Once students learn the basics of writing dialogue (Writing Dialogue: Part 1), it's time to kick their writing up a notch by teaching students how to write action tags. An action tag shows movement.
This example shows a dialogue tag: "I don't want to go right now," said Adele.
A dialogue tag tells the reader who is speaking. An action tag tells the reader who is speaking (or allows the reader to infer), but shows the speaker's movements.
This is an example of an action tag: "I don't want to go right now." Adele twisted her hair around her finger, pressed her lips together, and plopped down on the couch.
In the action tag, Adele's movements shows the reader through movement her feelings and attitude. You also learn a little about her habits (twisting her hair around her finger). These small movements brings your character to life. You could also have Adele run up the stairs and slam her bedroom door, or plop on the couch and turn on the TV. The movement should show the reader something new about the character and move the story forward to the next moment.
You can follow up an action tag with internal thoughts of the character. The character can think about their feelings, show the reader what they see in their surroundings, think about another character, or what they might do next to solve their problem. Everything the character does and thinks should help move the story forward.
The best way to learn how to write action tags is to study how authors do it. Find examples in children's literature (middle grade or young adult) to study and analyze. Once students deconstruct several examples they should practice writing their own action tags.
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