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    Writing Dialogue

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    Minh Pham
    The document provides guidelines for writing dialogue between two or more characters: 1. All spoken words must be in quotation marks and follow proper punctuation rules. 2. Dialogue should be less formal than other writing and use contractions to sound natural. 3. Start a new paragraph whenever the speaker changes in a conversation between characters. 4. Avoid overusing "said" and include more descriptive verbs like "whispered" and "yelled" instead.

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    Writing Dialogue

    Uploaded by

    Minh Pham
    273 views3 pages
    The document provides guidelines for writing dialogue between two or more characters: 1. All spoken words must be in quotation marks and follow proper punctuation rules. 2. Dialogue should be less formal than other writing and use contractions to sound natural. 3. Start a new paragraph whenever the speaker changes in a conversation between characters. 4. Avoid overusing "said" and include more descriptive verbs like "whispered" and "yelled" instead.

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    The document provides guidelines for writing dialogue between two or more characters: 1. All spoken words must be in quotation marks and follow proper punctuation rules. 2. Dialogue should be less formal than other writing and use contractions to sound natural. 3. Start a new paragraph whenever the speaker changes in a conversation between characters. 4. Avoid overusing "said" and include more descriptive verbs like "whispered" and "yelled" instead.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    273 views3 pages

    Writing Dialogue

    Uploaded by

    Minh Pham
    The document provides guidelines for writing dialogue between two or more characters: 1. All spoken words must be in quotation marks and follow proper punctuation rules. 2. Dialogue should be less formal than other writing and use contractions to sound natural. 3. Start a new paragraph whenever the speaker changes in a conversation between characters. 4. Avoid overusing "said" and include more descriptive verbs like "whispered" and "yelled" instead.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
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    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    of 3

    Writing Dialogue

    Writing dialogue—a conversation between two or more characters—is easy if you


    follow these guidelines:

    1. All words spoken by a character must be surrounded by quotation marks. A direct


    quotation can come at the beginning or the end of a sentence.

    2. A direct quotation begins with a capital letter. If a quotation is interrupted, the


    second part begins with a lower-case letter.

    3. A direct quotation is set off from the rest of a sentence by commas. If a direct
    quotation is interrupted, commas are placed before and after the interruption. The
    comma before a direct quotation falls outside the quotation marks. The comma—or
    any punctuation—after a direct quotation falls inside the quotation marks.

    Examples:

    Ted smiled and said, "I can't wait to get to the ball game!"
    "Yes, I am the one who baked the chocolate cake," admitted Granny.
    "Jim," she said with a grin, "I'm going to make sure you lose this match."

    4. Dialogue is less formal than other kinds of writing. To make your characters sound
    natural, you may use short sentences and contractions in dialogue. For academic
    papers avoid slang, or clichés such as clear as a bell, etc (refer to pg 133 of
    Strategies for Successful Writing for list of common clichés).

    5. In a conversation between characters - start a new paragraph each time the


    speaker changes.

    6. Be careful not to use the word "said" too often. Use other livelier verbs, such as
    "whispered," "yelled,", "mumbled," "cried," and "confessed."

    Coutesy of http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/content/2233/2233_fictionchar_dialogue.pdf
    PRACTICE QUESTIONS
    Punctuate the sentences below correctly:

    1. Pearl once said you cannot make yourself feel something you do not feel but you can
    make yourself do right in spite of your feelings

    2. Pick up pick up Tony screamed

    3. Nothing gold can stay Robert said to his wife

    4. Why do you wish to study abroad Mary asked her sister


    ANSWERS TO PRACTICE QUESTIONS

    1. Pearl once said, “You cannot make yourself feel something you do not feel, but you can
    make yourself do right in spite of your feelings.”

    2. “Pick up! Pick up!” Tony screamed.

    3. “Nothing gold can stay,” Robert said to his wife.

    4. “Why do you wish to study abroad?” Mary asked her sister.

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