: Re: How do I say that a character said something without resorting to "said Character" every time? I have one big problem with my writing - when I'm doing dialogue, I find myself writing it and
This subject is under constant debate, but the standard advice is to keep dialogue tags simple. I follow these guidelines:
Use a proper noun followed by a verb. The verb-noun construct is
passive and technically improper. "Said he" technically means some
unknown subject said the word "he".
Use "said", such as "he said" or "she said". It is the ubiquitous
attribution that offends no one when not overused.
Avoid adverbs. 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.
Use words besides "said" but only if they are called for: emotional
impact, descriptive need, or tone. See Dialogue words: 100 alternatives
to make your dialogue pop and other such sites for alternatives.
Use beats, the prose between dialogue, to make attributions through
actions.
"Run!" Johnny charged for the forest, not waiting for the group.
"Hurry!"
Skip attributions altogether when it is clear who is speaking. It
might be back and forth banter like a tennis game of dialogue and
easy to follow or a person's manner of speech or tone might be a
giveaway.
Avoid redundancy. Use only one attribution in a paragraph. Don't use
"asked" when you use a question mark (use "said").
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