So, I have this one professor who always crossed out my dialogue tags every time I didn't say "said" or "asked," and last semester I finally asked him why. Apparently, using too many creative tags doesn't work because they lose their effect. "Said" has become invisible over years and years of using it, so that's why he didn't cross them out. Tags stop standing out so all of the creative tags go unnoticed. They only work in moderation. I've been hesitant about sharing this because to took me so darn long to type that list in chapter four, but it's been almost four years since I typed it so I figure past me can get over it.
Thus said, you might be wondering what you can do instead of tags. Well, wonder no more because I have an answer! This improved my writing a lot. Instead of using tags, show an action. It works better than fancy tags because you can accomplish the same thing and it's more interesting. Here's an example.
"I don't know what to do." She crossed her arms and hunched her shoulders. "He could be anywhere."
Cutting down on tags cuts down on repetition and sounds fresher.
YOU ARE READING
Writing Tips and Techniques (Writing Help)
RandomWriting help from an English/Creative Writing major. This is practically a free writing class. It's full of useful writing tips and tricks that I've picked up in my writing career/common mistakes found while editing others' work. I hope you can find...
