16.4K
PEDon’t skip THIS 👇
This isn’t about bad dialogue; we’re looking for over-explained dialogue.
Specifically: tagging every line with the emotion instead of letting the scene carry it.
Example:
“I didn’t mean to,” she said nervously.
The reader already knows something’s off because the apology told us that.
The adverb is just slowing the moment down.
What works better is letting the body do the talking.
Revision:
“I didn’t mean to.” She folded her hands together, then unfolded them again.
Same line, but more tension and less telling.
Because who likes being told what to think and feel? 😅
Here’s the pattern to watch for in revision:
⏩ emotion tags doing the work dialogue should do
⏩ adverbs explaining the tone the scene already implies
⏩ repetition between what’s said and what’s described
When dialogue carries the weight on its own, the scene moves faster, and it’s going to hit harder.
And just to clarify something:
This doesn’t mean you can never use dialogue tags.
It means you choose them with intention 🩵
If a reader can feel the emotion without being told what it is,
you’re doing it right.
Save this for your next editing session.
It’s one of the fastest clarity upgrades you can make.
Follow @pen.and.polish 😊🙌
@pen.and.polish
