46 / PART ONE: THE BASICS 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. Direct speech is 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. SETTING OUT DIRECT SPEECH