Dialogue Modifiers
We’re told to learn the rules of good writing before breaking them. It’s a great start. As you read plenty, you will see authors breaking those rules.
In Spunk and Bite, Arthur Plotnik quotes two well-known writers over rules of dialogue tags. Elmore Leonard says to only use “said” and skip the modifiers. Stephen King wrote “the adverb is not your best friend” and “don’t shoot the attribution full of steroids.”
I had to laugh at that last one.
According to Plotnik, they are 99 percent right, but he writes that some commercially successful authors get away with it, whereas many do not.
Having edited new writers over the past two decades, I have seen many iterations of tags overdone. I believe that “said” serves a purpose, especially in writing for children where “show, don’t tell” is the best practice.
Writing conventions change
What was once accepted often changes. One convention is avoiding cliched and unnecessary language. Depending on what era books you read, you’re apt to find these longer tags, such as this example from Tom Swift adventure series:
“Fire!” yelled Tom alarmingly.
Theodore A. Rees Cheney agrees with eliminating modifiers, at least to some degree. In Getting the Words Right, he wrote, “The secret of good prose writing is to try first to express the thought with only verbs and nouns. Then, in revision, decide whether they absolutely must be modified to get across the meaning and mood.” He says “to view the adjective or adverb objectively” and if it passes the test of being worthy, then let it stay.
Examples:
I can hear Mum’s voice: “You can’t throw that away!” And it stops me in my tracks. (They Left us Everything, Plum Johnson, 2014)
“My, my… I believe what you’ve got here is a love note, among other things.” He smiled briefly, the wrinkles creasing hard around his eyes. (The Postcard, Beverly Lewis, 1999)
Pay Attention
Listen to how people use words, in their speech and writing, and pay close attention to new words you hear or new uses for words you already know. Cheney calls it being a “word geek.” You can choose to be one and advance your writing skills.
References for writing dialogue:
How to Write Dazzling Dialogue, James Scott Bell
Dialogue, Gloria Kempton, from Write Great Fiction
Writing Dialogue, Tom Chiarella
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Save the dates:
September 6, 7, 8: Tavistock Fall Fair, Tavistock, ON. I will be there, in the arena, with my books and hand-painted watercolour cards.
September 14: Author Afternoons. Waterloo Visitor’s Centre, 10 Father David Bauer Drive, Waterloo, ON. My topic is writing poetry and stories for children.
September 28: In person Group Book Launch, for books released during COVID, by members of the KW Writers Alliance. I will be relaunching Sophie and the Giant Boy.
Discover Your Story, released during COVID, with co-author Donna Mann, will also be available.
This event will be held at the Waterloo Visitor’s Centre, 10 Father David Bauer Drive, Waterloo, ON