13 DIFFERENT WAYS TO SAY "SAID":
As a writer, I am always looking for different ways to tag my characters' dialogue. The use of "said" over and over can get boring, so I play around with different dialogue tags. For examples, I've pulled some sentences from my latest release DOUBLE DARE, my best-selling erotic interracial menage a trois! It's available in paperback and ebook!
1. Lana lifted the two brown bags she had in her hands and announced, “We brought Tai food!”
2. “What do you want, Quinn?” Logan asked through his clenched teeth.
3. Ty moved back a bit and whispered, “Lo, I love you.”
4. “Holy shit,” Quinn blurted out before she could stop herself.
5. “Do you want it hard, baby?” Logan rasped, catching her earlobe between his teeth.
6. “Ah, fuck, she’s so tight,” Ty groaned out.
7. “I’m coming,” she cried out, her breathing harsh and rapid.
8. “Yes, you could love us,” Logan answered her.
9. “God, can it get any better than this?” she asked in a low whisper, her forehead pressed against both of them.
10. Ty yelled, “Fuck you!” from around the back of the truck, but Quinn could see him, kicking off his boots, pulling off his jeans, peeling his damp boxer briefs off, and throwing them all into the truck bed.
11. “The matching tigers?” she prodded.
12. “And we wanted to remember that turning point forever,” Ty finished for him, his jaw tight as Logan continued to lick down Ty’s hard length, his hot breath beating against Quinn’s skin.
13. “Fried chicken from Charlie’s Chicken Shack,” Lana crowed, propping her feet on Quinn’s desk.
2. “What do you want, Quinn?” Logan asked through his clenched teeth.
3. Ty moved back a bit and whispered, “Lo, I love you.”
4. “Holy shit,” Quinn blurted out before she could stop herself.
5. “Do you want it hard, baby?” Logan rasped, catching her earlobe between his teeth.
6. “Ah, fuck, she’s so tight,” Ty groaned out.
7. “I’m coming,” she cried out, her breathing harsh and rapid.
8. “Yes, you could love us,” Logan answered her.
9. “God, can it get any better than this?” she asked in a low whisper, her forehead pressed against both of them.
10. Ty yelled, “Fuck you!” from around the back of the truck, but Quinn could see him, kicking off his boots, pulling off his jeans, peeling his damp boxer briefs off, and throwing them all into the truck bed.
11. “The matching tigers?” she prodded.
12. “And we wanted to remember that turning point forever,” Ty finished for him, his jaw tight as Logan continued to lick down Ty’s hard length, his hot breath beating against Quinn’s skin.
13. “Fried chicken from Charlie’s Chicken Shack,” Lana crowed, propping her feet on Quinn’s desk.
Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others’ comments. It’s easy, and fun!
Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!View More Thursday Thirteen Participants
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others’ comments. It’s easy, and fun!
Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!View More Thursday Thirteen Participants
15 comments:
How fun! Thanks for sharing!
Nice variety. Thanks for sharing!
These read very smoothly.
Jeanne, so thank you. I CAN'T STAND TO USE 'SAID' ANYMORE, so I'm always looking for other words and ways to tag dialogue. Those are great.
Awwww dialogue tags. That bain of my existence.
Now, how about 13 words for "look"? lOL!
Fun TT! I like how you used your book to demonstrate!
*hugs*
Paige
My TT is at http://paigetylertheauthor.blogspot.com
Nicely illustrated use of alternative dialogue tags.
WordTrix
Seriously, you know you're an author when you have umpteen lists just like this all over your desk.
Great fun. Happy T13!
good job here. I tend to use more action tags than dialogue but it is tricky.
I'm so with you on this! After listening to a book on tape, I can barely stand the word.
I'm immune to "said", I guess. I don't even notice it when I read. But maybe if I listened to books on tape or cd, like Darla, it might start to get to me. LOL!
You did a nice job with these, Jeanne. However, some publishers ask authors not to use anything but said. When you use an unusual word, it can draw the reader out of the story which we don't want. Best idea is to use action tags which require a period at the end of the dialogue. (Groan is an action, not a dialogue tag.) LOL
Good post!
Hugs,
Jenna
Oops, I meant to add that like Kimberly, most readers are immune to the word said. Their eyes skim right over it. When you throw in something fancy like 'he extrapolated', the reader stops and wonders, 'huh?'
Similarly, if you use 'she screeched' or 'she ranted', your character comes off looking like a nut. (Yes, these are examples from personal knowledge!)
I guess the answer is moderation.
Jenna
I like to use a lot of different tags - but they are specifically evocative. Sometimes, said means said. Just not ALL the time. :)
Many years ago, one of the reasons I QUIT reading romance novels, and began writing my own, is because I COULD NOT STAND seeing 'said' as the dialogue tag one more effing time!!!
There are some writing styles where the eye does simply skim over 'said'. And that works. No problem here. However, there are other writing styles where when 'said' is used constantly. I want to take 'said' out with an axe in my hand and kill it, dead, dead, dead!
I guess those who like the word as a dialogue tag won't be reading my books.
Certainly, if a publisher required I use 'said' I would be OUTTA there!!!
Post a Comment