please help, dialogue capitalization question

chuckw · Feb 12, 2008

hi everybody. new to the forum but look forward to hanging. have a question.

when you're writing dialogue in screenplay format, how do you capitalize the following.

Leave me alone, you stupid jerk!

or is it ---- Leave me alone, You Stupid Jerk!

another example ----- What now, you useless moron?

or is it ---- What now, you Useless Moran?

final example ---- You hear, turtle?

or is it ---- You hear, Turtle?

Thanks for your time.

Sandi LeFaucheur · Feb 13, 2008

Think about this. In each sentence, is what you're thinking of capitalizing the name of the person? Did his loving mother gaze down at his face and say "I'm going to call you You Stupid Jerk?" If not, don't cap it. Only in the last one would I think his name could possibly be Turtle and hence capped.

chuckw · Feb 13, 2008

thanks for the help. but what about

Good job, Dad.

or Good job, Son.

are dad and son capitalized?

Stew21 · Feb 13, 2008

dad and son are not capitalized when you are referring to a person that is a son or a dad, but when addressing that person and using it as the person's name, it is capitalized.

Timmy is Carl's son.

Come over here, Son.

My dad is stronger than your dad.

You're stronger, aren't you, Dad.

Jersey Chick · Feb 13, 2008

Dad, Mom are capitalized because they are titles. I'm not so sure about son, though. I don't think I'd capitalize it, because son is used to address people who aren't necessarily your children (if that makes any sense.)

JMHO

precisiontext · Feb 13, 2008

I have a similar question about the word Baby. Let's say this is what a woman calls her husband. Should it be capitalized in dialogue, as in the following:

"Come here, Baby, I need to talk to you."

Pauliana · Feb 13, 2008

Jersey Chick said:
Dad, Mom are capitalized because they are titles. I'm not so sure about son, though. I don't think I'd capitalize it, because son is used to address people who aren't necessarily your children (if that makes any sense.)

JMHO

"I love you, Son!" Capitalize SON because you are using it as your SON's name.

"I love my son." Do not capitalize as it is not use to name the person's son.

Same with MOM and DAD, if you use the word in place of the person's name, capitalize. If you have a pronoun before the word mom or dad, do not capitalize. You are not calling that person Mom, or Dad.

Jersey Chick · Feb 13, 2008

I still don't think I'd capitalize son. It just doesn't look right to me.

padnar · Feb 13, 2008

Hi ,
I am Padma and what I found out people dont use caps for dialogues ,
though for the character's name they use all caps.
padma

Sandi LeFaucheur · Feb 14, 2008

I wouldn't cap "son" in the examples above because it's neither a name nor a title. Yes, Dad and Mum should be capped when using them as names, but not things like son, dear, etc., because they can be used for a variety of people and are not identifying just one individual (if that makes sense).

Appalachian Writer · Feb 14, 2008

When addressing someone by name, capitalize. When addressing someone by title, capitalize. When calling someone Mom or Dad or SON, as a substitute for their real name, capitalize! EX: Good morning, Son. (Son is used instead of the boy's real name but as a substitution, it still requires capitalization)

Sandi LeFaucheur · Feb 14, 2008

I've always been told that if it's a name that applies to just that one person, and it's a name you commonly use for them and only them, as opposed to being a more generic term, you cap it.

"Well, good morning, Schnookum-tummy. How's my little Schnookum-tummy today?"
"Well, good morning, dear. How are you today?"

HeronW · Feb 14, 2008

As titles: cap Dad, Mother. Unnecessary caps irk editors.

please help, dialogue capitalization question

chuckw

Sandi LeFaucheur

chuckw

Stew21

Jersey Chick

Up all night to get Loki

precisiontext

Pauliana

Jersey Chick

Up all night to get Loki

padnar

Sandi LeFaucheur

Appalachian Writer

Somewhere in the hills....

Sandi LeFaucheur

HeronW

Down Under Fan