Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[A-RokzStalker]

LOL That's okay, I understand.

[julilly]

I thought that's how it was but my grammar check on my computer was telling me when I used "then" in my sentence it was wrong, but I used it in the way it was supposed to according to your sentence below.  Maybe I have it right in my head and the grammar check has issues, or maybe there was something else wrong ... hrm.

Often times grammar check will pick up on something that is technically right if there is something else wrong in the sentence.

[ForeverFrick]

Oh btw, I know we didn't come to punctuation, but a few months ago or so I saw this Facebook group which cracked me up so much 'cause it's true!

It's something like this:
"Let's eat grandma!" - "Let's eat, grandma!". Punctuation saves lives.

I think others know this one too, but I think it's brilliant. I can't wait till we get to the punctuation part 'cause that's one I'd like to learn (and remember).

Haha! Love that.  It reminds me of an example my boss used to use in the Writing Center:

A Panda Bear walks into a bar.  He eats, shoots, and leaves.

vs.

A Panda Bear walks into a bar.  He eats shoots and leaves. 

[RokofAges75]

^ That's where the book "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" by Lynne Truss comes from.  I have the original version, which I've never read all the way through, and also her children's books, which I read to my students.

[yorkielover88]

ok... so what if the proper way to do like... a paragraph? Are you supposed to made a new one every time someone new begins to speak? or can a paragraph have more the one person talking? Also is there a right versus wrong way to end and begin paragraphs?

[julilly]

Yes, you should make a new paragraph every time someone new speaks. It's too confusing to have multiple people speaking in the same paragraph, and it's just not correct.

Each time a character finishes what they are saying and you add whatever else you need to (the description, etc) you should hit return/enter and start a new line. There's not really a set way to end and begin them, you can have description followed by dialogue or the other way around.

[yorkielover88]

so length of paragraph does not matter?

[Rose]

so length of paragraph does not matter?

No. Like...

"No," She replied, tossing back her hair. It'd been a long day and she was tired. Between school, work, and everything else she'd accomplished, going out wasn't a priority right then. To be quite honest, she was a bit of a homebody anyway. She'd always been that way and she doubted that would ever change. It was just a shame her friends didn't understand that about her.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure." She stated firmly once more.

"Okay then."

That's how it should look when you're doing dialogue. If you put it all in one paragraph, not only is it incorrect, but it's really messy to read. Not to mention, being able to tell what character is talking becomes more difficult as well.

[ForeverFrick]

ok... so what if the proper way to do like... a paragraph? Are you supposed to made a new one every time someone new begins to speak? or can a paragraph have more the one person talking? Also is there a right versus wrong way to end and begin paragraphs?

That was a good question to ask.   I know that I have difficulty reading stories posted on here-- or anywhere-- that don't follow the new paragraph for a new speaker rule.  When the dialogue is bunched together in one, long paragraph, my interest just disappears.  I feel like I'm having to work to read instead of just enjoying the story.  LoL

[julilly]

That was a good question to ask.  I know that I have difficulty reading stories posted on here-- or anywhere-- that don't follow the new paragraph for a new speaker rule.  When the dialogue is bunched together in one, long paragraph, my interest just disappears.  I feel like I'm having to work to read instead of just enjoying the story.  LoL

You're absolutely right. You end up going 'wait -- who said that?' and losing your place in the story. It's much too confusing.

There's a principle that I always use when I'm writing and I do the same for when I'm writing for work. Assume that everyone is naive, and has absolutely no idea what you're talking about. Just because you understand it doesn't mean everyone else does because you know what you're trying to get across.

So if you're referencing something, make sure you put what it is. If a new person is speaking, make sure we know who it is. We don't know what you know.

[RokofAges75]

Great question, J-Lynn, and the answers you got are right.  I'm the same way as ForeverFrick; if I see a story written in HUGE paragraphs with dialogue by multiple characters clumped together in the same paragraph, I just stop reading; that's a sign of bad writing to me, and it's not worth the extra effort it takes me to decipher what's happening in the story and who's saying what.  More, shorter paragraphs are better than fewer, longer ones.  When in doubt, just start a new paragraph.

[Rose]

Great question, J-Lynn, and the answers you got are right.  I'm the same way as ForeverFrick; if I see a story written in HUGE paragraphs with dialogue by multiple characters clumped together in the same paragraph, I just stop reading; that's a sign of bad writing to me, and it's not worth the extra effort it takes me to decipher what's happening in the story and who's saying what.  More, shorter paragraphs are better than fewer, longer ones.  When in doubt, just start a new paragraph.

Ditto, when I see a story posted like that, I immediately click out. It's not worth it to me, and like you, I see it as a bad of bad writing. I'm a fanfic snob LOL

[TheDistantHeart]

I can't stand it when a chapter is just one big chunk without any paragraphs. Before I started posting fanfic on AC, I first read other fanfic, also to see how they made the paragraphs 'cause I wasn't sure.

I still got a feeling some of my paragraphs are too big, but on the other hand, I don't want to separate them into two paragraphs 'cause I feel like it should stick together as one. So, I just end up in an eenie meeney miney mo situation and in the end, it will still stick together as one paragraph anyway lol!

But a story with no paragraphs is a no-no. I don't even bother reading the first line.

At a Dutch BSB forum where I'm a member of, they post fanfics too. Some are in Dutch, others in English. But they don't insert paragraphs at all. And they wonder why I don't read them lol.

[Carter-Orange]

If I see it all clumped together, I click out of the story too.  It's too much work to try and understand when it's all jumbled together.

[yorkielover88]

ok so what if it is... like all one person talking. like someones point of view but they are not saying what someone else said. Like... im trying to describe this.... like all you are hearing is the persons thought. perhaps like you are reading a journal entry. Make sense? How would that be written?