RE: That's What She Said: The Use of Dialogue Tags by felt.buzz

Viewing a response to: @tinypaleokitchen/that-s-what-she-said-the-use-and-of-dialogue-tags

tinyteaches · @felt.buzz · Jan 18 '18

$0.05

I think dialogue tags (simple ones, *he said*, *she said*) have their place. I have read stories where characters are constantly moving things and fiddling about whilst talking. It can be really annoying, if it is over done. It is distracting from the dialogue, sometimes. As you say *he said* is virtually invisible, so doesn't interrupt the flow ("Sometimes," he said. "You need a slight pause, but don't need to be interrupted or distracted").
 
He pulled his finger from his nose and wiped it on the keyboard. "That's my opinion, anyway."

👍 tinypaleokitchen

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@tinypaleokitchen · Jan 18 '18

$0.12

I'd disinfect that keyboard if I were you.

Well, you do have a point, and I'm not against dialogue tags, either. I wouldn't have hammered on the proper formatting and punctuation of them if I didn't think they had their place. I just believe that the necessity of them is overrated. 

If your characters are having an ongoing discussion, there is definitely a place for a strategically placed dialogue tag. But like everything else in writing, you need to think about it. Like I said, I'm not against them. But think about where you need them, and where they become just a crutch to the writer.  

I'm a big fan of using moderation, I guess. ;-) Lots and lots of moderation.

👍 felt.buzz, dawnies

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@felt.buzz · Jan 18 '18

LOL! :)

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@bex-dk · Jan 19 '18

It's also possible that the cases where you felt it bogged things down used the WRONG actions. It only works when the actions and descriptions accurately reflect the behavior of the characters in the situation. The fiddling has to be showing something about the characters. Are they nervous? Are they insecure? Are they lying? It has to fit the situation and not just be fiddling.

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@felt.buzz · Jan 19 '18

$0.04

But often(particularly I'm dialogue heavy scenes) people don't do anything. My point is that *he said* tags are useful here *because* they are invisible. Actions that don't add anything (or try to hard) get in the way of the action of dialogue. I don't dispute the usefulness of action and description, but it needs to be done well

👍 carolkean, elenzy

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@tinypaleokitchen · Jan 19 '18

$0.15

Well, feel free to have a look at any of my short stories. I almost never use a dialogue tag and have never received comments on the dialogue being bogged down. You need to add the right details, and the right amount of them. But for me it makes it come alive. A conversation is never just that. It's words, tone, gestures, body language...

You lose that part of the interaction when you don't describe at least a bit of it.

👍 felt.buzz

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