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.”

Say it louder to the ones at the back 📣📣

For those of you watching the death spiral of Twitter in real time THIS IS WHY us fandom olds always defend AO3 and it’s donation drives.

Twitter is an incalculable loss for artistic expression, news, and so many other facets I can’t even begin to count.

This sort of loss of information is impossible with AO3 and how it’s set-up. Obviously an AO3 style model isn’t sustainable for every site bc the moment images get involved the server costs skyrocket exponentially, but now more than ever the theory applies.

AO3 is an archive of our own, donators have direct say via vote about what happens to the site, you help shape it.

As long as AO3 has donation drives and doesn’t rely on advertisers it will remain around as a foremost place of art and freedom of expression. What happened to Twitter can’t happen to AO3 as it currently exists. And that is why we fight tooth and nail to protect AO3 from corporate interests and out of touch billionaires like Musk.

I hate that Twitter is dying and that anyone has to experience it, but please learn from this experience!

😂😂🥰 love it!

Ok this is the most accurate description of BTS ever made in my opinion

Saying I'm sorry...

... as an apology

... as a confession

... as a manipulation

... as a truce

... as a last attempt

... as an ask for forgiveness

... as a sign of respect

... as a duty

... as a goodbye

Saying I'm sorry…

angrily

desperately

anxiously

quietly

insolent

guiltily

unapologetic

passionately

honestly

*I'm sorry* - Apology Starters

If you like my blog and want to support me, you can buy me a coffee or become a member! And check out my Instagram! 🥰

@b-alla Least I can say is that I didn't expect such development ☺️ I thought a spar would keep our breaths short enough but no, you've decided to surprise us and make even hotter promises 😜. Love it!

Shield & Shelter Chapter 5 (3/5)

C1 ½, 2/2

C2 1/3, 2/3, 3/3

C3 1/3, 2/3, 3/3

C4 1/5, 2/5, 3/5, 4/5, 5/5

C5 1/5, 2/5, 3/5

“Show Don’t Tell”? Not Always. Here’s When to Use Summary.

I was inspired to write this post after getting a great anonymous question in my Ask: “What’s your opinion on the whole ‘show don’t tell’ advice? Do you have any tips for when to show and when to tell?”

Here’s my response:

I honestly think that “show don’t tell” is one of the most over-quoted and least-understood pieces of writing advice out there.

For those of you who aren’t familiar, “show don’t tell” means that instead of explaining or telling something to your reader (“Sheila was reckless and impulsive”), you should show Sheila’s impulsiveness through action or dialogue. For example, “Even though her rent was overdue, after she got her paycheck Sheila spent $400 on an antique toilet.” This would allow the reader to draw the conclusion that Sheila was impulsive for themselves, rather than being told.

Theoretically, this is great advice for new fiction writers, who, left to their own devices, tend to write their stories entirely in “telling” mode.

But summary (telling) has a place in fiction as well, and it’s an important one.

Keep reading