Dialogue Tags

A dialogue tag is a short phrase, usually including the word “said,” that literally tags the dialogue to a specific character. 

For example:

“Give me the combo,” the thief said.

Said Bookisms

Said bookisms are dialogue tags that use fancier words (e.g., interrogated, lamented, croaked, exclaimed) in place of the simpler dialogue tags (e.g., said, asked, shouted, whispered). Many readers believe said bookisms are the lazy way for the author to tell something rather than show it (more on that later).

For example: 

“Where is the safe?” he interrogated. 

vs.

“Where is the safe?” he asked, slamming his gun on the counter. 

Note in the second example the word “interrogated” has changed into a descriptive action following a simple dialogue tag. The second sample tells the reader who said it as well as anchors them to the scene by providing a visual.

Anchors

Speaking of anchoring the reader to the scene, anchors are often confused with dialogue tags. These action beats act as a visual anchor to the narrative for the reader and are also an excellent tool to break up lengthy monologues, but they are not the same as dialogue tags.

For example: 

“I love money,” the thief grinned. 

vs.

“I love money.” The thief grinned. 

We can’t grin words, so the use of the comma in the first example is grammatically incorrect. In the second example, the comma changes to a period, indicating an action beat or an anchor separate from the dialogue.

More About Writing Dialogue

Want to learn even more about dialogue? Check out these other Tips for Writers articles in the Writing Dialogue series:

• 9 Common Dialogue Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)
• Acknowledging the Speaker
• Crafting Realistic Dialogue

---

Red Quill Editorial LLC

 

Return to the Tips for Writers index