1/21/2024 0 Comments No dialogue tags new vegas![]() ![]() Are your tags unobtrusively making clear who’s speaking? Are your action beats adding variety and meaning to the scene? Next time you write dialogue, or edit a piece you’ve already written, pay special attention to your use of dialogue tags and action beats. “Did you hear what they were saying on the news?” “It’s been like that all day.” Sarah had tried not to dwell on it, but she couldn’t quite shake off the feeling that something was terribly wrong. This also affects the dialogue preceding them - in the following example, notice how that the first part of Sarah’s dialogue ends with a period, not a comma. It can also “ground” the reader in the scene (without any action beats at all, the characters can feel like disembodied talking heads).Īction beats are punctuated as normal, full sentences (unlike dialogue tags), so they always start with a capital letter and end with a full stop. Even if the action beat doesn’t add a great deal of meaning, it may be a useful way to create a pause in dialogue - changing the rhythm of it subtly.An action beat can often convey the way in which a line of dialogue is spoken: For instance, if a character slams his fists on a desk before saying, “Get out of my office,” you won’t need to tell the reader he’s angry!.They don’t necessarily have to involve actions! An “action beat” might be a thought or description instead.“Did you hear what they were saying on the news?” Guidelines for using action beatsĭialogue tags are handy and quick, but action beats can add much more detail and meaning to a conversation. “It’s been like that all day,” Sarah said. However if the first part of the dialogue was a full sentence, you should use a full stop after the tag and start the next piece of dialogue with a capital: “It’s been like that all day,” Sarah said, “and the sky’s such a weird color, too.” Then, if you’ve broken the dialogue during a sentence, rather than at the end of a sentence, use a comma after the tag and start the next piece of dialogue with a lowercase letter: If the tag comes during the dialogue, end the first part of the dialogue with a comma then have the tag as normal. The first letter of the tag should be lowercase (unless it’s a name). If the tag comes after the dialogue, end the dialogue with a comma, even if it’s a full sentence. Start the dialogue with a capital letter: If the tag comes before the dialogue, use a comma straight after the tag. Here’s a quick guide on punctuating dialogue. They can go before, during or after dialogue: Changing them around can create a more varied and interesting rhythm for your writing. Vary where you position your dialogue tags “he said darkly” rather than “he muttered”)… but don’t overdo it. Sometimes, an adverb might suit your meaning better than changing the verb (e.g. Avoid using adverbs too frequently in dialogue tags Avoid dialogue that goes back and forth without any tags - it can be confusing and tiring for the reader to follow. While you don’t have to attribute every single line of dialogue, do err on the side of caution. Use a tag whenever it’s unclear who’s speaking For obvious reasons, avoid having character “ejaculate” a line of dialogue. Sometimes, “whispered” or “shouted” might be appropriate. This is one case where repetition really doesn’t matter. In most cases, the word “said” will do just fine - don’t try to come up with lots of fancy synonyms. ![]() The dialogue itself is what’s important: The tag is just functional. ![]()
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