Dialogue tags and action beats
When writing dialogue, authors have two choices to help a reader see who is speaking: the dialogue tag and the action beat.
Dialogue tag: This is simple the name (or pronoun) of the person speaking along with a speech word such as “said” or “asked.” Its purpose is to tag the speaker of the dialogue.
Action beat: This is when the speaker also performs an action in addition to what they are saying. Example: Jane walked across the room and pointed to a book on the shelf. “Is this the right book?”
Tips for writing dialogue tags and action beats
Give your reader some variety between action beats and dialogue tags. Alternate between them (as long as it makes sense)
Don’t give your reader variety within dialogue tags. Stick to simple verbs here: said, asked, replied. The tag is there to identify the speaker. You want the reader’s focus on the dialogue, not the verb in the tag.
Limit use of adverbs with dialogue tags. Instead of writing “She said angrily” use an action beat here and some description: She slammed her fist on the table. Or use the dialogue itself to show how she said something.
Laughed, hissed, and groaned are often used as dialogue tags. It’s really hard to actually laugh or hiss your way through a sentence (try it!). These should actually be action beats rather than dialogue tags.
Not every line of dialogue needs to have a dialogue tag or action beat. Especially in a conversation between two people, skip the tag or beat to just let the dialogue flow unimpeded. Add in a quick tag if it’s been a while since the speaker was identified just to give the reader a signpost. Or add an action beat if the character would perform an action during the conversation.
Writers seem to get the advice that using “said” too much is bad. So that’s when all those other random speech words come into play. Instead of using those other words, continue just using “said” but vary it with action beats and with lines without a tag. That’s a much better way to get rid of a string of “he said, he said, he said.”
Punctuating dialogue tags vs action beats
With a dialogue tag, use a comma and lowercase the word (unless a proper name) after the dialogue.
He said, “Writing a book is fun.”
“Writing a book is fun,” he said.
She asked, “Can groaned be a dialogue tag?”
“Can groaned be a dialogue tag?” she asked.
With action beats, use a period.
He closed the book. “That was such a great story.”
“I can’t talk to you anymore.” She slammed the door on her way out.
He groaned. “No. Groaned is an action beat.”
Using these punctuation rules and varying the structure from dialogue tags to action beats to unimpeded conversation will help make the dialogue more enjoyable for your readers. Keep the emphasis and attention on the actual conversation and not the fancy words outside the dialogue. Your readers will thank you.
