Writing Effective Dialogue (Punctuation and Actions in Creative Writing)

“What brings you to my hermitage on this stormy night?” asks the old man.

“I want to learn how to write dialogue. I… I’m a writer.”

“Are you?” he says. His eyes take me in for a moment. Then he opens the door.

“I want to know where the punctuation goes,” I say, wringing out my cloak in the hall.

[…]

“Punctuating dialogue properly is important,” says the old man, “But actions speak loudly, too. When I offered you tea, and you unlaced your boots at my hearth, we didn’t need any words stating that there was a comfortable lull in our conversation. The careful placement of details created a little pause. It was a good example of showing rather than telling.” —Writing Effective Dialogue (Punctuation and Actions in Creative Writing) | Jerz’s Literacy Weblog.