Off topic writing criticism: avoid using synonyms for "said", like "replied", "inquired", and "countered". It's ostentatious and distracting. Let the dialog spe

Off topic writing criticism: avoid using synonyms for "said", like "replied", "inquired", and "countered". It's ostentatious and distracting. Let the dialog speak for itself, and only add the bare minimum needed for the reader to keep track of who's saying what: http://bookblog.kjodle.net/2011/06/he-said-she-said-the-fine-art-of-dialogue-attribution/ http://bookblog.kjodle.net/2011/06/he-said-she-said-the-fine... Now compare this to the original: "They don't speak much English yet, but maybe the public library will be a useful resource for them," she said. "Do bring them by here regularly. If they are interested in self-advancing their learning, the public library is the perfect place for them to do that. Do your kids have their own computer at home?" I said. "No, they currently borrow my laptop, which is not such an ideal situation." "Tell them they're getting their own donated desktop computer on Monday next week. I'll prepare it for them over the weekend."