Writing Discussion 2

[kriadydragon]

Including descriptions of characters' actions in dialogue scenes - how much is too much, and how much is not enough? You don't want it to just be a long string of "he said/she said", but you don't want to describe every eyebrow twitch, either ...

Comments

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

I had someone tell me that you should always use he/she said and nothing else. No "He said, raising an eyebrow." I find that to be a load of crap because personally I hate it when the dialog is a string of he/she said. After a while you totally blank out the He said, she said part so what's the point?

Anyway, enough venting about that. I always have issues with action in dialog, because describing facial expressions between each line of dialog also gets tiresome (espeically when it's the same description each time).

I think this, too, comes down to characterization and having well-enough established characters to give your readers an idea of the character's expressions/actions without having to describe them every time. I'm basing this on books I've read that had an excellent balance of dialog and action. It seems like they'll start long strings of dialog with some action, then after a while focus on dialog only, without describing the actions. So they establish for the readers what actions should be expected by including action, then move into dialog only and let the readers fill in the action blanks themselves based on the actions previously described.

And I really hope that makes sense. I guess you could compare it to establishing mood, but instead establishing the character's actions either before or when they first start speaking. For example, if your character is the kind of person to fold their arms when frustrated (or pace, or rub their face), by establishing this before hand - say at the start of the dialog or the first couple of chapters - then after a while you wouldn't have to describe it each time the person gets frustrated, because the reader will know to expect it and see it in their mind without being prompted.

I would also say that unless the action is significant in some way then you don't need a lot of it, just enough to establish what actions would be (frowning, glaring, pacing, tapping feet, sipping from a glass, eating, etc.).

[black-raven135.livejournal.com]

"....you should always use he/she said and nothing else. No "He said, raising an eyebrow."

Really? Well, I guess my latest ficlet at SGA_Saturday would be unacceptable then.......
Finally, I find prescriptions e.g. 'should' and others like it, to be often annoying.

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

I'm wondering if it may have been a matter of personal taste for that person and not a rule of thumb. Because, really, I can't see how you can not have something to interrupt the monotony of he said/she said.

[swanpride.livejournal.com]

I agree with you...the "he said" is not needed in this case, because clarifying who raises the eyebrow (or doing whatever) already established who is the one talking.