A guideline for authors Writing dialogues correctly: 5 tips for the right format March 5, 2026

As an author, you will frequently use dialogue, so it's good to format it correctly from the outset, i.e. punctuate it in the right places. There are a few rules that are often overlooked. We provide tips and briefly explain what is required to format dialogue correctly, from simple situations (commas and dialogue markers) to slightly more complex ones (dialogue interruptions with actions).

Tip 1: Clearly distinguish between direct and indirect dialogue

Direct dialogue is always enclosed in quotation marks. So if someone actually says the words you have written down, it looks like this: “Well, I thought everything was fine,” he said.

If the dialogue is indirect, it means that you are telling someone what someone else said. It would look like this: He said that he thought everything was fine.

Note that quotation marks are not necessary if the dialogue is not direct.

Tip 2: Correct placement of commas, periods, and punctuation marks

Here's a simple trick to keep in mind when formatting dialogue: if you've used “she said” or “he said,” use a comma within the quotation marks. It will look like this: “I love eating ice cream,” he said.

If your dialogue does not include “he said” or “she said” or is followed by an action, no comma is required within the quotation marks: “I love eating ice cream.” He looked pensively out the window.

This is because there is no dialogue indicator (like said, for instance) here.

Also important: never place a comma or punctuation mark outside the quotation marks if it belongs to the dialogue or sentence between the quotation marks.

So not like this: “I love eating ice cream”.

Or this: “I love eating ice cream”,

Or even worse: “I love writing books”!

Better: “Do you love eating ice cream?” she had asked. Or: “I love eating ice cream. Now!” he shouted. 

Tip 3: Recognise and understand dialogue rules

Each dialogue sentence from each speaker should—if possible—be on a new line. This makes it clearer. Dialogues can be independent actions, but they are never completely written-out action sentences.

Example: “I like ice cream,” he laughed and walked on. Here, the speaker laughs when he says he likes ice cream. If the speaker laughs after saying he likes ice cream, it looks like this: “I like ice cream.” He laughed.

Tip 4: Always use actions outside of quotation marks

If you want your character to show what they are doing while speaking, you can do so without using dialogue tags: “I love eating ice cream.” Martha rubbed her hands together. Both sentences are separated from each other but remain on the same line because this helps the reader recognize who spoke the words.

The same rule applies here as for dialogue tags. If you perform too many actions in succession, it can be awkward.

“I love sitting here by the window.” Martha rubbed her hands together.

“Why is that?” Fred walked slowly across the room.

“Because it's an inspiring place.” Martha pulled the light, almost transparent curtains completely aside.

“Then I'll leave you alone now.” Fred left the room.

It's a little irritating to read all this additional information after every single sentence. So, of course, you can vary it, as long as you remember to always write each speaker on a separate line. It's just nicer to read that way. So why not?

“I love sitting here by the window.” Martha rubbed her hands together.

“Why is that?” Fred asked.

“Because it's an inspiring place.”

Fred nodded. “I'll leave you alone now.”

Remember: Actions are always separated. Speech must end with a full stop and quotation marks.

Tip 5: Interruptions in dialogue

It's like in real life—there are always interruptions, even in dialogues. You can do this in two ways.

“I love sitting here by the window,” said Martha, rubbing her hands together, “but I don't like it so much when it's very noisy outside.” In this first example, you write your opening dialogue as usual. But instead of ending the sentence with a full stop, you put a comma, start a new quotation mark, and continue the sentence. At the end of this sentence, you put a full stop and end the direct speech.

You can also insert an interruption by dividing the spoken parts into two separate sentences:

“I love sitting here by the window,” said Fred, rubbing his hands together. “But I don't like it so much when it's noisy outside.” Here, the sentence ends after Fred rubs his hands together. When you start the dialogue again, format it with a capitalized “But” and end it with a full stop.

If your speakers are unpredictable or do something that interrupts the direct speech, e.g. because they take a sip of water or are surprised, you could format it as follows: “I love sitting here by the window” – Fred took a sip of water – “but I'm not a fan when it's so loud outside.”

Note: For this type of formatting, the dashes are outside the dialogue box.

That's all there is to it. Formatting dialogue doesn't have to be a problem.

If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch! :-)