The Tool Box
The Toolbox contains useful articles and links for writers.
If you have an article for use on this page, please let us know. We'll consider any sound advice to make sure that Book Shed writers remain the ones to watch.
Current Articles
Formatting a Manuscript - a few basics
"... Most editors, agents and publishers ask for submissions in an easy to read font. They are not impressed by fancy fonts or strange colours. Using them may make your submission stand out, but not in the way you hope..."
"... above all else, you should be looking for an e-mail address for contact. This can be the biggest key to making sure your work ends up on the desks of the people who might give you a fair crack of the whip ..."
"... Punctuation for dialogue is something that beginner writers often get wrong..."
"... Readers like dialogue - the majority of them demand it - and it is the first thing they will criticize if it doesn't suit them... "
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"... writers often use more than three dots, but the correct punctuation is only three, no more and no less ..."
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This article is taken from The ABC Checklist for New Writers, co-written by Book Shed author Lorraine Mace. The guidebook is written with all budding writers in mind, to help them present works that end up in the shortlist, not the shredder. Information is presented in a concise A - Z format, and unfamiliar terms are explained, taking the novice through each step in the submission process. |
Punctuation for dialogue is something that beginner writers often get wrong.
When the dialogue tag forms part of a sentence, you should use a comma after the speech, close the quote marks, and use a lower case letter for the tag.
“You drove me to it,” he said.
Notice that in the examples below a lower case letter is used even when it follows a question mark or exclamation mark. This is because the tag is part of the sentence, not separate to it.
“How could you?” she asked.
“You’re an idiot!” he yelled.
However, when no tag follows the dialogue you should use a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark to finish the speech and then close the quote marks.
“How could you?”
“Easily, you drove me to it.”
“You’re an idiot!”
When dialogue continues after the tag, but is still part of the same sentence, a comma is used, with a lower case letter starting the next section of dialogue.
“There are times,” she said, “when I could murder you.”
When dialogue continues after the tag, but is NOT part of the same sentence, a full stop is used, with a capital letter starting the next section of dialogue.
“I don’t understand you,” he said. “What on earth did you think you were doing?”
Avoid using unnecessary adverbs with dialogue tags:
He whispered softly – is there any other way to whisper?
She shouted loudly – again, is there any other way to shout?
“Sit there and don’t move.” That sentence is clearly a command so there is no need to add: she ordered, commanded, or insisted.