Hiya,

You know in dialogue when you want to have someone suddenly break off from what they were saying and you do a dash-

Well, how do you get a long dash, as mine all come out short?

Katerina

If you're using Microsoft Word, do two short dashes and then type the next word without a gap on either side, eg:
word--word
Then, when you put in the space after the second word, the two little dashes should magically transform into one long one. (It doesn't happen here as the formatting's different.)

Or choose an em-dash in 'Symbol' (Insert > Symbol).

In my Word, if I write a word, dash, then another word dash, it should automatically make a longer dash.

JB

<Added>

No, I meant write a word, space, dash, space word, it should make the dash a long one.

Sorry!

Okay, I'll try it, but what if there isn't another word to go after the dash as the dialogue suddenly breaks off due to an interruption or something as in,

'Well why didnt you tell me you were going to be-'
Susan interrupted 'dont shout at me.'

Katerina

Ah, then it is the shorter dash you need. The longer dash is only used to slot an aside - such as this - into the narrative.

JB

Thanks JB.

I have to confess, I have never mastered which dash goes where. Thank God for copy editors, I say.

I'm pretty sure that the short dash is for interrupted dialogue, and the longer one for asides and incidentals. Any one care to clarify?

JB

I think it's the other way round. The long dash (the em-dash) is used to signify interrupted speech, as in Katerina's example. The shorter dash (en-dash) would be used for an aside as in JB's example.

I've just looked in a couple of books, and the long dash is for interrupted speech. But how to do it if there is no word following on from it. Will try the insert symbol route.

Katerina

Type your word, put two little spaces straight after, no gap, then strike the apostrophe key twice again without leaving any gap. The two little dashes should convert to one long one. Move the cursor and delete the apostrophe you don't want.

word--'' (then delete the first apostrophe)

Brilliant, just tried it and it worked, thanks Kate. I use single speech marks ', but it still worked.

Katerina

Ah. On my keyboard the apostrophe and the single speech mark is the same.

Don't you hate it when the computer decides you want a "6" speech mark and you actually want a "9"? Or is this just my infernal machine?

No, it's Word. You can get a 9 when the 'intelligent' speech marks (which you can turn off, BTW) insist on switching it to a 6 by doing ctrl+ single apostrophe struck twice.

Emma