How to punctuate dialogue tags and action beats correctly
One little thing that drives many editors crazy is incorrect punctuation of dialogue and action beats. Let’s start with a definition: A dialogue tag is a speaker verb such as “Tina said.” It tells your readers which character is speaking. An action beat is something a character does. Example: “I should be going.” Tina edged toward the door. While dialogue tags and action beats can have the same function—identifying the speaker—they aren’t punctuated the same. PUNCTUATING DIALOGUE If a line of dialogue is followed by a dialogue tag, use a comma (or a question mark or exclamation mark) before the …
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