Okay I thought the rules were that each new piece of dialogue needs a new paragraph. If you have started a sentence with text then you need a new one to add dialogue Then I re-read The Beach Please help
What is The Beach? I mean, who is the author? Is it lit fic? It might be deliberately flauting the rules.
I've always thought if it's a new speaker. If the first sentence of text serves as a beat or otherwise indicates who is the speaker is, a new line/paragraph isn't required. You could do it for stylistic reasons though.
Ok, I think you're talking about the novel by Alex Garland? Looking into it now. But aren't your influences things like Trainspotting? That would fall under the umbrella of modern literary fiction, which delights in breaking the rules. It's sort of the punk rock version of writing, break all the rules is the only rule.
Checking the Look Inside on Amazon, it seems to follow standard protocol for paragraphs in dialogue. Unless I've got the wrong Beach here? Maybe you're talking about a book by a different author?
I think it would be acceptable, even within fair use to post a snippet of what you are confused about. If in doubt, just change some of the words to something comparable. Otherwise I don't know if anyone can answer your question.
Ok, I think I see. You can mix up dialogue and narration in the same paragraph as long as the narration is still about the same person who's speaking. Example: "What are you talking about," John sputtered. "That's not right!" His hand was trembling on the countertop. Then if another person speaks you do need to start a new paragraph. But generally as long as the person who spoke is still the subject of the narration, you stay in the same paragraph. Unless it's getting too long for one paragraph, then you might need to break just so people don't have to face the dreaded wall of text.
Yes but I often see that as a bit arrogant. Unorthodox is one thing but doing it just because you haven't given the practices and traditions the time and respect they deserve is not something I aim for. I find its an absolute minefield
Okay I won't post I will just write is for example: At that moment there was a jeer from the far end of the longhouse. Bugs was calling to us. 'Oh let me guess, the Cavalry's arrived?' Where as I thought it had to be At that moment there was a jeer from the far end of the longhouse. Bugs was calling to us. 'Oh let me guess, the Cavalry's arrived?'
I don't think you've got to it yet, but I addressed that a little ways above. You should run into it as you work your way down the page.
That's not the best example, because the first person narrator is quoting someone else. I would say it's OK, but it depends on what follows 'Oh let me guess, the Cavalry's arrived?'. Is the character just quoting something another said or does it kick off a regular dialogue exchange? Can you find an example that's different?
After thinking about it, because of the full stop from the period, I'd say that's not standard. It doesn't sound like the narrator is quoting someone since the sentence ends before the dialogue. I'd put the dialogue on a new line.
Your first example is more correct. In the second, with the quoted passage beginning on a new paragraph, it is totally unclear who is speaking. (Which leaves me diametrically opposed to Bruce Johnson's post immediately above mine, so we need a deciding vote to break the stalemate.) [Edit to add] Chicago Manual of Style, 16th Edition, 13.37:
To be honest, I don't really know if the first example is standard or not. I don't write in first person and am not much of a fan of it, so I could be totally wrong on how dialogue is handled in situations like that with a first person narrator.
The first example is fine, but I'm still not a fan of the period. I'd just leave it out like a regular dialogue tag. Then again, that may be why Garland is a renowned Gen X writer and I'm not. It doesn't have to be like the second, and as @SapereAude said, in the second example it's unclear that Bugs is saying it (although the line that follows from the narrator, which you omitted, does make it a little less ambiguous.) Here's another example from the same chapter: Then Sal was standing too. ‘That’s enough!’ she screamed. ‘Both of you! All of you! Enough!’ Again, since the previous sentence mentions that Sal was standing too, it's implied she is the speaker, no new line is necessary.
Yessss, thank you. This has been driving me wild. I learned the same thing as you but have noticed a large amount of books lately that do not follow that rule, leaving me questioning my memory, intelligence, and sanity. I've also wondered if it's just a new thing, like spaces between paragraphs and we're all just letting it fly because its the wild west of indie publishing.
no that's not right - if you wanted it on two lines it should be At that moment there was a jeer from the far end of the longhouse. Bugs was calling to us. 'Oh let me guess, the Cavalry's arrived?' But the way Garland has it is also fine... written the way you have it it it appears as if the dialogue is someone else's response to bugs
They're not laws. Think of the 'rules' more as guidelines. You don't have to follow them, but for most people it's wise to stick to convention. Personally I've been moving away from "quoted" dialogue and have been using summaries of conversations, where the narrator explains what was said, but doesn't quote what was said.
As it's been said, all "rules" can be broken if done properly. I'm currently reading The Castle by Kafka and his paragraphs in this book last for pages and pages therefore have quoted dialogue from multiple characters in any given paragraph.
The balance of integrating dialogue is something that takes time and practice to make effective, I found, rather than studying it. You eventually can see what works and flows if you have that inner voice. Although I don't use reported dialogue much. In first person you're disclosing so much in that sort of manner already.
Sal...my LEAST favourite female movie character ever...with the possible exception of Carrie from Four Weddings and Carol from As Good as it Gets I think you could study The Beach in the way they study The Matrix
You can post something else, but to avoid confusion, can you at least acknowledge what others have posted which is: 1. A new paragraph is needed when the speaker changes AND 2. If you start a paragraph with text (narration), if the narration describes a specific character's actions or thoughts/feelings, a new paragraph is not needed for dialogue, IF the dialogue is from that specific character. In fact, it's common to have a few sentences describing a character and then a dialogue from that character, or a single sentence indicating what they are doing as they are speaking (a beat) prior to the actual dialogue.
But that's the interesting part of this thread, a new paragraph is not needed when the speaker changes, and some notable writers have shown this, because it's done with 'voice' and technique. It's advisable, certainly, especially if the voice or technique doesn't work effectively and causes confusion, but it's not a must. My favourite user of different speakers running on one from another in the same paragraph is Hubert Selby Jr, mainly in Last Exit to Brooklyn.
