he turned his attention to the window. There was a
drainpipe nearby. Opening the window, he stretched out
his hand and grasped it. Clambering over the window-
sill, he started to slither down. A shout from below
startled him.
Losing his grip, he crashed to the ground at the feet
of his enemy.In this case the single sentence of the second paragraph is
dramatic and stands out from the rest of the text.
Setting out direct speech
Direct speechis what a character actually says. When writing
it, paragraphs are used slightly differently. You can tell at
a glance how much direct speech is contained on a page
because of the way in which it is set out.
Look at the following passage:
‘Cathy’s accepted the invitation,’ said Ruth.
‘Oh good,’ replied her husband. ‘I hoped she would
come.’
Ruth glared at him and snapped, ‘I think she’s got a
cheek. When I think of all the trouble she caused, I can’t
believe it.’
‘You invited her,’ retorted Brian, looking amused.
‘Only because Lydia wanted her to come.’
Ruth flounced out of the room, slamming the door.
She was furious; she had been so sure her sister would
refuse the invitation.46 / PART ONE: THE BASICS