“Cut Unnecessary Dialogue Tags” by Joan Y. Edwards
What do editors mean when they say to cut unnecessary dialogue tags? Reduce the number of dialogue tags. Here’s a sample with too many dialogue tags. Rewrite it using fewer tags.
John said, “I’m feeling sick.”
“Oh dear,” said Sara, “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“My stomach hurts bad.”
“Did you eat something funky?” asked Sara.
John said, “I ate potato chips, three tacos, two hamburgers, and three slices of cheese.”
“I definitely see why your stomach hurts.” said Sara.
One way to eliminate unnecessary dialogue tags is to add action for the character who is speaking?
John leaned forward and held his hands to his belly. “I’m feeling sick.”
“Oh dear,” said Sara. “I’m sorry to hear that.” She pulled a chair over for him. “Did you eat something funky?”
“I ate potato chips, three tacos, two hamburgers, and three slices of cheese.”
“I see why your stomach hurts.”
Another way might be to name the character being addressed (the other person in the conversation).
“Sara, I’m feeling sick.”
“Oh dear. I’m sorry to hear that, John.”
“It’s my stomach.”
“Did you eat something funky?”
“I ate potato chips, three tacos, two hamburgers, and three slices of cheese.”
“I see why your stomach hurts.”
Thank you for reading my blog. You make me smile! I’d love to hear from you. How do you reduce the number of dialogue tags in your writing? Resources follow the signature.
Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards
Copyright © 2019 Joan Y. Edwards
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Resource
Catia Shattuck.“8 Tips for Punctuating Dialogue Tags:” https://mybookcave.com/authorpost/punctuating-dialogue-tags/
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