[Dragaera] An observation from the LJ comments about names

[Damien Sullivan]

On Sat, Aug 26, 2006 at 11:31:32AM -0700, Davdi Silverrock wrote:
> On 8/26/06, Damien Sullivan <phoenix at ugcs.caltech.edu> wrote:

> > Hrmph.  I read it last night and was entertained, but I also noticed the
> > name inconsistency.  I think I also saw a conversation which fell out of
> > phase.  One of those extended exchanges of one-liners, without ", said
> > X", where if you look at the content the sequence of speakers is
> >
> > A
> > B
> > A
> > B
> > A
> > A
> > B
> > A
> >
> > instead of a regular ABABABA.  I think I've seen such glitches in other
> > books as well.

> While I think that I too have seen this, and was mildly confused at
> first, I am not sure how else it could be dealt with stylistically.
> That is, the two sequential speakings are two different lines of
> thought.  One speech closes out the conversation, the next paragraph
> opens a new dialogue.  I think.  I'll have to check back in the text

I'm not complaining because it can be confusing to the reader.  My
complaint is that the author or setter messes up, and you get two lines
in a row from the same speaker.  It's not that a new big paragraph is
opening up, more like

"foo"
"Bar"
"baz"
"oh"
"so, how was lunch"
"good"

Where "oh" and "how was lunch" are from the same speaker.

Yeah, it'd be better if I could find the actual example again.

> The line where (avoiding spoilers) the sentence abruptly changes
> midway without a break emphasizes the urgency and importance of the
> interruption.  So I think that worked, at least for me (again, after a

I had no problem with that.  But that's not the same thing.  Mine is
what should be two lines being two separate lines, making it confusing
as to *who is speaking*.

-xx- Damien X-)