SKIP AHEAD:
The Magic of 'Said'
The new writer will naturally freak out that they have written 'said' too many times in their manuscript. 'She said,' 'he said,' 'they said.' Frankly, if you don't worry about 'said,' you aren't trying hard enough. Without someone to tell us otherwise, we would spend ages looking up synonyms. Replacing a perfectly lovely dialogue tag, like 'said' with garbage synonyms that aren't being used through choice but rather as a result of a misconception. That's why when I recently stumbled on a massive array of lists of synonyms for said, I wasn't surprised, but I was annoyed. “Said is dead,” “190 ways to say said,” “STOP saying said; use these words instead.” Lists do well for SEO and draw clicks and views, but simply replacing 'said' with a word from a list because you feel like you're using it too much isn’t good advice.
Said is A Dialogue Tag, So is Uttered, Whispered, and Screamed
What is a dialogue tag?
A dialogue tag breaks up a sentence and indicates who a speaker is.
"What a lovely day," Jane said.
"Is it?" Mark asked. "I don't think so."
Uttered, remarked, stated, and so on are also dialogue tags, but they are not a replacement for 'said' no matter how much the convenient list of synonyms might want you to believe otherwise. The human brain skips over basic words like 'said.' It does not skip over words like 'commented,' 'whispered,' or 'screamed.' In the writing world, said is considered almost invisible; the reader doesn't have to use a lot of energy to interpret what it means and apply it to the rest of the narrative.
There is some evidence that suggests readers skim one-third of all words on average. The longer the word—such as whispered, uttered, screamed—the more attention it receives. Three-letter words are skipped about 67% of the time, and 7 to 8-letter words are only skipped about 20% of the time. But—you might say—I don't want readers to skim over what I write. You do when you're writing dialogue. If they are going to skim regardless, then you want the focus and the flow to be on what your character says, on the actual dialogue, rather than the style in which they say it.
So, all that being said, should you avoid ‘said’ and how to do it? Don't waste your time doing away with 'said' by replacing it with a litany of utterly useless synonyms. It won't improve your writing; instead, find practical ways to only use 'said' when necessary.
Examples of dialogue tags*:
said
commented
uttered
whispered
remarked
stated
laughed
suggested
exclaimed
chatted
crowed
*Do not use these as a replacement for said unless you have a good reason.
Can You Use Too Many Dialogue Tags? How To Use Said Wrong.
Dialogue tags aren't always necessary, and using too many of them will clog up the flow of your dialogue. Said is undoubtedly the best dialogue tag out there, but even said can be over-applied.
"What a lovely day," Jane said.
"Is it?" Mark asked.
"How could you think it's not? The sun is shining. The sky is blue," Jane said.
"I would think it more lovely if we weren't both dead," Mark said.
"Details, details," Jane said
"Important ones," Mark said.
Unfortunately, the answer to an overabundance of 'said' is not to replace them with synonyms—which would be much easier. When we replace ‘said’ without any real justification behind it, the result is not better and is, in fact, a lot worse.
"What a lovely day," Jane sighed.
"Is it?" Mark snipped.
"How can you doubt it?" Benedict queried. "The sun is shining. The sky is blue."
"I would think more of the sunshine if Jane and I weren't both dead," Mark declared.
"Details, details," Benedict suggested.
"Important ones," Mark clarified.
Using Reader Expectation Instead of Dialogue Tags
A back-and-forth between two characters can avoid dialogue tags altogether. When there are only two characters in a scene—it gets more complicated when there are more than two—the reader expects a back-and-forth. As a result, you don't have to tell the reader which character is speaking every time.
"What a lovely day," Jane said.
"Is it?" Mark asked.
"How could you think it's not? The sun is shining. The sky is blue."
"I would think it more lovely if we weren't both dead."
"Details, details."
"Important ones."
Using Actions Tags To Indicate The Speaker
Similar to a dialogue tag, an action tag indicates who the speaker is but through action. The action tag is separate from the dialogue and not contained within the quotation marks.
"What a lovely day." Jane flung her arms into the air, taking a deep, happy breath.
An action tag should sit on the same line as the speaker, not on a preceding or subsequent line. Placing the two together pairs the speaker and action together. The below sentence suggests that the speaker and Jane are separate people.
"What a lovely day."
Jane flung her arms into the air, taking a deep, happy breath.
Action tags can be used to describe other information and setting, helping to build your narrative.
"What a lovely day." Jane flung her arms into the air, taking a deep, happy breath.
Mark squinted at the sky with a doubtful look. "Is it?"
"How could you think it's not?" Jane tilted her face to the sky, "The sun is shining. The sky is blue."
"I would think it more lovely if we weren't both dead."
"Details, details."
"Important ones."
This technique works well when you have more than two characters and need to be more subtle with your dialogue tags.
Jane turned her face to the sky with a deep sigh of satisfaction. To her core, she was warm and happy. "What a lovely day."
Mark squinted at her. "Is it?"
"How can you doubt it?" Benedict asked, admiring the glint of his gold buttons in the sunlight. "The sun is shining. The sky is blue." He grinned at Jane, who smiled back, a sparkle of delight in her eyes.
Mark sighed his irritation. "I would think more of the sunshine if Jane and I weren't both dead."
Benedict waved a dismissive hand. "Details, details."
"Important ones." Mark turned on his heel and walked away.
When IS Said Dead?
Said is only dead when you need to convey something besides from who is speaking. The primary goal of an action tag is to inform the reader who is speaking. If other information is needed but cannot be conveyed through body language or the actual dialogue, another dialogue tag—besides from said— can be called upon. If a character is whispering, screaming, bellowing, etc., then an appropriate dialogue tag can get the reader there faster than said or an action tag.
"Keep quiet," Jane said.
Or
"Keep quiet," Jane whispered.
Or
"Keep quiet," Jane screamed.
Or
Jane raised a finger to her lip, saying in a low voice, "keep quiet."
How To Use Adverbs and Dialogue Tags
An adverb can be used to modify a dialogue tag, adding another layer. Many writers will argue that if you need an adverbial dialogue tag to convey the tone of your dialogue, then you need to re-write your dialogue. I am not a proponent of this idea, but do whatever works for you. A well-placed adverb reflects how we speak in everyday life, where we use our tone to convey the meaning behind what we say.
"I would think more of the sunshine if Jane and I weren't both dead," Mark said drily.
"I would think more of the sunshine if Jane and I weren't both dead," Mark said angrily.
"I would think more of the sunshine if Jane and I weren't both dead," Mark said cheerfully.
When too many adverbs are used, much like synonyms for 'said,' the dialogue can be weakened. The reader has to pause to consider the tone of voice too much, and the characters can appear to be changing moods too fast. Too much of a good thing disturbs the flow of the writing.
"What a lovely day," Jane said happily.
"Is it?" Mark asked grumpily.
"How can you doubt it?" Benedict asked curiously. "The sun is shining and the sky is blue."
"I would think more of the sunshine if Jane and I weren't both dead," Mark said drily.
"Details, details," Benedict said dismissively.
"Important ones," Mark said angrily.
Adverbs should be used to convey information that can't be sussed out from the dialogue. A light sprinkling of adverbs can improve your writing when they are used to provide more information to the reader.
"What a lovely day," Jane said happily.
The reader can surmise that Jane is happy because she's talking about a lovely day. An adverb would be more effective here if it conveys the opposite information.
"What a lovely day," Jane said sadly.
By saying 'sadly,' the adverb adds a layer of interest. Why is Jane sad when it's a lovely day? It adds more, rather than wasting the reader's time with unnecessary information.
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