Yelling questions in dialogue....

[Striiife]

Whats the best way to write it. For example:
If Danny is yelling a question, what is best,


A. Danny - What do you expect me to do?

or

B. Danny - What do you expect me to do!?

[Writing Again]

If the need to yell is obvious I don't think you need to mention it.

My understanding is to never double up on symbols ending a sentence.

[Optimus Maximus]

I'd choose B.

"The need to yell" isn't always "obvious."

Who's to say that your character would/would not react in such a way given a certain situation?

Characters do not always react according to what is "obvious" or expected.

Some people might go with A, but put "yelling" in a parenthetical.

However, I think B is more parse.

[altoption]

From Aaron Sorkin's A Few Good Men:

KAFFEE
I'll ask for the forth time. You ordered -

JESSEP
You want answers?

KAFFEE
I think I'm entitled to them.

JESSEP
You want answers?!

KAFFEE
I want the truth.

JESSEP
You can't handle the truth!

[Deus Ex Machine]

I think the rule for such things is that the question mark comes first and is followed by the exclamation mark.

Three perfectly valid ways of doing it are:

1.
DO YOU WANT THE TRUTH?

2.
.......(yells)
Do you want the truth?

3.
Do you want the truth?!

IMHO #3 is the best way to do it.

[Julian62]

The combination of a question mark followed by an exclamation point is called an "Interrobang." It's been around since the early sixties, and is generally regarded as an acceptable, if rarely used bit of punctuation.

I think it's okay to use for comedies and action scripts, but I'd probably avoid it in a historical piece or other serious drama, since it might throw the reader off, or annoy someone as a bit of "directing on paper."

[altoption]

The interrobang was actually designed to replace the dual punctuation of a question mark followed by an exclamation point. It is an exclamation point superimposed on a question mark.

I think it's okay to use for comedies and action scripts, but I'd probably avoid it in a historical piece or other serious drama, since it might throw the reader off, or annoy someone as a bit of "directing on paper."

Are you friggin' serious?!

[Julian62]

It is an exclamation point superimposed on a question mark.

But since no fonts actually exist with this official interrobang symbol, it's always typed as a question mark followed by an exclamation point.

Are you friggin' serious?!

Yes.

In my opinion, while a writer might try to get away with a lot of "cutsey" non-standard punctuation in a romantic comedy or a wacky sitcom spec, it's bound to distract readers if you're using it in a serious drama with serious characters. Same thing with the triple punctuation (What??? Wow!!!) that beginning writers seem to use so much.

A lot of script readers have strong literary backgrounds and will generally freak out over an improperly placed comma, let alone an interrobang. And anything that "throws" the reader is bad when you're trying to accomplish the already insurmountable task of selling a screenplay.

Spec writers worry about page count, two brads or three, or the weight of the cardstock cover influencing the sale of their script. Why be surprised that I might caution people on using wacky non-standard punctuation?

[stevhal]

The general rule is not to add any direction unless it is contrary to what is expected. It shows a lack of understanding for the industry. When your a huge writer, who can command any production company/actor/director then I'm sure it no longer matters, but if you're trying to make it stick to the rules.

S.

[ComicBent]

Sometimes you have a choice of being ambiguous (not necessarily a bad thing) or indicating clearly what you have in mind.

A speech like

SPEAKER
You can't handle the truth.

might be spoken either as a whisper or as a scream. Sometimes the beauty of the writing is in the latitude for interpretation. That is the case for ambiguity.

But in other instances the writer wants to provide a particular interpretation. I am the one who argues against directing and the use of parentheticals. But the reason for my usual attitude is that the direction and the parentheticals are superfluous and intrusive in those particular instances. Occasionally a hint in the form of an action line and/or a parenthetical is appropriate if the writer really wants to avoid ambiguity. Consider the following, which are not precisely the same:

SPEAKER
(screaming)
You can't handle the truth!

SPEAKER
(whining)
You can't handle the truth!

SPEAKER
(whining)
You can't handle the truth.

SPEAKER
(squirming angrily)
You can't handle the truth.

Parentheticals and descriptions are tools. There is no rule that they should NEVER be used. The problem arises when an insecure writer thinks he/she has to robotize the characters by describing each movement, response, and emotion.

[altoption]

Took a look at The Chicago Manual of Style, 14th Edition. Here's where they weigh in:

If neither interrogation nor exclamation is apparent from the construction of a sentence, and yet both are intended, the author may wish to end the sentence with a question mark and an exclamation point:

That is your answer?!

So long as its use is rare, such double punctuation may occasionally be effective. Consider the range of expressiveness achieved by the following changes in punctuation:

Go home.
Go home!
Go home?
Go home?!

So much for non-standard and wacky.

[NikeeGoddess]

need to add:

the interrobang is used when one asks a question but says it as a statement...not looking for an answer to the question.

Are you a freakin' moron?!

[kojled]

striife

two ways: use all caps, or the parenthetical (yells). using ?! is not exact and doesn't indicate dialogue to be yelled


zilla

[roscoegino]

I use (yells) and (screams) only if the character has to raise his/her voice for any reason other than anger or disbelief. Otherwise the ?! should do. But even then, as the cliche goes: use it sparingly.

[kojled]

striiife

you can say:

DANNY
(yells)
What do you expect me to do?

or:

DANNY
WHAT DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO?

but not:

DANNY
What do you expect me to do?!

because this does not indicate the dialogue is yelled. people think it does, but it doesn't. the exclamation point indicates 'expressed with emotional emphasis' not 'yelled' -- as in:

toby (12) and laura (16) hide behind some boxes. the bad guys search for them - only a few feet away

LAURA
(whispers)
thanks! that was smart! now they know we're in here!

TOBY
(whispers)
well! What did you expect me to do?!

see? the notion that '?!' means 'yelled' is silly. lots of the advice you will get on this board is silly. the question mark means it's an interrogative, the exclamation point means added emotional emphasis. what could be simpler?!

by the way, it is never obvious that dialogue should be yelled


zilla

[JakeSchuster aka Ostroff]

Don't know if this helps, but professional copyeditors working for reputable publishers always allow "?!"