Dialogue Tags – Don’t Get Crazy

I’ll never forget the time I read a line of dialogue of in a Nancy Drew book that ended…Nancypontificated.I laughed out loud. Everyone knows Nancy Drew has strongopinions. She’s always pontificating. Why would the author need to interject herself into the dialogue with such a dialogue tag as pontificated?! Said would have easily done the job, and I could have continued reading without smirking.

I’ve seen a fewlong lists of dialogue tags on Pinterest being circulated on boards for writers, su...