Dialogue Tags vs. Action Tags

Happy #WriterWarnings day! Yup, that’s what I call Wednesdays now 🙃

This week, I wanna talk about Dialogue Tags vs. Action Tags.

I see this mixed up in many, many manuscripts. Formatting this on the page can be a struggle, so let’s delve in!

✨ “Fine,” he said.

The dialogue tag could also be “he muttered” or “he whispered,” and stuff like that! Dialogue tags typically disappear on the page. Readers don’t entirely digest “he/she/they said.” Readers gloss over dialogue tags. This is because everything flows together, hence why a comma separates the dialogue and the dialogue tag.

Action tags, however, stand out. Here is an example similar to the previous one:

✨ “Fine.” He shrugged.

Action tags are completely separate from the dialogue, which is why it’s separated by a period instead of a comma. The action tag is a whole new sentence. You will also treat it the same way if it’s “he laughed.” If you wanted “he laughed” to be a dialogue tag, you’d have to write it out as, “he said with a laugh.” Apply this the same way if your character speaks with a sigh!

I know these can be confusing and difficult to navigate, so let me know if you have questions by dropping a comment! 🖤

Xo,
Ashley

My Writer Warnings series is on TikTok! I’m just sharing this information everywhere I can 🙃