tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post3878081651523488337..comments2024-02-12T17:59:33.534-06:00Comments on RAZORED ZEN: Dialogue TagsCharles Gramlichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02052592247572253641noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-68884845702547324512007-04-13T11:26:00.000-05:002007-04-13T11:26:00.000-05:00A friend of mine who decided to become a writer wa...A friend of mine who decided to become a writer was <I>so</I> guilty of not tagging enough! Not only did he have multiple consecutive pages of untagged lines, but he merged many of them into a single paragraph! I couldn't tell who was saying what--even the multiple times I went back & tried to figure it out. Needless to say, my friend is still not a published author, even to this day.<BR/>Keep up the good work, baby!Lana Gramlichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06975996208260144558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-34099937947408488322007-04-13T10:43:00.000-05:002007-04-13T10:43:00.000-05:00I've been lost in dialogue I was reading so many t...I've been lost in dialogue I was reading so many times that I suspect I now err on the side of overusing tag lines in my own writing. Yet I still find my editors scribbling in the margins, "Who's saying this?" Sometimes all those "saids" sounds clunky, but they are necessary. At other times they seem needed, as you point out, to maintain a kind of rhythm. I suspect it's because true rapid-fire dialogue is rare. In life, one person will talk, there will be a pause, and then the other person will speak. The "he said"s supply that pause. At other times--as in the last line of your example--they apply a sense of gravity.cs harrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13708705800818667923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-68831799218753100452007-04-13T08:53:00.000-05:002007-04-13T08:53:00.000-05:00Very good points, Charles. I think every decision ...Very good points, Charles. I think every decision as a writer is huge -- what's the quote -- a period in the right place can pierce the heart? I forgot who said that, but it's good.Michelle's Spellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15769666862403600253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-12763497533018454062007-04-13T08:00:00.000-05:002007-04-13T08:00:00.000-05:00I must say, I am a huge fan of the dialogue tags! ...I must say, I am a huge fan of the dialogue tags! I use them often. I like to change it up too. I don't like when you see, he said.... he said... she said.... he said to her.... constantly. I love to spice it up. I have being confused about who's saying what and then finally halfway down the page you find out it wasn't who you thought was saying it and must go back and re-read the page with the right characters voice in your head.ZZZZZZZhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03138083815199638165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-29112132196657089102007-04-13T04:13:00.000-05:002007-04-13T04:13:00.000-05:00I am always so afraid of dialog, but I know it is ...I am always so afraid of dialog, but I know it is necessary in some cases. Funny how I decided to write a piece today with dialog....please would you be so kind to let me know if you think I was affective with my tags as well as the dialog. Dialog is such a tricky thing for me. <BR/>Again a great post...;)Drizelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16746480963316566816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-1221382960578797292007-04-12T19:34:00.000-05:002007-04-12T19:34:00.000-05:00Nice touch. Tags are invisible, aren't they? Don't...Nice touch. <BR/><BR/>Tags are invisible, aren't they? Don't most people sort of turn a blind eye to "he said"?<BR/><BR/>I remember reading Hemingway a while back. Hemingway uses tags sparingly. Long stretches of dialog can go on without any attribution. At several points throughout the novel, I became confused and had to count the line changes to figure out who was talking about what.Stewart Sternberg (half of L.P. Styles)https://www.blogger.com/profile/00895152179113722902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-2313206917485335952007-04-12T17:51:00.000-05:002007-04-12T17:51:00.000-05:00I'm in agreement regarding dialogue tags, and yes,...I'm in agreement regarding dialogue tags, and yes, you can use them to slow down the scene, to do a bit of reflection, and ease into a narrative summary.JR's Thumbprintshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10479324326541901987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-74128949675184664012007-04-12T16:17:00.000-05:002007-04-12T16:17:00.000-05:00I know or have read of a lot of writers who agoniz...I know or have read of a lot of writers who agonize over how many saids to put in. I agree, you need some to help keep track.<BR/><BR/>I think it's also helpful to do some things like Dave mentions - if they can be nuances the add to characterization or convey further emotion all the better, he said slamming his hand down on the desk beside the computer.Sidneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16284680909152676159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-13903282246981786592007-04-12T16:12:00.000-05:002007-04-12T16:12:00.000-05:00Charles, that *so* totally worked! The scene flowe...Charles, that *so* totally worked! <BR/><BR/>The scene flowed, characterization, conflict and plot development all happened in a natural way. Can't wait to see the whole thing, y'damn tease! :-)<BR/><BR/>And Dave, there are many, many, many fine ways to handle dialogue. Since you're reading crime, check out James Lee Burke, James Ellroy, Dennis Lehane and Lauren Kelly (who is really literary-mega-star Joyce Carol Oates). All are accomplished and beautifully stylish writers, each has his or her own ear for dialogue, and all have their own ways of attributing it.Steve Malleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17561234111786788616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-60656407033169857642007-04-12T15:00:00.000-05:002007-04-12T15:00:00.000-05:00Excellent post, Charles. Your point about how dial...Excellent post, Charles. Your point about how dialog tags can slow down or speed up the action is well-taken. In the sample, you used them properly and paced the scene beautifully. On one hand I find rapid dialog scenes with no tags confusing--often it seems that even the author became confused about which character was speaking. On the other hand, using too many tags or tags that are too elaborate can make the prose sound amateurish or interrupt the flow. <BR/><BR/>(Even my writing idol Robert B. Parker sometimes overuses "said" as a tag between short lines of dialog, to the point that it detracts from the pace. I don't have a Parker book here at the office to quote from, but tonight I'll look for one at home and post an example.)Sphinx Inkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03429797402360703839noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-9719858609991668052007-04-12T14:21:00.000-05:002007-04-12T14:21:00.000-05:00Hi Charles,What you say is true, about fluency, as...Hi Charles,<BR/><BR/>What you say is true, about fluency, as it's good to keep "jarring" sentences for specific scenes, perhaps...<BR/><BR/>BTW: I love the word 'loafed'...Danny Tagaloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15899578338574197919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-75489781290004995422007-04-12T13:00:00.000-05:002007-04-12T13:00:00.000-05:00Thanks for the detailed response!I started off wit...Thanks for the detailed response!<BR/><BR/>I started off with a very bad tendency toward "said bookisms". Now I try to minimize tags and instead embed dialog in action or description: James picked up the gun and aimed it. "I'm going to kill you now." His voice was low and steady, yet suffused with hate. <BR/><BR/>I also tend to assume that two characters in a statement/response dialog don't really need it. I guess I poicked that up from reading Raymond Chandler. <BR/><BR/>The trouble is that I'm not sure my assumptions are valid!Dave Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11210387108701067975noreply@blogger.com