How To Use Apostrophes In Fiction Writing
- Apr 7
- 4 min read
Apostrophes, like commas, seem small, and readers may not consciously notice if they’ve been used correctly, but they are likely to feel that something’s not quite right. Some authors struggle with knowing when and where to use them, which is perfectly understandable, so here’s a clear, fiction-focused guide to using apostrophes correctly.
What Does An Apostrophe Look Like?
An apostrophe is a closing single quotation mark. This is important, as we'll see later!
When Do We Use an Apostrophe?
Let’s look at the following to understand when and where we can use an apostrophe effectively and when it’s not needed.
1. Omission
Indicating omission when we create one word from two.
Apostrophes are most commonly used to show missing letters and spaces when we contract two words, and some of the most common ones are:
don’t (do not)
can’t (cannot)
I’m (I am)
they’re (they are)
we’re (we are)
This is especially important in fiction writing, particularly in dialogue, when we want it to sound more natural and human.
Example:
‘I do not think you understand how dangerous this is.’
‘I don’t think you understand how dangerous this is.’
Without contractions, characters can sound stiff – unless that’s intentional, of course.
Tip: Use fewer contractions for formal or rigid characters, and more for casual or emotional speech.
Indicating omission at the beginning, middle or end of a word.
Again, to make characters sound more natural or to show someone is speaking casually or with a certain accent or dialect, we may choose to omit a letter (letters) at the beginning, middle or end of a word, such as:
them – ’em
cannot – can’t
rock ’n’ roll
getting – gettin’
Remember I said it was important to use a closing single quotation mark? If you’re omitting the first letter(s) of a word, Microsoft Word will automatically insert an opening single quotation mark because it will assume you’re using it to write speech. Therefore, do a quick check and make sure you use the correct mark.
2. Possession (Who Owns What)
This is the one where many writers slip up, but we can split the ‘rules’ into the following three groups:
Singular nouns – s after the apostrophe
the girl’s book
the dog’s ball
Regular plural nouns ending in s – no s after the apostrophe
the girls’ book
the dogs’ ball
Irregular plural nouns – s after the apostrophe
children’s toys
women’s coats
With Family Names
When indicating possession with family names, it can often be confusing to know where to put the apostrophe, especially if the name ends in an s.
Examples:
Name: Lorna Hinde
Singular possession: Lorna Hinde’s house
Plural possession: The Hindes’ house
Name: Bill Jones
Singular possession: Bill Jones’s house or Bill Jones’ house
Plural possession: The Joneses’ house
Note that in the Bill Jones singular-possession example, there are two options, both of which are correct.
Tip: If you’re unsure which option to go for, try reading it aloud and see if it sounds better with the additional s or without.
The important thing here is to be consistent throughout the manuscript.
Possessive numbers:
Apostrophes are used when the number owns something:
one week’s time
two days’ journey
a year’s worth of work
3. Plurals
Apostrophes are not needed to form the plural of words, names, numbers or abbreviations.
Numbers
Numbers can be troublesome in fiction, especially in historical or contemporary settings. Although it’s common to spell out numbers up to one hundred in fiction writing, when numbers are used, no apostrophe is needed for plurals:
✅ She was born in the 1920s
❌ She was born in the 1920’s
✅ There are two 5s in this number
❌ There are two 5’s in this number
Nouns
An apostrophe is not needed to make the plural form of a noun, name or abbreviation as shown in the following examples:
Correct | Incorrect |
The villages are beautiful | The village’s are beautiful |
The Hindes live here | The Hinde’s live here |
She has lots of CDs | She has lots of CD’s |
4. Possessive Pronouns
This is another of those areas that can confuse authors. The following possessive pronouns do not need an apostrophe: hers, his, theirs, yours, and of course, its – the one that many authors trip up over:
Its vs It’s (The Classic Trap)
it’s = it is / it has
its = possession
Examples:
It’s too late.
The dog licked its paw.
Tip:
If you can replace it with “it is”, use it’s.
A Quick Checklist
Before finishing your manuscript, check:
Are contractions correct (it’s vs its)?
Are possessives clear?
Have you avoided apostrophes in plurals?
Are missing letters marked with the correct closing apostrophe?
Are numbers formatted correctly?
Is usage consistent throughout?
This is by no means an exhaustive list of when and where to use apostrophes, but it does cover the basics that most fiction writers come across. However, if you do have any questions, please feel free to contact me and I’d be happy to help.
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