How To Format Dialogue In A Story Quick And Dirty Guide

Gary Smailes | 5 December 2025

The Non‑Negotiable Basics (US Style)

Clean dialogue keeps readers inside the scene. These rules are boring in the best way. Follow them, and readers forget the rules exist. They hear voices. They see the room. That is the point.

New paragraph for each new speaker

Give every speaker a fresh line. White space is your friend. It prevents pileups and “who said that?” moments.

Wrong:

“Maya, grab the bag,” Noah said. “I have it,” she said, “but where’s the key?” “Pocket.”

Right:

“Maya, grab the bag,” Noah said.
“I have it,” she said. “But where’s the key?”
“Pocket.”

Tip:

• New speaker, new line.
• Same speaker, same paragraph, unless a beat of action or a change in focus earns a break.

Mini exercise:

• Print one dialogue‑heavy page. Draw a line between every switch in speaker. Break those into new paragraphs.

Use double quotation marks for speech

US style uses double quotation marks for dialogue. If a character quotes someone, use single quotes inside the doubles.

• “He said, ‘Stop.’”
• “I heard her say, ‘Take the red file,’ and then the door closed.”

Keep the nesting neat:

• Outer layer, double quotes.
• Inner layer, single quotes.
• If you ever need a quote inside that inner quote, rethink the line. Clarity first.

Place commas and periods inside the closing quotation marks

In US house style, commas and periods sit inside the quotes, even when the logic feels fussy.

• “Let’s go,” she said.
• “Okay.”

Wrong:

• “Let’s go”, she said.
• “Okay”.

Two quick checks:

• If a tag follows, use a comma inside the quote. Then write the tag with a lowercase first word.
• If no tag follows, end the sentence with a period inside the quote.

Capitalize dialogue. Keep the tag lowercase

The first word of the spoken sentence takes a capital. The dialogue tag stays lowercase, unless it starts the sentence or uses a proper noun.

• “We should move,” she said.
• She said, “We should move.”
• “We should move,” Detective Park said.

Wrong:

• “We should move,” She said.
• “we should move,” she said.

Note on pronouns and names:

• “I” is always uppercase inside quotes, same as anywhere.
• Names and titles take capitals as usual.

Question marks and exclamation points replace the comma

When the spoken line ends with a question mark or exclamation point, do not add a comma. The mark goes inside the quotes. The tag follows with lowercase.

• “Why now?” she asked.
• “Go!” he shouted.

Tag before the line still works the same way:

• She asked, “Why now?”
• He shouted, “Go!”

When the sentence continues after a question or exclamation, treat the tag as part of the same sentence:

• “You did what?” she said, stepping back.
• “Move!” he said, waving them toward the stairs.

Do not stack punctuation:

• Wrong: “Really?!” she said.
• Cleaner: “Really?” she said.

Put it all together

Watch how the rules create rhythm and clarity without strain.

Wrong:

“Maya we’re late.” She Said, “are you even listening”? “I am.” he Shouted “Get in the car!”

Right:

“Maya, we’re late,” she said. “Are you even listening?”
“I am,” he shouted. “Get in the car!”

Another before‑after to spotlight paragraphing:

Wrong:

“Lights,” Ana said. “Leave them,” Marco said. “Someone’s out there,” Ana said, “listen.”

Right:

“Lights,” Ana said.
“Leave them,” Marco said.
“Someone’s out there,” Ana said. “Listen.”

Quick spot‑fix list

When you run a fast pass, scan for these:

• Two speakers in one paragraph. Split them.
• Straight quotes. Convert to curly quotes if your tool supports them.
• Commas outside quotes. Pull them inside.
• Capital letters on tags after the quote. Lower them.
• Extra comma before a question mark or exclamation point. Remove it.
• Missing comma after a direct address. “Listen, John, we need to go.”

Common edge cases

• Dialogue interrupted by a beat that is not a tag:
  “We’re late.” She grabbed her keys. “I’ll drive.”
  Actions are sentences. Use periods.
• Multi‑sentence dialogue with one tag at the end:
  “We checked the garage. Nothing moved. Try the side gate,” she said.
• Polite fragments:
  “Please,” she said. “Five minutes.”
  Treat each spoken sentence on its own terms.
• Titles and brand names:
  “Turn on NPR,” he said.
  Capitalize the name as you would outside dialogue.

Action

Take one page of dialogue. Do three quick things.

1. Re‑paragraph so each speaker owns a line.
2. Fix quotation marks: double for speech, single inside when a character quotes someone.
3. Correct internal punctuation. Periods and commas inside the quotes. Tags lowercase after the comma. Swap commas for question marks or exclamation points when needed, no comma added.

Read the page out loud. If your tongue trips, the punctuation likely needs a nudge. If your eyes glide, you handled the basics.

Tags, Beats, and Where Punctuation Goes

Dialogue works when readers never notice the plumbing. Tags and beats do the quiet work. Get them right, and the scene breathes.

Tags vs. beats

• A dialogue tag attributes spoken words. Said and asked do the job.
  "We're late," she said.
• A beat is action or description around the speech. It shows mood, movement, or setting.
  "We're late." She grabbed her keys.

Tags glue the voice to a speaker. Beats show bodies in space.

Tag after the line

Put a comma inside the closing quotes. Start the tag with lowercase.

Right:

"We're late," she said.
"I know," he said.

Wrong:

"We're late", she said.
"We're late," She said.

If the spoken line ends with a question mark or exclamation point, use that mark and do not add a comma.

Right:

"Why now?" she asked.
"Move!" he shouted.

Tag before the line

Use a comma after the tag, before the opening quote.

Right:

She said, "We're late."
He asked, "Are we turning here?"

Wrong:

She said "We're late".
He asked "Are we turning here?"

Tag in the middle of one sentence

Set the tag off with commas on both sides.

Right:

"If we leave now," she said, "we'll make the train."
"This storm," he said, "won't help."

Do not use a period before resuming the same sentence.

Wrong:

"If we leave now," she said. "We'll make the train."

Multiple sentences with one tag

If one speaker runs for more than one sentence and you want a single tag, place the tag after the first sentence or at the end.

Right:

"We checked the garage. Nothing moved. Try the side gate," she said.
Or:
"We checked the garage," she said. "Nothing moved. Try the side gate."

Beats are not tags

Actions take periods, not commas. They stand as their own sentences.

Right:

"We're late." She grabbed her keys.
"Window," he said. He pointed at the latch. "Stuck."

Wrong:

"We're late," she grabbed her keys.
"Window," he pointed at the latch.

If a beat interrupts a line, use a period before the beat, then start fresh.

Right:

"I know." He checked his watch. "Ten minutes."

Avoid impossible tags

Smiling, laughing, shrugging, and similar verbs do not speak. Use a beat or pair the action with a real tag.

Right:

She smiled. "You're right."
He laughed, then said, "You're serious."
"Fine," she said. She shrugged.

Wrong:

"You're right," she smiled.
"You're serious," he laughed.

Stick with said and asked

Said and asked fade into the background. They keep focus on the words. You do not need "opined," "snapped," or "hissed." Let the beat express tone.

Flat tag with a sharp beat beats a flashy tag.

• "Leave it," she said. She set the box down like glass.
• "Quiet," he said. He touched a finger to his lips.

Where punctuation goes, quick checks

• Commas and periods live inside the quotes in US style.
  "Lock the door," he said. "Done."
• Question marks and exclamation points replace the comma.
  "Where's the map?" she asked.
  "Run!" he said.
• The tag stays lowercase after a closing quote. Proper names stay capitalized.
  "We should move," Detective Park said.
• Do not stack marks. Pick one.
  "Really?" she said.
• Direct address takes commas.
  "Listen, John, we need to go," she said.

Before and after, side by side

Wrong:

"Pack faster", She Said, "we're late"!
"Do we have time?", He asked.

Right:

"Pack faster," she said. "We're late."
"Do we have time?" he asked.

A few patterns you will use often

• One line, short tag at the end:
  "Left or right?" he asked.
• One line, beat after:
  "Left or right?" He checked the mirror.
• Two lines with one tag:
  "Left," she said. "Then straight to the bridge."
• Statement plus question:
  "We missed the exit," he said. "Did you see the sign?"
• Question with said, when tone matters more than inquiry:
  "You did what?" she said.

Micro‑drills

• Replace an "impossible tag" with a beat.
  Before: "I'm fine," she smiled.
  After: She smiled. "I'm fine."
• Fix a mid‑sentence tag.
  Before: "If we go now," she said. "We'll be early."
  After: "If we go now," she said, "we'll be early."
• Clean a tag before the line.
  Before: He said "Hurry up".
  After: He said, "Hurry up."

Action

Print one scene. Mark every attribution as tag or beat.

• If a verb does not speak, switch to a beat.
• Where a tag follows the line, check for a comma inside the quotes and lowercase on the tag.
• Where a tag precedes the line, add the comma before the quote.
• Where a tag sits mid‑sentence, add commas on both sides.
• Where action sits beside speech, use periods and separate sentences.

Read the scene aloud. If the who and how feel obvious, you nailed the balance. If you hear strain, trim tags, sharpen beats, and let said do its quiet work.

Interruptions, Pauses, Emphasis, and Oddities

Real speech trips, overlaps, and trails off. Your punctuation gives the reader those beats without stage directions stuck in parentheses. Here is how to keep the rhythm clean.

Cutoffs and interruptions

Use an em dash to show a line cut short. Keep it tight, no spaces around the mark.

Right:

• “Wait—”
• “I thought you—”
• “Don’t you dare—”

When someone or something interrupts, end the line with the em dash, then show the beat or the new speaker.

• “Wait—” The door slammed.
• “I was going to tell you—” He raised a hand. “Not now.”
• “You said you’d call—”
  “I tried.”

Wrong:

• “Wait — ” The door slammed.
• “I thought you -” She frowned.

Use a dash for a cut, not a hyphen. Readers know the difference.

Ellipses for trailing off or hesitation

Use three dots for a voice that fades or stalls.

• “I thought we might…”
• “I mean… I can pay you back.”
• “We could… later, if you want.”

When a tag follows, treat the ellipsis like the end of the line.

• “I thought we might…” she said.
• “It’s fine…” he said.

Do not stack punctuation. Pick the one that matches the effect.

Right:

• “You did what?” she said.
• “You did what…,” she said.

Wrong:

• “You did what?!…”
• “So…?” she asked?

Ellipses slow the line. Use them with purpose. If you overuse them, every character sounds unsure.

After a break, resume with intent

A break, then a beat, then back to the line reads clean if you keep each part simple.

• “I—” She swallowed. “I can do it.”
• “Don’t—” He steadied the box. “Don’t move.”
• “I was going to—” She checked the clock. “Forget it.”

If the second fragment continues the same sentence, let the dash mark the interruption and keep the flow.

• “If we leave at seven—” She buttoned her coat. “we can still make it.”

Most of the time you will restart with a capital letter. Use the lowercase continuation only when the grammar is still one sentence and the meaning is clear.

Stutters and false starts

For stutters, use a hyphen between repeated letters or words, not an ellipsis.

• “I-I didn’t mean—”
• “Th-thanks.”
• “We-we should go.”

For hesitation, use an ellipsis instead.

• “I… I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
• “It was… different.”

A false start is a start, a stop, and a redirect. Mix dashes and beats to show the pivot.

• “I never— forget it.”
• “Look, I didn’t—” He sighed. “You know what I mean.”

Direct address takes commas

Names and terms of address need commas. They signal who is being spoken to.

• “Listen, John, we need to go.”
• “John, you left your bag.”
• “Thanks, everyone.”
• “Can you help me, sir?”
• “Don’t start with me, Mom.”

Keep the commas inside the quotes in US style.

Wrong:

• “Listen John we need to go.”
• “Thanks everyone”.

Emphasis without shouting

You have three clean tools: word order, beats, and italics. Use italics sparingly and with a plan.

• Word order: “You knew, and you waited.”
• Beat: “You knew.” She set the cup down. “And you waited.”
• Italics for a single stressed word: “You knew.”
  “I asked you not to.”

Pick one approach for interior thoughts and stay consistent.

• Italics without quotes: She’ll ask about the ring. Keep your story straight.
• Free indirect in close third: She would ask about the ring. He needed a better story.

Avoid both italics and quotes for thoughts at the same time.

Wrong:

• “I have to run,” he thought.

Right:

• I have to run.
• He had to run.

All caps reads like shouting. Trust the line. Trust the beat.

• “Get out,” she said. She didn’t raise her voice.

Quick contrasts

• Pause vs cutoff
  Pause: “I thought… we had time.”
  Cutoff: “I thought—”
• Hesitation vs stutter
  Hesitation: “I… I’m not sure.”
  Stutter: “I-I’m not sure.”
• Interruption by action vs by speaker
  Action: “Don’t—” The gunshot cracked.
  Speaker: “Don’t—”
  “Move.”

Clean spacing and marks

Keep the em dash snug to the words. Three dots for an ellipsis, no spaces on either side inside quotes.

Right:

• “Wait—what?”
• “I… don’t know.”
• “I know… I think.”

Wrong:

• “Wait — what?”
• “I … don’t know.”
• “I…. I think.” (that is four or more dots)

If a character trails off and the sentence would have ended with a period, the three dots cover it. You do not need a fourth dot.

Small tune-ups you can do today

• Replace any parenthetical beats like “(beat)” or “(sighs)” with action, a dash, or an ellipsis.
  Before: “I’m fine. (beat) Leave me alone.”
  After: “I’m fine.” She stared at the sink. “Leave me alone.”
  Or: “I’m fine… Leave me alone.”
  Or: “I’m— Leave me alone.”
• Fix space around dashes and ellipses inside quotes. Tighten them.
• Swap stacked punctuation for one clear mark. Lose the “?!”. Choose either “?” or “!”
• Check direct address for commas. Add the second comma around the name when it sits in the middle.

Read the scene out loud. If you feel the pause, the reader will too. If you stumble, smooth the mark or change the beat. Keep the rhythm clean and the voices will carry.

Longer Passages, Nesting, and Special Formats

Some dialogue situations break the basic rules. Characters give speeches, quote other people, think to themselves, or text each other. Here's how to handle the tricky stuff without confusing your reader.

Multi-paragraph speeches

When one character talks for several paragraphs, you need a different approach. Open quotes at the start of each paragraph, but close them only at the very end.

"I've been thinking about what you said last night. You were right about the timing. We rushed into this without considering the consequences.

"But I also think we underestimated ourselves. We've handled worse situations before. Remember the Patterson account? Everyone said we were crazy to take it on.

"So here's what I propose. We stick with the plan, but we add a safety net. Three checkpoints where we can reassess and pull back if needed."

Notice the opening quotes at the start of paragraphs two and three. No closing quotes until the speaker finishes completely. This tells the reader the same person is still talking.

Wrong:

"I've been thinking about what you said last night."

"But I also think we underestimated ourselves."

"So here's what I propose."

That reads like three different speakers.

Quotes within dialogue

When your character quotes someone else, use single quotes inside the double quotes. US style keeps the hierarchy clear.

Right:

• "She said, 'Take the red file,' and left."
• "I heard him yell, 'Get down!' before the crash."
• "The sign reads, 'No entry after 5 PM.'"

Wrong:

• "She said, "Take the red file," and left."
• "She said, 'Take the red file', and left."

Keep the punctuation order consistent. Comma or period goes inside the single quote if it belongs to the quoted material, outside if it belongs to the main sentence.

• "He said, 'Stop right there.'"
• "Did you hear her say, 'Maybe tomorrow'?"

Internal thoughts

Pick one method and stick with it through the entire story. You have two clean options.

Option 1: Italics without quotes
She studied the map. This has to be the right turn. The GPS died twenty miles back.

Option 2: Close third person without special formatting
She studied the map. This had to be the right turn. The GPS had died twenty miles back.

Both work. The first feels more immediate, the second blends better with narrative flow. Choose based on your story's voice and how often you need internal thoughts.

Never mix italics with quotes for thoughts.

Wrong:

• "This has to be the right turn," she thought.

That is dialogue formatting for thoughts, and it reads awkwardly.

Texts, emails, and digital messages

Modern stories need clean ways to show digital communication. Pick a format and apply it consistently.

Option 1: Indent and use italics
Sarah pulled out her phone.

Meet me at the coffee shop on Fifth. Urgent.

She typed back quickly.

On my way. Ten minutes.

Option 2: Label clearly
Sarah's phone buzzed.

Text from Mike: Meet me at the coffee shop on Fifth. Urgent.

She replied: On my way. Ten minutes.

Option 3: Treat like dialogue with context
Sarah's phone buzzed. "Meet me at the coffee shop on Fifth. Urgent."

She typed back. "On my way. Ten minutes."

The third option works when texts feel conversational. The first two work better for longer messages or when you want visual separation.

Keep punctuation rules consistent with regular speech. If characters use periods and commas in dialogue, they should use them in texts.

Foreign words and dialect

Less is more. Your reader wants to understand the character, not decode every line.

For foreign languages, give enough context so the meaning comes through.

Right:
"Gracias," she said, pressing the coins into his palm.

"Basta!" He slammed his hand on the table. Enough was enough.

Wrong:
"¿Cómo está usted? ¿Está bien? No comprendo por qué..."

Unless your reader speaks Spanish, that is frustrating noise.

For dialect, focus on word choice and sentence structure over phonetic spelling.

Right:
"You best get moving before the storm hits."
"Reckon we should head back now."

Better than:
"Y'all best be gittin' movin' 'fore the storm be hittin'."

Heavy apostrophes slow reading and risk caricature. Trust your reader to hear the voice through rhythm and vocabulary.

Style consistency checklist

Create a one-page reference sheet and apply it throughout your story.

Thoughts: Italics without quotes / Close third person
Digital messages: Indented italics / Labeled / Dialogue format
Foreign terms: Context provided / Meaning clear from situation
Dialect: Word choice focus / Minimal apostrophe use
Multi-paragraph speech: Opening quotes each paragraph / Closing quote final paragraph only

Common nesting mistakes

Watch these trouble spots:

Punctuation pile-up:
Wrong: "She said, 'Stop,' and walked away," he said.
Right: "She said, 'Stop,' and walked away."

Mixed thought formats:
Wrong: She wondered, Am I making the right choice? This seems risky.
Right: Am I making the right choice? This seems risky.

Unclear digital boundaries:
Wrong: Her phone rang. "Hello?" "It's me." "Thank god you called."
Right: Her phone rang. "Hello?"

"It's me. Thank god you called."

Quick formatting fixes

• Multi-paragraph speeches: Add opening quotes to each new paragraph. Remove closing quotes from all but the final paragraph.
• Nested quotes: Change inner quotes to single quotes. Check punctuation placement.
• Thoughts: Pick italics or close third person. Remove any quote marks around thoughts.
• Digital messages: Choose one format. Apply the same punctuation rules as regular dialogue.
• Dialect: Replace heavy apostrophes with word choice. Keep one or two key markers per character maximum.

Run through one scene and mark every special format situation. Apply your style sheet choices consistently. If you change methods mid-story, readers notice the inconsistency more than the individual choices.

Your goal is invisible formatting. Readers should absorb the content without stumbling over the mechanics. When in doubt, choose the simpler option and trust your story to carry the meaning.

Layout and Pacing That Read Professionally

Clean pages buy trust before a single line lands. Layout sets rhythm. Pacing keeps readers turning pages. Get both right, and dialogue does the heavy lifting without drawing attention to the scaffolding.

Format like a pro

Agents and editors expect the same baseline.

• Use a readable 12‑point font. Times New Roman, Garamond, or Courier for scripts.
• Double‑space everything. Dialogue too.
• Indent new paragraphs, including dialogue, half an inch.
• One space after periods.
• Left align, ragged right. No full justification.
• No extra line breaks between paragraphs.
• Scene breaks, use a blank line and a centered asterisk or three asterisks.

Why this matters: consistent layout signals a steady hand. No wobbly alignment, no gimmicks, no fight with the page.

Keep attributions light

Readers track speakers faster than you think. Use a tag every 3 to 5 lines, or when clarity slips. Let simple “said” and “asked” handle attribution. Let beats carry tone.

Too heavy:

“We should go,” she said. “Now,” he said. “Hold on,” she said. “No time,” he said.

Cleaned up:

“We should go,” she said.
“Now.”
“Hold on.”
“No time.”

Even cleaner with a beat:

“We should go,” she said, reaching for the bag.
“Now.”
“Hold on.”
He checked the hall. “No time.”

Notice how a single gesture anchors the voice without clogging the line.

Use line length to control pace

Short lines speed the scene. Longer lines, beats, and sensory detail slow the read and add weight.

Fast:

“Door.”
“Locked.”
“Key?”
“Gone.”
“Move.”
They ran.

Slow:

“The door’s stuck.”
He tried the knob again, then leaned his shoulder into the wood. The frame groaned.
“Let me try.” She set her bag down, wiped her palms, and pressed where the latch met the jamb. “Old buildings hate me.”
“Key’s missing,” he said, lighter now, scanning the floor. “You sure you had it?”
She exhaled, a thin, steady stream. “Pretty sure. Pocket, purse, cup holder, then the desk.”
Silence pressed in. The hallway smelled like damp paper and soap.

Read both aloud. Hear the difference in breath and heartbeat. Match pace to the moment.

Anchor talkers with the room

“Floating heads” happen when voices ping back and forth without bodies in space. Give your speakers friction with objects and place. A mug, a chair, a window latch. Small actions do the anchoring.

Floating heads:
“I’m fine.”
“You’re not.”
“Stop saying that.”
“Then sit down.”

Grounded:
“I’m fine.” She picks up the mug, touches the cold handle, and puts it back.
“You’re not.”
“Stop saying it.” She slides the mug away an inch.
“Then sit down.” He nudges the chair with his boot.

Movement gives memory clues, so the reader follows who is speaking without constant tags.

Trim noise, add signal

Dialogue hates clutter. Over‑attributing, stacked adverbs, stage directions in parentheses, long filler pauses. Strip those. Replace every third tag with a beat that reveals more than “he said.”

Before:
“I told you already,” he said, angrily.
“Well, tell me again,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“I won’t,” he said.
“Oh my god,” she said. (sighs) “You’re impossible.”

After:
“I told you already.” He knuckles the table.
“Well, tell me again.” She stares past him at the clock.
“I won’t.”
She exhales through her nose. “You’re impossible.”

Same voices, less noise, more character.

Mini‑exercise: the clarity pass

• Take one dialogue‑heavy page.
• Highlight every tag.
• Remove every third tag.
• For each removal, add a beat that anchors the speaker with a small, precise action. Fingers on a zipper. Key card in a slot. Chair leg scraping.
• Read aloud. If a switch confuses you, restore a tag.

Aim for a rhythm where readers forget the scaffolding and ride the scene.

Common layout slips to fix today

• Tabs for indents. Switch to automatic paragraph indents set to 0.5 inch.
• Extra blank lines between dialogue lines. Remove those.
• Centered dialogue for emphasis. Keep alignment left. Emphasis belongs in word choice.
• Bold or underlined speech. Stick to clean text.
• A wall of talk without breaks. Add beats or a sensory line every few exchanges.
• Endless tags. Thin them out, then let gestures and setting do the work.

A quick before and after

Before:
“I called them,” she said. “They didn’t answer,” he said. “Try again,” she said. “Fine,” he said. “Put it on speaker,” she said.

After:
“I called them,” she said.
“They didn’t answer.”
“Try again.”
He digs out the phone, thumb already moving. “Fine.”
“Put it on speaker.”

Same content. Better breathing. The beat keeps speakers clear. The line breaks control speed.

Professional layout gets you out of the reader’s way. Smart pacing keeps eyes on the page. Give dialogue white space, give readers anchors, and let rhythm carry the scene.

Common Pitfalls and a 10‑Minute Fix Checklist

Clean dialogue reads like you know what you’re doing. Most problems come from a few small habits. Fix those, and the whole page lifts.

Straight quotes vs. smart quotes

Curly quotes and apostrophes look professional. Straight quotes look like a text file.

• Wrong: "I don’t know," she said. '90s music.
• Right: “I don’t know,” she said. ’90s music.

Quick fixes:

• Turn on smart quotes. Word: File > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect > “Straight quotes” with “smart quotes.” Google Docs: Tools > Preferences > Use smart quotes. Scrivener: Preferences > Corrections > Use smart quotes.
• Replace leading apostrophes. Find: '([0-9]{2}) and replace with: ’\1. Or do it by hand for dates and clipped words. ’90s, rock ’n’ roll, goin’ is a style choice, but the mark leans the right way.

Dashes for interruptions

For cutoffs and interruptions, use the long dash. No spaces before or after. Not a hyphen.

• Wrong: “Wait -”
• Right: “Wait” followed by a long dash, no spaces.

Typing help:

• Mac: Option+Shift+Hyphen.
• Windows: Alt+0151 on the number pad.
• Many editors auto-convert two hyphens to a long one. Check settings.

Pick one punctuation system and stay with it

US style uses double quotes outside. Commas and periods live inside the closing quote. UK often uses single quotes outside and places punctuation by logic.

• US: “We’re late,” she said.
• UK: ‘We’re late’, she said.
• US with nesting: “He said, ‘Take the red file,’ and left.”
• UK with nesting: ‘He said, “Take the red file”, and left.’

Choose once, note it in your style sheet, and keep it steady.

Commas with tags

Tags glue dialogue to attribution. Keep commas inside the quotes, and keep the tag lowercase.

• Correct: “We’re late,” she said.
• Correct: “Are you sure?” he asked.
• Correct: “Go.” She grabbed her keys.
  Action is a new sentence, so period inside the quote.
• Wrong: “We’re late”, she said.
• Wrong: “We’re late,” She said.
• Wrong: “Are you sure?”, he asked.

When in doubt, read it aloud. If the tag locks onto the spoken line, use a comma inside, tag lowercase. If the next line is action, use a period.

Over‑punctuation

Multiple marks read as noise. Trust word choice and beats.

• No: “What the hell?!” he yelled.
• Better: “What the hell?” He stepped back.
• No: “No!!!”
• Better: “No.” She grips the railing.
  Or stretch the vowel once if style demands it: “Nooo.”
• No: “You did what?!”
• Better: “You did what?” He blinks.

The 10‑minute fix

Set a timer. One scene, one pass.

1. New speaker, new line. Scan down the page. If two voices share a paragraph, split them.
2. Quotes and apostrophes. Turn on smart quotes, then replace any straight holdouts. Fix flipped leading apostrophes: ’90s, not '90s.
3. Tags vs. beats. Mark each attribution. If a verb does not name speaking, turn it into action.
   • Wrong: “Fine,” he smiled.
   • Right: He smiled. “Fine.”
4. Commas and capitalization. Comma inside the closing quote with a tag. Tag lowercase. Period inside the quote if the next bit is action.
5. Dashes and ellipses. For interruptions, use the long dash, no spaces. For trailing off, use three dots. Don’t stack marks.
   • Right: “I thought we might…” she said.
   • Not: “I thought we might...?!”
6. Thin the tags. Remove every third “said” or “asked.” Add a clean beat where needed. One gesture per swap. Precise, not busy.
7. Consistency check. US or UK chosen earlier? Double or single quotes? Apply the same choice everywhere.
8. Read aloud. If any speaker swap confuses you, restore a tag or add a beat that links a body to the voice.

Quick before-and-after

Before:
“I told you already”, he said. “What the hell?!” She rolled her eyes. “You never listen,” He sighed.

After:
“I told you already,” he said.
“What the hell?” She rolls her eyes.
“You never listen.” He sighs.

Nothing fancy. Cleaner punctuation, fewer spikes, clearer rhythm.

Tidy mechanics free your scene. Readers feel control on the page, so they trust the voice in their ear.

Frequently Asked Questions

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