Writing Who else feels weird putting dialogue tags before the dialogue.

[YuriDoggo]

Example:
He blurted out, "Help me!"

It's always sounded weird to me, so I never use it, but I think some people do. Who else thinks this is weird or am I a member of an extreme minority?

 

[OneSixSeven]

-cough- -cough-

 

[NotaNuffian]

I often either not put a dialogue tag or just place them in the back, because putting it at the front sounded like you MTLed a CN xianxia novel.

 

[Jemini]

Yeah, I often try to arrange it so the dialogue tag comes in the middle or after the dialogue, but there are occasions when the flow of the situation seems right that I will but the dialogue tag before the dialogue. An example would be...

He looked over to me and said "I really don't think that sounds right."

Those are rare. The more common way I would present something like that is...

He stopped and fixed me with a stern glare. "I really don't think that sounds right." He said.

They do have very different feels to them, and the second one really does sound better. It just has more punch to it, especially in the fact that his actions before speaking are more punctuated, which gives you more of a sense of how the sentence that comes afterward would sound coming from this character.

 

[GDLiZy]

I hated the dialogue tag because I think it sounds redundant.

I trust my readers that my novel is clear enough to see who is talking, because, in fact, I kept the talking at the bare minimum because I like mystery and abstractness.

"Tell me; is that not enough?" Lord Francis looked up at the statue of his belief; his face crumpled into a soft, muffled cry. <- This is how I usually did my dialogue.

 

[YuriDoggo]

I hated the dialogue tag because I think it sounds redundant.

I trust my readers that my novel is clear enough to see who is talking, because, in fact, I kept the talking at the bare minimum because I like mystery and abstractness.

"Tell me; is that not enough?" Lord Francis looked up at the statue of his belief; his face crumpled into a soft, muffled cry. <- This is how I usually did my dialogue.

But is it weeeird >.<

 

[GDLiZy]

But is it weeeird >.<

I think we are weird, but them

 

[BenJepheneT]

Does come across as redundant if you examine it closely but if you read it normally you'd probably skim through it without extra thoughts.

 

[PrincessFelicie]

Oh god dialogue tags. Ever since I became consciously aware of them I feel like I've gotten a thousand times worse at them. They are my kryptonite, impossible to get right.

 

[blazjindanblue]

Example:
He blurted out, "Help me!"

It's always sounded weird to me, so I never use it, but I think some people do. Who else thinks this is weird or am I a member of an extreme minority?

I didn't notice what you meant at first. But you put up a prime example without me cringing. Y u lie you don't use them?!

 

[AliceShiki]

I almost always put the dialogue tags first during a conversation... I dunno, I really don't like starting a paragraph with a quotation mark... >.>

 

[Halversen]

Uhmmm, I think if you read my work, especially on the latest chapters, uhhm I'm sure you'll know my answer.

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

Depends on the style of the author. You can do with or without it fairly well.

But unless you want to provide special emphasis, I think it just sounds redundantly stupid. The quotation marks are already telling me that someone is speaking.

 

[Vaerama]

It's all well and good, until you get to 5 people speaking at once, and the author not bothering to tell you 'who' is speaking.

Spoiler

<Hey, let's all go to the party! I heard *Harry* will be there!>

<I don't wanna though, mou.>

<Course you do, silly!>

<Leave her be already, can't you see she wants to take things easy?>

<Doesn't look like that to me: that's pining if I've ever seen it.>

<Well, I want to go, so I'll see you girls at the wedding!>

The number of times I've seen this... is outrageous. I'm totally fine if someone says WHO is talking though

Spoiler

Marie: Hey, let's all go to the party! I heard *Harry* will be there!

Ann-Marie: I don't wanna though, mou.

Marie: Course you do, silly!

Jessica: Leave her be already, can't you see she wants to take things easy?

Rebecca: Doesn't look like that to me: that's pining if I've ever seen it.

Marie: Well, I want to go, so I'll see you girls at the wedding!

Course, my preference is towards a mix of dialogue markers and not, because I enjoy the variety as long as it doesn't come at the cost of the piece: one must always be aware of who is speaking, and it's a big help to me if I know how they're speaking.

I rather prefer knowing the emotion associated with what is to be said before I read what is then said. Can rather break immersion for me if I read something as 'I'm going to my room!' in a dismissive and haughty voice in line with a character, only to then find out it's followed by 'she shouted with anger/snootiness'.

Rapidfire dialogue exchange is easy, can cover a lot of ground interpersonally at an incredible speed. Not nearly so fun on an introspective level, though... and as I said: confusing if not properly marked.

 

[AliceShiki]

It's all well and good, until you get to 5 people speaking at once, and the author not bothering to tell you 'who' is speaking.

Spoiler

<Hey, let's all go to the party! I heard *Harry* will be there!>

<I don't wanna though, mou.>

<Course you do, silly!>

<Leave her be already, can't you see she wants to take things easy?>

<Doesn't look like that to me: that's pining if I've ever seen it.>

<Well, I want to go, so I'll see you girls at the wedding!>

The number of times I've seen this... is outrageous. I'm totally fine if someone says WHO is talking though

Spoiler

Marie: Hey, let's all go to the party! I heard *Harry* will be there!

Ann-Marie: I don't wanna though, mou.

Marie: Course you do, silly!

Jessica: Leave her be already, can't you see she wants to take things easy?

Rebecca: Doesn't look like that to me: that's pining if I've ever seen it.

Marie: Well, I want to go, so I'll see you girls at the wedding!

Course, my preference is towards a mix of dialogue markers and not, because I enjoy the variety as long as it doesn't come at the cost of the piece: one must always be aware of who is speaking, and it's a big help to me if I know how they're speaking.

I rather prefer knowing the emotion associated with what is to be said before I read what is then said. Can rather break immersion for me if I read something as 'I'm going to my room!' in a dismissive and haughty voice in line with a character, only to then find out it's followed by 'she shouted with anger/snootiness'.

Rapidfire dialogue exchange is easy, can cover a lot of ground interpersonally at an incredible speed. Not nearly so fun on an introspective level, though... and as I said: confusing if not properly marked.

Well, I agree with you that the 1st example is horrible, though you can fix it by putting the speaker either before or after the quotation marks. As long as you denote the speaker in some way, it's fine.

Though I'll say that I don't like the 2nd example either, unless it's meant to replicate chat in a chat app or something.

 

[Vaerama]

Well, I agree with you that the 1st example is horrible, though you can fix it by putting the speaker either before or after the quotation marks. As long as you denote the speaker in some way, it's fine.

Though I'll say that I don't like the 2nd example either, unless it's meant to replicate chat in a chat app or something.

Hey, I hate it all. I need those quotations, and I thrive on them in the 'classic' style. When it comes to the 'marker's of 'said, asked' and all that, I like the variety between their use and not using them. Jane Austen I believe might be one of the good examples of not using them in classical literature, but it's been a very long time since I've read her works, so I've quite forgotten what the style is called. Has a real dumb writer-y name, like 'free indirect style', stupid thing, writers.

I most definitely did not just google it. That is 100% what did most certainly not happen. Not sure if she makes total abandonment of it anymore, but it's good stuff.

 

[AliceShiki]

Hey, I hate it all. I need those quotations, and I thrive on them in the 'classic' style. When it comes to the 'marker's of 'said, asked' and all that, I like the variety between their use and not using them. Jane Austen I believe might be one of the good examples of not using them in classical literature, but it's been a very long time since I've read her works, so I've quite forgotten what the style is called. Has a real dumb writer-y name, like 'free indirect style', stupid thing, writers.

I most definitely did not just google it. That is 100% what did most certainly not happen. Not sure if she makes total abandonment of it anymore, but it's good stuff.

Oh yeah, I vaguely remember hearing about this free indirect style thingy, there is an equivalent of it in my language... It's just weird to me though~