Crafty Commas!
A lot of new writers are unsure where commas should be placed when writing dialogue. Here’s a guide to help you:
If you lead into a passage of speech with ownership, a comma should be placed before the words of speech e.g.:
Sarah said, “Would you like a cup of tea?”
Alternatively, if the speech comes first, insert a comma after the speech and before assigning ownership e.g.:
“I prefer coffee, thank you,” David replied.
Sometimes speech sits either side of the ownership. In this case, the commas are as follows:
“After the day I’ve had, I think I need something a little stronger,” Stuart said, “a double whiskey, no ice!”
That’s it for my blog this week. Hope you’re sharing that Friday feeling:
Esther Chilton 
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