Hello everyone,
I searched and searched to find whether this question had already been asked. If I missed it and this is a repeat for some, then my apologies!
Basically, I get quite tripped up regarding the use of punctuation within a sentence with dialogue. Even after reading a lot myself, I find there are different methods with different authors. Anyway, I have three examples I would love help with!
"John," mum called impatiently, "please can you get off he couch and put the groceries away?"
"There is something that you really need to know." confessed Lucy with hesitancy.
Michael wiped the tears from his eyes and said, "love isn't as easy as they make it out to be in the movies."
SORRY! This is like a little quiz you'd get in English class, haha. I have seen in some previous answers there are some great grammar/punctuation books by Penguin, which I will definitely have a look at. Does anyone have a resource they use for things like this? Thank you in advance and apologies once again if this is a repeated, or appalling question!
@ Susan: The truth is that on this forum, novice writers look for useful advice. Some [more experienced] writers choose to express their opinions as if they were - as Wilhelmina puts it - "hard and fast rules".
As far as I can see, the OP was asking for advice on "punctuation in dialogue lines". There ARE some hard and fast rules about punctuation - which a few writers of genius and imagination have flouted with excellent results. The OP was NOT asking about improving their style. Adverbs, adjectives, said-vs-confessed are all questions of style.
If one looks at the right of the Q&As list page, one sees the five most prolific contributors to this site. (As far as I know, at least 2 of them are no longer active,) Adrian and Jonathan head that list. Jonathan has limited himself to answering the OP with the query that was presented. Adrian - as he often does - has expressed his particular taste in literary styles as if it were chiseled in stone.
Novice writers could get the idea that - because Adrian heads the list of prolific contributors - he is somehow better qualified in writing than the rest of us. This would be jumping to an almighty conclusion.
Wilhelmina has expressed her opinion. She has made clear that it is HER opinion. Let me add one of mine:
If all authors were to write in the style of Anne Tyler (one of my favourites), the world of literature would become much more boring.
If all authors were to write in the style of Marge Piercy (my absolute favourite among living authors), the world of literature would become much more boring.
If all authors were to write in the style of Lewis Carroll (my absolute favourite among deceased writers), the world of literature would become much more boring.
If all authors were to write in the style of Steven King (I am not a fan), the world of literature would become much more boring.
How rude and confrontational some responses are becoming on this site. I always read any answers to questions as coming from that writer's experience, to be digested and used/rejected according to how they fit with the person asking the question, and have never come across anyone dictating on style. I don't find it at all helpful to have to read a rant when the polite expression of an opposite opinion with examples would come across better.
Apologies for the repeat: my laptop seized up.