: Re: Do we have to introduce the character's name before using their names in a dialogue tag? Do we have to introduce the character's name before using their names in a dialogue tag? I am wondering
No. Trust your reader's intuition for the obvious. If the first lines of your book read:
"Put that back!" Alicia scolded.
"No! Mine!" Richard said, defiant.
She grabbed the plastic bottle of cough syrup from him, and put it back on the grocery shelf. He started crying, and reached for it again, Alicia moved the cart to the center of the aisle so he couldn't.
"Mine!"
"No it isn't."
Reader's aren't stupid, and writing is not a mathematical or scientific proof. They will infer Alicia is an exasperated mother, Richard is a very young child, they are in a grocery store, and you don't have to tell them any of that.
You want to be clear, but you definitely can identify a new speaker without any description and just "blah blah blah," Charname said.
You can even give clues to their appearance by action, instead of telling.
"Let me get that for you," Michael said, easily reaching the top shelf, seeing the young woman was about to climb the shelving to reach it.
"Oh, thank you," Britney said. "Would you mind grabbing another one?"
More posts by @Odierno164
: I don't understand the dilemma, just write it the way you want. Ultimately if you want a strong women that embraces her femininity, you are going to put her in a dress, have her pay attention
: Is it okay to have a sequel start immediately after the end of the first book? The sequel to my first book is supposed to start immediately after the end of the first book. Zero time gap.
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