Hatrack River Writers Workshop: dialog

This is topic dialog in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by ken_hawk (Member # 2647) on :

I just have a fairly simple question as to the use of dialog. When one character speaks to another and the other character replies do I put the character's reply on the next line when I am typing?

Posted by rickfisher (Member # 1214) on :

Yes.

Also (though not quite as strictly), if one character is doing something, and you switch to describe a different character doing something, that should be in a new paragraph. A whole bunch of back-and-forth actions between characters is just one of numerous exceptions to this rule. But it's good to keep it in mind.

Posted by Nietge (Member # 3474) on :

Potential academic example:

"Wow, hey, ya know what?" Isaac asked.

Bob looked up from his workdesk in annoyance. "Whaddya want, Issac?"

Isaac winced, feeling sheepish. "Well, as you know Bob, I was working on this slide-rule problem and..." He then shuffled his feet, unsure how to proceed. "..well, I'm having a little difficulty."

"Whyzzat?"

"Well," Isaac whined, "for one thing, it's made out of Kevlar. Which is rather interesting, considering DuPont Corp hasn't even invented Kevlar yet."

Bob now glared at his new friend. Isaac was always going on about stuff like this. "Listen, Is', this reminds me of that story you were thinking about writing, about how history can be determined mathematically? And how this one math guy uses it to figure out that the galactic empire is heading for collapse? You remember that?"

"Hey now. That's no more silly than your short story idea about a blind spaceman songwriter. No one's gonna read that kind of silly libertarian fluff. People want serious concepts, future politics. Not crap from the pulp era. You're writing pure juvenile pulp, is what you are, with this idea." Isaac then folded his arms in an expression of superiority.

Suddenly the supervisor's basso profundo voice boomed out from the head office, startling them both: "Asimov, Heinlein! We're not paying youse guys to stand around and yakkity-yak! Back to your desks, the both o' ya!"

[This message has been edited by Nietge (edited June 19, 2006).]

Posted by tchernabyelo (Member # 2651) on :

That would have been so much better if you'd actually spelt Isaac correctly...

There are some diferences between UK and US conventions on dialogue tagging, I think, but they're pretty minor.

In general, the simplest rule is that you should never have two different people speaking without a paragraph break in between. Non-dialogue lines should generally live in the same paragraph as the dialogue speaker they relate to.

Posted by Nietge (Member # 3474) on :

Argh-eth. That was embarrasing. All my life I've been spellin' it with 2 S's instead of 2 A's. Made the necessary changes.

Posted by pantros (Member # 3237) on :

Good thing this wasn't about maintaining PoV.

Posted by Spaceman (Member # 9240) on :

Back to the original question, each character gets their own paragraph for their response to the other, be it dialog or action. There's no shortage of 'tabs', so use as many as you need.

Posted by pooka (Member # 1738) on :

I don't understand where the PoV problem is. Though the "Is' " thing really threw me off. Also, I don't know enough about Asimov or Heinlein to get the humor.

Posted by Minister (Member # 2213) on :

I thought it was kinda funny. The "Is'" thing threw me for a moment too.

Oh, yes. I agree with the rest about giving each speaker/actor his own paragraph. Please.

Posted by hoptoad (Member # 2145) on :

Stephanie Kwolek invented kevlar.

She worked for Dupont.

Saying a cardinal paid for the the materials and time Michelangelo used to paint the Sistine Chapel does not mean the cardinal painted it.