First things first: What’s a dialogue tag? The term dialogue tag refers to the word attached to a piece of dialogue to indicate who is speaking. The most common dialogue tag is said. Other popular options include asked and replied.
Invisible Words
Ideally, dialogue tags should be practically invisible to the reader. After all, most readers are far more interested in what is being said than in how the speaker says it. However, authors can sometimes feel like they have to be creative with dialogue tags. They may pepper their book with more unusual options, such as effused, interjected, asserted, and yes, even ejaculated. (That last one is a true story, I’m afraid).
Simpler is Better
Using an unusual dialogue tag is not necessarily wrong, provided it is done sparingly. (Note: I’d advise you to avoid ejaculated at all costs.) In most cases, a simple tag such as said or asked will do. When a book is packed with unusual tags, they can become a serious distraction for the reader.
Use Speaking Words
A second issue often arises with dialogue tags. Whether straightforward or unusual, a dialogue tag should reflect a way that people actually speak (e.g., said, whispered, shouted), rather than action words like smiled, paused, or shrugged. (People don’t smile, pause, or shrug words.) Instead, style those nonspeaking words as action beats. That means separating them from the dialogue with a period instead of a comma. For example:
Incorrect: “I don’t know what happened,” shrugged Patricia.
Correct: “I don’t know what happened.” Patricia shrugged.
What about words like chuckle or laugh? Those could plausibly be used as dialogue tags if the speaker is only saying a word or two. Most of us could chuckle out a simple “Yes” or “No,” for example, but would be hard-pressed to chuckle out a complex sentence.
Incorporating action beats is a great strategy for adding variety to your dialogue. Action beats usually enhance rather than detract from the story.
If you’re looking for an editor who can make sure your dialogue tags are shipshape (along with everything else a copyedit entails), I’d be happy to help. My schedule is typically booked a couple months out, so if your book will be ready for editing soon, let’s chat!
