The Dialogue Tag Lowdown

 

 

Contributed by Karen Cioffi, Children's Ghostwriter, Rewriter, Coach

I rewrote a young adult book for a client. It was over 100,000 words. 

With that many words, the author felt compelled to mix up the dialogue tags. 

That, though, is never a good idea.

Some of the tags he used included spat, laughed, teased, smirked, joked, yawned, and sneered.

But my client isn't the only one who doesn't realize that there are specific words for dialogue tags. That might be because new authors aren't familiar with the tag's purpose.

So, what exactly is a dialogue tag and how should you use it?

According to The Write Practice, "They 'tag' the dialogue to a particular character. Also often referred to as an attribution, a dialogue tag is a small phrase either before, after, or in between the actual dialogue itself."

That puts it pretty simple. 

Dialogue tags are phrases that identify who is speaking. They are a must for clarity and in order to keep the reader in the know and involved in the story.

A few examples: 

"What was that?" asked John. 

"I couldn't finish my homework," John said. 

"If I go to the store," John said, "I'll pick up milk."

So, you can see that dialogue tags are straight forward. They allow the reader to know who's talking. 

The basic tags are said, replied, asked, and answered. These tags kind of become invisible to the reader. The reader can acknowledge who is talking while not thinking twice about the tag.

But when the basics just aren't enough, you can also use whispered, shouted, mumbled, and muttered. They should be used sparingly and take note that mumbled and muttered have two different meanings.

So, going back to dialogue tags that shouldn't be used, I did a search and was surprised at the results.

One site had a list of dialogue tags that included, emitted, bubbled, chuckled, grinned, sang, smiled, and rejoiced.

Another site had grieved, mewled, bawled, blubbered, fretted, agonized, comforted, admired, hissed, soothed, glowered, placated, assented, tittered, and sobbed, stating they could be used as dialogue tags. 

This may be one of the reasons why some writers feel it's okay to use these words and any other they think of. 

A good way to think about whether a word can be used as a tag is to think of the word and what it means.

You can't blubber dialogue.
You can't admire dialogue.
You can't comfort dialogue.
You can't sneer dialogue.
You can't tease dialogue.
You can't emit dialogue.
You can't spit dialogue. Although you may spit as you talk.

Dialogue tags and adverbs.

This is another common problem that can arise with dialogue and tags - the use of adverbs.

My client did a lot of this as well.

Using an adverb after a tag looks like this:

"Don't bother getting up," John said angrily.

"You're beautiful," John said admiringly.

"Get out of my chair," John said, disgruntled.

Instead of using adverbs, the sentence or paragraph should show how the character is feeling.

Ellen couldn't open her eyes. Crying all night left them swollen and achy. "How could this happen?" 

Showing what's going on allows the reader to know how she's feeling. You wouldn't need to add "sadly" at the end of the tag.

Do you always have to use dialogue tags?

Another question that can come up about dialogue tags is whether they have to be used all the time.

The answer is no, as long as it's clear who's speaking.

John shook his head. "No way. I'm not going."

"You've got to," said Pete.

"No, I don't."

In this simple example, you can see that only one of the dialogues has a tag.

The first one notes who's talking by using: John shook his head.

The dialogue that comes after that is from Pete.

The third dialogue line is John responding to Pete. As there are only two characters in the scene, the reader will know who is speaking.

Writing dialogue is easy once you get the hang of it.

A good way to learn how to write dialogue with proper tags is to read a lot of traditionally published books. Pay attention to the dialogue.

I'm NOT putting down self-published books; I've self-published books. The problem is not all self-published books are done professionally. 

Traditionally published books have professionals editing them; they have gatekeepers to ensure the story is quality. They know the ropes and it's important to learn from books that are done right.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children’s author, ghostwriter, rewriter, and coach with clients worldwide. For more tips on writing for children or if you need help with your children’s story, please visit Karen Cioffi Writing for Children.

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 MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the multi award-winning author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning #HowToDoItFrugally Series (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTXQL27T/ ) of books for writers including "The Frugal Book Promoter" (https://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII), and "The Frugal Editor" both offered in their third editions by Modern History Press. Others in that series are "How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically," and two booklets, both in their second editions also from Modern History Press. The booklets, "Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers" (https://bit.ly/LastMinuteEditsII) and "Great First Impression Book Proposals" (https://bit.ly/BookProposalsII) are career boosters in mini doses and both make ideal thank you gifts for authors. The one on writing book proposals is also available as an Audio Book. "The Frugal Editor "(https://tinyurl.com/TheFrugalEditor), was recently released in its third edition. It is the winningest book in this series for writers. Carolyn also has three frugal books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it helps them understand what is needed to convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is "A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques" (https://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). In addition to this blog, Carolyn helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at https://TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at "The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor" (https://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com). Learn more and follow it to get news on her new releases directly from Amazon at https://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile.

Writing: The Juggling Act

  

  Contributed by Karen Cioffi, Children's Writer

 It takes time to write a 'good' story.

I’m sure there are writers who sit down and write a story in a day, but I’m talking about doing it right.

This is especially true of writing for children.

It’s so important to know the rules. Know what the standard industry guidelines are and adhere to them.

There’s a lot that goes into writing. And if you want it to be publishing and marketing worthy, again, you want to do it right.

But what happens when you finish your manuscript? You revised it, edited, and proofed it, and possibly even had a professional writer look at it.

Your manuscript, your baby, is ready to fly. 

You enter the traditional submitting phase. You’ve done your research and have found literary agents and book publishers in your genre. The submission process is in full swing.

This process can easily take longer than the writing process, but you need to persevere.

In the meantime… 

Should you just sit around and wait for a bite from an agent or publisher?

Should you sit around and gather dust on your keyboard?

Absolutely not!

You need to move on to another story as soon as you start the submission process on your first book. Once book two is in the submission process, it’s onto book three, and so on.

This goes even more so for articles.

According to writing coach Suzanne Lieurance, you should have around 12 articles out circulating to magazine editors.

This is how you get work.

It’s the writing juggling act.

Keep the stories or articles moving.

Once you finish one story, get started on the next.

Another aspect of the writing juggling act: Book Marketing.

While you do need to keep writing those stories and getting them published, you also need to work on marketing you and your writing.

Marketing is a part of every author’s writing life if you expect to sell your books. 

-The first step of marketing is to create a quality book.
-The next step is to submit your work – this is pitching your work.
-If you’re self-publishing, you will need to publish it and distribute it so it’s available for sale.

Once the book finds a home, it’s about creating visibility. If people don’t know it exists, you won’t sell it. 

The marketing and visibility process is ongoing.

If you’re wondering if having to promote your books is a must, even major publishers expect their authors to have an online author platform. They also expect the author to be able to help sell their books through that platform.

And, small publishers expect you to do all the marketing. 

Marketing is that important.

So, what are the basics of an author’s online platform?

-The first step is to have a website and keep it current.

-Next is to post to social media to bring awareness about you, your books, articles, or services.

This will take up any spare writing time you may have. 

So, if you’re a writer, there is no such thing as downtime. It’s all about the writing juggling act.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children’s author, ghostwriter, rewriter, and coach with clients worldwide. If you need help with your children’s story, please visit Karen Cioffi Writing for Children.
 
Karen also offers: 

HOW TO WRITE A CHILDREN’S FICTION BOOK. 
A 250+ book that will help you start or finish your children’s book

FICTION WRITING FOR CHILDREN eCOURSE
4-Weeks / 8 Sections / Instructor Guided Self-Study Program
 
~~~~~~

MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the multi award-winning author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning #HowToDoItFrugally Series (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTXQL27T/ ) of books for writers including "The Frugal Book Promoter" (https://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII), and "The Frugal Editor" both offered in their third editions by Modern History Press. Others in that series are "How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically," and two booklets, both in their second editions also from Modern History Press. The booklets, "Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers" (https://bit.ly/LastMinuteEditsII) and "Great First Impression Book Proposals" (https://bit.ly/BookProposalsII) are career boosters in mini doses and both make ideal thank you gifts for authors. The one on writing book proposals is also available as an Audio Book. "The Frugal Editor "(https://tinyurl.com/TheFrugalEditor), was recently released in its third edition. It is the winningest book in this series for writers. Carolyn also has three frugal books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it helps them understand what is needed to convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is "A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques" (https://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). In addition to this blog, Carolyn helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at https://TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at "The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor" (https://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com). Learn more and follow it to get news on her new releases directly from Amazon at https://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile.

For Halloween: Charlotte Isn’t the Only Writing Spider

Courtesy LA Times, Descanso Gardens and Carolyn’s Aging Files

Halloween Is the Time for Celebrating Writers—Spiders Included

 

Charlotte Isn’t the Only Writing Spider

 

By Carolyn Howard-Johnson, writer of fiction, poetry, and

the HowToDoItFrugally Series of Books Writers Depend On

 

 

A few years ago, administrators and docents of the lovely Descanso Gardens in the foothills of the San Gabriel where I live shared the story of writing spiders everywhere including the colorful orb weaver (you might know her from her bright yellow spots, her eight graceful legs, and her beautifully constructed notebook which she often constructs in gardens big—like our famous Descanso—and our own backyards. Today her job (and she is ashe/her/them/they if she is dressed in yellow) is to remind literature lovers and authors that the author of Charlotte’s Web might have been writing a story of fiction for writers but he was probably inspired by real writing spiders. Perhaps one he knew personally. Perhaps one he had read about. It’s hard to know because spiders (and other inspirational beings) are seldom credited.

And I want to remind readers and writers that the quality that makes great literature of any kind is how it reflects real life. Nature. Including human nature. What makes it great is that magical quality that attracts and—dare I use the the word ensnares?—so completely it becomes known as a “classic.”

Our orb weaver is a welcome guest in our yard. Even though she is about an inch long, she helps us keep harmful insects away. Her notebook is very tidy; hers is the one most artists emulate when they reproduce the delicate, magical web used for most everything a spider does. It’s her bedroom, kitchen, the nursery for her cocoons, her home. It is as intricate as longhand so museum curators, scientists and…mmm…writers call her and her relatives “writing spiders.”

 

Note: This article might be re-inspired. I found a column titled “California Classroom” in the Los Angeles Times—all nicely yellowed by time. It was inspired by spiders in their lovely public gardens and found its way to the clipping notebook (real paper!) I keep of articles about my fellow writers.

 

More About the Author 

Carolyn Howard-Johnson read E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web to her children when they were very small; it never occurred to her that one day she would appreciate that book on many levels beyond a lovely story with lessons to teach. She is now the author of a Modern History Press Series that began in 2004 with The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won't, now published in its 3^rd edition as a hardcover, paperback, and…an e-book! One of the books in that series is even available as Audio! Author White would never have believed in possibilities like that for his lovely characters, his lovely story. Find Carolyn’s series on Amazon’s newly offered pages for series at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTXQL27T. That Amazon feature is one of the #TheFrugalBookPromoterTips she shares with writers so they’ll know that Amazon offers a similar page to any e-book series that appears on their website. Happy Halloween to all.

 A Little About this Blogger’s Publishing Journey: 

 Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the multi award-winning author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning #HowToDoItFrugally Series (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTXQL27T/ ) of books for writers including "The Frugal Book Promoter" (https://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII), and "The Frugal Editor" both offered in their third editions by Modern History Press. Others in that series are "How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically," and two booklets, both in their second editions also from Modern History Press. The booklets, "Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers" (https://bit.ly/LastMinuteEditsII) and "Great First Impression Book Proposals" (https://bit.ly/BookProposalsII) are career boosters in mini doses and both make ideal thank you gifts for authors. The one on writing book proposals is also available as an Audio Book. "The Frugal Editor "(https://tinyurl.com/TheFrugalEditor), was recently released in its third edition. It is the winningest book in this series for writers. 

 Carolyn also has three frugal books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it helps them understand what is needed to convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is "A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques" (https://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). 

In addition to this blog, Carolyn helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at https://TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at "The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor" (https://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com). Learn more and follow it to get news on her new releases directly from Amazon at https://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile.

Fantasy or Sci-Fi - Which is It?

 

 

Contributed by Karen Cioffi, Children's Writer

I’ve always loved fantasy, so it’s a natural fit that I like writing it for children. 

But what exactly is fantasy, and how does it differ from science fiction?

FANTASY

The simplest way to explain fantasy is that it doesn’t exist in the real world. Your imagination is the only limit when writing fantasy. This may be why I gravitate toward it.

If a story has supernatural or magical elements, it’s fantasy.

Fantasy allows you to delve into all sorts of topics, even difficult ones, and it comes across in a more digestible way than realistic fiction.

For example, in my chapter book, "Walking Through Walls," the main character, Wang, joins the Mystical Eternals and learns how to walk through walls.

In the sequel (still in progress), Wang has the choice to morph into a dragon at will or get another incredible ability.

Another example of fantasy is talking animals. This type of fantasy can have the protagonist going off on a journey alone or with friends. A children’s writer couldn’t have a child do this in realistic fiction as it could give the child dangerous ideas. There are lots of topics that can be introduced using talking animals.

In my picture book series, The Adventures of Planetman, the protagonist has supernatural vision and can fly. One of his friends has super speed, and the other is super strong.

These scenarios couldn’t possibly exist within the natural laws of our universe as they involve supernatural elements. 

With fantasy, the writer can create new worlds and new beings. It can rain meatballs. There can be magical fairies and wizards. Science and realism are not factors.  

Think of Superman, The Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter.

SCIENCE FICTION

Science fiction is also out of the ordinary but is based on scientific principles. The elements of the story can exist within the natural laws of our universe. The scientific basis helps explain the extraordinary things that go on in the story.

These stories usually involve future scientific elements, such as space travel, aliens, time travel, and environmental catastrophes.  
 
An example of science fiction is Batman. All his abilities are from gadgets that are based on science. While some of them may be a bit far-fetched, they are in the realm of possibility.

Just think of all the gadgets and inventions created that are based on movies, books, and even articles. It’s astounding.

Driverless cars.
Holographic images.
The submarine.
The rocket.
The cellphone.
The taser.
The smartwatch.

Science fiction movies include: 

World of Worlds
Contact
Altered States
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
The Matrix

Sci-fi books:

The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
Contact by Carl Sagan
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
The Children of Men by PD James

A MIX

A mix of fantasy and science fiction is just that, a mix. 

In these stories, there are elements of sci-fi and fantasy. An example of this genre is Star Wars.

While Star Wars easily falls within the sci-fi genre, it also has elements of fantasy, such as a force field. Although, in 2015, Boeing patented the first-ever force field to protect against shockwaves. 

But even with the force field coming into existence, Star Wars also has lightning bolts from fingertips and levitation. These elements are pure fantasy.

So, if you’re writing sci-fi or fantasy for children, are you sure which it is? 

Sources:

https://hellogiggles.com/8-technological-advancements-inspired-by-books-movies-and-television/
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/ten-inventions-inspired-by-science-fiction-128080674/
https://historydaily.org/was-dick-tracey-the-character-who-invented-the-smart-watch/2
https://www.mic.com/articles/113466/boeing-just-patented-a-force-field-right-out-of-star-wars

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

 

 

 

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children’s author, ghostwriter, rewriter, and coach with clients worldwide. If you need help with your children’s story, please visit Karen Cioffi Writing for Children.  

Karen also offers:

HOW TO WRITE A CHILDREN’S FICTION BOOK
A 200+ book that will help you start or finish your children’s book

PICTURE BOOK, CHAPTER BOOK, MIDDLE GRADE COACHING
Four to twelve-week coaching programs.

FICTION WRITING FOR CHILDREN eCOURSE
4-Weeks / 8 Sections / Instructor Guided Self-Study Program
 
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MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the multi award-winning author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning #HowToDoItFrugally Series (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTXQL27T/ ) of books for writers including "The Frugal Book Promoter" (https://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII), and "The Frugal Editor" both offered in their third editions by Modern History Press. Others in that series are "How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically," and two booklets, both in their second editions also from Modern History Press. The booklets, "Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers" (https://bit.ly/LastMinuteEditsII) and "Great First Impression Book Proposals" (https://bit.ly/BookProposalsII) are career boosters in mini doses and both make ideal thank you gifts for authors. The one on writing book proposals is also available as an Audio Book. "The Frugal Editor "(https://tinyurl.com/TheFrugalEditor), was recently released in its third edition. It is the winningest book in this series for writers. Carolyn also has three frugal books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it helps them understand what is needed to convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is "A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques" (https://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). In addition to this blog, Carolyn helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at https://TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at "The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor" (https://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com). Learn more and follow it to get news on her new releases directly from Amazon at https://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile.