A Dialogue Conundrum

When I was little and first starting to write, I was told to begin a new paragraph every time a new person speaks. And for a while, I read and wrote that way faithfully. But lately, I've started to notice that not all books follow that rule. I've read parts where there will be one long paragraph, but within it, two or three people will speak on more or less the same subject. Is this technically allowed?

Thinking about it now, I want to say that I notice it more in older books by the classic writers, but I'm not positive.

So can dialog fall under the rule that you begin a new paragraph when the time, place, or speaker changes, or must you begin a new paragraph every time someone has something new to say?

Thanks,
Amelia

Hmmm... I know what you mean, and I know that there are circumstances when you can do that - I just don't know what they are... Perhaps someone else knows...?

It's a matter of personal style, I think- but usually the writers who use that are really good. Charles Frazier, Johnathan Safran Foer...if you're new to the whole thing and couldn't do it properly if you tried, it's probably not a good idea.

But if you've got it down, go right ahead and experiment. ^_^

I prefer writers who put speech on its own line. In fact, I frequently reccomend it in critiques. Simple because, I think, big long paragraphs bug people, and if you paragraph each time someone talks, it gives you a reason to make one, hence spreading your writing out and giving you more readers.

I think it matters less if it is grammatically perfect, than if it's understandable. As long as you don't confuse the reader, I'd say it's fine. I usually keep it in the same paragraph is someone says something, then there is some action/narration, then says something again a few sentences later. I think if you had more than one person talking in the same paragraph it would get confusing though.

This question was sparked by me not wanting to have a page full of indented lines for the lots of dialogue (yes, that's an exaggeration).

But Rhea, I was referring to multiple characters speaking in the same paragraph.

I still can't think off the top of my head of a book where I've seen this, but next time I do, I'll be sure to mark it down ^_^

Ah, my bad.

I think i would get confused id multiple characters talked in the same paragraph. But I understand the annoyingness of a page of dialogue looking weird.

I think it's okay for a short piece of characters talking. But if it's a long conversation, it would be much too confusing. I think if a writer uses tags in a long conversation, it makes it easier to read.

Yeah, same person talking on the same subject is okay, as long as it's in a short(er) paragraph. Unfortunately, some people don't know the limit, and I admit I sometimes fail in that, too...

Long paragraphs bug me. I rarely finish a story that's got all that messy style. For multiple characters, that normally just doesn't work for me. Try checking The Elements of Style by E.B. White and Willaim Strunk. They have much better advice than I could ever give.

Thanks, Wiggy! And I shall be sure to look for that book.

AmeliaOliver wrote:This question was sparked by me not wanting to have a page full of indented lines for the lots of dialogue (yes, that's an exaggeration).

... but that's okay! White space is good. Love your white space, because it makes your readers love you. (disclaimer: exaggeration) It's the reason Harry Potter is easier to read than Lord of the Rings; Potter is filled with short, easy to read sentences and paragraphs; Rings is full of long, flowery sentences and paragraphs, which is hard on the eyes.

If you go someplace like pottersues, you'll see a common complaint is the "TEXT BLOCK OF DOOM," often in CAPS LOCK like that. It's a pain to read, because the white space lets your eyes rest. The less white space you have, the less your eyes can rest and the harder it is to concentrate.



*intended graphic design major*