He Said, She Said, Who Said
Using dialogue in stories (in fact in any writing) creates
realism and involves readers, allowing them to see and feel what
is happening. However, writing believable, realistic dialogue
takes care, not only in creating the dialogue itself, but also
in knowing how to allow the readers to know who said what.
The first step in writing "good" dialogue is to have it sound
natural. Listen to how people talk. Note regional dialects,
commonly used slang, accents, and even formal English usage.
When using dialects or accents, though, be sure each is used
well enough that the reader can still understand what the
character is saying.
As well as sounding realistic, good dialogue reveals a
character's personality and background. For example, a reader
would expect a person who speaks very formal English to be well
educated, perhaps of a higher economic status than most people.
Perhaps, that character is really pretentious. Either way,
having him speak formally lets the reader know something about
him.
Using words in place of "said" that show how a person speaks
reveals things about a character, too. He muttered as he turned
away, "I don't believe a word of it." Other words such as
shouted, mumbled, whined, begged, or complained add more about
the character than the words spoken do by themselves.
Also, dialogue moves the plot or action of the story. The
current thought of "show, don't tell" makes the use of dialogue
even more important, allowing the speaker's words show
what is happening or will happen.
Dialogue can show relationship between characters. A writer can
reveal how they feel about each other by allowing their words to
speak. Gentle speech shows fondness or love. Interruptions or
harsh words indicate different emotions.
Using dialogue tags aren't always necessary. For example, when
two people are volleying comments back and forth in short spurts
of speech, unless confusion is possible, using tags isn't
necessary. Of course other information may be used in the same
paragraph to help the reader know what occurs with the
conversation:
Malcom released a strong burst of air before he turned back to
Alice. "I'm not sure I understand you at all."
"What's not to understand? I'm tired of these games."
"I'm not playing any game."
If the conversation becomes lengthy, using tags occasionally
also helps keep the reader from becoming confused. Giving action
information in the paragraph also helps to avoid confusion, but
the action should be by the speaker in that paragraph.
Many excellent substitutes exist for "said," but sometimes that
word is the best tag to use. Of course, as discussed earlier,
sometimes no tag is necessary at all. According to Nancy Kress,
Writer's Digest November 2005, ". . . when used
reasonably, readers don't actually notice dialogue tags; they
should bled into the page. Some words that identify tone of
voice can sharpen the reader's mental image without calling
undue attention to themselves."
The important thing to remember is to make dialogue believable,
understandable, and a pivotal part of the story, using tags only
as needed.
Sources: 1. Writer's Companion, Prentice Hall.
2. Writer's Digest, November 2005. 3. Notes and lesson
plans from Vivian Gilbert Zabel