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Anyone who's ever tried to write a novel or short story knows that, in addition to descriptive language, the dialogue can make or break a story. Dialogue is the one element that sets characters apart from one another. There are rare exceptions of compelling stories in which dialogue is not important. In most cases, dialogue tells readers about the characters who are speaking, making them real people in the mind. We can learn a lot about social and educational level by means of the language used. Once the language is figured out, the question remains, how do you punctuate dialogue when writing? Much of the basic punctuation learned in primary school applies; however, there are a few nuances in addition to the general rules.

Commas play a significant role in written dialogue. For instance, they should be used to separate the dialogue and the words that identify the speaker of that particular line. Example: "I can't believe you're leaving me like this," she tells him as he walks away and hails a cab.

As with quoted material in any form of writing, periods and commas are placed inside the quotation marks whereas other types of punctuation go on the outside, unless it is part of the quoted material. Sentences should end with only one form of punctuation mark. Examples: "What are you doing with that thing in your hands?" he said to the woman holding the gun. Who was it that said, "To thine own self be true"?

If the character's words are interrupted in order to identify who is speaking, commas should separate the tag line from the dialogue. The rest of the information should be in lower case letters unless a new sentence follows the tag. Examples: "I think," she said looking upward, "that it may rain today." "I happen to agree with you," he replied. "Besides the drop in temperature, the sky looks dark."

When there is a quote within a quote, use single quotes for the interior information. Example: "Did she say I watch television every night' when he asked her the question?" she asked me.

Italics can be used for internal dialogue, as when a person is thinking about something. If italics are used, though, make sure this method is used throughout the literary work.

If a speaker is using a large amount of dialogue that goes into more than one paragraph, use opening quotes at the beginning of each paragraph. Do not use closed quotes until the character has finished talking. Think dramatic monologues.

Dialogue is like icing on the cake of a literary work. A writer can have the best story idea, but if the combination of dialogue and imagery are not there, the creation is irrelevant. Without proper punctuation, editors will likely not read the submission. Everyone needs grammatical refresher courses, so there is nothing wrong with looking up the information as you write.

Source:

http://fictionwri ting.about.com/od/writingexerc ises/qt/punctuation.htm

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