posted
What is the best way to show a character stammering through his words or changing his mind in mid-sentence? Are there rules about when to use an ellipsis versus a dash or hyphen? "The rules" don't seem to really apply to dialogue in the same ways, since people rarely talking according to The Rules.
[This message has been edited by TheoPhileo (edited April 13, 2004).]
posted
I tend to see words such as "I" repeated(or the first word of the sentence that's conflicting). [First word] pause [first word] another pause depending on character, followed by first word [quick, sometimes confusing sentence]
[simpathy, pity, disgust]
~James that's all folks!
[This message has been edited by FiveSides (edited April 13, 2004).]
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If you haven't read it, "It" shows how Stephen King dealt with this issue, which worked fairly well if you ask me. I also reckon its a good book and worth reading, although others disagree... Posts: 626 | Registered: Jun 2003
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I think that the main issue here is, you can establish your own technique as long as you consistantly apply it. It's the same as writing colloquial speech - it works best it's consistantly applied.
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