While editing a novel recently, I was writing a note to explain the importance of beats. Which led me to an explanation of the importance of varying the kinds of beats we use. Which led me to a realization: dialogue tags and beats and descriptive beats are very different things.
Okay, okay…yes, I already knew that. But I hadn’t really thought it over much. As a writer, I sometimes tend to operate on instinct as much as “study of the craft.” I’ll write something, then realize it’s not quite right and fix it. But I don’t go through an analysis of why it’s not right, I just…fix it. Looking at this element of the craft while editing, though, I needed to analyze so I could explain. So if you ever wondered how an editor’s mind works, well, here goes:
Hmm. That beat after the dialogue doesn’t work. Yes, we need a tag or something here, but this beat is the same as too many other beats.
“Dear author, this is too similar…”
No, wait. It’s not just that it’s too similar. It’s that the action contained in the beat doesn’t really accomplish anything…it doesn’t add anything to the scene. It’s an empty beat. Okay…
“Dear author, this is too similar to other beats and it doesn’t …”
Hang on. Let me read that text again. Hmmmmm….
Stage direction: (Wham! The light dawns—and smacks the editor between the eyes.)
Aha! Okay, what we have here is not just an empty beat, but it’s a simple beat when what we really need is a descriptive beat. Ooo! Cool! Not all beats are equal! Simple beats do a bit more than dialogue tags. But descriptive beats… descriptive beats are like the cream cheese frosting on the brownie! It adds flavor and enhances the sweetness—or harshness, or whatever—of the scene. It gives a glimpse into the character or the setting or the emotions. Oh! Wow! That’s why I love well-done, strategically used descriptive beats! They’re cream-cheese frosting!
Speaking of which…I’m hungry. Maybe I’ll go get some lun—No. Better finish this note first. So where was I… Oh yeah, descriptive beats enhance and deepen the scene.
“Dear author, guess what? I just had a revelation and I owe it to you!…”
So, for the record, a dialogue tag identifies who is speaking and is, in it’s simplest form, he said/she said. (One note: do NOT, ever ever ever, use such things as giggled, chortled, sighed, laughed, guffawed as dialogue tags. For one very simple reason: it’s physically impossible to speak while doing those things. Try it. I dare you. But don’t try to guffaw words. You’ll choke. If you want a simple dialogue tag to identify the speaker(s), go with said.) And dialogue tags work well when they’re needed, such as when more than two people are speaking, or with an extended section of dialogue where readers may end up confused as to who is saying what (and yes, the right word to use there is who, not whom. <gg>).
Beats, in their simplest form, also tell us who is speaking but add a little more:
“It’s so fun to use descriptive beats in fiction!” Her delight made me smile.
This simple beat goes beyond just telling us who is speaking—it also shows she’s delighted and that it’s contagious.
And then there are the descriptive beat, which peels back the layers of the scene to give us a peek beneath the surface…
“It’s so fun to use descriptive beats in fiction!”
Our writing prof clapped her hands and did a little jig, her high heels setting the old, wooden floor to creaking.
The descriptive beats paint a picture of the speaker, even the location/setting. And the beauty is you can use descriptive beats as springboards to do even more:
“It’s so fun to use descriptive beats in fiction!”
Our writing prof clapped her hands and did a little jig, her high heels setting the old, wooden floor to creaking. I couldn’t decide if she was over-the-moon happy–or just a bit crazy.
Maybe even more than a bit.
Probably why I like her so much.
So go on. Get out there and have some fun with descriptive beats. Don’t, of course, overuse them. But when you find spots where they’ll work, enjoy!
Why I Would Make A Terrible Graduation Speaker
Well articulated. Thank you! I’ll add this to my list as yet another thing to pay attention to as I edit. I’ve never thought to ask, “Does this beat enhance the story?” I’ve written by instinct, like you, and then fixed things without analyzing why.
Fun, isn’t it, to stop sometimes and figure out why we do what we do? That’s one of the reasons I love teaching and editing–both make me take a hard look and figure out how to explain what is, in many instances, something that I “just do.”
Karen, now you’ve got me thinking about the beats in my book. As I revise, I’m definitely going to be checking for empty beats. I hadn’t even thought about what my beats are doing to enhance the story before this post. Thanks!
GREAT post!
That’s great. Have fun!
Outstanding message!
This is a beat to dance to while on the dance floor of a story. Your suggestions makes for an interesting Tango to attempt for entertainment and exercise.
Teach on!
Thanks, Carolyn. I will!
Nicely explained, Karen. Let me add one warning about what you’re calling “simple beats.” I’ve seen some writers attempt to render all dialogue without any tags at all (i.e., no he said/she said), substituting innocuous beats instead.
It doesn’t work because the reader is having to form pictures in the mind and they ultimately don’t mean anything. The reader gets tired. The book becomes a slog.
But good old “said” does its job and gets out of the way, leaving the reader to fully enjoy the dialogue.
Right on, Jim. I mentioned that, but your warning emphasizes it. Thanks!
I get all the Laube blogs to my email, but this was awesome enough that I had to stop by and say great job!!!!
Thanks so much, Dina. Nice to have you stop by. 🙂
Cool analysis, Karen. Thanks for the walking tour through your editing process.
You’re welcome, Erin. Always a pleasure to see you here!
Such a great explanation! And presented in a fun way! I’m working on this with my manuscripts. It’s taken a while to get that instinct of where to place a beat and how much.
I hear you, Janet. It takes a lot of reading and studying, and then being willing to take off the author had and tug on the editor hat. But it’s worth it, for us and for our readers. 🙂
Thank you Karen:
Lately as I review my writing I felt something was missing, (ya know like the blank brownie). Maybe this will be the cream cheese.
This was a good post, one more I will add to my writing helps file.
I am new to this site, but so so glad I found it. Did GOD direct me here?? Why not He does strange things. Hummm since He knows all things I’m sure He knows about The Steve Laube Agency.
Ya Ya I know I may be a bit odd. But we writers tend to be a little odd. Anyway some of us do. Maybe I am more so. But I am happy so I’ll try to fix me, just my writing.
The End
Linda, you’re not odd at all. Many, if not most, of us know that God has led us to this adventure we call writing. And I know for a fact that He leads us to places where we will be equipped and encouraged. So welcome!
“Not all beats are equal!” Karen knew her stuff. I scrolled back through the blog, making notes on her key points. And a memo to pick up more cream cheese.
LOL! Love the line about cream cheese! And thanks for the affirmation.
Perfect timing, Karen. Editing my Angela Hunt “That’s” out of the manuscript for 3 days …now I will watch for this as I work on other “Weasel Words”.
To beat or not to beat, trash a worthless beat or add new life to a beat…….
Aye, THAT’S the question!
Loved it. Thank you for the “mechanics.” 🙂
You’re welcome!
I love this post for so many reasons. Love the great content you shared and the informal, humorous delivery thereof.
You’re the kind of person I’d like to have coffee with once or twice a week. You stimulate my thinking and make me laugh simultaneously.
Judith, thanks so much for your kind words.
Wow! I never thought of using beats in writing. Your explanation makes sense in a fun way. Thanks for opening my eyes (and ears) to beats. Your blog came right on time for me as I am starting to edit my book as soon as I finish this email. I will edit for content, flow, and not for beats.
Hi Karen,
I spent my day driving from Mobile, Alabama to Wilmore, KY. I had a lot of hours to think about revising my story. I just got home and checked your blog. Wow! I’ll remember your post as I work. Thanks so much for showing us how to make beats relevant and powerful. I can’t wait to get started in the morning!
Thanks for your article on Dialogue. I always love words that make me think.
As a beginning writer (age 60) I am just learning vocabulary in this new world. I admit it has been a few years since college. So, I want to clarify the meaning of beats in dialogue. I am a piano teacher who knows all about the rhythmic flow of a composition and beats per measure may mean a different thing altogether in writing dialogue.
My best guess has to do with the flow of words so that the dialogue doesn’t feel awkward. Learning when to add the “he said/ she said” depends on this flow. You don’t want to use it all the time in dialogue because it will slow down the flow. However you need it when identifying who is speaking, perhaps in the beginning of the conversation or in changes of speakers. When do you use their proper names and when do you use just he or she? If you have two males speaking together does that change the he said/he said?
Does it sound like I understand what “beats” mean or do I need to go back to the drawing board?