Writing [Tutorial] The Secret to Proper Paragraphing and Dialogue

[LewisBerneu]

Want to Know the Biggest Secret in the Fiction Writing Industry?
It's not the Plotting they use, the Characters, the Theme, the Settings, or anything else like that.
It's the Sentence Structure.
etc. etc. etc.​

Hello Ookami (if you're still around).

Sorry to say I only got down to about the first page-and-a-bit of your long post.

What you're doing is telling people how you want to write fiction. Not how the rest of us want to write fiction. There's a difference.

I think I know a bit about sentence structure and paragraph layout - even if my style isn't the same as yours and may not even be to your liking.

But good grammar and good punctuation are important, I agree - whatever some people may tell you. Have you read that excellent book Eats Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss (no relation to 'Liz' of that ilk)? If not, I suggest you procure a copy pronto.

 

[OokamiKasumi]

Hello Ookami (if you're still around).

Of course I'm still around.

Sorry to say I only got down to about the first page-and-a-bit of your long post.

What you're doing is telling people how you want to write fiction.

Actually, if you'd read the disclaimer, you would know that what I'm doing is telling people how publishing Editors want their fiction written.

DISCLAIMER: This is how I was taught to structure dialogue for publication purposes -- by my editors. If you don't want to do it this way -- Don't. (Less competition for me.)​

I was trained to write this way by four different publishing houses. Extasy Books, Loose Id LLC, Mojo Castle LLC, and Kensington. Sadly, only two of them are still publishing, but most of my titles are still available.

Not how the rest of us want to write fiction. There's a difference.

How the rest of you want to write, is up to the rest of you. If you choose to take advantage of what my tutorial teaches -- Great! If not, well... Not my problem.

I think I know a bit about sentence structure and paragraph layout - even if my style isn't the same as yours and may not even be to your liking.

Really? Did you learn it in school? From Books? Or did you learn it from professional in-house publishing editors, like I did?

But good grammar and good punctuation are important, I agree - whatever some people may tell you.

Of course.

Have you read that excellent book by Lynne Truss (no relation to 'Liz' of that ilk)? If not, I suggest you procure a copy pronto.

I have indeed. Eats Shoots & Leaves is a great book for grammar. I prefer The Deluxe Transitive Vampire for grammar, myself. I also use: Scene and Structure by Jack Bickham, and Elements of Style by Strunk and White.

Grammar books are excellent for Reports and Essay writing -- office work, and school work.

Not so much for Fiction.
-- Especially if you want a publishing house to accept your manuscript. However, that's all covered in this tutorial -- that you didn't read.

It's your choice whether to use my advice or not. I'm certainly not going to force you.

However, if you plan to take your work to an actual publishing house, you might want to take this tutorial into consideration. Especially since this form of sentence structure is what experienced editors look for. Mine certainly did.