Re: Story woes -- The Lonely Canadian Writer

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Date Posted: 12:19:33 05/22/08 Thu GMT-5
Author: Roger
Author Host/IP: ppp180.dsl.ontario.net / 209.159.176.180
Subject: Re: Story woes
In reply to: Liz 's message, "Re: Story woes" on 11:38:22 05/22/08 Thu GMT-5

If it is a crucial part of the conversation, rather than the parenthetical sort of comment that Lori gave in her example, it's a bit difficult for the reader to be jerked in and out of the conversation. If the indirect quote were something like, "Just at that moment, her mother poked her head in the door to say that dinner was almost ready." Then it interrupts the conversation in the same way that type of interruption in a real conversation would occur. I can't see doing this with a key part of the conversation.

Roger

>Lori: I AM saying that there is some dialogue between
>the characters and then I summarize the gist of part
>of it and then I return to actual dialogue. My editor
>self is suggesting that this may be a fatal flaw and
>that I need to improve this area. My initial idea in
>presenting it this way was about the main character
>and how he drifted into his own version of what is
>actually happening, rather than being fully present in
>the moment. But this may not be the best reader clue
>that I could provide.
>Oh, well. Thanks for your comments.
>Onward
>Liz
>
>>Hey, Liz:
>>
>>Good for you, that's what I've been doing today, too,
>>revisiting. Easier said than done, often.
>>
>>Without actually seeing an example of this, I find it
>>a little hard to picture (that's probably me). Are you
>>saying that the characters are having some dialogue
>>and then you do some summary and then back to
>>dialogue? I think that's fairly common. I think I've
>>seen it done sucessfully with the inddented dash
>>instead of quotation mark system that Irish authors
>>like Joyce, Edna O'Brien and Roddy Doyle use.
>>
>> - You know, this stuff.
>> And then she said something else that didn't
>>really matter. I didn't even hear it, really.
>> - Hey, are you guys still listening?
>>
>>I am getting that right?
>>
>>Best,
>>
>>Lori
>>
>>
>>

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Replies:

Re: Story woes -- Lori (scratching head), 13:40:33 05/22/08 Thu GMT-5