"Love this stuff, but vociferously disagree with the "Resisting Temptations" meme. Adverbs and alternate/odd/uncommon dialogue tags are like having spices t add to your meal. They convey emotion and meaning beyond the base "said/asked" axis and should be used at times when you want to convey something more in your story without cluttering it up," the author elaborated.
"But editors hate them and adverbs and seem to advise removing them all," another critic, sneeringly.
"Like all spices, they must be used and balanced well," a third unsolicited writer blustered pompously. "Otherwise, your work is boring, if not confusing. Particularly if you do not use any dialogue tags."
Heh! My wife and I were discussing this last night. I lean towards the "spices" view (you'll pry "whispered" out of my cold, dead hands). I see this meme as being more about figuring out when a tag is appropriate, vs. when you would be better off using "said" and conveying emotion another way.
This precisely is the balancing act. Otherwise you end up with "Tom Swiftisms", he exploded electrically.
I like the more elaborate ones, because when you read old literature, they didn't give short shrift to more complex descriptors of speech. There are times for no dialogue tags, and let the emotion of the interaction carry it. Simple dialogue tags should be used when there's no reason to convey more information or it's a delineator between character talking that needs not be interfered with. Things that when you'd do a script for the audio book you'd leave out. But then there's about the other 40-60% or so that can benefit from juicing them up, either by the dialogue tags or attached adverbs and adjectives in an action.
I use them because it gives my writing a little more classic feel because of it, despite I've had at least two editors get pissy about it. One trashing me hard in a review. (but I will admit after reading the guy's own work, he is not qualified to give such criticism because his work was as bland as hospital mashed potatoes and twice as boring. It existed, but had little reason to.)
The "classic" feel is something I noticed recently while reading "Red Nails". There's hardly a simple dialogue tag to be found. It was a bit strange at first - and a bit much - but once I got accustomed to it, I realized it made for a shorter more fast-paced story. Would it work everywhere? Likely not. But for a pulpy sword & sorcery story, it does work well.
I'm definitely not quite so hard core, but I do have times when I write like that. You overuse it, you get the same problem of overusing tags or not using them enough. It's like you have to cycle through the three and that gives you a nicely flavored balance. No tags, plain tags, fancyass tags. LOL
"Love this stuff, but vociferously disagree with the "Resisting Temptations" meme. Adverbs and alternate/odd/uncommon dialogue tags are like having spices t add to your meal. They convey emotion and meaning beyond the base "said/asked" axis and should be used at times when you want to convey something more in your story without cluttering it up," the author elaborated.
"But editors hate them and adverbs and seem to advise removing them all," another critic, sneeringly.
"Like all spices, they must be used and balanced well," a third unsolicited writer blustered pompously. "Otherwise, your work is boring, if not confusing. Particularly if you do not use any dialogue tags."
"Who's so mad enough to try that?"
"Editors who've gone mad."
;) :P
Heh! My wife and I were discussing this last night. I lean towards the "spices" view (you'll pry "whispered" out of my cold, dead hands). I see this meme as being more about figuring out when a tag is appropriate, vs. when you would be better off using "said" and conveying emotion another way.
This precisely is the balancing act. Otherwise you end up with "Tom Swiftisms", he exploded electrically.
I like the more elaborate ones, because when you read old literature, they didn't give short shrift to more complex descriptors of speech. There are times for no dialogue tags, and let the emotion of the interaction carry it. Simple dialogue tags should be used when there's no reason to convey more information or it's a delineator between character talking that needs not be interfered with. Things that when you'd do a script for the audio book you'd leave out. But then there's about the other 40-60% or so that can benefit from juicing them up, either by the dialogue tags or attached adverbs and adjectives in an action.
I use them because it gives my writing a little more classic feel because of it, despite I've had at least two editors get pissy about it. One trashing me hard in a review. (but I will admit after reading the guy's own work, he is not qualified to give such criticism because his work was as bland as hospital mashed potatoes and twice as boring. It existed, but had little reason to.)
The "classic" feel is something I noticed recently while reading "Red Nails". There's hardly a simple dialogue tag to be found. It was a bit strange at first - and a bit much - but once I got accustomed to it, I realized it made for a shorter more fast-paced story. Would it work everywhere? Likely not. But for a pulpy sword & sorcery story, it does work well.
https://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks06/0600771h.html
Some examples:
"Conan, the Cimmerian!" ejaculated the woman.
"Well?" she demanded.
"Well what?" He seemed puzzled.
"Why, what do you suppose?" he returned impatiently
"And now you think you'll drag me back to Zarallo's camp?" she sneered.
"Don't talk like a fool," he grunted.
"A penniless vagabond," she taunted.
"Where are the fine ships and the bold lads you commanded now?" she sneered.
"At the bottom of the sea, mostly," he replied cheerfully.
I'm definitely not quite so hard core, but I do have times when I write like that. You overuse it, you get the same problem of overusing tags or not using them enough. It's like you have to cycle through the three and that gives you a nicely flavored balance. No tags, plain tags, fancyass tags. LOL
Agree with you and RMA both. In a movie actors convey a lot of stuff just in a line delivery. A story writer doesn't have that.
I understand some people's frustrations, but until someone can demonstrate how you can do:
"A line," she said.
In a way to convey sarcasm, you can't get rid of adverbs.
That first meme won't survive the 2020s, I expect. "Dad, tell me about the old days before Amazon put ads in kindle books." 🤦♂️
I am in too many of these memes and it makes me uncomfortable...