These lines essentially serve the same purpose as a Dialogue tag, and tend to get lumped together into that category. When I talk about dialogue tags in later chapters and in critiques, I often mean to include these, too. So when I say "dialogue tag" it usually means putting an ID on the speaker of the dialogue in one of these ways. Many writers have vague dialogue, and I just want a tag on them, not necessarily he/she said.
Action/description tags are alternate substitutions for where you don't want or need a true dialogue tag. They still serve to provide context and information and identify the speaker. The main difference is that they don't have to comment on how the dialogue is being spoken.
Example:
Todd gathered Laura's body into his arms. He kissed her nose, cheeks, lips, ears- everywhere he could reach except the glistening pinpricks on her neck. "You should have kept the window locked, my darling. There's no room in heaven for you now."
Easy, right?
Action and description tags tend to paint the scene more clearly in the reader's imagination. They steer you away from having a story of talking heads.
If when you're editing you realize that you just have all talk and no action, this is a good place to start! These tags generally count as part of storytelling, so if you're freaking out about how many dialogue tags you have, swapping some for action tags is a good way to reduce repetition and better involve a reader in a scene. Two birds, one stone. Smart choice.
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Write Better: Tips and tricks
Non-FictionThe guide for aspiring fiction writers who want to improve, sharpen, review, and/or learn. Warning! This book encourages editing and contains many tips that often require revision. Practice makes perfect, and it's good to workout your mental musc...
