Dialogue Tags
When I began my writing adventure in 2017, I jumped into the river headfirst, not knowing what lay beneath the murky water. Like all crafts, good writing has many elements that are not apparent to the casual reader. We only know “a good book when we see it,” and a bad book stands out like a searchlight on a moonless night.
So, in the first chapter of my first draft, when a character needed to say something, they just spoke: “You will do.”
That was so simple! Yet… there is not much context (who, what, where, when, and why). So, who was speaking and how loud were they? Yeah… It took endless self-edits, beta reads, professional edits, and a second edition to get things straightened out.
A big problem is that readers dislike repetition, so using the word “said” too often irks them. So, writers need to use other words called dialogue tags, and here is a great list:
So, in the first chapter of my first draft, when a character needed to say something, they just spoke: “You will do.”
That was so simple! Yet… there is not much context (who, what, where, when, and why). So, who was speaking and how loud were they? Yeah… It took endless self-edits, beta reads, professional edits, and a second edition to get things straightened out.
A big problem is that readers dislike repetition, so using the word “said” too often irks them. So, writers need to use other words called dialogue tags, and here is a great list:
From the above link: acknowledged admitted agreed angled assumed answered argued asked barked begged babbled bemoaned blurted bawled boasted breathed bellowed blustered bragged complained called confided commented croaked crowed chuckled chortled crooned confessed cried demanded deadpanned deliberated declared drawled denied echoed expressed exclaimed fumed faltered giggled groaned grumbled gushed growled hinted hissed howled hollered heckled inquired interrupted implored insisted inferred inserted jested laughed lied mumbled mouthed muttered murmured nagged orated offered observed opined pleaded promised proclaimed postulated questioned quoted queried quipped remembered replied remarked requested retorted roared raged ranted reiterated ruminated sang scolded shrieked shared snickered snorted steamed spoke stated stammered stuttered sputtered swore screamed screeched shouted sighed snarled sobbed threatened thundered told teased uttered wailed warned whimpered whined whispered wondered yelled yelped
These helper words keep the reader engaged while also adding information about volume level, intent, and demeanor. Which word from the above list is the best?
That is where things get less logical and more artistic. I choose to envision the scene and apply the best description as a tag. Of course, there are pitfalls, and the perfect example is “exclaimed.”
It turns out that the word “exclaimed” reads like an explosion. Meaning it must be used sparingly. Looking at the above list, these words stand out as having great power: barked, bragged, complained, cried, giggled, hissed, insisted, proclaimed, roared, raged, shrieked, screamed, screeched, teased, and whimpered.
These preferred tags stand out: begged, chuckled (I use this WAY too often), fumed, groaned, howled, mumbled, remarked, snickered, stammered, and uttered.
My rule is not to use the same low-power dialogue tags for a few pages. I only use high-power tags once every two chapters.
What if you disagree with my above choices? It seems likely that this would be the case because people are different. The important part is to understand the pitfalls of dialogue tags and to ask questions during the writing process.
Is there a helpful writing guide? While I have read many articles on the technique, it is all left-brain thinking. For example, which tags would be appropriate for a horror novel versus a mystery novel? Like anything important, there is no widely accepted right way, but readers certainly know when an author’s words are not working.
There is also a flip side. Readers like/expect the plain “said.” Meaning, it is important not to apply a heavy dialogue tag when there is no drama. Bill said, “Let’s go.”
Of course, there is more information that can be conveyed.
“What time is it?” Bill asked with a smile.
“You’d better not do that!” Sally threatened with her knife.
“Two o’clock,” he answered after looking at the clock on the wall, leading him to wonder why James had not done so.
Sam closed his eyes for a long moment and whispered, “No, I’m afraid I can’t.”
Dialogue tags are one of those quirky areas that most readers gloss over. In fact, I did not know they had a name until last week. That is one of the fun parts of writing. I learned something new!
You’re the best -Bill
June 03, 2026
These helper words keep the reader engaged while also adding information about volume level, intent, and demeanor. Which word from the above list is the best?
That is where things get less logical and more artistic. I choose to envision the scene and apply the best description as a tag. Of course, there are pitfalls, and the perfect example is “exclaimed.”
It turns out that the word “exclaimed” reads like an explosion. Meaning it must be used sparingly. Looking at the above list, these words stand out as having great power: barked, bragged, complained, cried, giggled, hissed, insisted, proclaimed, roared, raged, shrieked, screamed, screeched, teased, and whimpered.
These preferred tags stand out: begged, chuckled (I use this WAY too often), fumed, groaned, howled, mumbled, remarked, snickered, stammered, and uttered.
My rule is not to use the same low-power dialogue tags for a few pages. I only use high-power tags once every two chapters.
What if you disagree with my above choices? It seems likely that this would be the case because people are different. The important part is to understand the pitfalls of dialogue tags and to ask questions during the writing process.
Is there a helpful writing guide? While I have read many articles on the technique, it is all left-brain thinking. For example, which tags would be appropriate for a horror novel versus a mystery novel? Like anything important, there is no widely accepted right way, but readers certainly know when an author’s words are not working.
There is also a flip side. Readers like/expect the plain “said.” Meaning, it is important not to apply a heavy dialogue tag when there is no drama. Bill said, “Let’s go.”
Of course, there is more information that can be conveyed.
“What time is it?” Bill asked with a smile.
“You’d better not do that!” Sally threatened with her knife.
“Two o’clock,” he answered after looking at the clock on the wall, leading him to wonder why James had not done so.
Sam closed his eyes for a long moment and whispered, “No, I’m afraid I can’t.”
Dialogue tags are one of those quirky areas that most readers gloss over. In fact, I did not know they had a name until last week. That is one of the fun parts of writing. I learned something new!
You’re the best -Bill
June 03, 2026
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