When I was looking for a copy editor for my first novel a few years back, I went on Reedsy and pitched four editors. I answered a few questions about the database of my book and submitted the first 5 chapters. One of the editors, Susan Edwards, replied back that my book looked “really fun and interesting” and that I was “a good writer with fairly strong basic skills”, but she said that I was “not clear on how to punctuate dialogue tags”. She was so kind as to send me a tutorial, a basic Word document, with all the related rules, asking me to fix those before I send my manuscript to an editor.
Unfortunately, the cost was not within my budget and I ended up not working with an editor at all, but I’m so grateful for this editor’s free tutorial and the valuable knowledge that she offered. Since then, my writing has become more refined and I’m proud of that. In this post, I am going to pay it forward by listing all the rules and conditions for writing and punctuating dialogue tags, hoping that you will up your game and deliver a more polished manuscript.
“All we know is still infinitely less than all that remains unknown.”
William Harvey
Dialogue must adhere to a standard format that, if it fails to follow, will make your dialogue unprofessional and hard to read. However, the rules are so simple and clear-cut that you can immediately start applying in your WIP (Work in Progress) after just reading this post.
What Are Dialogue Tags?
A dialogue tag is the short phrase that goes before, in the middle of, or after the dialogue, and shows who is speaking.
“Are you okay?” asked Ron.
The dialogue tag in this sentence is “asked Ron”.
How to Punctuate Dialogue Tags?
Knowing that dialogue tags can come before, in the middle of, or after the dialogue, each will be punctuated differently, but one thing does not change: THE PUNCTUATION OF THE DIALOGUE ALWAYS GOES INSIDE QUOTATION MARKS. Look at these examples.
“I have a bad feeling about this,” Hans said.
“You cannot blame him,” she said, “for not calling back.”
He shook his head, “You keep defending him!”
Tag Before Dialogue
Jane asked, “Do you need anything?”
How to write?
- Use a comma after the dialogue tag.
- Open quotation marks.
- Start dialogue with a capital letter if it is the beginning of a sentence.
- End with a punctuation.
- Close quotation marks.
Tag in Between Dialogue
“Regular exercise,” she explained, “enhances your sense of mental well-being.”
How to write?
- Write the first part of the dialogue between quotations, with the punctuation―usually a comma―inside the quotation marks.
- Write the dialogue tag.
- Put a comma―after the tag and OUTSIDE the quotation marks.
- Open quotation marks.
- Start the second part of the dialogue―with a small letter if the sentence continues, as is usually the case.
- End the dialogue with the right punctuation and close quotations.
Tag After Dialogue
“This book is written by Mark Twain,” Dani said.
“This book is written by Mark Twain,” he said.
No matter what the punctuation you use after the dialogue, the dialogue tag always starts with a lowercase letter unless it starts with a proper noun.
How to write?
- Write the dialogue between quotation marks.
- Start the tag with a small letter unless it starts with a proper noun.
- End the tag with appropriate punctuation.
P.S. With interrogative and exclamatory sentences in dialogue, use the question and exclamation marks normally. However, if the dialogue is declarative or imperative, end it with a comma instead of a period if the dialogue tag comes after it.
“Was this book written by Mark Twain?” asked Dani.
“Mark Twain is an amazing author!” said Dani.
“This book is written by Mark Twain,” Dani said.
“Read this book,” Dani told Ron.
Common Tag Problems and Possible Solutions
Tag Overuse
See this example, a dialogue between two people.
“Why are you removing the lid?” asked Robert.
Ben replied, “I want to check the water level.”
“But I already did that yesterday!” Robert exclaimed.
“Leave me alone, man,” Ben murmured.
I think it’s obvious in this example that overusing dialogue tags can get distracting and irritating to the reader. It’s like the stage director has decided to appear on stage with the actors and announce his directions during the play. It’s an annoying turn-off that an engaged reader will immediately lose interest and get detached from the story events.
We want to make the reader a part of the story world, and that requires minimal distractions from the author. SO HOW TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM?
Solve It: Introduce The Characters at the Beginning of the Dialogue
By introducing who’s speaking at the beginning of the dialogue with tags, the reader can easily figure out who’s speaking as they follow the conversation. And that means using dialogue tags after each spoken sentence becomes unnecessary.
“Why are you removing the lid?” asked Robert.
Ben replied, “I want to check the water level.”
“But I already did that yesterday!”
“Leave me alone, man!”
If the dialogue is happening between more than two characters, then you can drop dialogue tags here and there, only enough for understanding, but the less the better.
Looking for Synonyms of Said
Many writers believe that repetitive words make a manuscript weak, and that skillful writers have a store of synonyms for each word. This might be true in general, but when it comes to dialogue tags, synonyms of the word said won’t be as effective. In fact, they’re another reminder of a stage director concealed in the actors’ shadows.
“Why are you removing the lid?” inquired Robert.
Ben responded, “I want to check the water level.”
“But I already did that yesterday!” Robert bellowed.
“Leave me alone, man,” Ben muttered.
Solve It: Leave The Thesaurus for Once
When the reader is flipping fast through a book, the word said becomes another punctuation mark, subtle and to the point. I’ve never seen a reader wave a book at the writer and demand fancy language, but I have met readers wishing to wave a book at the writer for its off-putting, flowery language. Just use said, and the occasional asked for questions.
“Why are you removing the lid?” asked Robert.
Ben said, “I want to check the water level.”
Just right. The focus is now on the dialogue instead of the mechanics.
Adverbs
Sometimes you feel the urge to explain how the character said something, and the easiest way to do that is by using adverbs.
“Why are you removing the lid?” asked Robert angrily.
Ben replied nonchalantly, “I want to check the water level.”
“But I already did that yesterday!” he said loudly.
“Leave me alone, man!” Ben said tonelessly.
Okay, I overdid it, but using adverbs indicates amateur writing with telling, telling, and more telling. It’s like standing on the reader’s shoulder and telling her how the characters said their words. “Psst. Robert said this loudly, by the way. Okay, go on.” Do you know what’s the most annoying thing for readers? It’s when writers make themselves seen through their word choice, which reminds the readers that this is just an unreal work of fiction.
Solve It: Insert Action and Descriptions into Dialogue
So how do I make myself unseen, you may ask. Well. I’ve found the best way is to replace dialogue tags with action, or follow them with description.
“Why are you removing the lid?” asked Robert, frowning.
Ben shrugged without looking up. “I want to check the water level.”
“But I already did that yesterday!” He got closer, getting between Ben and the car hood.
“Leave me alone, man!” Ben pushed him out of the way.
Ha! Suspense! I smell a fight.
A quick question. Which dialogue reads better? Is it the one with adverbs above or this one?
I know your answer.
The beats of action and description contribute to the story on so many levels. First and foremost, the dialogue comes to life, and the reader can easily visualize the characters. Second, the background sets the stage and becomes a part of the dialogue, making it three-dimensional and real. Finally, you, as the writer, will have the opportunity to embed emotions, reflections, and character into dialogue. And here you’ve got a valuable tool to create engaging stories, something that adverbs can never help achieve.
P.S. If you replace dialogue tags with actions, stop dealing with them as tags. Punctuate them as you would independent sentences.
Writing dialogue can be daunting sometimes, especially for beginners, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Now that you can write dialogue with proper punctuation and the right balance of dialogue tags and action beats, you are more likely to deliver realistic and lively dialogue that readers will love.
Again I thank Susan Edwards, and as a way of saying thank you, I invite you to check her out if you’re thinking of hiring a professional editor.
It’s your turn. What other problems do you face when you write dialogue? Has anybody given you a piece of writing advice that has helped you improve your writing skills? Tell us about it in the comments, then get to your story and polish your dialogue.
If you’ve found this post beneficial and to the point, help spread the word by liking and sharing with your writer friends.
Fiction Cozy Cabin 
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