Not using "said"?

Question

Do you agree with people saying that "said" should not be used in writing? I don't! I mean, yes, it's a bit boring and can get repetitive, but you don't have to use said every time. And, personally, I never use said without having a ction or and adverb after it. For example:
"Go away," she said through gritted teeth.
"I'm bored," he said monotonuosly.( sp?)
I don't find it that bad! I know not to use it continously, but every author uses that word. I see it all the time, in the books they have us read at school as well! Now we;ve just been told that if we use this word in our writing, we will get points taken off. What do you think? I'm planning on becoming an author, and I want to know if anyone doesn't like seeing that word (see, I'm not using it!) in books or other forms of literature.

Answer 1

SM -

I'm not sure I agree with those who say it should never be used, but it IS somewhat redundant and lacking in creativity and in my opinion should be used sparingly. If you have quotation marks around a statement, chances are pretty good the reader knows the words are being "said." The only piece of information that is really necessary to establish for the reader is exactly who is doing the "saying."

The way you use it tends to give it a more interesting character, but there are other ways to present dialogue in writing without having to use it, or use any other synonym for it.

For example, you can begin the dialogue with one attribution (to establish who is speaking first) and then present the responses and back-and-forth without further elaboration regarding who "said" the words. Obviously, this works only when there are two people in dialogue, but still, it's an alternative.

Another technique is to follow the quote with a descriptive action attributed to the speaker but not using "said". Examples:

"Oh, please...spare me!" John rolled his eyes in mock derision.

"You think I'm joking? Huh?" She wanted to slap him.

In the end, the easiest way to avoid using "said" is to write the dialogue in a way that it carries itself, making using the word unnecessary.

I hope this is helpful.

Answer 2

Don't take this as an insult, I certainly don't mean it that way, but:

Adverbs after "said" are a crutch that you may feel compelled to use because the context and scene are not strong enough to make readers presuppose the nature of the speaker's voice. This is a problem I have with J.K. Rowling. I think her writing is often times more telling than showing, and thus I would disagree if someone said it was literary fiction. If someone is speaking "monotonously," we will get this easily by the scene if the character is obviously bored or has previously established opinions about whom they are conversing with. We need to be in the scene and if that is a strong sensuality with us then we don't need you to defend your characters.

Also, many great authors have taken the stance that "said ____" is the ONLY good way to tag dialogue. Using adverbs is said to be amaturish.

This, again, is a stance not all writers take, and some readers don't mind but good readers who are familiar with these sensual connections with literature will feel insulted if you tag dialogue with adverbs which are already clearly expressed in the text.

Answer 3

There are lots of creative ways to get around using the word. Let's take your two examples.

She gritted her teeth. "Go away!"

"I'm bored," he yawned.

It's not wrong to use "said." As you've noticed, many professional writers use it. But it can be good exercise to try writing without it. Your teacher probably just wants you to be more alert in your writing, to stay on your toes and pay more attention to alternative ways of getting your meaning across.

Answer 4

I think "said" should be the only one of those words used in Writing. Using other words besides said just makes the writer look like he or she is trying to impress the reader. Especially if you are writing a scene with extensive dialogue. He said, she exclaimed, he replied, she groaned...blah.

Answer 5

Those people are wrong.

(1) "said" is the "invisible" word in a speaker tag. Sometimes when you want the dialogue to move fast, said is fine.

(2) you can junk up a dialogue scene with too many weird verbs of communication:
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"What are you doing Thursday?" she queried.

"This Thursday?" I inquired.

"No, Thursday of next year," she joshed.

"This Thursday, is ONLY the most important day of my LIFE!" I exclaimed.

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(3) Careful about all those adverbs. I warn my students about "false description":

"This is the happiest day of my life!" he said joyfully.

Does the word "joyfully" actually give us any new information?

"Hey, why are you so interested in my mother's last name?" she asked suspiciously.

Answer 6

I think said should always be used. You can ad adverbs to it sometimes, but don't do it with everyone! I think that gets more annoying then just plain old said. Sometimes it's okay to say something like 'he whispered' or 'she screamed' when it's appropriate, but said should always be the main word used, in my opinion.

Answer 7

When I was a magazine reporter, I used to try to find as many ways as possible to say the same thing.

"said" "replied" "added" "continued" "went on"

I also liked alternating "such as" and "like" to add a little variety.

I suggest that you read the Icelandic sagas. It is the genius of the English language that we vary our words so not to become stultified.

Answer 8

I think you should try to change it up with other words, but if you are reading a really good story, you NEVER notice whether they used said, or nothing at all. It has to be done well, but I think it has to be there.

Answer 9

"How about Go away," she muttered through gritted teeth.

"Im bored," he sighed.