Forum: Author Hangout

However, while writing a scene, I do play the parts of the characters in the scene in my head to give their dialog a sense of being different. It doesn't make a great deal of difference in many instances, but it does help some.

While I don't speak aloud, I hear everything in y head. Even when I'm not doing dialogue, I dictate yto myself. That causes two problems:
Homophones,
I have to go back and put in attributions. Why do I need to say, "she said," when I can hear her voice?

Typically, if you only have two people in a conversation, you don't need attributions. "he said/she said" are assumed, and individual speaking alternates on a new paragraph preceded by a closing quotation mark.

never rely on the dropped closing quote to be an indication of the same speaker as it's so easily overlooked

...by idiots.

A lot of modern fiction is really poor writing.

But frequently individuals will speak for multiple paragraphs. Failing to break what they say into paragraphs is poorer writing than using the dropped quote.

But frequently individuals will speak for multiple paragraphs. Failing to break what they say into paragraphs is poorer writing than using the dropped quote.

As a reader I think having to resolve to open quotes to continue the same characters speech is worse. Personally I would rather see a long speech in a single paragraph but with a < br > to indicate what otherwise would be a paragraph break.

Basically, the problem boils down to dealing with readers who didn't learn proper grammar (including punctuation).

It seems many schools don't teach nowadays

Also true.

It seems many schools don't teach it nowadays.

Just curious. How do you know what schools do or do not teach nowadays? I could tell you what schools taught back in my day - at least in my little corner of the world. If some of the stories on SOL are to be believed - and I have no particular reason to doubt them - the kids are learning subjects at much earlier grades than when I was in school. It is my impression that kids today are much busier with school matters than we were in my time - and that they have little time to get out and have fun with disorganized ("sandlot")sports. Do kids shoot marbles any more? Do they play mumbledypeg? Do girls skip rope at recess? Do they even have recess?

It's not what subjects schools are teaching these days, it's that standards are so much lower, particularly in English courses. It's difficult to reduce standards in math classes, except by covering less material or grading on a curve that's been inflated.

And non-organized sports participation is down mostly, I believe, because of parents not trusting their children to be unsupervised for hours at a time. While I was growing up, street hockey was still a thing. Maybe in the odd neighborhood where everyone knows everyone, it still is, but finding a dozen kids whose parents are willing to let them play outside (with only other kids) for a couple hours at a time?

Kids now seem to have everything scheduled and choreographed by their parents. Ironic, since so many child molesters get into coaching, leading Scout troops, or otherwise involved in the organized activities, rather than trying to hunt for targets of opportunity at pick-up games.

have to resort to evening classes or writing groups

Writing groups have turned out some damn fine writers...

Dropped closing quotes are very rare in modern fiction so readers just aren't expecting them. I guess there's a need if one character is giving a speech but often they're a symptom of poor writing.

Unfortunately I see the usage increase and often over multiple paragraphs. Every time I see 'missing' closing quotes I think it's a typo. I think it's not exactly poor writing skills but more poor grammar skills.