Writing Tips

Writing Tips

Punctuating Dialogue

➸ “This is a sentence.”

➸ “This is a sentence with a dialogue tag at the end,” she said.

➸ “This,” he said, “is a sentence split by a dialogue tag.”

➸ “This is a sentence,” she said. “This is a new sentence. New sentences are capitalized.”

➸ “This is a sentence followed by an action.” He stood. “They are separate sentences because he did not speak by standing.”

➸ She said, “Use a comma to introduce dialogue. The quote is capitalized when the dialogue tag is at the beginning.”

➸ “Use a comma when a dialogue tag follows a quote,” he said.

“Unless there is a question mark?” she asked.

“Or an exclamation point!” he answered. “The dialogue tag still remains uncapitalized because it’s not truly the end of the sentence.”

➸ “Periods and commas should be inside closing quotations.”

➸ “Hey!” she shouted, “Sometimes exclamation points are inside quotations.”

However, if it’s not dialogue exclamation points can also be “outside”!

➸ “Does this apply to question marks too?” he asked.

If it’s not dialogue, can question marks be “outside”? (Yes, they can.)

➸ “This applies to dashes too. Inside quotations dashes typically express—“

“Interruption” — but there are situations dashes may be outside.

➸ “You’ll notice that exclamation marks, question marks, and dashes do not have a comma after them. Ellipses don’t have a comma after them either…” she said.

➸ “My teacher said, ‘Use single quotation marks when quoting within dialogue.’”

➸ “Use paragraph breaks to indicate a new speaker,” he said.

“The readers will know it’s someone else speaking.”

➸ “If it’s the same speaker but different paragraph, keep the closing quotation off.

“This shows it’s the same character continuing to speak.”

More Posts from Arguablyacademic and Others

2 years ago

taken out of context, Goncharov is actually one of the funniest characters of all time.

he refuses to have sex with his hot wife. she invites him to dinner with Sofia (and was almost CERTAINLY going to propose a threesome) but he's like no thank you. i have to go stare into Andrey's eyes for 3 hours. he gets a motorcycle and crashes it 10 minutes later. he gives a eulogy at the funeral of a guy he killed. he picks a fight with a grandfather clock and the clock wins. his wife loses the mansion in a poker game because he was busy throwing a tantrum in his man cave and then she comes home and points a gun at him and he looks at her like a middle-aged suburban dad whose kids just broke the TV remote for the fifth time.


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4 years ago

the dead poets society fandom is so fun. like one popular post will be an in depth analysis of a scene or quote with great meaning from the movie and another will be ✨dead poets boys as crocs✨


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11 months ago

The Cat King: Can I try rizzing you up? Edwin: Sure?? The Cat King: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE    


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4 years ago

Ever just sit and stare out a window trying to think of how a shrimp would see you?


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3 years ago

“Before I am your daughter, your sister, your aunt, niece, or cousin, I am my own person, and I will not set fire to myself to keep you warm.” ― Elizabeth Gracely

3 years ago

all queer history on here is just US-American or maybe sometimes some UK history as well and it makes me sad that there’s so little information about other countries’ queer history on here :(


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4 years ago

A Study on Richard Cameron, if you want to call it that

I know he was a stick in the mud, and he was also a buzzkill, but he was no older or younger than the rest of them. Probably eighteen/seventeen years old.

You see from the beginning, he was always trying to help with homework, and he was studious. That’s not a bad thing in any sort.

He WANTED to be in the Dead Poets. He WANTED to participate and have fun.

He was their friend. A dear friend, however ornery he may be.

Now, one may be thinking: ‘He blamed Keating for Neils death!’ Yes, he did. But I also blamed the doctors for my Papas death, which was completely unavoidable.

One of the five stages of grief is Anger. He was angry, hurt, and didn’t know what to do. He probably heard others blaming Keating.

Cameron was seventeen, maybe eighteen. He was a child. He was always a follower. He followed what others said. And others said Mr Keating and the Dead Poets.

Cameron was a Dead Poet. He probably was blaming himself even more than Keating.

4 years ago

Dealing With Executive Dysfunction - A Masterpost

The “getting it done in an unconventional way” method.

The “it’s not cheating to do it the easy way” method.

The “fuck what you’re supposed to do” method.

The “get stuff done while you wait” method.

The “you don’t have to do everything at once” method.

The “it doesn’t have to be permanent to be helpful” method.

The “break the task into smaller steps” method.

The “treat yourself like a pet” method.

The “it doesn’t have to be all or nothing” method.

The “put on a persona” method.

The “act like you’re filming a tutorial” method.

The “you don’t have to do it perfectly” method.

The “wait for a trigger” method.

The “do it for your future self” method.

The “might as well” method.

The “when self discipline doesn’t cut it” method.

The “taking care of yourself to take care of your pet” method.

The “make it easy” method.

The “junebugging” method.

The “just show up” method.

The “accept when you need help” method.

The “make it into a game” method.

The “everything worth doing is worth doing poorly” method.

The “trick yourself” method.

The “break it into even smaller steps” method.

The “let go of should” method.

The “your body is an animal you have to take care of” method.

The “fork theory” method.

The “effectivity over aesthetics” method.

3 years ago

Suggestions on how to celebrate your own birthday

eat chocolates and truffles for breakfast

wear that one perfume that’s too decadent, too extravagant for daytime - wear as much of it as you want

pick a volume of poetry. how old are you turning? read as many poems and consider what you can learn from them for the next year - not necessarily regarding morals and deeper meaning. take in the grace and beauty of the words, enjoy their melody

at night, turn off the lights and dance with your moonlit shadow

scatter roses in your own path

enjoy the selfless hedonism of your childhood - play, read, dance and dream wholeheartedly

look at art - in a museum, ideally, but books etc will work as well. recognise yourself in a gesture, a nose, a thought expressed in an arrangement of fruit. recognise that just like those pieces of art depict humans and were made by humans, you are art.

look at your own reflection. fall in love a little.

write down how you’d like to be 12 months from now. be specific, visualise your ideal self. reread those visions once a month.

wear your favourite lipstick. kiss your own wrist. (a lover’s token, a promise)

take every step with grace, feel roses woven in your hair and gold dripping from your fingertips

indulge in sensual luxuries

write a love letter to yourself, to be opened on your next birthday

even if you don’t have the time or the means for grand gestures - treat every little thing you do today as a gift to yourself.

feel the centre of your universe shift, ever so slightly, until the sun rises for you.


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arguablyacademic - Romanticizing the Mundane
Romanticizing the Mundane

A full time student. Primary bread winner and loser of this family (of one). (She/They)

260 posts

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