Way back, around the Millenium, Whispersecret published several "How To" articles to assist Literotica writers with improving their skills. My contribution below is a sort of companion piece (without any exams) to one of these articles, "How to Make Characters Talk".

I strongly encourage you to read Whispersecret's article for a better understanding of dialogue tags in general before delving into the information below.

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Dialogue tags are words or phrases used to indicate who is speaking in a story, and how they are speaking. These tags are necessary for clarity (knowing who is speaking), setting the desired tone, and conveying character emotions and actions (how they are speaking), that may not be apparent from the dialogue alone.

Using the same dialogue tags repeatedly can be distracting to readers and detract from the overall story. If you're like me, you are constantly searching for new ways to express your characters' emotions and actions through dialogue.

Here are some questions to ask yourself that will help you determine whether or not a chosen dialogue tag enhances a scene.

• What is the overall tone of the scene? Think of an erotic scene and ask yourself how the chosen dialogue tags for each character contribute to building the tone through the entire scene?
• Do the chosen dialogue tags provide additional context or clarification to the reader about the scene or the characters? Are they redundant to something that is already obvious given the character dialogue or the context in which it is spoken?
• Do the dialogue tags distract from the message that the character is sending to the other people in the context intended?
• Can the reader comprehend the sentence in the same way with or without the dialogue tag?

By considering these questions, you, as a writer, can determine which dialogue tags are appropriate for each situation in a story.

There are roughly a dozen distinct dialogue tag types, which are intended to each convey a different conversation dynamic. In no particular order, these types are:

• Basic dialogue tags. These are simplistic and unobtrusive words or phrases ideal of every day conversation.
• Dialogue tags establishing tone. These tags are used to convey how a character is communicating. It could be light-hearted, sarcastic, sensual, or some combination.
• Dialogue tags denoting speed/rhythm. As implied, these tags can be employed to show the pace of speech to provide readers with an idea of the character's emotional state and thought process.
• Dialogue tags specifying volume. These tags add a degree of emotion and context by showing how loud or quiet the character is speaking.
• Dialogue tags conveying emotion. These tags show readers how a character is feeling by the way that their words are described.
• Dialogue tags indicating action. These tags are typically used to convey physical characteristics or body language related to how dialogue is being communicated.
• Dialogue tags expressing assurance or doubt. These tags are used to establish the character's confidence, or lack of confidence, in what they are saying.
• Dialogue tags for surprise or sudden realization. Moments of surprise or sudden realization by a character are shown through the use of these tags.
• Dialogue tags establishing agreement or dissent. These tags are employed to demonstrate the agreement or disagreement between characters.
• Dialogue tags to persuade. These tags show a character's efforts to sway another to their way of thinking.
• Dialogue tags seeking answers or information (Probing). Use these tags when a character is seeking information or answers.
• Dialogue tags showing collaboration (Informative). These tags are used when characters share their knowledge and information with others.

I will provide a few examples of common dialogue tags that I have used for each of the listed types. The list of examples is certainly not all-inclusive, and several dialogue tags can be utilized across different types:

Basic: answered / asked / replied / said

Tone: jeered / snapped / retorted / quipped / taunted / scolded / admonished / lectured / encouraged / nonchalant / begging / pleading / clipped / calm / cold / emphatic / inscrutable / polite / encouraged / commanding / sultry / sexily / sultry / aroused / excited /nasty / naughty / alluring / disembodied

Rhythm: rambled / drawled / stuttered / stammered / rushed / blurted / mumbled / droned / chanted / breathlessly / panting

Volume: shouted / muttered / murmured / whispered / screamed / bellowed / hollered / roared / hissed / says softly

Emotion: sobbed / sighed / giggled / laughed / cried / moaned / snarled / growled / sneered / scoffs / bitterly / acrimoniously / with awe / bemused / amused / surprised / lovingly /

Action: choked / coughed / croaked / gasped / hiccupped / panted / snorts / sputtered / wheezed / yawned / smirked / ordered / commanded

Certainty: announced / asserted / declared / doubted / guessed / insisted / proclaimed / speculated / wondered

Surprise: blurted / deduced / discovered / exclaimed / gaped / gasped / marveled / realized / stammered

Agreeable: acknowledged / acquiesced / agreed / concedes / concurred / consented / disputed / noncommittedly / objected / opposed / protested

Persuade: advised / begged / cajoled / coaxed / implored / pleaded / proposed / recommended / urged

Probing: grilled / inquired / interrogated / pressed / pried / probed / queried / questioned

Informative: described / disclosed / divulged / elaborated / explained / informed / narrated / recounted / revealed

In conclusion:

Employing a diverse selection of dialogue tags can significantly enhance the quality of your erotic writing. It can make the scenes more engaging and enjoyable for your readers, evoking visceral feelings that leave them wanting to read more of your works.

However, you will need to create a balance between clarity and variety. If successful, the dialogue tags will add depth to your erotic writing without overpowering the dialogue itself.

One final suggestion: It is generally a best practice to evaluate all your dialogues tags when editing your story rather than putting too much focus on them during the creative writing phase. Viewing dialogue tags with the scope of the entire story available to you will allow for a more comprehensive assessment of which ones work best when.