Speech tags should not distract readers from the story.
Writers use speech tags to identify who is speaking in their dialogue. Dialogue is one of the most important aspects of writing because it keeps the action moving, but often, writers overuse speech tags to describe characters' thoughts or feelings, making superfluous and tedious dialogue. Sometimes, they do not identify the speaker at all, which confuses readers. Understanding basic speech tag techniques will improve the quality of your writing.
Instructions
1. Insert the tag when you want to set off dialogue.
2. Separate the tag from the dialogue by placing a comma after the tag, when the tag precedes the dialogue: He said, "I never expected this to happen."
3. Place a comma at the end of the quote when the tag follows the dialogue: "Bake me a cake," she said.
4. Use basic tags such as "he said" or "she asked" to set off the dialogue, in most cases.
5. Write the speakers' thoughts or actions after the dialogue to avoid basic tag repetition, Jerome Stern suggests: "I didn't know you would be dropping by this late." Leslie quickly grabbed the wad of used tissues from the couch.
