Dialogue Tags – Don’t Get Crazy

Nancy Pontificated

I’ll never forget the time a line of dialogue in a Nancy Drew book that ended …Nancy pontificated. I laughed out loud. Everyone knows Nancy Drew has strong opinions. She’s always pontificating! Why would the author need to interject herself into the dialogue with such a dialogue tag as pontificated?! Said would have easily done the job, and I could have continued reading without smirking.

I’ve seen a few long lists of dialogue tags on Pinterest being circulated on boards for writers, such as 100 Ways to say Said.  A hundred? Really? It makes my brain want to scream. One list contains the following suggestions:

acknowledged admitted agreed answered argued asked barked begged bellowed blustered bragged complained confessed cried demanded denied giggled hinted hissed howled inquired interrupted laughed lied mumbled muttered nagged pleaded promised questioned remembered replied requested retorted roared sang screamed screeched shouted sighed snarled sobbed threatened wailed warned whimpered whined whispered wondered yelled.

Don’t Do It

Keep in mind that using these dialogue tags may get you labeled an amateur. Author and editor Dawn Boeder Johnson suggests that relying on dialogue tags other than said or asked “might be considered melodramatic—possibly even making prose sound unprofessional.”(see Scribophile)

Elmore Leonard’s third rule for good writing is “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 once noticed Mary McCarthy ending a line of dialogue with ”she asseverated,” and had to stop reading to get the dictionary.

I’d be the first to admit I like breaking rules, but I agree with the master writer Leonard. The main job of a dialogue tag is to inform the reader who is speaking. That’s it. Everything else from what the character is saying to their actions should indicate how the dialogue is being delivered.

Stick with Said and Asked

Maybe a writer could get away with Jacob yelled, whispered or mumbled, but good writing should inform the reader about the character’s the state of mind before he speaks. It should be obvious from the speaker’s words whether he or she is barking, complaining, denying, or demanding.

Dialogue tags other than said or asked can be distracting and redundant. If you think they are necessary, you might want to take another look at the scene so that the action and emotions are clear.

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