what is a dialogue tag

Dialogue tags are phrases used to indicate which character is speaking in a written dialogue, making it easier for the reader to follow the conversation. They can be placed before, after, or in the middle of actual dialogue and can convey the emotion, tone, and context of a conversation. The most common dialogue tag is the word "said," but overuse of this tag can become monotonous and bland. To avoid overusing dialogue tags, authors can implement action prior to a certain character speaking, so that the reader knows who is talking and recognizes the tone in which they are speaking. Alternatively, authors can omit dialogue tags altogether if they are confident that the reader can keep track of who is saying what in a conversation. When using dialogue tags, it is important to use them effectively and not to make them the main focus of writing, but simply a mechanical part of linking a story together by way of dialogue between characters. The best thing to do as a writer is to look at the industry standard for your genre or writing field and use those as a model for your own practice.