Step 3. Tags--to tag or not to tag--that is the question.
Tags can detract from your dialogue and take away the tension and drama. They can be confusing and misused. I have found that a lot of dialogue moves faster and his more dramatic when no tags are used. A tag is meant only to identify the speaker. I've seen tags misused. For
example, "I went to the store and bought a gallon of milk," he barked.
Really? Did she really bark? If she did, does barking go with buying a gallon of milk?
Possible non possibilities.
1. he screeched 7. she retorted
2. she murmured 8. she barked
4. he called out 9. he snapped
5. she laughed out loud 10. he offered
6. he pontificated 11. he observed
ex. "So you locked her in a room."
"Yes."
"Then you went to the authorities."
"She escaped."
The story had definite holes. "Where did you look for her?
"Everywhere. But we always seemed to be one step behind her. My man followed her to the Mississippi, where she hooked up with a man they called Dakota."
ex. with tags.
"So you locked her in a room," she stated.
"Yes," he answered back.
"Then you went to the authorities," she muttered.
"She escaped," he murmured.
The story had definite holes. "Where did you look for her?" she queried indignantly.
"Everywhere. But we always seemed to be one step behind her. My man followed her to the Mississippi, where she hooked up with a man they called Dakota," he exacerbated.
Have to use a tag?
Use: he/she said or
he/she asked
I have to agree, Chris. As an editor, I find myself pushing out exasperated sighs and rolling my eyes to the ceiling with some of the "tags" I've seen abused. Yes, he said/she said seems boring but to be honest, most readers pass over them as though they didn't exist. So why bother unless the writer is worried about word count?
ReplyDeleteEach word in the conversation should have enough impact to relay the emotion being felt or show the reader where the dialogue is leading the characters.
After all, when we speak to each other we don't end the conversation with, "so I said."
Good dialogue feels as though the character is standing in the room with you and talking directly to you.
My two bits worth.
C.L. Kraemer