At a glance, dialogue tags seem like a fairly simple matter, right? I know you know how to use the basic he said/she said tags. However, there is a bigger issue that demands our attention.
Many writers use non-speech words in their dialogue tags. To give you an idea of what I'm talking about, consider the following examples:
"I don't care," she shrugged.
"I hope you like it," he grinned.
"I can't wait!" she hopped.
Hopped, grinned, and shrugged are not ways of speaking; they are verbs that have nothing to do with the words that are coming out of the person's mouth.
I'm well aware that this is a common practice, and it often sneaks its way into professionally published literature. However, it is incorrect. It is impossible to shrug words or hop words. It is also impossible to grin words. You can shrug, grin, or hop while speaking, but the entire point of a dialogue tag is to identify the speaker and their way of speaking. Most of the time, actually, the tag doesn't even have to identify the way of speaking. The context and the words can do that instead.
As you browse the internet in search of writing tips on dialogue tags, you'll find the common admonition that "said" should be the go-to tag in most instances. Sometimes, it is fine to use words like "exclaimed," "teased," or "shouted," but, the majority of the time that isn't necessary.
Using non-speech words as part of a dialogue tag can distract readers even though they know what you are trying to say. My advice: don't risk it.
Here are some ways to rewrite the above examples of incorrect dialogue tags:
"I don't care," she said as she shrugged.
"I hope you like it." He grinned. (Notice that this is not a dialogue tag. Because the speech ended with a period, "He grinned" is an entirely new sentence.)
"I can't wait!" she exclaimed as she hopped from foot to foot.
What is your take on this rather hot-button issue?
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