I need help with writing expressions. Im writing a story and I dont want to keep saying he said or he replied?

Question

Im writing a story and you know when someone says something its in parenthasis, and after you put he said, or he replied. Im tired of putting the same thing because it sounds bad. Is there a website with things I can put like for example

He sighed, he retorted,

Like things that you can put after the qoute. Is there a website where you can find some things like that?



Thank you

Answer 1

Try the links below. I googled "synonyms said." Don't be afraid to actually use "he said." And while it is annoying to read the ridiculous ones, some of them really add to the story. Just don't go overboard. For example:

"I thought you were going to the store," he said.
"I thought you were going to the store," he confessed. (So I sat in the recliner and watched the game instead of doing the laundry.)
"I thought you were going to the store," he complained. (And where's my beer?)
"I thought you were going to the store," he retorted. (Which is why I didn't go.)

They all put a slightly different spin on the sentence. Just don't use them on EVERY sentence.

Answer 2

The old standby--"he said/she said"--is still the best way of crediting dialogue, which after all is the purpose of dialogue tags. Getting creative with the dialogue tags ("he expostulated" or "she expounded") draws attention to the tags, not the dialogue. If you want to add vividness to your writing and choose strong verbs, do it elsewhere; I find I use "said" and "asked" almost exclusively. Vary how often you employ a tag based on the situation (if there are only two speakers and their mode of speech or emotional take on the scene differentiates them, you don't need many; if you have a cocktail party and the voices are all but interchangeable, you might need a lot). Vary the placement of the tag in the sentence a bit so you can add some variety to your style. And don't worry too much that there seem to be too many dialogue tags or that they're too repetitive, since readers will tend to read over them. It will probably be apparent --maybe even ludicrous--if you're overdoing it or becoming too repetitive with your dialogue tags.

http://www3.baylor.edu/~Greg_Garrett/writing/dialogue.html

Thats all i could find hope it helps...do a search for creative writing dialogue...thats what i did and i got a lot of results good luck

Answer 3

Most writers will tell you it isn't recommended. Stephen King in "On Writing" also says not to give into the temptation to get creative with them.

One thing that works even better is using no attribution at all.

Ex.
"Hello, Doctor. You're the only person who lives around here. I wondered if you could help me."
"I'm not sure how anyone can help anyone at the moment. What's the latest from the bridge?"
"Nothing new. I've just left Yu and Gillings up there, trying to fix a mike on the door. But no one inside seems to be talking; not surprising -- Change must have his hands full."
"Can he get us down safely?"
"He's the best; if anyone can do it, he can. I'm more worried about getting off again."

-- 2061: Odyssey Three, Arthur C. Clarke

Answer 4

If you look at a really good book you enjoyed reading, you will notice that they almost always just say he said, she said, sometimes nothing if it is a back and forth conversation between two people. How about, "he said as he looked me squarely in the eye" for a little variety occasionally. I think such things as He sighed, he retorted should be used very sparingly. Otherwise they become distracting to the reader.

Answer 5

Often you don't need to use these phrases at all; in fact, if there is a lot of speech in the text then you should avoid them at all costs.

My advice would be to do your research - read reputable novels and pay particular attention to how other authors tackle this problem.

Answer 6

he suggested he replied he whispered in my ear i had to read his lips as he said out of breath express the person ur right he said she said isn't expressing the persons expressions i no what u mean remember intro beginning build up end of stories