What is a tag in writing? It is when the author uses
phrases like "he said" or "she said" added to dialog (the conversation
between characters in a novel ). There are many ways to tag on to dialog,
such as "he laughed", or "he angrily shouted" and these phrases are intended
to help describe the feelings, emotions, or some action associated with the
dialog. Most writer's use tags in their writing, and the better the writer,
the more effective the use of the tags. They are used not only to help
provide some description, but to help identify which character is talking as
well. One of the major problems that beginning writer's face is how to vary
the use of the tags so they are not too repetitive. You don't want to use
"he said" every time as the tag to the dialog. You also don't want the tag
to sound forced because you are really stretching for something different.
One thing to keep in mind is that the tag should not disrupt the flow of the
action or dialog, but help to move it forward. As I writer, I found that I
was having a very difficult time with writing tags. Nothing I put down on
paper ever sounded right to me; each time it felt forced and I felt like the
words on the page were "stupid". As I struggled with this part of writing,
the pile of crumpled pages grew higher and higher, because I just wasn't
satisfied with my work.
Frustrated, I started to analyze where I was having a problem with the words
on the page instead of continuing to try and put them down. I realized that
it was the tags that were causing my issues and I decided that I would try
and write without them. So, I started putting words down on the page again
and all of a sudden, I actually liked what was there. Other writer's use of
tags in a book don't bother me at all, but they bother me in my own writing.
You might notice in Misfit McCabe that there is not one "he said" or "she
said" in the entire book.
Is it easier to write with or without tags? Writing with tags is actually
easier, because it allows you to take a shortcut to the description of the
speaker's attitudes, thoughts, emotions, or actions. For example, if I used
them in Misfit McCabe, it would have been easier to clarify who was speaking
by putting a passage of dialog followed by a comma and "Sarah said with a
laugh." It does take more work to ensure that your dialog is clear and to
make sure that your reader will understand at all times who the speaker is
when writing without tags. For me, writing without tags gives the work a
"cleaner, crisper" feeling to the completed work. But, that is for me. What
works best for you?
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