Dialogue Rules!8 Rules to get you started writing great

dialogue

Rule #1Paragraphs

You MUST start a new paragraph EVERY time you change speakers…even if the speaker only says one

word!!

Rule #2Exactly what the speaker says will have quotation

marks around it.

“This is an example.”

Rule # 3 Punctuation goes INSIDE the quotation

Marks!

“I absolutely love pepperoni pizza!” exclaimed Matty.

Rule # 4 If the annotation is first, you place the

comma after it:

Jacob said, “I wish I could go.”

Rule # 5 If the annotation is last, you put the comma

inside the quotation marks, and then put a period at the

end. If it is a question or exclamation, the ? and ! go inside the quotation marks:

“I wish I could go,” Jacob said.

“I wish I could go!” Jacob exclaimed

Rule # 6 You do not have to tell who the speaker is

each time if the dialogue is between two people and they are having a lot of

back-and-forth conversations. Your

readers will understand.

Rule # 7 Use a VARIETY of explanatory words such as

“stated, questioned, observed, screamed, and agreed” instead of always

using “said.”

Rule # 8 Whenever possible, always include dialogue in your short

story. It makes it a LOT more interesting!

Dialogue Words to Use Instead of “Said”

accused acknowledged added addressed admitted advised affirmed agreed announced answered

apologized approved argued asked asserted assured avowed babbled barked bawled

beamed began begged bellowed bet bleated blurted boasted boomed bragged

broke in bubbled bugged burst out called cautioned chatted chattered cheered chided

chimed in chittered chocked chortled chorused chuckled claimed clucked coaxed commanded

commented complained conceded concluded confessed confided congratulated continued convinced cooed

corrected coughed countered cried croaked crowed dared decided declared demanded denied described disagreed disclosed divulged

doubted drawled echoed ended exclaimed explained finished fretted gasped gently

gibed giggled greeted groaned growled grunted grumbled guessed gulped gurgled

hinted hissed hollered hypothesized imitated implied informed inquired insisted interjected

interrupted intoned jeered jested joked laughed lied lisped maintained marveled

mentioned mimicked moaned mumbled murmured

mused muttered nagged nodded noted objected observed offered ordered panted

piped pleaded pled pointed out pondered praised prayed proclaimed promised proposed

protested purred put in puzzled quavered queried questioned quipped quoted ranted reasoned reassured recalled reckoned related remarked remembered reminded repeated replied

reported requested resounded responded retorted revealed roared sang sassed screamed

scoffed scolded shot shouted shrieked shrilled sighed smiled smirk snapped

snarled sneered sneezed snickered sniffed sniffled snorted sobbed spat speculated

spoke sputtered squeaked stammered started stated stormed stuttered suggested surmised

taunted teased tempted tested theorized threatened told trilled urged uttered

volunteered vowed wailed warned went on wept whimpered whined whispered wondered

worried yawned yakked

http://www.spwickstrom.com/said/

Other great resources:

http://fictionwriting.about.com/od/writingexercises/qt/

punctuation.htm 

http://www.writingfix.com/PDFs/Writing_Tools/

Rules_of_dialogue.pdf 

http://writingfix.com/PDFs/Writing_Tools/

Tom_Swiftie_Dialogue_rules.pdf

http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/files/ywp/ywp_10_hs_dialogue.pdf

http://teacher1stop.com/ Visit us on our website for more wonderful resources or

Follow us on Twitter @MSELA_T1shttps://twitter.com/MSELA_T1s

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teacher1stop Follow us on Pinterest:

http://www.pinterest.com/karen550/english-language-arts-middle-school

/