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Setting out dialogue
I thought I had dialogue all sorted in terms of punctuation and layout, but now I’m doubting again. I know it should be a basic for a writer, but I confess I need help!
So the big question is when to hit the return button. Obviously between one person speaking and the next, that’s clear, BUT
1) if you have person A speaking, a bit of narrative, then person A speaking again: return or no return? And if there IS a return where does it come: after the first speech AND after the narrative or just after the narrative bit?
2) (a follow-on from 1 really) do you treat each little bit as a paragraph or does it depend on the length of the narrative interlude, i.e.
person A speaks
narrative comment
person B speaks
Person A replies
narrative comment
person A speaks again
I have been only hitting the return when it switches from one person speaking to another OR if I wanted special impact with the narrative comment (I read this somewhere a while ago and thought it made sense). But now, editing my latest short story, I’m starting to wonder again.
Are there any hard and fast rules? How do you do it?
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2 Replies
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Hi Sarita.
Well, first, I’ll give you absolutely correct answer. Then I’ll qualify it with the consultant’s answer.
“Yes.”
“It depends.”
From my own experience, not that I consider myself any sort of expert on this, there are many factors that come into play here:
- Who is speaking
- The subject of the dialogue / blocking
- Personal style
- Contextual emphasis
- etc…
But, to your core question of whether the blocking – action accompanying dialogue; what you call narrative comment – should get its own paragraphs, I would only say that it depends on whether you want the action to flow with the dialogue or provide a counterpoint beat of its own.
“I say something,” while doing somehing.
Or
“I say something.”
I do something.
Of course, that’s only one example. I’m sure there are countless other contextual scenarios what would dictate one way or the other.
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I think the correct answer is: It depends. The only hard and fast rule really is that you should have a new line for a new speaker, but even that can be ignored. I think it’s both an stylistic and contextual choice, in that it depends how you want your narrative to flow, look on the page; do you want lots of short sharp sentences or longer run on clauses? For example, if you are building tension you might want the former, although this isn’t always the case. I’d say look at how others do it and then decide. Good luck.
