However,
dialogue tags are not always necessary
. If you’re writing a scene in which two characters are saying short lines of dialogue to each other, dialogue tags are probably not needed after the first time they’re used. … The overuse of dialogue tags can become distracting to the reader.
Dialogue tags are necessary because readers need to know who is speaking
. Any time readers are lost and have to reread several lines of dialogue to see where they got off track, you risk losing those readers.
What is the purpose of a dialogue tag?
Dialogue tags are used
to let readers know who is speaking
. That is their primary purpose, and that purpose should guide their use.
- Use as few as possible. …
- Replace dialogue tags with action tags. …
- Use anything other than “said” strategically. …
- Use adverbs with “said” sparingly. …
- Wrapping it up.
If a character is thinking, that can be shown easily through the use of italics, and the “I/she thought” becomes unnecessary. We think much more rapidly than we speak, so it naturally follows that our thoughts shouldn’t be slowed down by dialogue tags.
When should I use dialogue?
Dialogue is typically a conversation
between two or more people in a narrative work
. As a literary technique, dialogue serves several purposes. It can advance the plot, reveal a character’s thoughts or feelings, or show how characters react in the moment.
There are no tags there whatsoever
, but it’s perfectly clear who is speaking. (Which isn’t to say that the dialogue wouldn’t be improved with a tag or two, plus some action or description, or even some monologue. It’s just that you don’t always need tags. So don’t feel compelled to use them just for the sake of it.)
How do you use dialogue correctly?
- Use Quotation Marks to Indicate Spoken Word. …
- Dialogue Tags Stay Outside the Quotation Marks. …
- Use a Separate Sentence for Actions That Happen Before or After the Dialogue. …
- Use Single Quotes When Quoting Something Within the Dialogue. …
- Use a New Paragraph to Indicate a New Speaker.
| List of acceptable dialogue tags (according to the aforementioned teachers) | inquired interrupted mumbled | muttered nagged questioned | remembered replied roared | sang screamed sighed |
|---|
What do you put after dialogue?
A comma
is used after the dialogue tag, OUTSIDE of quotation marks, to reintroduce the dialogue. End the dialogue with the appropriate punctuation (period, exclamation point, or question mark), but keep it INSIDE the quotation marks.
What do you say after dialogue?
Volume (e.g. yelled,
shouted
, bellowed, screamed, whispered) Tone or pitch (e.g. shrieked, groaned, squeaked) Emotion (e.g. grumbled, snapped, sneered, begged)
The basics of using dialogue tags correctly
When a character speaks,
their dialogue should be on the same line as their dialogue tag or action beat
. When a different character speaks, start a new line. … Punctuation at the end of dialogue should go before the closing quotation mark.
What are the 5 purposes of dialogue?
- Dialogue helps reveals the character’s traits. “Hey, Pete. …
- Dialogue can show what a character does for a living. …
- Dialogue can show relationships. …
- Dialogue can show how educated a character is through choice of words. …
- Dialogue can show tension between characters.
What are the 4 types of dialogue?
The Four Types of Conversations:
Debate, Dialogue, Discourse, and Diatribe
. When talking with someone, it is helpful to know what type of conversation you are in. You can do so based on a conversation’s direction of communication (a one-way or two-way street) and its tone/purpose (competitive or cooperative).
What are the four qualities of dialogue?
Effective dialogue generally has four important characteristics:
symmetry, short segments, specifics, and summary
.
