jmsx521

Can I begin a paragraph with ellipsis, as to convey, emotion, solitude, thinking, pause, (etc.) before the talking begins of the sentence begins.

... The day began when...


Thanks.

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cbrmale

No.

lisajane

No. I've only used ellipsis at the beginning of paragraphs once, and that was in writing a dream sequence as a style technique. As a general rule though, no.

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Fantasy of You

I horse is still a horse without the silver bells. If you can't give the mood without it, then you should give up on the piece anyway.

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quarterscot

Was it Collette who began paragraphs with ellipses, though only when a character was talking. The impression left was that we, the reader, had begun eavesdropping on a conversation halfway through. (It may have been Saki rather than Collette. Or neither of them.) I nicked the device once with reasonable effect. In general, though, I agree with the other replies: no, in the name of God, no.

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theflowerofcarnage

The use of ellipses (excluding character dialogue) is a big sign of weak writing.

CroZ

Terry Pratchet does it a lot. And I mean a lot.

aspiring

I don't do it but that's because it doesn't suit my style of writing.

I think you have to be confident with the rules before you break them.

Anything really does go in writing, but if you're just starting out (or are unpublished) then it's normally a good idea to play by the rules and learn the craft before you mess around with grammar and syntax.

Terry Pratchett can do anything he likes, in my book. He is amazing.