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WRITING DIALOGUE

WRITING DIALOGUE. Let’s do it RIGHT!. Consider this excerpt taken from the film “A Few Good Men”…. You don’t have to answer that question. You want answers? I think I’m entitled to them. You want answers? I want the truth! You can’t handle the truth!.

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WRITING DIALOGUE

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  1. WRITING DIALOGUE Let’s do it RIGHT!

  2. Consider this excerpt taken from the film “A Few Good Men”…. You don’t have to answer that question. You want answers? I think I’m entitled to them. You want answers? I want the truth! You can’t handle the truth!

  3. RULE #1 Use quotation marks to indicate words which are spoken by characters. “You don’t have to answer that question!” “I’ll answer the question. You want answers?” “I think I’m entitled to them.” “You want answers?” “I want the truth!” “You can’t handle the truth!”

  4. Rule #2 - Always start a new paragraph when changing speakers. You cannot have two people speaking in the same paragraph. “You don’t have to answer that question!” “I’ll answer the question. You want answers?” “I think I’m entitled to them.” “You want answers?” “I want the truth!” “You can’t handle the truth!”

  5. Rule #3 - Make sure the reader knows who is speaking.Rule #4 – Use correct punctuation, capitalization and spacing. Punctuation goes INSIDE the quotation marks. “You don’t have to answer that question!” said the Judge. “I’ll answer the question. You want answers?” said Jessop. “I think I’m entitled to them.” said Kaffe. “You want answers?” said Jessop. “I want the truth!” said Kaffe. “You can’t handle the truth!” said Jessop.

  6. Rule #5 – write dialogue that is USEFUL to the story…not everything the character is saying (no ums or ahhs). It should move the story forward.Rule #6 - Use words and narrative sentences that help reader discern tone of voice, actions and state of mind of character. The Judge turned swiftly toward the witness and declared, “You don’t have to answer that question!” “I’ll answer the question,” Jessop said coldly, fixing his eyes on Kaffee. He asked the defense attorney “You want answers?” “I think I’m entitled to them.” Kaffe replied. Jessop asked again, more forcefully, “You want answers?” “I want the truth!” Kaffee shouted, banging his fist on the table. Jessop leaned forward, rising to his feet, and thundered, “You can’t handle the truth!”

  7. Rule #7 – if a character is speaking and you want to put a speech tag in the middle, use a COMMA instead of an end mark. • “Excuse me young man,” Mark said awkwardly. “But what is that thing you’re pressing into your ear? Is it some kind of hearing aid?”

  8. Speech tags – vary their use and placement • Don’t always identify the speaker in the same place; you can do it at the beginning, in the middle or at the end. • Once the characters and the flow of their conversation is established, you may not need speech tags. The important thing is that the reader instinctively knows who’s speaking.

  9. DON’T! • If the quotation is long (more than one brief sentence or clause), DO NOT place a speech tag at the end. Do it at the beginning, or at the first punctuation stop or eliminate the speech tag and identify the speaker another way. • You don’t want to place a speech tag at the end of a quotation if the character is speaking for the first time, has not yet been introduced or has not otherwise been identified before he begins to speak – remember the reader should know who is speaking the moment he sees the first quotation mark!

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