How to Write and Format Dialogue in a Novel / Fiction

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Wondering how to write and format dialogue in fiction? Need help formatting your dialogue for a novel or short story? You're in the right place!
In this short and to-the-point video, you'll learn some important steps for writing and formatting dialogue in a novel.
This video covers the following dialogue writing techniques:
* How to use quotation marks to set off your dialogue
* How to add speaker tags, so readers know who is talking
* How to break up your dialogue with action and movement
If you find this video helpful, be sure to subscribe to my channel. I'll be adding a lot more "live writing" tutorials like this one, geared toward aspiring fiction writers and novelists.
Thanks for watching!

[@unseendoors1493]

This 8 min video is a hidden gem for writers! It’s the smallest thing that make the biggest impact.👍🏾

[@storytheory]

Sorry for the delayed response, and thank you for your kind words. I'm glad you find the videos helpful.

[@SuperExtrovert]

Thiiiisss!!!

[@frizzyrascal1493]

Thank you, no fancy video edits, just straight to the point.

[@pieceofbread4654]

Oh my goodness, this is exactly what I needed. Simple and straight to the point. Thank you so much!

[@storytheory]

You're welcome. I'm glad you found it helpful. I love having those "Aha!" moments on TH-cam.

[@jessievelusamy5248]

I am currently writing a fiction story and this is what I exactly needed. Thank you for being clear and precise!

[@storytheory]

You're very welcome. I'm glad it helped and I wish you well in your writing endeavors.

[@jessievelusamy5248]

@@storytheory thanks i published my ebook on Amazon a week back. Thanks 🙏

[@houseplants_Keep_Me_Sane]

@@jessievelusamy5248 what’s it called?

[@watermakesmesick]

Thank you! I'm writing a short story in English, despite it not being my native language, and I was a bit uncertain about dialogue formatting. Turns out, it's not different from my native language at all. :)

[@vsamuels9969]

Thank you, this was the best video on dialogue that I've seen. It was helpful that it was interactive. Finally! Yes!!

[@tristankendrick2582]

Thanks, this is exactly what I needed

[@storytheory]

I'm glad you found it helpful Tristan. Cheers!

[@LucaNoire]

Thanks for the lesson man. I'm currently working on a OELN, it's my first one & this video has helped me learn so much in such a little time.

[@DarkRoarx]

Thanks dude! This is what i needed. I am currently writing something like a novel and having trouble with dialogues. Thanks 👍🏻

[@vitalnnote]

Thank's so much I've been wanting to write a story for a while now and this helps me.

[@ulrikschackmeyer848]

Being Non-English, but writing on my first littery text in English, this is just what I need. Thanks a bundle.

[@r.harlansmith7282]

No need to capitalize Non in non-English.
You might want to respell littery. Make it literary.

[@CupcakeBeauty24]

@@r.harlansmith7282 That is sweet to help him with his English writing, especially seeing that he is still learning.

[@Cpt-kaiju]

this was a big help i'm trying writing out for the first time and this was perfect i wish you the best

[@Megsd2010]

omg helped me so much, i was debaiting whether to use a linebreak

[@darrellwhitney7334]

This clarified things for me. Thank you so much!

[@whois_gabriel]

Exactly what I needed, thank you so much!

[@MerryJasmine-bm9kn]

Thanks this is exacly what I was looking for

[@ThatDorkNana]

Thank you! this helps so much! 😊

[@marcosandoval6175]

thanks! clear and concise

[@danamp31]

This was gret thank you. I've just finished a first draft of my book to get the story out but it's these details that make me nervous.

[@Jon2Strong]

Good stuff. Thanks for posting it.

[@iosyntropy]

hey! this topic is the least talked about in writing tip videos. thank you

[@arcturus2297]

This was helpful.

[@sergioportugal7390]

Useful and wonderful explanation!

[@handicappedhammered9037]

Thank you very much this is very helpful

[@abhi4biotech]

Thanks…keep doing it…it helps

[@lordkaachan9252]

How you don't have more subscribers is a mystery. Really good video has exactly what i was looking for

[@storytheory]

Thanks! I'm glad you found it useful. Good luck with your writing.

[@hardwar5334]

This was the thing I want..thanks..and got a subscriber

[@storytheory]

I'm glad you found it helpful, and thanks for subscribing. I'll be posting a lot more writing tutorial videos later this month, as soon as I wrap up my latest novel. Stay tuned!

[@Gogetaover90000]

Thanks for the tips

[@Oh_ItsClips_ItsClips]

Really helpful, thanks

[@kaleahedwards8044]

THANK YOU!!

[@dark_natas_666]

Appreciated sir!

[@glizza8087]

very helpful

[@Sizzle78]

Amazing! thanks :D

[@RenegadeArt]

New Subscriber. I am writing a graphic novel, and I find your videos very helpful.

[@storytheory]

Thanks for your support, and good luck with your project.

[@michaelkelly6583]

Here too... Another subscriber!

[@willylumpnj]

I love your teaching. Question: why do you have a comma after "Not yet,"? Just wondering and want to get smarter about dialog. Thanks!

[@r.harlansmith7282]

How about adding a question mark to the second sentence of the last line?

[@v.dickson]

Hi thanks. Question please. Is it right to write foreign language into dialogue due to characters speech and then put English translation in highlights beside the dialogue?

[@futurevoid4261]

How often would you have dialog

[@vvvv3194]

I wounder if this can work for a 2 hour watpad story

[@tfyk5623]

Thanks brandon you have no idea.

[@sabjitsingh4179]

Thank u friend

[@Katosnakes]

thanks pal

[@storytheory]

You're welcome.

[@pebblecups]

I came to this video wondering about the line spacing in conversation writing. Are there any videos about this? I will look for more.

[@GentlemanLife-Beyotch]

From my understanding, each time the speaker changes, a new paragraph begins which is indented.

[@imup9otmyname505]

I wrote a scene but I'm stuck and don't know how to move on to the next event. This is the first page I've written in my entire life, any tips?

[@PBARickyplayz]

Why am I reading Paul's lines with the voice of Paul (Jon Matteson) from 'the guy who didn't like musicals'? And Brian in Bill's voice (Corey Dorris)? It even doesn't seem that out of place.

[@tester2643]

Can we write like a paragraph without giving space between dialogues..?

[@ItzWaterWheelz]

So what happens if there is just one character speaking through a bit, how would you space the text then? Do you move down a line or connect it like a paragraph without moving down each time they speak?

[@GentlemanLife-Beyotch]

I do believe that you write it in regular paragraph format with only quotes at the very first paragraph of said dialog and the last.

[@BRAINTEASERS_EN]

Thanks

[@storytheory]

You're welcome.

[@williss1192]

Honestly, it's a bit confusing. I've seen periods after quotation marks, when is it appropriate to do that?

[@fredrichmond1]

doin God's work on New Year's Eve 😂

[@Gogetaover90000]

Is it ok to write a dialogue like this
Person name:" how are you doing?"
Person 2: "I am fine, thanks"
Is it ok? I am new to writing.

[@tortillachips553]

It's good for short stories but for long books or novels you'd want to use something else

[@emplore]

Why is it a coma and not a full stop after "Not yet"

[@storytheory]

You could do it either way, depending on whether you want a hard or soft pause in the dialogue flow. The period in this case creates a full pause. You might even envision the character raising an eyebrow before moving on to ask "why." If I replaced it with a comma, it flows more like one sentence. "Not yet, why?" The key is to make conscious choices based on what you're trying to accomplish in a particular scene.

[@emplore]

@@storytheory Thanks so much I really needed that. I didn't realise the tag could split up dialogue like that. Much appreciated

[@doncarter2686]

Out OF the window or just through the window.

[@storytheory]

"Glanced out the window" is perfectly fine in this case, being fiction and all. "Glanced out of the window" sounds clunky IMO. This is a tutorial on how to write fiction, not high school English papers. I prefer to follow the Strunk & White creed of "omit needless words." But you do you.

[@debrachambers1304]

I'm going to ignore that said Cormac McCarthy.

[@storytheory]

I'm not sure what you mean.

[@debrachambers1304]

@@storytheory Cormac McCarthy ignores the conventions of dialogue formatting. And my comment also ignores the conventions because I didn't use quotation marks.

[@storytheory]

@@debrachambers1304 Ah, now I get it. LOL. And somehow he makes it work, even without the quotation marks.

[@clairethedaisy]

Me after realizing I've been writing dialogue wrong for 13 chapters of my book: 😭

[@storytheory]

What was wrong about your dialogue? Just curious.

[@karen9051]

Who asked, "The New York Times?"

[@BazColne]

Laboured due to lack of editing skill.

[@storytheory]

Thanks, Judge.