Dialogue in Brackets

They're parentheses. Brackets are these thingies: [ ]

It's just a parenthetical, like in ordinary writing (except in speech.) And shows exactly the same thing: a part of the sentence that's just set off from the rest of the sentence. An aside.

And to confuse things even further, over here, these: () are called brackets.
These: [] are called square brackets.

?

scarletpeaches said:

And to confuse things even further, over here, these: () are called brackets.
These: [] are called square brackets.

Click to expand...

So what are { } called? Here, these ( ) are parenthesis, these { } are brackets, and these [ ] are square brackets.

{} <---We call those curly brackets.

The first three quotes sound like they came from the letter he got from his mother, am I right? In which case the quotes would be there because he is quoting the letter, and the parentheses would remain because that would be how the letter was typed. Anyway, that's my guess.


For the other two, your guess is as good as mine.

Crime and Punishment was written in what, the 1880s? And in Russian, no less. Great reading, and maybe a great study in structure, if that's the type of story you're writing. But don't use it as a guide for the mechanics of writing. They had their own style and preferences way back then, and Russian writers certainly had a much different style than American writers. You're better served studying books in your genre (written in your native tongue) published in the last ten years. I'm not saying to avoid The Sun Also Rises; a great read and a great learning tool. But most books from that era have nuances that aren't in vogue today.

And to answer your original question, I can't ever remember seeing parenthetical asides in dialogue. I read Crime and Punishment over fifteen years ago and I don't even remember them in that book (yes, I take your word that they exist in C&P--I just can't remember them).

I wouldn't doubt there are contemporary books that use them. But why would you even want to use them?

Go ahead and finish reading the book before you visit these boards again. I'll look for your next reply in 2007. Or have they edited Crime and Punishment down since I last read it?

Parenthetical comments in dialog (or narration) can be the author directly addressing the reader.

You can do this as a matter of style if you do it well. It must enhance the story and not confuse or annoy the reader.

You will also find dialog in various books where the dialog is set off, not with quote marks, but with leading dashes.

--The old factory? Edmund asked.
--Yes. Don't forget your pick and shovel.

Or is set inside of other symbols:

<<The park sounds like a fine idea.>>
<<Then let's pack up and go,>> Maria said.

The same rules apply here as elsewhere in fiction: The farther away from the norm you are, the closer to genius you must be.