Given that powerful dialogue is a key ingredient for successful novels, it is clear that quotation marks are among the most important tools that fiction writers use.

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We have looked in detail at the use of quotation marks in the section on punctuating dialogue. As this is such a vital area we will look at this again, as well as alternative uses that quotation marks can be put to in your book.

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There are three main uses for quotation marks for the fiction writer:

1. To indicate speech

2. To draw attention to a particular word or phrase

3. To indicate song titles or titles of book chapters

 

1. Using quotation marks to indicate speech

It is vital that readers are always aware of whether a particular piece of text is being spoken by the narrator of the book or one of the characters.

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Quotation marks fulfil this function – they go round the text that is being spoken by characters so that there is no confusion.

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In UK English, single quotation marks are used, while double quotation marks are used in US English.

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In both UK and US English, the closing punctuation (full stop, comma, exclamation mark, question mark) is placed before the closing quotation mark.

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We would write the following sentences in UK English:

 

‘We’ve got to get out of here right away,’ said Steve.

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Joe shook his head. ‘Not until we’ve found the evidence we need.’

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‘Have you any idea what will happen if we’re caught?’ said Steve frantically.

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‘The sooner we find it, the sooner we can go!’ yelled Joe, grabbing his reluctant ally by the shoulders.

 

We would write the following sentences in US English:

 

“We’ve got to get out of here right away,” said Steve.

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Joe shook his head. “Not until we’ve found the evidence we need.”

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“Have you any idea what will happen if we’re caught?” said Steve frantically.

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“The sooner we find it, the sooner we can go!” yelled Joe, grabbing his reluctant ally by the shoulders.

 

Notice that when we use an adverb (frantically) to describe the way Steve speaks, it is not preceded by a comma. When we describe an action that the speaker is carrying out (grabbing his reluctant ally by the shoulders) it is preceded by a comma.

 

2. Using quotation marks to indicate a song title or the title of a chapter 

Once again this is all about clarity – it’s important that a reader knows if a particular phrase is the title of a published work.

The convention in both UK and US English is to use italics for the titles of books and music albums, and quotation marks for chapter titles and songs.

  

In UK English we would write the following:

 

‘An Unexpected Party’ is the first chapter of The Hobbit.

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‘A Day in the Life’ was Carla’s favourite song on Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

 

In US English it would read as follows:

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“An Unexpected Party” is the first chapter of The Hobbit.

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“A Day in the Life” was Carla’s favourite song on Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

 

IMPORTANT

One important difference between UK and EU English is the way that commas and full stops are applied after text in quotation marks.

 

In UK English, they come after the closing quotation mark:

 

Jane’s favourite Spice Girls tracks included ‘Wannabe’, ‘2 Become 1’, and ‘Too Much’.

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In US English, we would write:

 

Jane’s favourite Spice Girls tracks included “Wannabe,” “2 Become 1,” and “Too Much.”

 

3. Using quotation marks to draw attention to a word or phrase

Sometimes the narrator of a story might want to focus readers’ attention on a particular word or phrase.

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Often this is because the text is being used in an ironic way, with its meaning in this context different from its literal meaning:

 

Like many in the acting profession, Suzy often found herself ‘resting’ between roles.

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Joe was keeping a low profile; he knew that Baz was keen for one of his ‘little chats’.

 

In the case of Suzy, resting is being used as a euphemism for ‘unemployed’ while we suspect that the ‘little chat’ with Joe would be more physical than verbal in nature.

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The decision to use or not use quotation marks in this way can reveal aspects of the narrator’s mindset. Not using quotes in certain situations, for example, could be done to imply that a character is naïve and doesn’t realise the real meaning:

 

Nigel walked briskly to Baz’s flat, brimming with anticipation. Gary had mentioned that Baz wanted a little chat and, being the sociable sort, Nigel was looking forward to a good old chin wag.

 

IMPORTANT

Which type of quotation marks are used should match the ones being used to denote dialogue. So in UK English this will be single quotes and in US English, double.

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The exception to this comes when you want to use quotation marks within dialogue. In this case, to ensure clarity, the alternative style is used:

 

‘I warned Nigel that Baz wanted a “little chat”, so hopefully he’s keeping well away from him,’ Gary said.

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Using quotation marks in your novel: Conclusion

The correct use of quotation marks in fiction writing is crucial in ensuring clarity and indicating nuance in the way language is being used. It is important for novelists to be aware of how to use quotation marks – and of the different rules that apply to UK and US English.

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