Should the first paragraph after a chapter be indented if it is quoted dialogue?
In my manuscript I generally do not indent the first paragraph following a chapter heading. This generally looks good and reads well with the exception of starting a chapter with quoted dialogue. See examples below.
Example 01:
Example 02:
The second option just looks wrong to me. Are there any official guidelines or best practices for this case?
(1)1 Comments
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Keep it consistent. If you are using indented paragraphs with the first paragraph of a chapter not indented, maintain this regardless of the content. Starting with quoted speech isn’t a reason to break consistency.
This formatting style is very common, and chapters that start with quoted text are always formatted the same as regular text: with no indent.
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