Incorrectly punctuated dialogue is one of the most frequent mistakes I see in manuscripts from writers who are just starting out. Luckily, you can master this skill with practice and patience. In this crash course, I’ll cover the difference between dialogue tags and action beats, where to shove your commas, what types of verbs to use, and the various kinds of punctuation that might appear in dialogue. I’m using the guidelines from "The Chicago Manual of Style," which is the preferred style guide for fiction publishing in the United States.
