Have you noticed that people in the writing community sometimes have strong feelings about dialogue tags? Some people hate them. Some people defend them. And some people insist one should never use a word other than “said” in a dialogue tag.

Sorry to disappoint anyone, but I am not going to weigh in on the debate about using tags other than “said.” Instead, I’m going to talk about using action beats (also called action tags) as an alternative to dialogue tags. Most of the time, this is my preferred method of handling dialogue. Action tags make it clear who’s speaking without requiring direct “he said” or “she murmured” tags.

Example One

Here’s an example of a traditional dialogue tag:

“I know, Mother,” he said, trying not to show his irritation.

There’s not necessarily anything wrong with that line, but it could just as easily be rewritten without the dialogue tag:

“I know, Mother.” He tried not to show his irritation.

One of my Twitter followers suggested substituting “He bit back his irritation,” which uses a stronger verb. I approve!

Example Two

Here’s a case where a wordy line can be simplified.

“You met her, then?” he asked, though it was hard to force the words out.

This line can be shortened considerably while also avoiding the verb “to be.”

“You met her, then?” He struggled to force the words out.

Example Three

Keep in mind that revisions don’t always reduce word count. Sometimes it takes MORE words to strengthen a line. For example,

“Where is my notebook?” I muttered.

That’s short and direct. Simple is often best, and in some cases, this would be ideal. But you could also use an action beat here, if you preferred.

I looked about in confusion. “Where is my notebook?”

As the above example shows, action beats aren’t just an alternative to dialogue tags. They can also help readers better picture what’s going on during the conversation. This helps you avoid the problem of having “talking heads” just chatting back and forth for long stretches.

Example Four

Action beats can also help you picture a character’s facial expressions, as in this example from THE LADY, THE WOLF, AND THE ROSE:

“Just a scratch?” My jaw dropped. “It’s going to need stitches!” I closed my mouth and swallowed uneasily as I studied the injury.

That line makes it clear that the narrator (a woman named Janet, if you’re curious) is the one talking, but without using a direct dialogue tag.

A Word of Caution

It’s important to remember that dialogue tags or action beats are sometimes necessary. You need to make it clear which character is talking, especially if there are more than two characters involved in a conversation. Even where there are only two characters talking, too much back and forth without dialogue tags can make it hard to follow the conversation. I’ve read published books in which it was hard to figure out who said what when three characters conversed together. Throw in the occasional tag or action beat to help keep your readers on track!