Unlock the Secret Tricks Behind Perfect Dialogue Punctuation That Every Fiction Writer Must Master!
How Do You Handle Question Marks and Exclamation Points?
Question marks and exclamation points follow the same “inside the quotes” rule as commas. However, they do not change to commas when a tag follows.
If a tag follows a question or exclamation, the tag still starts with a lowercase letter.
- Example: “Where are you going?” he asked.
- Example: “Watch out!” she screamed.
The punctuation belongs to the dialogue, but the sentence structure still includes the tag.
What Are the Rules for Long Speeches and Multiple Paragraphs?
When a character gives a long speech that spans multiple paragraphs, the punctuation follows a specific, slightly counter-intuitive rule: Open every paragraph with quotation marks, but only use closing quotation marks on the final paragraph.
