A character tag is a word, phrase, description, trait, or concept repeatedly associated with a specific character.

Purpose of Character Tags in Fiction

1. Tags help define a character, making him more distinct, more individualized from other characters in the story.
2. Tags work as identifiers–they make it easier for the audience to quickly identify a character.
3. Tags help with recall. When used appropriately, a character tag allows the reader to immediately recall the character, his traits, personality, and mannerisms.

Character tags can be particularly useful for flat characters and characters with small roles, who are often only defined by a few features, but tags can also be useful for round characters and characters with major roles.

They’re especially important when working with a large cast of characters, because they allow the audience to easily keep track of who is who.

But in order to better understand them, let’s look at some examples.

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