Extremely Quick Punctuation Question

[Creed]

Very quick, for this line:

"Tell me you didn't believe your own lies, Temûr."

Do I end it with a period or a question mark? It seems kind if like a question, and when I say it in my head it is like a question, but with the question mark it looks odd to me and it is really a statement

 

[Trick]

I would end it with an ellipse.

"Tell me you didn't believe your own lies, Temûr..."

An ellipse expects a response without being a question. A period implies a statement, in this case a chiding one and I do not expect a response the way it is written but i agree a question mark would be inappropriate.

 

[Penpilot]

It's more of a command, so IMHO period would be the correct punctuation.

To my understanding an ellipsis in fiction writing demonstrates a pause in dialogue, a pause in narrative, or a character or a narrator trailing off. I've never heard about it being used at the end of a sentence as expecting a response, but then again what I haven't heard could fill a library.

 

[Creed]

Of course! Thank you, Trick!
And now the thread can rest in peace.

 

[Creed]

It's more of a command, so IMHO period would be the correct punctuation.

To my understanding an ellipsis in fiction writing demonstrates a pause in dialogue, a pause in narrative, or a character or a narrator trailing off. I've never heard about it being used at the end of a sentence as expecting a response, but then again what I haven't heard could fill a library.

I think it's appropriate because it does, in a way, let the speaker trail off.

 

[Trick]

It's more of a command, so IMHO period would be the correct punctuation.

To my understanding an ellipsis in fiction writing demonstrates a pause in dialogue, a pause in narrative, or a character or a narrator trailing off. I've never heard about it being used at the end of a sentence as expecting a response, but then again what I haven't heard could fill a library.

ELLIPSIS! I knew how I wrote it felt wrong.

You are correct on it's common use, but the pause it implies can be pregnant and a pregnant pause at the end of a sentence can definitely expect a response. A mom says to her son, "Tell me you cleaned your room, Bobby..." (Begin unnerving stare)

EDIT: Pregnant pause, hence the term expecting.... hehe

I've seen it used that way and it seemed fitting to me, but I don't think it is any kind of grammatical rule, just a possible usage.

 

[Butterfly]

The ellipsis use depends on what you are writing. In formal writing, journalism, they are used when quoting from something/someone ... and bits are left out.

In fiction, they can indicate a pause in speech or narrative, but also to indicate a trailing off of speech or thought. I think the first of these uses has a space before ... and after the dots, and the latter no space...

M-dashes indicate interruption--