When writing dialogue is it necessary to use quotation marks?

Question

For each line even if it is clear who is speaking?

Scotty and Lottie...

Scotty: I don't think you have to use them.

Lottie: Yes you do! It's in my grammar book!

Answer 1

No, it's not.  There are entire books written like this:

-I eat cake.

-I don't, but oh, Harold!  I love you!

-Guys, shut up!  I can't hear my music!

-Oh, Wanda! Oh, cake!

-Harold!

-Cake!

-BE QUIET!

Here, you can begin to tell who's who.  Clearly, there's a man who likes to eat cake named Harold, a woman who loves him named Wanda, and another person who wants to listen to music.

Don't use quotes if you don't want them. (You don't need them in scripts like your's above)

Answer 2

Quotation marks: Yes, in prose.  No, in poetry.

Answer 3

There's no rule. That's the beauty of creating with language. Irvine Welsh doesn't use quotations in his prose. Charles Bukowski used quotation marks in his poetry.

It's up to you!

Answer 4

You're getting a variety of answers and there is nothing wrong with any of them.  I want to approach the question from a different angle.  First, if we're talking about poetry, it's true that, as long as the attribution is clear, you can do anything you want about the quotation marks. I always use them when there is a character other then the presumed narrator saying something but as long as you make it perfectly clear it's ok.  You would never use them in  poem when the whole piece is in the point of view of a character other then your real self.  The reader will understand that it is a narrator.  NOW, all that said, you didn't make it perfectly clear that you were speaking of poetry exclusively.  In prose, I don't care what anyone else has done or had published, a new writer submitting to publishers stands a much better chance of being accepted if they follow all the standard rules for formatting, punctuation, etc.  That would include using quotation marks in the traditional way.  The example you gave uses the format mostly used for play-writing and if that is what you are doing is fine but it is not a format for submission to print publishing.  I hope this helps.  Good luck on all your writing efforts.

Answer 5

its really an intresting question u hv asked.

i dont feel its necessary to use guotation all the time,bt i would like 2 gv u an example 2 make u understand it easily....

we do dress ourselves so trendy nd uniquely,because it creates some special attraction  nd even v do dress that way to define ourselves,4 the viewers,nd trendy dress gives aliveness to our body nd mind defination,when compared to the alternative dressing.. .similarly the quotations,nd exclamatory marks give sm special affection 2 ur writing..it creates some aliveness to ur writings...i do personally feel

Answer 6

No.  You're free to choose whether or not you use them.  Some writers don't, or only use them some of the time.

For example, in "Fight Club", what the narrator says to other characters is not put in quotation marks, whilst what those characters say is.

Answer 7

It is a personal decision.  Your English teacher would tell you that any time it is a direct quote you must use them.  In this case, do it as you like.