Comments on: Writers: Just Use “Said”, Please! http://system13.org/2008/05/17/writers-just-use-said-please/ Sun, 10 Jul 2011 21:12:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Gnorb http://system13.org/2008/05/17/writers-just-use-said-please/#comment-1803 Gnorb Mon, 19 May 2008 14:10:58 +0000 http://system13.org/?p=549#comment-1803 <strong>Edrei:</strong> The thin with "said" is that it's one of those few "invisible" words in English text. Unless they're overused, they're rarely, if ever, really noticed, and they can often be presented more often than words which are not as invisible (like snapped and growled). Don't get me wrong, descriptive terms are useful, so long as they create ambiance and move the story along, but these, too, can very easily be overused to the point where they distract the reader. This is not to say that using "said" after every sentence in the conversation is a good thing. It isn't! If overused, the word is a show stopper. But more often than not, things can very safely and very simply be said. Edrei: The thin with “said” is that it’s one of those few “invisible” words in English text. Unless they’re overused, they’re rarely, if ever, really noticed, and they can often be presented more often than words which are not as invisible (like snapped and growled). Don’t get me wrong, descriptive terms are useful, so long as they create ambiance and move the story along, but these, too, can very easily be overused to the point where they distract the reader. This is not to say that using “said” after every sentence in the conversation is a good thing. It isn’t! If overused, the word is a show stopper. But more often than not, things can very safely and very simply be said.

]]> By: Josh http://system13.org/2008/05/17/writers-just-use-said-please/#comment-1802 Josh Sun, 18 May 2008 10:28:49 +0000 http://system13.org/?p=549#comment-1802 <strong>Gnorb</strong>: A-fraking-men; I like that ;) Regarding dialogue where the speaker is self evident, I like that too, as long as the author does it very well. I can't recall any books off the top of my head that suffered from this, but I know I've hit some dialogues that had no tag lines, but which weren't clear at all. The end result is that you have to keep track of who's speaking by mentally "switching" - "okay, now he's speaking; okay, now her..." Then someone talks to you, and you have to go back to the beginning of the dialogue to get everything straight. Grr. :) <strong>Edrei</strong>: Agreed that a page with a dozen "he said / she said" pairs can get old quickly. Also agreed that the occasional - <em>very</em> occasional - different tag line can spice things up a bit. Like I said, if I'd seen "growled" and "snapped" 1-3 times in the whole book, they would have been fine. I would have read them and moved on. Seeing them every other page though just made me get caught up on them, though. Gnorb: A-fraking-men; I like that ;) Regarding dialogue where the speaker is self evident, I like that too, as long as the author does it very well. I can’t recall any books off the top of my head that suffered from this, but I know I’ve hit some dialogues that had no tag lines, but which weren’t clear at all. The end result is that you have to keep track of who’s speaking by mentally “switching” – “okay, now he’s speaking; okay, now her…” Then someone talks to you, and you have to go back to the beginning of the dialogue to get everything straight. Grr. :)

Edrei: Agreed that a page with a dozen “he said / she said” pairs can get old quickly. Also agreed that the occasional – very occasional – different tag line can spice things up a bit. Like I said, if I’d seen “growled” and “snapped” 1-3 times in the whole book, they would have been fine. I would have read them and moved on. Seeing them every other page though just made me get caught up on them, though.

]]> By: Edrei http://system13.org/2008/05/17/writers-just-use-said-please/#comment-1801 Edrei Sun, 18 May 2008 00:39:24 +0000 http://system13.org/?p=549#comment-1801 Actually, the he said/she said bits can get pretty old pretty fast. If they use it right, the emphasis like snapped, growled, hollered can make a difference. I'm actually more used to those emphasis. Then again, what I like best is when novels just add the dialog in without the "said". For some reason, the conversation flows in my head without being interrupted. Something I've adapted for the dialogs on my blog as well. To each their own I guess. Actually, the he said/she said bits can get pretty old pretty fast. If they use it right, the emphasis like snapped, growled, hollered can make a difference. I’m actually more used to those emphasis.

Then again, what I like best is when novels just add the dialog in without the “said”. For some reason, the conversation flows in my head without being interrupted. Something I’ve adapted for the dialogs on my blog as well.

To each their own I guess.

]]> By: gnorb http://system13.org/2008/05/17/writers-just-use-said-please/#comment-1800 gnorb Sat, 17 May 2008 17:25:15 +0000 http://system13.org/?p=549#comment-1800 A-FRAKING-MEN! In my writer's group we've had MANY discussions about this. My contention had always been either (a) set up the text so that the speaker is self evident, or (b) use "said", which is one of those invisible words we would see a few times and not really notice. If you can do (a) all the better. A-FRAKING-MEN!

In my writer’s group we’ve had MANY discussions about this. My contention had always been either (a) set up the text so that the speaker is self evident, or (b) use “said”, which is one of those invisible words we would see a few times and not really notice. If you can do (a) all the better.

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