Learn about punctuation in fiction

Hone your writing and editing craft with articles, books, webinars, booklets and audio content dedicated to helping you solve punctuation problems in fiction.

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Articles about punctuation in fiction

Scroll down to see what's available in this section.

Free booklet: How to use apostrophes in fiction writing

Apostrophes confound some authors. Not knowing how to use them doesn’t mean you’re a bad writer, but getting them wrong can distract a reader and alter the meaning of what you want to say. This booklet shows you how to get it right. 

Books about punctuation for fiction editors and authors

​Hone your novel line craft

Want to do your own line editing? This 74K-word book shows you how.

Learn how to punctuate for sense, mood and rhythm

This fiction-editing guide shows authors and editors how to use different types of punctuation in a novel.

​I go beyond publishing-industry conventions and teach you how to play with punctuation so that your prose is clear but laced with mood and rhythm too.

Andy Maslen, bestselling crime author

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YOUR EDITS ARE, AS ALWAYS, SO VERY GOOD
  • I’m just now looking at your edits and, as always, they are so very good. Once again, you’ve retained the essence and helped me deliver the prose sharply.

DAVID UNGER, MYSTERY WRITER

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Training courses on punctuation in fiction

How to Punctuate Dialogue

​This self-paced course teaches editors, proofreaders and writers how to punctuate dialogue in a novel according to publishing-industry conventions.

Practice exercises and model answers help you test your skills and knowledge so that you can edit with confidence.

Preparing Your Book for Submission

'The BEST event I have been to on how to edit a manuscript. I learned so much!' – ​SoA @ Home Festival​ attendee
This 30-minute webinar teaches commercial fiction authors 11 pithy line-editing tips that make a substantive difference to writing flow and reader experience.

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Listen to The Punctuation Collection

Listen to these episodes of The Editing Podcast in which Denise and Louise discuss how to use various punctuation marks.