Scriveners' Trappings

Dialogue can trip up even the most seasoned of writers. You can read about it all day long, but until you're actually writing and needing to use dialogue tags (or speech tags), you'll probably skip over this stuff.

Think of these tags as signposts, pointing to who is actually doing the talking. Each tag contains at least one noun or pronoun. (said, asked, whispered, remarked).

Susannah said

the clerk asked

she said and took off her coat

he said, looking sad

As I am writing my current novel, I sail merrily along, adding in some dialogue tags with ease, and getting myself mired in the mud at others.

Do I use he said or she said? Where does that comma go? Should I use a more expressive tag?

One thing to keep in mind: the "he/she said," or "he/she asked" will disappear in the reader's mind, while adding in an expressive tag will make it stick out like a sore thumb.

Read on if you, too, need a college lesson in drumming up the proper speech tag.

***This review was written by Penelope Silvers for her curated content on "Writing Rightly"***

Link to the original article: http://www.scribophile.com/academy/he-said-she-said-dialog-tags-and-using-them-effectively

Dialogue is one of those tricky areas that trip up many authors--myself included. As I am writing my first romance novel, I run into areas such as:

How much dialogue is enough?

When and where should you insert dialogue?

When should you move from narrator consciousness to talking?

How long should you make the responses?

Author Roz Morris gives us seven simple steps to writing great dialogue. You would think most would seem obvious, but some of them are real ah ha! moments. I really appreciate these tips:

VISUALS - People move as they talk. They shrug, make faces, cook, clean, etc. Create a picture in your reader's mind. This will create a richer, more dramatic scene.

REACTIONS - Are the characters reacting and talking or does their internal dialogue evaporate when they start being vocal?

DECLUTTER - Think of your reader when you write dialogue. Readers scan through these scenes quickly, and don't need to be told of every breath and blink. Let your scene sit for a few days, and go back at it with fresh eyes to take out the fat.

Header on over to the article to read four more great tips!

***This review was written by Penelope Silvers for her curated content on "Writing Rightly"***

Link to the original article: http://nailyournovel.wordpress.com/2013/04/28/write-great-dialogue-scenes-in-7-steps

What on earth are they saying? With this excellent advice, you can bet it it's worth listening to.