Include Dialogue and Sensory Details

Two powerful tools that bring stories to life are dialogue and sensory details. Dialogue lets characters speak in their own voice, while sensory details paint a picture using the five senses. Together, these techniques make readers feel like they are inside the story.

How to Punctuate Dialogue

1. Place speech marks (" ") around the exact words spoken.
2. Use a comma before closing speech marks if a dialogue tag follows: "I'm ready," she said.
3. Use a question mark or exclamation mark instead of a comma when needed: "Are you ready?" he asked.
4. Start a new paragraph each time a different person speaks.
5. The dialogue tag (e.g. "she said") begins with a lowercase letter after a comma.

Choosing Dialogue Tags

• Instead of "said" → try: whispered, shouted, exclaimed, replied, muttered, urged.
• Use adverbs to show how: "she said nervously", "he replied firmly".
• Avoid overusing "said" — but do not replace every tag if it breaks the flow.

Adding Sensory Details

• Flat: "The kitchen smelled good." → Vivid: "The warm scent of cinnamon and freshly baked bread drifted from the kitchen."
• Flat: "It was cold." → Vivid: "Icy air bit at my face and my breath hung in white clouds before me."
• Ask yourself: What would I see? Hear? Feel? Smell? Taste in this scene?