Brian Welch wrote:
--- Ookla The Mok <ooklathemok@mac.com> wrote:
I'm a bit confused as to why Brian always flags
"Missing speech indicator" as an error.
My sentiments exactly. Beginning a sentence with a
conjunction or using a sentence fragment where it's
called for are other sins I regularly commit. Most of
the time, rules of grammar aid in the flow of a story.
Part of being a good writer is recognizing those
instances when they need to be broken in order to aid
in the flow of a story. ^_^
I've learned almost all of the English I know through the internet,
and other people's C&C. Probably not the best way to learn, really.
I was told that dialogue generally required a speech indicator, and
the actual rule is _probably_ more complex than that. Suffice to say
I learned badly, and for that, I am sorry. I will endeavor to not
make that mistake again.
Ah, this is a good convention for distinguishing
between types of dropped dialog, a problem I've
noticed in my own writing. For some reason I've never
used this, though it's intuitive. One of the benefits
of reading C&C of someone else's fic - you pick up
neat ideas for your own writing. Thanks for the
pointer, Mr. Randall!
Er.... If I got that right, anyway. ;)
Brian W.