In this post, I discuss writing dialog, focusing on proper grammar as represented by paragraph breaks, quoting and punctuation.

Rule #1: Switch Speakers with Paragraph Breaks

Each new speaker should begin speaking using a new paragraph.  Speakers can continue speaking in subsequent sentences within the same paragraph if there is no interruption.  They may even speak within the same paragraph across minor interruptions.  For example:

Stop what you are doing!

No, I won’t stop what I am doing.  I won’t stop until I complete what I am doing.

You’d better stop what you’re doing!  The police officer rolled up his sleeves.  I’m warning you!

But what do you do if the narrative break is more substantial?

Rule #2: Separate Dialog from Narrative with Paragraph Breaks

Use paragraph breaks to separate dialog from substantial portions of narrative.  For example:

You’d better stop what you’re doing!

The police officer rolled up his sleeves.  On either forearm was an elaborate tattoo.  Sweat glistened in the eye of a dragon like a tear.

I’m warning you!

Still, there must be a better way to distinguish dialog from narrative.  Sigh…

Rule #3: Enclose Dialog within Double Quotes

Use double quotes to enclose dialog.  Smart editor, such as Microsoft Word, will place smart quotes around dialog, pointing the tails inward toward the dialog.  Don’t sweat this.  Just know that it looks nice.

“Stop what you are doing!”

“No, I won’t stop what I am doing.  I won’t stop until I complete what I am doing.”

“You’d better stop what you’re doing!”

The police officer rolled up his sleeves.  On either forearm was an elaborate tattoo.  Sweat glistened in the eye of a dragon like a tear.

“I’m warning you!”

Note that you should place sentence terminators inside the closing double quote of dialog.

Would it help even more to add a little attribution to the dialog?

Rule #4: Conclude Dialog with Attribution (Use of Commas, Part I)

To attribute dialog to a speaker, end the dialog with a comma instead of a period and follow the closing quote with your attribution.  If your dialog ends in a question mark (?) or exclamation mark (!), retain those marks rather than replacing them with a comma.  For example:

“Stop what you are doing!” the police officer insisted.

“No, I won’t stop what I am doing,” the fugitive replied.  “I won’t stop until I complete what I am doing.”

“You’d better stop what you’re doing!”

The police officer rolled up his sleeves.  On either forearm was an elaborate tattoo.  Sweat glistened in the eye of a dragon like a tear.

“I’m warning you!” the officer continued.

Notice how I attribute the dialog to each speaker in the first two sentences.  I withhold attribution from the third line of dialog since we’ve established the speaker through a back-and-forth nature of the exchange.  However, after the narrative break, I must reestablish the fact that the officer is again speaking.

Rule #5: Write Dialog Directed at Someone (Use of Commas, Part II)

Use a comma to delimit a statement from the target of that statement.  For example:

“No, I won’t stop what I am doing, officer,” the fugitive replied.
“No, officer, I won’t stop what I am doing,” the fugitive replied.

Use either method to define the person to whom the sentence is directed.

Rule #6: Write Internal Dialog with Italics

Writers often employ italics to depict internal dialog, an exchange a character is having with themselves within their own brain.  Italic text is also used to depict foreign words.  I used italics in this post to depict writing examples (which makes it awkward trying to provide italicization examples ;-).  Here’s an example of internal dialog, the author of the post mused.  Adios, muchachos!

I’ll see you in the classroom,

—Brian