the lighting and the stage sets have all been arranged to make you look good. © 2006 Ellen Gruber Garvey |
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