Thread: a new paragraph or the same...??

Hi, I'm going to use an extract from Michael Crichton's novel, "Disclosure" for example purposes only:

Standing beside him, Benedict pointed to Sanders's phone. "Those things are amazing. They just get smaller and smaller, don't they? You guys make that one?"

Sanders nodded. "I'd be lost without it."

My question is should the speech be on a separate paragraph? So for example, like this:

Standing beside him, Benedict pointed to Sanders's phone.

"Those things are amazing. They just get smaller and smaller, don't they? You guys make that one?"

Sanders nodded.

"I'd be lost without it."

Now, differen't books I've seen both versions of using the same paragraph and separate paragraphs. I want to know whether this is just stylistic preference, or whether there is a "right or wrong" way, or whether it's done for a specific reason on both occassions? Crichton actually alternates between both ways in the same book.

Can anyone please help me on this?

Thank you

Not sure it is correct, but I tend to use the first example. I do like dialogue to stand out, so if there are bigger paragraphs, I don't like dialogue hiding in them, and will pull it out to a new line, but try to keep a particular persons actions and dialogue together on a line so it is clearer who is saying and doing what.

Dialogue, action, thoughts, etc., stay in the same paragraph as the character it is attributed to. The reason is simple, and your second example illustrates why.

Standing beside him, Benedict pointed to Sanders's phone.

"Those things are amazing. They just get smaller and smaller, don't they? You guys make that one?"

Who is speaking? It is not clear anymore. Could be Benedict. Could be Sanders.

Originally Posted by fearsatan

Dialogue, action, thoughts, etc., stay in the same paragraph as the character it is attributed to. The reason is simple, and your second example illustrates why.

Who is speaking? It is not clear anymore. Could be Benedict. Could be Sanders.

My opinion, for what it's worth, is that for a variety of reasons - which I'm not going to waste time on, elucidating here - a reader would have to be thick not to be able to figure out who's speaking. I disagree with the principle of dumbing down one's writing. More smarts is what's needed.

If it isn't clear, it isn't clear. Some people, out of some kind of wanting-to-appear-smart vanity, actually foggy up their writing in an attempt to make the reader think, "Wow, if the writer understood this confusing malarky, he must be a smart guy!" forgetting that it's not the writer's job to make the reader think he's smart, but to give them a comprehensible story.

Maybe it partly depends on whether you wish to make the storytelling character speech orientated; or action descriptive orientated.

If stories progress on scene actions with talking secondary, I'd have it in the same paragraph. If talking is important, perhaps you could try :

Standing beside him, Benedict pointed to Sanders's phone.
"Those things are amazing. They just get smaller and smaller, don't they? You guys make that one?"

Sanders nodded.
"I'd be lost without it."

Just an idea; although it might depend on how you write.

Hmmm... I don't know. I myself use Crichton's style of writing when it comes to these situations. Other authors I know like Rosenberg, Dan Brown and Steve Martini all use this style to when it comes to dialogue (or "dialog," since Chrome insists that "dialogue" is a wrong spelling of the word).

For me, putting the statement of a character on a separate paragraph only clutters things. I mean, you already described his action as he was about to or is already saying the statement, why not include that said statement in the same paragraph?

In retrospect, I do think this is just stylistic preference. Some separate the speech for suspense, especially at the end of the chapter where you'll see something like...

And as he walked towards the door, he turned back to Mr. X with an ominous glare.

"By the way, Mr. Y? He's already dead."

... or something like that.

Thanks for everyone's input on this. I've really raised the question, because I've seen different authors do it both ways and, in some cases, authors alternate between the two. I've arrived at the conclusion that maybe it's a stylistic/instinct thing on the part of the writer. I consider as long as it makes sense and you can easily identify the characters who are speaking or not speaking, then I think it works. Might be more pages and paper if you separate dialogue and actions though! hehe

I think there is probably a preferred way to do it and if I can find my Strunck and White, I will look it up.

I prefer the dialogue to stay with the preceding prose, unless (as TheFuhrer02 said) a new para can give it a bang!

I keep things all in one paragraph. Reduces reader confusion. The only time I'll switch a paragraph is if there's a shift and what follows is not directly part of what is previous.

Originally Posted by The Backward OX

My opinion, for what it's worth, is that for a variety of reasons - which I'm not going to waste time on, elucidating here - a reader would have to be thick not to be able to figure out who's speaking. I disagree with the principle of dumbing down one's writing. More smarts is what's needed.

If there's even a moment of doubt, then that's enough to throw the reader. It's not about dumbing down writing: as above, it's about presenting something comprehensible for people to enjoy and to not eject them from the story, even momentarily. In this case, yes, it's more obvious, but that's aided by the context. Others like this might not be.

Originally Posted by fearsatan

Who is speaking? It is not clear anymore. Could be Benedict. Could be Sanders.

It's hard to say without seeing whatever lead up to that paragraph. Just reading what was posted, Benedict was the last character who performed an action, so the dialog could be assumed to be his. But that would still depend on what the previous paragraph said.

Ultimately there's no One True Rule of dialog placement, you should do whatever reads best for that scene. Sometimes that means combining the dialog with the description, other times you want to separate the dialog to emphasise it. Particularly if it's an important line that you don't want the reader to miss.