How to use... The Dialogue Tags Check

Dialogue tags are the words that refer dialogue to a specific character. The two most common examples are “said” and “asked”.

• “I’m not going!” said Charlie.

They are essential in writing, particularly in scenes that include several characters, because they help the reader follow the conversation. Novice writers, however, have an annoying tendency to use more flowery dialogue tags and pepper them with adverbs.

• “I’m not going!” said Charlie angrily.
• “I’m not going!” shouted Charlie.
• “I’m not going!” roared Charlie furiously.

More than anything, tags like these tend to distract the reader. Ideally, your dialogue tags should be invisible within your writing, just signposts that point out who is speaking. The character’s actions or the dialogue itself should be carrying the emotion. Don’t depend on an adverb to make your reader feel something.

Where possible, try to omit dialogue tags altogether. Instead, use description and action to point out your speaker and build your scene.

• Charlie slammed his fist on the table. “I’m not going and that’s final.”

In this example, Charlie’s anger was shown, not told. The reader knows that he is the one speaking – even without a tag – and his fist shows that he is angry instead of an adverb. It gives much stronger sense of the scene. ProWritingAid Improve your writing

Use the ProWritingAid Dialogue Tags Check so that you can find a better way to demonstrate emotion. Note: this report is currently only available in the online editor. We will add it to the desktop app asap.

Why Are Dialogue Tags the Enemy?

As you probably noticed in the above section of text, my constant use of dialogue tags led to needless repetition. Ralph said, Nina responded, Ralph explained … writing like this creates a dull rhythm in the reader's mind. Plus, by the time we get to the third line, it’s already obvious who’s talking.

Due to these issues, many writers swear off dialogue tags altogether. Instead they establish who’s in the scene, then let the characters talk back and forth without adding anything in between. This aligns with a common axiom of screenwriting, which states that you should be able to infer a character's tone just by reading the lines. Likewise in fiction, great dialogue probably doesn’t need a tag to establish who’s talking, or how they're saying it.

So maybe dialogue tags are the enemy, and we should just never use them. But ... what if we can negotiate with the enemy? Maybe we won't ever be friends, but we can at least come to an accord on certain topics.

Analyze Your Writing Style

Do your characters tend to speak in lengthy monologues or pithy back-and-forths? The answer to that question is quite important.

If it's the former, it might actually be correct to use dialogue tags. Imagine a detailed and profound monologue, followed by an awed response from another character, sans the dialogue tag. Sure, if there are only two characters in the scene, you might think it's clear enough that Character 2 is speaking. But I'd argue the tag is worth it, just to keep the reader oriented. If there's even the slightest confusion about who says what after long passages, it could weaken your writing.

However, if your dialogue tends to be snappy, you're probably correct to excise dialogue tags. As mentioned, they'll only slow your rhythm.

Use Dialogue Tags for Emphasis

Sure, good dialogue shouldn't need tags to explain a character's tone. But dialogue can be made better with emphasis.

For example, take this line:

"Get out of there!"

As it stands, it's pretty clear that the speaker has a frantic tone. But if we add a dialogue tag, we reinforce that notion.

"Get out of there!" Melinda roared.

I like the dialogue tag here because it gives us a concrete detail about Melinda's tone. To me, there's a difference between a yell, a bellow, a screech, and a roar. In this instance, we're being precise about which we want. Without the tag, the reader might interpret the dialogue any number of other ways.

Tags Aren't Distracting If You Use Them Responsibly

Part of the reason dialogue tags have a bad reputation is that some writers use them irresponsibly. For example:

• "Dialogue tags are sacred," she intoned.
• "They tell you who's talking," he expounded.
• "And what they're saying," they elaborated.

I'm not saying you can't use words like "intone" and "expound" in your work. But if every dialogue tag employs a different variation on the word "said," you've got a problem.

My advice: The vast majority of the time, "said" is the correct dialogue tag. Except when necessary to emphasize tone, deviations from that simple word cause unnecessary distraction.

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