I suppose this is an English/Literature/Writing question:
When there is a dialogue going on, and it's back and forth, I understand that there is no need to identify the speakers after the initial introduction. However, in the middle of that, is it appropriate to have the second speaker give an unidentified reaction while the first speaker continues?
Like,
Speaker 1 "Blah"
Speaker 2 "Blahdee"
Speaker 1 "Blahblah" He rolled his eyes[2] "Blahdahbadeeblah"[1]
Because I've come across that in a few fics and it confuses the hell out of me, and am wondering if I have reading comprehension issues, or the writers have the dysfunction.
Speaker 1 "Blahblah" He rolled his eyes[2] "Blahdahbadeeblah"[1]
Is that broken up into paragraphs? Because if not, I would assume Speaker 1 is rolling his eyes in the middle of his speech.
EXACTLY!
Okay, so Iahm not iliterit.
I'm not following you -- is it broken up or not? Because if it's not, then why isn't the first speaker?
Sorry, yeah, got excited over the confirmation of my not crazy, which maybe expounded my crazy. Paragraph is NOT broken up.
However, in the middle of that, is it appropriate to have the second speaker give an unidentified reaction while the first speaker continues?
No.
There is a story about Hemingway. He was speaking to students who had been reading "A Clean Well-Lighted Place." There is a long run of alternating dialogue between the Old Waiter and the Young Waiter and it becomes very fuzzy as to who is speaking. Who is speaking is important to understanding the scene. A student asks Hemingway to clarify. Hemingway looks at the dialogue and days, "It's perfectly clear to me."
Yeah, for long-running scenes, it's nice to have a good memory of who's on first, but even in lit, a reminder every now and then during a lengthy conversation between two people is pleasant, if not somewhat necessary.
IOW, FU H.
Aw, io9 really likes us. See the last lines of the article.
Out-smolder the Winchester brothers? Unpossible. I'm going to put John in there as well. Smokin'!
::nods::
Actually? Both Johns have a pretty good smolder on. IJS. Adam's a cutiehead, but he still gotta work on the smolder.
