Writerly Ways

This came up in my writer's group this round. One of them (rightfully) pointed out it was confusing because it was hard to tell who was saying what in a three or more person conversation. If there is one thing I know it's writing advice is like blood, everyone has some. Doesn't mean it's any good.

A crap ton of modern editors are rampaging over using dialogue tags with names in them. ‘You should be able to tell who’s talking just by how they talk.’ Oh bullcrap. Exactly how? Does everyone get a weird conversational tic? Do I create a Henry Standing Bear or Commander Data who don't use contractions? Please, let's not go with the nearly unreadable accent tag (Looking at you Gambit)

So yes, if we have multiple characters in a conversation it can be confusing. Heck I’ve been the secretary at school committee meetings and even then hearing it live I can’t always tell who said what just by listening so why should anyone be able to do so on a page with five speakers and no indicators as to who is speaking.

So how do you handle this? Do you put a lot of tags? Do you hope for the best? Do you just let them muddle through because the dialogue is more important than who says it?

Open Call

Dark Recesses Summer 2023 Issue I submitted to them last month, haven't heard back yet

Shadows Over Main Street Volume 3 Small-town Lovecraftian horror

The First Line – Summer 2023 (Been rejected by them in the past but they were really nice about it)

PsychoToxin Press is Open To Novellas! (ugh I need another 5K on my long short story to be a novella really but I'm not sure that would work)

Planet Bizarro Is Open To Novels & Novellas weird stories

Solarpunk Magazine March 2023 Window (Early) BIPOC authors only

Five Paying Literary Magazines to Submit to in February 2023



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