Hello, all!
Something I’ve noticed that many authors struggle with - mostly without knowing it - is punctuation. Wrong usages of ellipses, overuse / lack of commas, and missing periods are frequent story turn-offs for me.
So, here’s a lesson on punctuation:
Note: these aren’t all of the punctuation rules, but they’re the basics!
Periods. You must end statements with a period. (Or a question mark or exclamation point or hyphen) NEVER leave a piece of dialogue without a closing punctuation mark.
Even when three different lines, each with one word, are being said, (ex. “What. The. Hell.”) you MUST end it with a period!
Exclamation Points! Exclamation points are great for showing excitement! This can be negative, or it can be positive. It just shows emotion and urgency. Don’t use them in excess over the course of a few lines, as it detracts from their value. Try not to use more than one in character dialogue- it’s informal, inappropriate, and unnecessary! (ex. “OMG!!”)
Question Mark? This one is pretty obvious, no? These are used at the end of questions. Again, don’t use them in excess when writing dialogue! (Like this: “What???”)
Commas, an essential tool when writing, are often misused. They indicate a brief pause in speaking. Use them when listing things, (ex. “Buy some apples, bread, and lettuce.”) addressing people, (ex. “Kara, please pass the salt.”) or when using the FANBOYS to combine two sentences. (ex. “She looked happy, but he knew better.”)
Do NOT end lines of dialogue with commas, even if the sentence will be finished in the next line. Use a hyphen or ellipses instead, or (preferably) change the line. Commas can be difficult to work with- even for me! So, if you’ve got a question about them, just ask!
I love using semicolons; they combine two sentences that have to do with each other, even if they’re both compound sentences! (Note: the second sentence in the sentence that uses the semicolon does NOT need to start with a capital letter.) These are difficult to use, so again- ask away! Once you learn how to use them, though, don’t overuse them. Also, don’t put these at the end of lines of dialogue, even if the sentence continues in the next line!
Hyphens- another commonly misused punctuation mark. These also indicate a brief pause when speaking, often to interrupt the flow of the sentence and bring a side point. Sometimes these are interchangeable with commas, but they are mostly used to explain things or to add side points.
You may end a line of dialogue with a hyphen, but only in some cases. It’s best to avoid doing it at all.
Colons: There are three main uses of colons: when introducing a list, quoting something / someone, or before adding a clause that explains the previous part of the sentence. DO NOT end a line of dialogue with a colon, even if the rest is on the next line. Either combine the lines, or change the wording altogether.
Ellipses… a dramatic punctuation mark for writers. This indicates trailing off or taking a long pause. You CANNOT use “…”. That makes NO SENSE. Use three periods. Or, occasionally, for extra dramatic effect, use more than three. You may end dialogue with ellipses, but don’t do it too often! In general, don’t overuse ellipses- they lose their effect.
Any questions? Any comments? Don’t hesitate- drop them below! I can help with individual lines or chunks of dialogue on this thread; however, if you want your story proofread, please reach out to me via Message or DM. (@ kennedychasewrites)
Happy writing! 
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Actually, I have a question.
