Formatting Dialogue

Formatting Dialogue Formatting Dialogue Formatting Dialogue By Maeve Maddox A reader has a question about formatting dialogue in a novel: I have some confusion regarding speakers when writing dialog, and when you should start new lines. The logic I remember being taught is that every time the speaker changes in a story we should start a new paragraph. Is that always the case, or is it possible to have a quick line from another character or speaker in a paragraph where another character spoke? When I read a novel for pleasure- as opposed to studying a novel that does not appeal to me- I don’t want to have to work at it. I want to enter the fictional dream and not be pulled out of it by inappropriate diction, faulty grammar, or unconventional formatting. The time-honored way to present dialogue in a novel is to signal a new speaker by beginning a new line. Jane Austen did it. George Eliot did it. Mark Twain did it. The modern novelists I read do it. Combining the direct speech of multiple characters in one paragraph can be done, but even with the help of quotation marks and tags, the reader would find it slow going. For example, read the following conversation that appears in the novel Little Night by Luanne Rice: The phone rang, and they heard Clare answer in the kitchen. After a few minutes, Clare came back in. She was smiling. â€Å"Was that Paul?† Sarah asked. â€Å"Yeah,† Clare said. â€Å"He’s in the park, tracking an owl.† â€Å"He called to tell you that† Clare nodded, her smile growing. â€Å"Grit, I think you’ve brought us luck.† â€Å"I doubt that,† Grit said, before she could stop herself. Now read the same exchange presented conventionally: After a few minutes, Clare came back in. She was smiling. â€Å"Was that Paul?† Sarah asked. â€Å"Yeah,† Clare said. â€Å"He’s in the park, tracking an owl.† â€Å"He called to tell you that† Clare nodded, her smile growing. â€Å"Grit, I think you’ve brought us luck.† â€Å"I doubt that,† Grit said, before she could stop herself. Writers of experimental fiction- Thomas Pynchon, for example,- don’t hesitate to break the rules; that’s what experimental writing is about. Writers whose goal is to entertain readers by keeping them in the fictional dream don’t distract them with that kind of originality. They observe the conventions. The convention for dialogue is â€Å"new speaker, new line.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How Many Tenses in English?15 Words for Household Rooms, and Their SynonymsWhat’s the Best Way to Refer to a Romantic Partner?

Physical Change Definition in Chemistry

Physical Change Definition in Chemistry A physical change is a type of change in which the form of matter is altered but one substance is not transformed into another. The size or shape of matter may be changed, but no chemical reaction occurs. Physical changes are usually reversible. Note that whether a process is reversible or not is not truly a criterion for being a physical change. For example, smashing a rock or shredding paper are physical changes that cannot be undone. Contrast this with a chemical change, in which chemical bonds are broken or formed so that the starting and ending materials are chemically different. Most chemical changes are irreversible. On the other hand, melting water into ice (and other phase changes) can be reversed. Physical Change Examples Examples of physical changes include: Crumpling a sheet or paper (a good example of a reversible physical change)Breaking a pane of glass (the chemical composition of the glass remains the same)Freezing water into ice  (the chemical formula is not changed)Chopping vegetables (cutting separates molecules, but does not alter them)Dissolving sugar in water (sugar mixes with water, but the molecules are not changed and may be recovered by boiling off the water)Tempering steel (hammering the steel does not change its composition, but does alter its properties, including hardness and flexibility) Categories of Physical Changes Its not always easy to tell chemical and physical changes apart. Here are some types of physical changes that may help: Phase Changes - Altering the temperature and/or pressure can change the phase of a material, yet its composition is unchanged,Magnetism - If you hold a magnet up to iron, youll temporarily magnetize it. This is a physical change because its not permanent and no chemical reaction occurs.Mixtures - Mixing together materials where one is not soluble in the other is a physical change. Note the properties of a mixture may be different from its components. For example, if you mix together sand and water, you can pack the sand into a shape. Yet, you can separate the components of the mixture by allowing them to settle or by using a sieve.Crystallization - Crystallizing a solid does not produce a new molecule, even though the crystal will have different properties from other solids. Turning graphite into a diamond doesnt produce a chemical reaction.Alloys - Mixing together two or more metals is a physical change that is not reversible. The reason alloying is not a chemical change is that the components retain their original identities. Solutions - Solutions are tricky because it may be hard to tell whether or not a chemical reaction has occurred when you mix together the materials. Usually, if there is no color change, temperature change, precipitate formation, or gas production, the solution is a physical change. Otherwise, a chemical reaction has occurred and a chemical change is indicated.