Writing Dialogue Tags

[Anon2024]

Depends on writing style, and scene.
There is no right or wrong.

An exciting scene might do well with colorful tags, but a boring scene might be better to remain without them.

Use your writer’s judgment/intuition.

 

[RepresentingEnvy]

Depends on writing style, and scene.
There is no right or wrong.

An exciting scene might do well with colorful tags, but a boring scene might be better to remain without them.

Use your writer’s judgment/intuition.

How do you use them? Do you change depending on the scene as you said?

 

[SailusGebel]

The wrong way to write, is when you write and no one understands what you're trying to convey.
How could anyone call an incomprehensible mess, "right."
Writing is about communicating ideas. If you don't communicate you're failing.

I definetely agree with this. What I meant by the 'right way to write' is about guidelines that people treat as rules. Guidelines =\= rules is what I meant.

And then we go back to the guidelines. The whole thing with 'said' and them is born out of making communication efficient, because efficient communication is more likely to be profitable.

This is where I agree and disagree at the same time. You see, I'm non-native English speaker(I know, it's obvious). Personally, repetetive words really irk me. I wasn't trained to ignore he\she said because I usually read hardcovers in my native language. So, repetitions in English irk me. That's why I prefer not to use it and use synonyms. I won't blindly use, for example, he\she roared or he\she whispered all the time either. As I said before, balance.

Use he\she said a couple time, when character mumbles definetely write he\she mumbled, when someone cackled use that word. When you are out of synonyms or fitting dialogue tags, use some action tags. And since you don't need a really huge amount of dialogue and action tags, you can prevent a lot of repetitions. Is it the 'right' way to write according to certain guidelines, tips or tricks? I don't know, and to tell the truth, I don't care. I think the way I write provide enough clarity for my target audience, and that's all that matters to me.

 

[melchi]

I think as long as readers are not coming away not getting the intended communication it isn't too big of a deal.

On a side note, I read a lot of light novels as well and someone told me that Japanese novels tend not to have dialog tags... like at all. People are supposed to be able to figure out who is talking from context and other hints. Yet, somehow it works?

 

[RepresentingEnvy]

I definetely agree with this. What I meant by the 'right way to write' is about guidelines that people treat as rules. Guidelines =\= rules is what I meant.

This is where I agree and disagree at the same time. You see, I'm non-native English speaker(I know, it's obvious). Personally, repetetive words really irk me. I wasn't trained to ignore he\she said because I usually read hardcovers in my native language. So, repetitions in English irk me. That's why I prefer not to use it and use synonyms. I won't blindly use, for example, he\she roared or he\she whispered all the time either. As I said before, balance.

Use he\she said a couple time, when character mumbles definetely write he\she mumbled, when someone cackled use that word. When you are out of synonyms or fitting dialogue tags, use some action tags. And since you don't need a really huge amount of dialogue and action tags, you can prevent a lot of repetitions. Is it the 'right' way to write according to certain guidelines, tips or tricks? I don't know, and to tell the truth, I don't care. I think the way I write provide enough clarity for my target audience, and that's all that matters to me.

You could incorporate both into an example of dialogue.
Example: Envy flopped onto the couch, "I am so tired," she groaned.
There you have an action tag and dialogue tag, but I still think it is better to have one.
Example: Envy flopped onto the couch groaning, "I am so tired."

 

[SailusGebel]

I think as long as readers are not coming away not getting the intended communication it isn't too big of a deal.

On a side note, I read a lot of light novels as well and someone told me that Japanese novels tend not to have dialog tags... like at all. People are supposed to be able to figure out who is talking from context and other hints. Yet, somehow it works?

Different language. For example, there are multiple ways to address yourself in Japanese. Watashi, boku, ore, and the list goes on. Based on the differences, you can omit dialogue tags entirely.

You could incorporate both into an example of dialogue.
Example: Envy flopped onto the couch, "I am so tired," she groaned.
There you have an action tag and dialogue tag, but I still think it is better to have one.
Example: Envy flopped onto the couch groaning, "I am so tired."

Yes, I do this as well.

 

[melchi]

Maybe they were just trying to be mindful of keeping word count down? I could see that as a good idea if the goal is to keep a faster pace.

 

[Sebas_Guzman]

I don't think Sailus was suggesting that there is no wrong way to write, but that the right way is flexible and depends on medium.

Thanks. I think this is what he's saying too now. Thanks again. I get tunnel vision and get too caught on the details sometimes. I agree with this thought regardless.

I definetely agree with this. What I meant by the 'right way to write' is about guidelines that people treat as rules. Guidelines =\= rules is what I meant.

This is where I agree and disagree at the same time. You see, I'm non-native English speaker(I know, it's obvious). Personally, repetetive words really irk me. I wasn't trained to ignore he\she said because I usually read hardcovers in my native language. So, repetitions in English irk me. That's why I prefer not to use it and use synonyms. I won't blindly use, for example, he\she roared or he\she whispered all the time either. As I said before, balance.

Use he\she said a couple time, when character mumbles definetely write he\she mumbled, when someone cackled use that word. When you are out of synonyms or fitting dialogue tags, use some action tags. And since you don't need a really huge amount of dialogue and action tags, you can prevent a lot of repetitions. Is it the 'right' way to write according to certain guidelines, tips or tricks? I don't know, and to tell the truth, I don't care. I think the way I write provide enough clarity for my target audience, and that's all that matters to me.

Sailus, I think I've mentioned I'm a non-native english speaker too. So I get you.
As for the disagreement, I don't know. I don't think you neccessarily disagree with the spirit of the thing. Like, you understand that balance is important. That's part of the whole thing. If you have 'said' five times in a row, in the same placement, the author's hand becomes visible, and you lose the one advantage 'said' gives.
I guess if I was to counter anything here, it's that if you got to the point when you ran out of synonyms, you probably went too far into the purple prose.

I think as long as readers are not coming away not getting the intended communication it isn't too big of a deal.

On a side note, I read a lot of light novels as well and someone told me that Japanese novels tend not to have dialog tags... like at all. People are supposed to be able to figure out who is talking from context and other hints. Yet, somehow it works?

I'm having one of my works translated by a proffessional translator. There are dialogue tags if i recall my embarrassment well. I was floored by it too, because I asked this whole thing too. But yeah, japanese has more tools in there arsenal to make it clear who is speaking, like verbal ticks and variations of the language. That's why there are less tags and attributions.

 

[RepresentingEnvy]

Maybe they were just trying to be mindful of keeping word count down? I could see that as a good idea if the goal is to keep a faster pace.

They weren't trying to keep word count down. They were trying to cut out things that are unnecessary that don't actually improve the writing quality, such as adverbs.

Example of a sentence with an adverb not cut out: Envy quickly realized she was a vampire.
With it cut: Envy realized she was a vampire.

 

[Anon2024]

You could incorporate both into an example of dialogue.
Example: Envy flopped onto the couch, "I am so tired," she groaned.
There you have an action tag and dialogue tag, but I still think it is better to have one.
Example: Envy flopped onto the couch groaning, "I am so tired."

I don’t use dialogue tags, I use the name. Look at the novel I wrote on smuthub.

 

[SailusGebel]

They weren't trying to keep word count down. They were trying to cut out things that are unnecessary that don't actually improve the writing quality, such as adverbs.

Example of a sentence with an adverb not cut out: Envy quickly realized she was a vampire.
With it cut: Envy realized she was a vampire.

Envy realized she is a toxic vampire.

 

[RepresentingEnvy]

I don’t use dialogue tags, I use the name. Look at the novel I wrote on smuthub.

If you use their name it is still a dialogue tag.
Example: "Envy is gay," Anon said.
Action tags describe the person's actions instead of attributing the dialogue to them. The post you quoted: Envy flopped onto the couch groaning, "I am so tired." That is an action tag.

 

[Anon2024]

If you use their name it is still a dialogue tag.
Example: "Envy is gay," Anon said.
Action tags describe the person's actions instead of attributing the dialogue to them. The post you quoted: Envy flopped onto the couch groaning, "I am so tired." That is an action tag.

More like.

Anon2023: “I wholeheartedly believe RepresentingEnvy is an emotional lesbian who pretends to like cookies so as not to anger the cat.”

 

[RepresentingEnvy]

More like.

Anon2023: “I wholeheartedly believe RepresentingEnvy is an emotional lesbian who pretends to like cookies so as not to anger the cat.”

That is more like screenplay writing or scripting dialogue. Actually, a lot of JP novels use them in translations I have seen.

 

[Anon2024]

That is more like screenplay writing or scripting dialogue. Actually, a lot of JP novels use them in translations I have seen.

Yep. It makes it easier to read a scene if there is a lot of dialogue, but there are limitations to it when you want to put in mysterious characters and other things.

 

[RepresentingEnvy]

Yep. It makes it easier to read a scene if there is a lot of dialogue, but there are limitations to it when you want to put in mysterious characters and other things.

You could consider adding a question mark tag. I think some screenplay do that for writing dialogue, and it is ironic given you are a question mark.


???: "I am an explanation point."
Envy: "Really? I thought you were a question mark."

 

[LunaSoltaer]

I remember OokamiKasumi writing that for production writing you wanted to avoid dialogue tags altogether, using paragraphs and actionvto denote who's doing things, and then a quotation will be obvious who said what.

Luna typed on a phone. "I hate mobile keyboards."

That said (heh), i do use dialogue tags from time to time, usually said or similar, but i also use the format above. I'm also in first person so stream of consciousness in italics is also used.

and so is when people are communicating through eg telepathy

 

[RepresentingEnvy]

I remember OokamiKasumi writing that for production writing you wanted to avoid dialogue tags altogether, using paragraphs and actionvto denote who's doing things, and then a quotation will be obvious who said what.

Luna typed on a phone. "I hate mobile keyboards."

That said (heh), i do use dialogue tags from time to time, usually said or similar, but i also use the format above. I'm also in first person so stream of consciousness in italics is also used.

and so is when people are communicating through eg telepathy

I also try to avoid dialogue tags whenever possible. I much prefer action tags over them, but sometimes it is required to know who is speaking.

 

[Midnight-Phantom]

You guys remember those stuff !!

Inner monologue - ( need more lessons on how to chop up my problems into chapters it seems ..)

 

[Anon2024]

I remember OokamiKasumi writing that for production writing you wanted to avoid dialogue tags altogether, using paragraphs and actionvto denote who's doing things, and then a quotation will be obvious who said what.

Luna typed on a phone. "I hate mobile keyboards."

That said (heh), i do use dialogue tags from time to time, usually said or similar, but i also use the format above. I'm also in first person so stream of consciousness in italics is also used.

and so is when people are communicating through eg telepathy

Again, depends on the scene, depends on what’s going on.

Avoiding dialogue tags is often better though, I’ll agree with that person on that. There are times you can’t avoid them however, and there are times when dialogue tags fit a style of writing your audience might like.

You could consider adding a question mark tag. I think some screenplay do that for writing dialogue, and it is ironic given you are a question mark.


???: "I am an explanation point."
Envy: "Really? I thought you were a question mark."

I’m human!