Subject: At least she uses paragraphs well.
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Posted on: 2022-04-06 04:12:31 UTC

Yeah, I read ahead, too. Pretty much immediately. Sorry, hS. But I'll restrict myself to a general discussion of writing technique. >.>

Anyway, with Kage and Sakira, I was usually able to tell who was saying what using context cues from the paragraphs leading up to the dialogue and then following the paragraph switches back and forth from there. I think we're looking at an intentional tag-light writing style.

For the record, when it comes to speech tags (meaning specifically of the "they said" ilk, to be clear), how often to use them IS largely a matter of personal preference and the writing fashion of the day, not hard rules. Some people absolutely hate them, and it's true that an overreliance on them can really make your writing drag. On the other hand, refusing to use them at all is like trying to build a house without nails: sure, you can, but it's borrowing trouble for no very good reason.

Sometimes, if there are only two characters in a scene and the only thing happening is their conversation, it isn't necessary to remind the audience who they are for a stretch. We ought to be able to remember two people. {= ) To make a long scene without tags work, the dialogue has to be the focus of the scene, it has to be well written enough to stand on its own, and the audience has to care about the outcome of the conversation, so it isn't something to attempt lightly, but it can be very effective when done well. It's a fun and useful thing to try as an exercise, too.

But generally, my extremely helpful suggestion for how often to use speech tags is "more than never, but less than always." ^_~ It should be possible to tell who is saying what based on context cues, speech patterns, and/or sensible paragraphing at least some of the time, but it's also important to be clear, and erring on the side of clarity is rarely a bad thing.

~Neshomeh

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