D is for DIALOGUE TAGS
A dialogue tag identifies who is speaking. Used too often and they becomes irritating to the reader with an almost childish repetitive pattern of he said, she said. Too few tags and a reader may get confused and be forced to go back and check who is saying what.
An alternative is to let the action indicate who is speaking as in this example:
“I grew up in this house.” Simon walked over to the window and looked out at the overgrown garden. “It’s all changed, of course.”
Elmore Leonard, the American novelist and screenwriter, has come up with 10 Rules of Writing.
Rule number 3 states:
Never use a verb other than “said” to carry dialogue.
The line of dialogue belongs to the character; the verb is the writer sticking his nose in. But said is far less intrusive than grumbled, gasped, cautioned, lied.
I agree – except when said sounds silly. For example:
“Help! I’m on fire,” SAID the woman running out of the room.
If you aren’t keen on said, here are a list of alternatives. (To be used with caution.)
Added Admitted Advised Affirmed Agreed Announced Answered Approved Argued Assumed Assured Asked
Babbled Bargained Boasted Bragged Burbled
Called Chuckled Claimed Commanded Commented Complained Cried Criticised
Decided Demanded Denied Described Dictated
Emphasised Estimated Exclaimed Explained Expressed
Feared
Hinted Hissed Heckled
Garbled Giggled Guffawed Grinned Grunted
Indicated Insisted Instructed
Laughed Lectured Lied
Mentioned Moaned Mumbled Murmured
Nagged Noted Notified
Objected Observed Ordered
Pleaded Prayed Predicted Promised
Questioned Quizzed
Reassured Reflected Related Repeated Replied
Responded Requested Restated Revealed
Roared Ruled
Scolded Screamed Screeched Simpered Shouted
shrieked Slurred Snapped Sneered Snickered
Sobbed Spoke Spluttered Stammered Stated Stipulated Stormed Suggested
Taunted Thought Told
Urged Uttered Vowed
Wailed Warned Whispered
Yelled Yelped
Said is pretty good, isn’t it?
Find Elmore Leonard’s website HERE
8 comments on “D is for DIALOGUE TAGS”
Leave a comment
Over 125 reviews & 280 ratings on Amazon
A Good Confession
"Unputdownable" Miriam Stoppard
BRIDGET WHELAN writer 
I try to break my dialogue up with my characters actually DOING something while they talk. Great post Bridget 🙂
xx
LikeLike
Yes, I think that is probably the best way, and SAID is for the times when that doesn’t work (perhaps in quite a long two hander conversation when you can’t have them do something all the time) unless someone is on fire….
LikeLike
I’m not a fan of using dialogue tags unless it’s one of those snappy conversations where having them perform an action while talking would destroy the pace of the conversation. Anything other than “said” or “asked” feels a little too long-winded in those instances.
LikeLike
Yes, I think Elmore’s right about that and so much else…
LikeLike
This is really fantastic advice. I always have a problem with my dialogue and making it read easy. Thank you so much for stopping by my blog.
LikeLike
Dialogue is hard to get right. It’s pretty unforgiving – one creaky duff note and it leaps from the page shouting for attention. I guess we all have to do the same: practice, practice, practice…
LikeLike
I agree that the word said pretty much disappears, but I still like to use other tags (sparingly, of course).
LikeLike
Hi Kate,
this is the one time you want a reader to gloss over what you’ve written, just register the information and keep on reading….
LikeLike