I wish someone had showed this to us before we had written our first book. Editors and readers prefer minimal use of dialogue tags in fiction and this is a common place where new writers fall down. What words can you use in writing dialog instead of using said. Said bookisms are often considered lazy writing by readers and critics who want dialogue to speak for itself without the use of fancy tags to carry its meaning and intention for it. In fact, using he said and she said is so familiar to readers that the words blur into the background, retreating so that the main action of dialogue can come to the fore. There is some controversy among writers about using other words beside said and ask.
Second, effective dialogue takes correct punctuation so the reader doesnt get yanked out of the story by a poorly punctuated exchange. Do you have a book in your head, but the word said keeps getting in the way. When it comes to book formatting, dialogue is one of the most difficult to get right. The other half has to do with the tone, volume, and context of peoples words. Yet it suggests words such as enunciated as a synonym for said. Dialogue that acts as an infodump or contains tedious life stuff will frustrated and bore your reader. If the dialogue is not strong enough, rewrite the dialogue instead of using said bookisms to bolster it. If you search for alternative dialogue tags to use in your story, youll find many lists. In the second, making glaring an action rather than tethering it to the dialogue gives us a stronger sense of the characters as acting, fully. If it is indirect internal dialogue, use quotation marks around the words quoted by the other character. You dont want readers to get distracted by the tag. Instead of writing he said loudly, either change the verb to one that means saying loudly, such as shouted, or attribute the loudness in the dialogue beat. Theyre the salt and spice in dialogue, not the whole meal.
And then i realized, jane said with a sigh, that he lied to me. Despite there being many other words for said, remember. While some synonyms for said read naturally such as words conveying volume like whispered, others come across as overwritten and forced, particularly in the wrong context here are 5 simple ways to avoid clunky overuse of he said she said. How to use dialogue tags effectively jeans writing. Its generally accepted and recommended that two verbs are preferred. Dialogue tags are not the place to get creative if you want to draw your reader in. Thats why its best to keep wordy dialogue tags to a minimum and. Like anything else in writing, overuse of anything is lazy writing and can frustrate readers and editors. An even better way to use attributions in dialogue is to use a beat of action instead, like this. Still, published authors use them when it fits the situation. When youre removing them, some might be best if theyre changed to an action or description. Consensus among professional editors and authors is that speech tags should be invisible in the prose so they dont distract or detract from story. Just write the reader will skip over most of the the an and a words.
Well written dialogue should never rely on tags such as the ones below, but should convey its own attitude. Said is alright but using it over and over could create boredom. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to. Perhaps in a novel or short story, selecting other words for said can help you. Weve all read oldtimey books and seen characters exclaiming and ejaculating nonstop. Why should i not use a verb other than said to carry the. Below are 272 alternatives for said that, used sparingly, can help your characters jump off the page. You do not need to do anything with the s endings in your nonstandard words, however, when a word or term is not used functionally but is referred to as the word or term. Of course, you can replace any of these with more vivid, specific phrases she said with a grin, he said as he trotted away, etc. Over 200 words to use instead of said in dialogue book.
Words to use instead of said there is nothing wrong with using the word said in written dialogue. How to use said correctly in a story, what to use instead of it, and. In conversation between characters, alternatives for said can tell the reader. However, if you were to use this tag randomly in the middle of dialogue it.
Press the ctrl key and the f key to open up a search box for instructions on how to properly use the words below, click the instructions button below. Im sure readers tire of seeing this tag peppered throughout a book. Down load 240 words to replace said words not to use instead of said. Jun 23, 2017 over 200 words to use instead of said in dialogue stay safe and healthy. If you must use something different for the occasional question, you could throw in asked for variety, but not too often. When dialogue is abruptly interrupted or cut off, use an emdash inside the quotation mark. The word said, like asked, gives no colour and personality to a characters utterance. Then make it clear from the dialogue itself, or from the characters actions as he or she speaks, precisely how the words are being spoken. Instead, the book simply supplies a list of words to use for bad dialogue scenes. What words can you use in writing dialogue instead of using the word the. Then when you edit, you can remove as many as possible. Writing inspiration prompts book writing tips creative writing prompts writing words writing help writing ideas other words for said words instead of said other ways to say other ways to say said here are dialogue words you can use instead of said, categorized by the kind of emotion or scenario they convey.
If you have a character who says, man, dont you love it when girls say, im fine. Every sentence is an opportunity to tell a part of that story, elaborating on the plot. Although keep in mind that these are not synonyms for said. Theyre meant to make communication clear and easy and consistent. In this language arts worksheet, your child will read the passage to find all the words the author used instead of said and write words that can be used to mean said and asked. Back in the day when most of us started writing, the books we were reading used dialogue tags such. When writing dialogue in a story, the conversation is only half the battle. The 242 words are arranged into a variety of lists to help writers and. Its common to use the verb say over and over again when writing dialogue.
Below are 272 alternatives for said that, used sparingly, can help your characters jump. Then, your child will practice locating and writing the title and author of the book this passage comes from. There are times when you might want to make a line of dialogue a little more expressive. One way to avoid unnecessary dialogue is to use summarized dialogue. Sign up for our incredible list of words you can use instead of said. Using alternate words instead of ask gives you the opportunity to add emotion to your dialogue. Other times, its a good idea to choose a synonym instead of said. Be sure to read my post from yesterday, where i suggested that good writers use few dialogue tags to indicate who is speaking, and when they do, they rely on trusty old said and occasionally asked still, theres nothing wrong with mixing it up on occasion especially when how something is said is particularly important and not sufficiently clear through the dialogue itself. Synonyms for dialogue at with free online thesaurus, antonyms, and definitions.
Plus key tips on how to use these words to create masterful dialogue. Be careful not to treat the word said as a word to be avoided. Alternatives to he said in dialogue writing stack exchange. First, dialogue isnt usually the place to use complete sentences because most people in everyday conversations speak in phrases and single words. Dont know about you but i do tire of using he said, she said over and over. The words will come to tony after he takes a break from writing his book. Yes, most of the time you can just use he said and she said to indicate.
The writer quotes people, but doesnt use the word said once. They can be used to give the correct expression to the sentence. These words make it sound as if you have fallen in love with your thesaurus. This dialogue thesaurus packet is a compilation of words writers use instead of said. When we first started writing our novels, this is a mistake we made. It does not skim over she replied, he retorted, she answered. Repeating the word said too often can get annoying. How to use dialogue tags like a pro novel writing help. Just make sure that you dont employ the writing examples as gospel.
Yes there are verbs you should never use instead of said in your dialog tags. Be sure to refresh the page by pressing both the ctrl key and the f5 key to ensure you are seeing the latest version looking for a specific word. Use words besides said but only if they are called for. But these days, using other words instead of said is one of the key signifiers of purple prose. A good writer makes good choices, often balancing hisher use of verbs. Use single quotes if the person speaking is quoting someone. With all of the words we say weve stopped using some particularly wonderful ones.
For a nondialogue beat to break up a line of dialogue, use either commas or emdashes. There are abundant words to use instead, yet purists believe youre probably best not using them, since readers pay such little attention to said it effectively becomes invisible. As a resource for alternate words, this book is great. Ive never met a writer, whether working on an epic fantasy novel or a truelife account of a harrowing experience, who hasnt wanted her reader to get completely lost in the words on the page. What words can you use in writing dialogue instead. Fred thought about the time that sandy said, i love you. There is also a fulltext listing with words for said categorized by emotion or association.
To better describe the feelings behind the reported speech and other statements in narrative writing, its important to use vocal verbs and adverbs. Instead of dictating exactly what a character says, you can sum it up and keep it as part of the narrative. In writing, a dialogue tag is a group of words that follow a line of speech. When writing dialogue in a book, tags exist for only one purpose. If the dialogue is strong enough, she said and he said will do. Totally agree we need these words back in our everyday vocab. The infographic at the end of this article gives you a full list of 350 words you can use in place of said. The individual emotional or mental states of the conversants. Too many can make your dialogue start to feel like a compendium of emotive speechverbs. Not all of them are synonyms but alternatives that can be used to give more color and expression to your writing. A storyboard will explode your creative writing writing a great book on show your characters using your setting 8 tricks about our books writing a great book % % on is this website right for you. Not only is he said she said repetitive, but its also not very descriptive. A good practice to follow is that when its understandable who is speaking the line of dialogue, you can remove the verb completely. Let your dialogue do the talking bookbaby blog book.