Writer's Stop Making This Mistake with your Dialogue Tags

Dialogue tags are sometimes the very bane of a writer's existence. 

Some "experts" will tell you you should only be using he said, she said, they said and others will tell you that you should never use the words said more than once on a page. 

What should you be doing?

Something in between.

What is a Dialogue Tag? 

A dialogue tag is those few words that follow at the end of your character's dialogue. They tell the reader who was saying what and how they were saying it for example he said, she shouted, I asked, he demanded.

It's very common for writers to either overuse dialogue tags or underused them or have too much variety and too little. 

There are many common mistakes new and experienced writers alike make in their first drafts. 

Not Everything Has to Be Said

"What's in the box?" He said.

"Nothing." She said.

"If it's nothing then show me." He said.

"It's nothing of your concern." She said. 

It can be true that when your dialogue is longer that your readers may not notice the repetition of said, but if all of your dialogue goes on for half a page a piece then you have worse concerns than your dialogue tags. 

Try replacing some of these with actions instead of dialogue tags. 

"What's in the box? He asked as he peeked over my shoulder.

"Nothing." I moved the box further into the bag away from his prying eyes and grabbing hands.

"If it's nothing then show me" He moved to stand in front of me, blocking my exit.

"It's nothing of your concern." Bag now firmly on my shoulder and tucked under my arm I push my way past him.

Is this perfect? No, but it makes for more of a sense than just dialogue with repeated tags. 

But When It Is Said 

If everything must be said then try to remember to give your said an accessory or too so that they're not walking around so plain.

• she said as she crossed her arms 
• he said with a tight-lipped smile 

Let your reader know how they're saying it instead of just telling them that they said it. 

Sometimes It Doesn't Have to Be Said At All

Not every line needs to have a tag. The whole point of the dialogue tag is to make it clear to the reader who is saying it and how they are saying it.

If you've got two characters in the middle of an argument and you've already made it clear that their jaw is set, their fists are clenched, and their eyes glare with the dangerous hint of malice, then skip the tag altogether.

"Don't make me do this Ana." He said holding the gun aimed at her heart.

"I'm not making you do anything, this is all on you."

"Everything I do is because of you." 

As long as your reader can follow who is speaking then feel free to leave the dialogue tags out. 

It Doesn't Have to be Said Fancy 

Just because there are many words out there to add to your dialogue tag doesn't mean you have to try them all on for size. 

…he roared 

…he snarled

…he barked

…he mumbled 

Adding verbs into your dialogue tag can get old and distracting for your reader quickly and the main thing a dialogue tag should be is invisible. If your reader has to stop and look up what it means when you say …he expounded then they're going to fall out of the world you are trying to build around them. 

It Never Gets Said With an -ily

Angrily 

Moodily 

Happily 

Lazily 

If your dialogue tag has an adverb in there… go ahead and take it out. This is something you should be showing your reader not telling them.  

---

Some things need to be said and some things don't

The most important part is that you say what you need to say to your readers in the best way that you know how and it can always be cleaned up in the editing stage.

Keep writing.

With love, 

B.K. xo

__

If you've liked what you read you can show your support by subscribing, pledging your support, or leaving me a tip that directly supports and aids me as a writer.

By joining Vocal+ you can earn more per read on every story you publish on Vocal.

Click my link to start your 7-day free trial today and start earning more for your stories.

_____________________________________________

This story was originally posted on Medium.

If you would like to experience Medium yourself, consider supporting me and thousands of other writers by signing up for a membership. It only costs $5 per month, it supports us writers, greatly, and you have the chance to make money with your own writing as well. By signing up with this link, you'll support me directly with a portion of your fee, it won't cost you more. If you do so, thank you a million times!

If you love what you've read you can also show your support by buying me a cup of coffee to fuel my writing. 

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/barbaraking