These were mentioned in last week's post on formatting dialogue. Here's what they mean and what they look like.
Dialogue tags:
-tell you who is speaking
-are things like "he said" "she whispered" or "Dylan yelled"
-as mentioned last week, use a comma, exclamation mark, or question mark to end dialogue preceding these.
-always end them with a period
-place them outside the quotation marks
Dialogue tags part 2:
-avoid tags with words other than "said" (like exclaimed, shouted, called, promised)
-the words spoken should be strong enough to convey that information on its own
-avoid adverbs (said angrily, said sadly, etc.)
-again, if you need an adverb, the words spoken need to be stronger.
-adverbs may be used when the tone isn't obvious otherwise (see exercise 2)
-tags other than said may be used when necessary (I find quiet words need this most)
ex: whispered, said softly, said quietly
-shouted should be clear by the words, but may be used if said seems to contradict the quote.
Action beats:
-tell you what a character is doing.
-are things like "he sighed" "she looked away" or "Dylan clenched his fists"
-should be done by the same character who just spoke
-if the above is not true, use a new paragraph.
-do not end dialogue preceding these with a comma
Other tips:
-typically use one or the other. An action beat tells you who spoke just as well as a dialogue tag.
-use both is needed for clarity, like actions that happen simultaneously with speech
-when doing so, make them one sentence. "He said as he walked away" "She whispered while folding laundry"
Exercise 1:
Identify the following as dialogue tags or action beats:
"I love your backpack," I said.
"Thanks!" She grinned.
"Mine is falling apart." I took it off to show her.
"Probably because you have so many books," she said with a laugh.
Exercise 2:
Identify which of the following are unnecessary:
"I'm so mad!" I said angrily.
"Why?" she asked.
"You know why!" I shouted.
"Oh, that," she whispered. "I'm sorry."
"Of course you are," I said sarcastically.
Answers:
Exercise 1:
Dialogue tags:
I said.
Action beats:
She grinned
I took it off to show her.
Both:
She said with a laugh.
Exercise 2:
Unnecessary:
angrily (exclamation mark and words imply this)
shouted (again, exclamation mark implies)
Necessary:
she whispered (difficult to show in words)
sarcastically (taken seriously otherwise, but could be worded to flow better or show the character's thoughts)
Debatable:
she asked (some say it contradicts to use said. Others say using asked is redundant. Trust your gut)