I think if there are only two people talking you can and should avoid using too many tags, once we know what order the dialogue is going in then...
Past tense for me. You tell a story after it happened, it feels logical to write it that way. Having said that, present tense adds an immediacy...
I like the use of italics for inner monologue and emphasis on certain words. I think it works well, and is grammatically acceptable. I think the...
I've always that it was atmosphere and setting that gets under my skin. I've re-read the shining every couple of years, that nails it. Action,...
Separate names with a comma.