Editing

  • Editing, How-to

    How to punctuate dialogue in fiction

    Polishing your dialogue punctuation is an easy way to make your manuscript look professional and keep who’s speaking clear for your reader.

    Proper dialogue punctuation isn’t just about following the rules. It makes the reading experience seamless and enjoyable for your audience, allowing them to focus on the conversation and immerse in the scene you’ve created.

    There are two big problems with inconsistent or incorrect punctuation. The first is that it pulls your reader out of the story as they trip over confusing sentences or grammar faux pas. The second is that it immediately marks you as an amateur. And that’s the last thing you want to flag to potential readers, agents or publishers.

    So, here’s how to punctuate dialogue in fiction properly, from the basics to some next-level tips (and yes, these apply to non-fiction writers too). 

    Which quote marks to use?

    Choose from either single or double quote marks and stick with it.

    Books published in Australia and the UK tend to use single quote marks with nested doubles for quoting within the quote.

    • For example: ‘Hey, do you like that song “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter?’

    US books (and Australian newspapers and magazines, just to keep us on our toes) reverse this, using double quotes with nested singles: 

    • “No, I much prefer Dua Lipa’s new song, ‘Illusion’.”

    You can choose which you prefer; I promise it doesn’t matter. The only rule is to be consistent with your choice.

    Do I have to use quote marks?

    Nope! Some good alternatives might be to put speech in italics, or to use dashes before dialogue, with each speaker taking a new line, the way you might see it set out in a transcript or play. (This can be confusing if there are more than two speakers, however!) But honestly, I don’t recommend going without quote marks altogether. Readers are so familiar with quote marks they barely register them. But when they’re missing, they really notice it. It can trip up some readers as they struggle to differentiate between narrative prose and dialogue, and that can pull them out of the story, which is the last thing you want.

    For some authors it’s a stylistic choice – and that’s totally fine. Sarah Winman, Kate Grenville and Deborah Levy are among the modern authors who have chosen this approach. If you love that style (and you’re writing literary fiction), go for it!

    My advice, however, is to leave this controversial move to the literary greats and use quote marks for your dialogue, especially you’re writing commercial genre fiction. Don’t give your readers a reason to put your book down!

    How to punctuate dialogue with a speech tag

    OK, let’s get into the nitty gritty.

    Speech tags are phrases that report how a character is speaking, such as said/says, reply/replied, ask/asked. They’re so common that they’re often as ‘invisible’ to readers as quote marks.

    When a speech tag follows dialogue, use a comma before the closing quote mark. For example:

    • Single quotes: ‘Amber, I love your shoes,’ said Violet.
    • Double quotes: “Amber, I love your shoes,” said Violet.

    Don’t place the comma outside the closing quote mark, like this:

    • Wrong: ‘Amber, I love your shoes’, said Violet.
    • Wrong: “Amber, I love your shoes”, said Violet.

    If the speech ends with a question mark or exclamation mark, a comma before the closing quote mark is NOT needed. 

    Here are some examples with both single and double quote marks:

    • Wrong: ‘I love your shoes!,’ Violet said.
    • Right: ‘I love your shoes!’ Violet said.
    • Wrong: “Do you really like them?,” Amber replied.
    • Right: “Do you really like them?” Amber replied.

    And even though it goes against what you learned at primary school, don’t be tempted to use a capital letter for the word following a question mark or exclamation mark in dialogue. For example:

    • Wrong: ‘I love your shoes!’ She said.
    • Right: ‘I love your shoes!’ she said.

    The exception: if you’re using a proper noun:

    • ‘I love your shoes!’ Violet said.

    What about if you want to put a speech tag before the speech? Use a comma after the speech tag and before the opening quote mark. Then finish the dialogue with a full stop inside the quote marks.

    • Violet said, ‘Amber, I love your shoes.’
    • Amber replied, ‘Thank you, I got them on sale.’

    How to punctuate dialogue without a speech tag

    You might not always want to use a speech tag. Once your characters are in the rhythm of a conversation, you don’t need to indicate who is speaking every time, because the convention of putting each speaker’s dialogue on a new line keeps it clear. In this case, simply finish the dialogue with a full stop (or other terminal punctuation like a question mark or exclamation mark) inside the quote marks. For example:

    • Single quotes: ‘Amber, I love your shoes.’
    • Double quotes: “Amber, I love your shoes.”
    • Single quotes: ‘Thank you, I really like them too!’
    • Double quotes: “Thank you, I really like them too!”

    How to punctuate dialogue with action beats

    Action beats show how a character is moving or reacting during dialogue. They’re similar to speech tags in that they indicate who is speaking, but they add a little extra characterisation that allows the author to ‘show’ rather than ‘tell’, so they’re a great device to use in fiction.

    To punctuate dialogue with an action beat instead of a speech tag, use a full stop before the closing quote mark instead of a comma. The action beat is in bold in the examples below. (Note: I’ll use single quotes for the rest of these examples – the punctuation is exactly the same when using double quote marks.)

    • ‘Amber, I love your shoes.’ Violet crouched down for a closer look.
    • ‘Really? Thank you.’ Amber glowed with pleasure at the compliment.

    If the speech ends with a question mark or exclamation mark, use that as your terminal punctuation instead of a full stop.

    • ‘Thanks, Violet!’ Amber blushed.

    Keep an eye out for action beats masquerading as speech tags. For instance, laugh, smile, frown, sigh, wink and yawn are actions, not speech. So, if you catch something like:

    • ‘Amber, I love your shoes,’ Violet smiled.
    • ‘Thanks,’ Amber winked.

    Change the comma to a full stop, as you would when using an action beat:

    • ‘Amber, I love your shoes.’ Violet smiled.
    • ‘Thanks.’ Amber winked.

    If you want to combine a speech tag with an action beat, use a comma to separate the speech tag from the action beat, like this:

    • ‘Amber, I love your shoes,’ Violet said, crouching down for a closer look.
    • ‘Thanks,’ Amber replied, twisting her ankle to show off the strappy heel.

    How to punctuate dialogue interruptions and trailing off

    To show someone’s voice trailing off, use an ellipsis inside the quote marks. No other terminal punctuation is needed. For bonus points, avoid telling the reader that the speaker’s voice has trailed off. The ellipsis does that work for you.

    • ‘Could I borrow them?’ Violet asked.
    • ‘I guess …’ Amber said.

    (Try to avoid writing: ‘I guess …’ Amber said, trailing off.)

    Here’s another example:

    • Wrong: ‘I wonder if …,’
    • Right: ‘I wonder if …’

    If you want to show speech that has been interrupted or broken off, use an em dash at the end of the interrupted sentence. No full stop or comma is needed after the dash, just your closing quote mark:

    • Right: ‘Wow, those shoes are—’ 
    • Wrong: ‘Wow, those shoes are—.’

    How to differentiate speakers

    Remember when I said above that you don’t always need to use a speech tag to tell a reader who is saying what? The conventional way to indicate different speakers in a conversation is to put each speaker’s dialogue on a new line. This is a tried-and-true format that makes dialogue easy to follow without too many overt cues.

    Even if the speaker isn’t speaking but simply reacting to something that the other character has said, put that action on a new line too. Otherwise you risk confusing your reader. For example, if you wrote:

    • ‘Wow, those shoes are amazing,’ Violet said. ‘I know.’ Amber looked smug.

    The reader will likely be confused for a second, because with both speakers’ dialogue and Amber’s reaction on the one line, it’s hard to differentiate between who said what. Instead, place Amber’s response and reaction on a new line to avoid confusing readers even for an instant.

    • ‘Wow, those shoes are amazing,’ Violet said.
    • ‘I know.’ Amber looked smug.

    How to punctuate dialogue that’s broken up with a speech tag or action beat

    Say you want to break up one character’s dialogue with a speech tag. This can be helpful to break up long stretches of dialogue and to enhance characterisation. Here’s how you’d do it if you were placing a speech tag between two complete sentences:

    • ‘I don’t care what you think,’ he said. ‘Your opinion doesn’t matter to anyone.’

    In this case, I don’t care what you think and Your opinion doesn’t matter to anyone are separate sentences, so you simply punctuate the first sentence with a comma as you would any other dialogue. There’s no need to add a speech tag to the second sentence because it’s already clear who’s speaking, so a full stop before the closing quote mark is all that’s needed.

    If you’re inserting an action beat between two complete sentences, there’s no need for a comma at the end of the first sentence because, as shown above, it isn’t followed by a speech tag. So a full stop before the closing quote mark in both sentences is all that’s required. Take a look at this example:

    • ‘I didn’t want you to come.’ Joan crossed her arms. ‘I just want to be alone.’

    If your speech tag interrupts one sentence rather than two complete sentences, use a comma after the speech tag and a lower case letter in the next clause to indicate the sentence is continuing. Here are a couple of examples:

    • ‘I don’t care what you think,’ he said, ‘because your opinion means nothing to me.’
    • ‘We went to the shops,’ she said quickly, ‘then the pool, then the library.’

    What about if you want to break up the sentence with an action beat rather than a speech tag? This can be a great way to add tension or emotion to a scene. In this case, use dashes outside the quote marks to separate the speech from the action. No commas are needed. Take a look at these examples:

    • ‘I told you’ – Amy jabbed a finger at his chest – ‘I’m not giving up.’
    • ‘What if he’s not guilty? What if he really is’ – Aaron swallowed roughly – ‘innocent?’

    If you’re using em dashes, it would look like this:

    • ‘I told you’—Amy jabbed a finger at his chest—‘I’m not giving up.’

    Remember, if the action is related to another speaker, it needs to be treated carefully. Ideally you’d put it on a new line, otherwise it can look like the speech is coming from a different character to the one you intended. Consider this line of Amy’s from above, interrupted with an action from Aaron and punctuated as though it were a speech tag:

    • ‘I don’t care what you say,’ Aaron glanced at her, shocked, ‘I’m not giving up.’

    It reads as though Aaron is speaking, right? That’s because the commas before the quote marks signal to your practiced reader eye that a speech tag is coming. Using a speech tag or adding dashes and tweaking the action beat to include Amy would fix it:

    • Speech tag: ‘I don’t care what you say,’ Amy replied, and Aaron glanced at her, shocked. ‘I’m not giving up.’
    • Dashes: ‘I don’t care what you say’ – Amy narrowed her eyes as Aaron shook his head – ‘I’m not giving up.’

    If the action interrupting dialogue is related to a different character and is followed by their speech, place the action and speech on a new line. In this example, Aaron follows his glance with dialogue:

    • ‘I don’t care what you say!’ Amy replied.
    • Aaron glanced at her. ‘It’s dangerous, Amy. I think you should reconsider.’
    • ‘I’m not giving up.’

    Common dialogue punctuation mistakes

    Let’s rehash. Dialogue punctuation is super important because getting it right guides your reader and helps them to stay immersed in the story. There are lots of nuances to dialogue punctuation, but I’ve covered the most common ones fiction writers are likely to encounter here.

    The dialogue mistakes I regularly see in fiction and non-fiction manuscripts:

    • – Using quote marks inconsistently
    • – Placing commas or full stops outside the closing punctuation mark
    • – Punctuating action beats as speech tags.

    Getting a handle on these will give your manuscript a professional edge and mark you as a serious writer. And even better, when you know how to punctuate dialogue properly, you can focus on making that dialogue shine.

    If you have any more questions about how to punctuate dialogue in fiction, drop me a line! And if you’d like help wrangling your manuscript’s grammar, get in touch with me to chat about a line and copyedit for your project. I offer a free sample edit so you can see exactly how copyediting will enhance your storytelling and clarify your message.

  • Editing, How-to, Uncategorized

    5 ways to improve your manuscript

    Good news! These tips don’t involve any writing.

    Feeling a bit of writer’s block? Don’t worry, there are lots of ways to improve your manuscript without having to labour over sentences and story arc.

    Here are five ways to give your work-in-progress a lift, without lifting your word count.

    1. Brush up formatting

    Go through your manuscript and make sure each chapter is set on a new page (use a page break instead of hitting that return button), chapters are numbered in order, and you’ve used an easy-to-read font like Times New Roman 12 pt, with double or 1.5 line spacing.

    This will instantly improve your manuscript by giving it a more consistent and professional appearance, and save you time later when you’re getting it ready to submit to publishers or agents.

    2. Check regional spelling

    Did you know there are lots of variations of English? Depending on your target audience, you can choose the one your readers will be most familiar with. If you’re publishing in Australia, use Australian English. This means you’ll be following the Macquarie Dictionary for spelling variations. If you’re aiming for the US market, go with US English – the Merriam-Webster is a great resource (and it’s free!). For British readers, use UK English and the Oxford Dictionary.

    Choosing a regional English language helps you to maintain consistency across your manuscript. It ensures you catch words that are spelled differently in different countries – like curb and kerb, cosy and cozy – and it will guide you on regional terms such as trash can or garbage bin, sidewalk or pavement, lollies or candy, cell phone or mobile phone – the list goes on.

    3. Look at consistency

    I can’t emphasise enough how important consistency is in making a finished manuscript look professional! As the author, you get to make a lot of decisions about the words you want to use and your preferred spelling variations to ensure consistency. Run searches for words that can be spelled differently, such as OK vs okay, and choose one to use throughout. You should also check whether you’ve used punctuation such as quote marks (single or double) and dashes (en or em) consistently throughout.

    Note: in Australia, we tend to use single quote marks with nested doubles, eg: ’Hey, did you hear that song, “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter?’ The US tends to reverse this: double quotes with nested singles, eg: “No, I much prefer Dua Lipa‘s new song, ’Illusion’.

    Consistency affects loads of elements: You can also make a note of how you’ll use numbers (as a basic starting point, we often see numbers one to ninety-nine spelled out and 100+ as numerals in books), show time (words or figures), address capitalisation in headings, punctuate abbreviations and more.

    And of course, it affects aspects such as character features and setting details as well. Taking note of whether your main character has blue eyes and always wears rose-scented perfume will ensure you don’t confuse readers by mixing up those foundational details later in the story.

    4. Review character names

    Do any of your characters have similar sounding names? If you have two characters with names that look and sound alike – Dave and Dan or Lisa and Liz, for instance – it’s a good idea to change one of them, to ensure readers don’t get confused about who’s doing what. This applies to minor characters too!

    Even if you don’t think your characters’ names are similar, they can appear that way on the page to a reader who’s skimming over a paragraph. So even sharing the same initial can be enough to warrant changing a character name.

    While you’re there, keep an eye out for characters’ names that have changed during the course of the novel. This happens more often than you might think!

    5. Weed out repetition

    Do you already know which words you have a tendency to use in every second sentence? If so, do a search and see how many instances you can remove to ensure they don’t become repetitive. This applies to elements such as speech tags and action beats, too. You might find you’re often making your characters fiddle with their hair or exclaim loudly!

    If you haven’t yet twigged to your crutch words, start by searching for adverbs: really, very, finally, actually and completely are common, and most of the time you don’t need them. Take a look and see how many you can weed out! It’ll make your writing so much stronger.

    Don’t feel bad that you’ve developed a writing crutch – it’s natural to reach for the same words over and over, especially when working on a full-length novel. Looking out for them so you can change it up is all part of the editing process – and it’s a powerful way to improve your manuscript.

    Want some help maintaining consistency in your work? Reach out about line and copyediting. I’ll look out for all these aspects and more, and will record all decisions in a style sheet so you can keep track of your preferences throughout the publishing process.

  • Editing

    What is an author-sensitive editorial approach?

    A note on my editorial values.

    I understood their concerns completely, and I reassured them that their worst-case scenario was very unlikely to come true – with me as their editor, at least. The conversation got me thinking about my editorial values and why I’m so passionate about identifying as an author-sensitive editor.

    I can’t take credit for this terminology – I first heard it when I was learning about structural editing from the wonderful fiction editor Nicola O’Shea. But the concept resonated deeply with me and I knew instantly that this would inform my approach as I set up my editorial business.

    What is it?

    An author-sensitive approach means that I consider the author’s feelings and experience with every edit I make. 

    It’s not about pandering or going soft on an author who can’t hack constructive criticism. Rather, it’s about remembering, always, that being invited to share feedback on someone’s work – especially when it’s a manuscript that’s taken many weeks, months or years to write – is a privilege. 

    Opening yourself up to feedback is a big and scary step, but an essential one. And it deserves to be treated with care and respect. 

    My experience

    I know exactly how intimidating it can feel to share your hard work with others because I’ve been there.

    As a journalist, I’ve had many people critique my work. Not all of their feedback could be described as sensitive! 

    In a busy newsroom, editors and subeditors will slash your copy with a red pen or tell you straight up that your work isn’t good enough. There’s very little time to be gentle when a newspaper needs to go to print. I entered this world as a fresh-faced and eager but very thin-skinned 19-year-old cadet journalist, and let me tell you, it was a steep learning curve. 

    Later, working in magazines, I learned that even though you might have a great idea for a story, if you can’t illustrate it, it’s dead in the water. That your voice is never more important than the magazine’s tone and style. And if you don’t get the words right the first time, you might not get another chance to rework your draft. Instead, the subeditor will do that for you. Because: deadlines.

    I also learned that listening to feedback, whatever the delivery style, is the fastest way to develop as a writer.

    All this to say, I completely understand what authors go through in sharing their work with editors and I have enormous respect for anyone willing to be vulnerable enough to do so, knowing that their story will be stronger for it. But if I can make that process an enjoyable one for authors, I absolutely will. 

    My experiences as a young journalist might have helped me toughen up and get used to receiving feedback, but honestly, I don’t think that I’m better for the harsher critiques. It was the mentors who took the time and care to guide me gently towards better writing who I learned the most from. And as an editor myself, I’ve seen over and over again how a respectful, collaborative and sensitive approach can make an author feel excited and inspired to get stuck into their next draft. 

    To put it simply, I just don’t believe that tough love or shaming are the ingredients that creativity needs to flourish. 

    My editorial values

    So, what does an author-sensitive approach look like? For me, these four values guide my work, whether it’s a structural edit or a line and copy-edit. 

    Respect for craft: Writing a novel is a huge undertaking. I have enormous respect for anyone who has been able to sustain their inspiration for the marathon that a fiction manuscript demands, and for the craft of translating their ideas into a story. This level of dedication and skill deserves to be celebrated.

    Positive feedback: I always highlight what an author has done well, whether it’s a beautiful turn of phrase, excellent dialogue, fine-tuned pacing or deep characterisation. I see your efforts and I applaud them.

    Gentle suggestions: The author is always in control of their story, so I frame my feedback as suggestions, not demands. If it doesn’t resonate with you, no problem. Often, my suggestions will act as a springboard to your own solutions. The idea is to inspire your creativity, not stifle it.

    Empowerment and encouragement: If you’re waiting for me to give you a verdict on whether you can write or not, or whether you should give up writing and go back to your day job, forget it. I don’t do absolutes and I don’t offer judgements on your inherent talent (I’m all about a growth mindset here!). What I will do is highlight your strengths and show you what areas you need to work on, because I believe good writing is something that people can and do learn. I’ll encourage you to keep going and I’ll empower you to work on the next steps yourself, because this is your story. As your editor, I’m your cheerleader!

    Is an author-sensitive approach for everyone? 

    For some people, my approach might feel too soft and gentle – they just want the feedback, and they don’t need the frills! I get that too, and that’s why I really recommend having a chat before booking a service with any editor, so you can see if you gel. Editing is an investment, so you want to make sure you feel confident and comfortable with who you’re working with. 

    One other thing I’ll mention: as part of my author sensitive approach, I want to deliver my edits in an accessible way. So if you’d prefer your structural editorial report delivered as an audio file rather than written material, for instance, I can do that. I can also change the colour of my mark-up in Word if there’s a colour combo that’s better for you visually. I’m open to feedback here, so whatever you need, just ask and I’ll do my best to make it happen.

    If you like the sound of my author-sensitive approach, I’d love to chat with you about your fiction manuscript. To get the ball rolling, drop me a line here.

  • Editing, How-to, Writing

    How to format text messages in fiction

    A woman standing in front of a window looks at her phone screen as though reading a text message.

    An easy guide to depicting dialogue as text messages in a contemporary fiction novel.

    Text messages are a part of everyday life so if you’re writing contemporary fiction there’s a good chance you’ll want to include a few in your story. But how do you format them? Should you use quote marks? Do you need to indicate the sender with a name or dialogue tag? What about emojis?! 🤪

    There are a few options for fiction writers to choose from. Let’s take a look.

    Keep it simple with italics

    You could use quote marks, but because readers are so used to seeing quote marks with speech, it’s clearer to illustrate texts with some other kind of formatting.

    The most straightforward way to show text messages in fiction is with italics, which are usually used to indicate any dialogue that isn’t spoken aloud.

    You can add a dialogue tag or action beat to clarify who’s sending the text, as you would if they were speaking. For example:

    Hey, I just pulled up, Trent texted.

    Be there in a minute! I typed back.

    Choose a different font

    If your characters are spending a lot of time communicating this way, you might want to use a clear visual cue to indicate a text message convo. Select a different font (a sans serif font helps to distinguish it from the rest of the copy while giving a nod to tech formatting) and set it off with indents. For example:

    tile showing text messages formatted with a different font and indents.

    Use formatting to indicate sent and received texts

    Think about how messages are displayed on your phone. The ones you send are aligned right and the ones you receive are aligned left. Some authors are choosing to replicate this format in their works, even placing them inside speech bubbles with dates and times for an authentic look. In this style, you might want to use names to indicate speakers, as you would in a play. For example:

    A tile showing two text messages aligned left and right

    Some authors – particularly young adult authors – might even like to work with a designer or illustrator to create a graphic treatment for texts.

    How to choose?

    Your choice of style to use will depend on a number of factors, including readability and budget.

    Some questions to ask yourself include:

    • Do you have long strings of text exchanges between characters?
    • Will you ever have more than two people in a text chat?
    • If you’re using names to discern who is sending the texts, how do you imagine them being read in an audio version?
    • What age group are you writing for?
    • Are you working with a designer/typesetter who can create a special design treatment for texts?
    • Is space an issue?
    • What’s your personal preference when reading this type of dialogue in fiction?

    If you’re only using the odd text here and there, italics might be all you need. But if text messages are a critical part of your characters’ dialogue, consider using a special treatment, even if it’s just a different font.

    You might like to try out a few different styles and see how they fit, and when you decide on one, ask your beta readers to give feedback on whether your treatment of text messages is clear and enjoyable to read.

    What about emojis?

    I love a smiley/winky/smirky face as much as the next millennial, but there are caveats to using these guys. Like fonts, emojis (that is, the little pictures, not the ones created with letters) are subject to copyright, so if you’re self-publishing, make sure to buy a licence or find a free version for your work. Also bear in mind that they won’t appear in colour in your printed book, which may lessen their visual appeal and impact.

    Another thing to consider is the possibility that they will date your book. Emojis are popular now but they may be considered cringe in a few years’ time, or their meaning could shift. It’s something to keep in mind if you’re concerned about your work’s longevity in the market.

    The verdict

    As long as you’re making text messages and who’s sending them clear to your reader, there’s no real right or wrong here. I lean towards using a different font or italics to indicate text messages in fiction and weaving in some dialogue tags and action beats to keep readers on top of who’s texting at all times. If you’re working with a copy editor, you can ask them if they can set up a special style in Word for text messages when working on your book to ensure you achieve both consistency and clarity. This will ensure they’re typeset differently to the rest of your text too.

    Ultimately, I love seeing creative ways of depicting technology in fiction and I’m excited to see how this evolves on the page. Futuristic novels that use not-yet-created technology? Even more fun!

    Want help formatting your book’s text messages? Get in touch for a sample edit.

  • Editing, How-to

    Introducing the vocative comma

    This tiny piece of punctuation saves lives.

    One of the best things about punctuation is that when it’s used correctly it’s invisible in plain sight. It’s like driving a road you know so well that you get home without recalling the journey.

    But when it’s misused? Those misplaced commas, semicolons and dashes can be jarring!

    The vocative comma, however, is often completely invisible. That is, writers tend to leave it out of their sentences altogether. This can have disastrous implications for your characters!

    Allow me to explain. 

    What is a vocative expression? 

    Honey, sweetheart, darling, love – your pet names for your loved ones can be a vocative; so too their actual names. Any word you use to address someone directly is a vocative (also known as a vocative expression), whether it’s kind, disrespectful or neutral. Mate, sir, madam, prime minister … the list is endless! It’s how you use it that matters.

    For instance, in the sentence, “Hey, you!”, you is the vocative expression because that’s the word used as a direct address.

    Although you might not hear it in your speech, a comma is needed with a vocative expression in writing. In fact, it’s an incredibly powerful piece of punctuation.

    Consider the difference between these sentences: 

    “Shoot Pete,” the policeman cried. 

    “Shoot, Pete,” the policeman cried. 

    In the first example, without the vocative comma, Pete’s life is in grave danger! In the second, a vocative comma saves his life, showing us that the policeman is, in fact, directing Pete to shoot someone or something. 

    Similarly, the below sentence can take your story in a wild direction without a vocative comma: 

    “Eat children!” the woman urged. 

    Unless your story is exploring cannibalism, you’re going to need a comma with that: 

    “Eat, children!” the woman urged. 

    The comma makes it clear that the woman wants to feed the children, not feed on them.

    At its simplest, the vocative comma offers instant clarity. For example:

    “I don’t know Alison,” said Judy.

    has a completely different meaning to:

    “I don’t know, Alison,” said Judy.

    How to use the vocative comma

    Where you place the vocative comma depends on where the vocative expression lands in the sentence. 

    If the vocative expression starts the sentence, you need a comma after it (the vocative and its comma are in bold): 

    “Kate, bring me that file,” Alice ordered. 

    “Simone, is that your new bike?” Fred asked.

    If the vocative expression arrives at the end of the sentence, use the comma before the vocative. 

    “Give me my bag, you thief,” Ann said.

    “Where did you get that cool shirt, bro?” James asked.

    If the vocative expression is placed in the middle of the sentence, it needs commas before and after it. 

    “Well, Pete, you shouldn’t have fired that gun,” the policeman said.

    “Hello, darling, would you like a cup of tea?” Jenni offered.

    When does a vocative expression not need a comma?

    You don’t need a comma when the vocative expression is standing alone. Instead, you need a full stop, an exclamation mark, or a question mark. Here are some examples. 

    “Pete! The policeman told you to shoot!” cried Mark. 

    “Darling? Are you there?” Jenni called. 

    “You thief. Bring me that bag,” Anna snapped.

    Embracing the vocative comma

    It can be easy to miss this one when you’re in the flow of writing, and in many cases most people will understand what you mean when you fail to add a vocative comma. It’s not actually life or death!

    But, using the vocative comma is a good habit to get into. Firstly, using punctuation correctly makes for clearer sentences and a seamless experience for your reader, allowing them to fully immerse in your world. And secondly, if you’re working with an editor, getting these little details right will save them time and you money.

    So, keep the vocative comma in mind when you’re polishing your manuscript – and see if you save any lives while you’re at it.

  • Editing, Writing

    4 signs you’re ready for a line and copyedit

    A simple explainer to help you work out if a line and copyedit is what your novel needs now.

    So, you’ve written a novel. Now what? 

    You might be thinking about starting the editing process, and perhaps you’re keen to work with a professional editor. That’s an excellent decision (wink!) but before you go ahead and book in your manuscript, it’s important to check if you’re ready for that kind of editing. 

    What is a line and copyedit? 

    When people think of editing, the line and copyedit is probably closest to what they imagine.

    A line and copyedit service involves a professional editor going through your work one sentence at a time. They’ll focus on grammar, punctuation and spelling, yes, but they’ll also finetune your sentences for flow, make adjustments to heighten tension or suggest changes to enhance character. They’ll ensure your book adheres to a consistent style and they’ll track details such as characters’ appearance or movements so that your scenes make sense. No coffee cups that magically morph into glasses of water; no Matthews turning into Michaels halfway through.

    It’s labour-intensive, detailed work that can take your book from good to great. But if you’re just getting started on redrafting and editing your novel, I’ll be honest: it’s unlikely you’re ready for this service. Going too early on a line and copyedit is like plastering over cracks in your home instead of spending the time getting the foundations right.

    Here are four signs that I look for that tell me you’re ready for this detailed form of editing.

    1 Your manuscript is structurally sound

    If you’ve already taken steps to ensure your manuscript is structurally sound – whether that’s working with an editor on a full structural edit or manuscript assessment, engaging professional beta readers or participating in an editing course like this one – that’s a great sign. 

    After taking in this feedback, you will have done significant work on your novel to make sure that the character arcs are strong and complete, the pace, POV and story structure are working for you and there are no glaring plot holes. You should be feeling confident about your overall narrative.

    A line and copyeditor will address small plot holes such as timeline hiccups or minor instances of head hopping, but they’re not able to resolve your big-picture issues at this stage. That’s because those overarching elements like plot, theme, character journeys, setting and POV can affect so many different threads of your book and issues with these will likely require significant rewriting. 

    2 You’re ready to embrace feedback

    In a line and copyedit, your editor will suggest changes to sharpen and elevate your writing. It’s not just about spotting typos! 

    Are you open to this kind of feedback? As an editor I take great care to ensure my feedback is sensitive and considerate, but if you’re not expecting this level of engagement with your work, it might come as a shock. Perhaps you’re too close to it – consider putting your manuscript aside for a while so you can get some distance and come back to it with a fresh perspective.

    One way you might be able to check if you’re ready to embrace this kind of feedback is to book in for a sample edit with your chosen editor. This will show you the kinds of issues your editor is likely to pick up and their style in relaying it to you, so you know what to expect. You might even find yourself looking forward to the process!

    3 You’ve done as much as you can 

    Think of this one as cleaning up for the cleaner. You can save yourself some coin if you do your own polishing on your manuscript before you send it out for a line and copyedit. 

    This means spending time on self-editing – reading over dialogue and sharpening up those action beats and speech tags, looking out for filter words or common phrases you use over and over, cutting back long descriptive passages that don’t move the story forward, and as obvious as it may sound, doing a basic spellcheck! Try doing two to three passes over your manuscript, focusing on tightening it up.

    Ideally, you’ll also format your file with double line spacing, indented paragraphs and page breaks for new chapters. 

    4 You’re going around in circles

    Constantly googling grammar questions and wondering why the answers are clear as mud?

    If you feel like you’re going around in circles and not getting anywhere, or making minor changes just for the sake of it, that’s a key sign you’re ready to hand your book baby over to a professional. You don’t have to do this writing thing on your own!

    A line and copyedit can be your saving grace, offering clear, sensible changes and suggestions that will elevate your story. Even better, while your manuscript is out for editing, you open up mental space for your next great book idea. 

    It sounds like a lot of work…

    I hear you – why put in all this effort when it’s going to be edited anyway? Well, the more work you do beforehand, the better shape it will be in for your editor, which equals a less expensive quote! 

    It also means that when your edited manuscript returns to you, it won’t be so littered with red mark-up that you immediately freak out. Instead, you’ll be able to concentrate on those helpful suggestions that enhance your writing and make it shine, rather than getting bogged down in the small stuff. 

    Plus, the more you polish, the more you’ll learn about writing craft, making you a better, more confident writer.

    Reckon you tick these boxes? Check out my line and copyediting services or contact me for a sample edit.