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How often do you skip lines with dialogue?

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stargurl128

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When you're writing the story how often do you have to skip a line? How do you know when the speech is supposed to be part of a paragraph? I'm having trouble but I can't find anything that will help me.
 

Shadow_Ferret

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Not sure what your question is.

For short dialog, each speaker's part of the convo is a paragraph. If one speaker gives an extended speech that is very long, then it follows the same rules any other paragraph does... in other words, you decide how long you want the paragraph and where it gets broken up into several paragraphs. Each paragraph begins with a quote ("), but only the last paragraph of the speech ends with a close quote.
 

Bufty

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How is this treated in dialogue in the books you've read?
 

dpaterso

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When you say "skip a line" you mean begin a new paragraph, yes?

The same character's actions and dialogue can share a paragraph, e.g. Bill picked up the newspaper and read the front page. "I see your harlot sister has made the headlines again." He sipped his coffee, aware of his wife's frosty glare.

If another character speaks, or an unrelated action takes place, you'd start a new paragraph.

-Derek
 

RJK

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I think the OP meant she's having trouble with the actual dialog. The second character's responses, etc. The only answer to that is to listen to people talk. Pick up how they respond to each other. Also, READ. learn how other authors do it.
 

profen4

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I believe, and please correct me if I am wrong, that the actions of one person and the dialogue of another, can not be in the same paragraph. though this might not be the case for novels written with 1st person narration (or is it?)

As an example:
John grabbed his bag and ran for the door. "Where do you think you're going?" his mother asked.

should be:
John grabbed his bag and ran for the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" his mother asked.
 
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Bufty

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Don't know where you got that from, RJ - :Hug2:
I hope the OP returns to clarify what her real problem is -if it hasn't already been answered.

I think the OP meant she's having trouble with the actual dialog. The second character's responses, etc. The only answer to that is to listen to people talk. Pick up how they respond to each other. Also, READ. learn how other authors do it.
 

Patrick L

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I've not had occasion to do it, but yes, often in books where the character has a long dialog sequence, a new paragraph will be started. I believe they treat the end of the former paragraph without end quotes, but will show quotes at the beginning of the following paragraph. Clancy does this often.

I would help the reader, but that's just me.
 

Chasing the Horizon

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Dialogue can be combined in the same paragraph with thoughts and/or actions as long as those thoughts and actions are from the same character as the dialogue and relate to it in some way. There should always be a paragraph break between one character's thoughts/actions/dialogue and another character's thoughts/action/dialogue.

You don't actually skip an entire line (by hitting 'return' 'return') unless you're writing something to post on the internet. Normal manuscript format uses 'return' 'tab' to make a new paragraph.
 

stargurl128

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Okay dpaterso seems to have answered my question. Swhibs123 also asked my question better than I did. If you have dialogue like that how often would you skip a line?
 

bonitakale

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Yes, that's not a grammatical necessity, but it makes for much easier reading.

stargurl128, you don't skip any lines. You set your word processor for 'double space' and it automatically puts all the lines one line apart. To end a paragraph, you hit Hard Return, and indent the first line of the next paragraph. No extra lines skipped between.





I believe, and please correct me if I am wrong, that the actions of one person and the dialogue of another, can not be in the same paragraph. though this might not be the case for novels written with 1st person narration (or is it?)

As an example:
John grabbed his bag and ran for the door. "Where do you think you're going?" his mother asked.

should be:
John grabbed his bag and ran for the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" his mother asked.
 
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