Because it’s on my dash again and I am going to have a meltdown if I just scroll past it.
Some of these don’t work. I am a fan of said. Said is the wonderful little work horse who carries your writing.
Yes, some of these are useful, sometimes, but your dialogue should be written so you don’t need these most of the time.
If your character is sharing a secret. It’s revealed. You don’t need revealed as the dialogue tag. If you need revealed as the dialogue tag, perhaps you need to go back and rework the dialogue so what you want to convey is in there without the dialogue tag giving it away.
IN RESPONSE TO
Acknowledged - can be useful, but most of the time you don’t need it. Acknowledging is when you agree someone is right or acknowledge their reply.
”Aye, Captain.” (this needs no ‘she acknowledged’ tag. It’s implied by the dialogue.”
“Hey Mom, I’m home. Where are you?”
”In the kitchen, dear.” (we don’t need ‘she answered, we know Mom is answering the question. If for some reason someone else is answering, then ‘answered’ could be useful, but most of the time, we don’t need it.).
Protested - Could (rarely) be useful, but again.
“All right, Henry, bed time.”
“But Mom….” - clearly a protest. needs no dialogue tag. Most of the time you won’t need this if your dialogue is written thoughtfully and clearly.
INPUT/JOIN CONVERSATION/ASK
Added - useful.
Implored - less useful. implore is a kind of begging and again, I think it’s something you should show with action around the dialogue (eyes implore, outstretched hands, etc).
Inquired - I can think of no reason for this that a simple ? at the end of dialogue would not convey.
Insisted - useful
Proposed - unnecessary. if there’s a proposal. “Hey, why don’t you help me with my project?” it’s in the dialogue. you don’t need this.
Queried
Questioned
If you’re writing a piece of dialogue that ends in a question mark, these are redundant. A query is best for a database or research. It’s rare that you need to use this tag in fiction, if EVER.
Recommended - this is one of the ones where it should be obvious in the dialogue. “What should I eat?”
“Try the chicken.” (I don’t need, she recommended. It’s in there! The reader knows just from the dialogue that the character is recommending the chicken.
Testified - If one is testifying in court, this is obvious. If one is not in court or in an exciting church, this probably doesn’t fit.
GUILTY/RELUCTANCE/SORRY
Admitted - useful, but should be used sparingly. “I ate the chocolate.” it’s an admittance. you don’t need this most of the time.
Apologized - can be good, but…. usually unnecessary. “I’m sorry.” needs no ‘she apologized’ tag. It’s an apology. the reader knows that. Most apologies are obvious to the reader.
Conceded - usually goes with conceded defeat, conceded an election, etc. too flowery for most dialogue.
Confessed - maybe, but again “I ate the chocolate.” is a confession. “I love you.” can be a confession (heck, it could be an apology!) but it’s much better to make it clear what “I love you” is from the dialogue around it and the action instead of relying on the speech tag.
Professed too flowery for most fic. “She professed a desire to continue her studies.” It’s usually in sentence, not a dialogue tag.
FOR SOMEONE ELSE
Advised - “Well, why don’t you wait and see how you feel tomorrow?” - it’s advice. it’s obvious to the reader. Much better to do it in dialogue.
Criticized - “You’re so negative with her.” (critical). “Stand up straight.” “Oh, I can’t stand an overdone steak.” all critical. all obvious from the words in the dialogue.
Suggested - sure, sparingly. most of the time a suggestion with again, be obvious. like… “Try the chicken.” “Use first gear.” “Wear a hat” - all of these are suggestions, if for some reason they WEREN’T suggestions, “Wear a hat,” she commanded. then it’s a good time for a different dialogue tag, but if it’s obvious from the dialogue, you don’t need this.
JUST CHECKING
Affirmed - good for articles and making oaths, not for dialogue.
Agreed - sure
Alleged not a speech tag. yes, I can allege that the dog was in my yard, but it’s not something that you’d attach to speech.
Confirmed - “Seven-two-two-niner.” “Roger that, seven-two-two-niner.” That’s a confirmation. You figured that out without the tag, didn’t you?
LOUD
Announced - useful
Chanted - rare, usually for kids “K-I-S-S-I-N-G” you know how the song goes, how kids would chat the rhyme? You can hear it. You don’t need this. Maybe if something that wouldn’t normally be chanted is, then it could be useful.
Crowed nope. this is a classic said bookism. Think of any moment someone has crowed something at you. Have you thought that? Bet you haven’t.
LEWD/CUTE/SECRET SPY FEEL
Appealed - “Don’t you want to help us?” - it’s an appeal, didn’t need the tag. You can do this with the dialogue itself.
Disclosed - “I make twenty-million a year, before taxes.” - again, this is obviously a disclosure.
Moaned - this is one of the ones where it’s hard to imagine this working. Think about people moaning. Can they talk at the same time? Usually not. Moaning takes the space of talking and makes a terrible speech tag.
ANGRY FUCK OFF MATE WANNA FIGHT
Argued - “Green is a far better color.” “Of course you’d say that. You always say that.” - they’re fighting. that’s the first thing you’d think. if they’re NOT fighting, then a dialogue tag might work. Most of the time if you’re writing an argument you won’t need this.
Barked usually one ‘barks a command’ or ‘barks an order’ ‘barks at their superiors’. It’s something attached to a piece of dialogue that isn’t written.
Challenged - “Oh really, you think you can do better?” - it’s a challenge, doesn’t need a tag.
Cursed “F@ck, she really hates those said bookisms.” - I cursed. you didn’t need the tag to know I hate.
Fumed - You can’t fume speech. chemicals can fume. You can fume. Speech does not fume.
Growled - Trying growling and speaking at the same time. Doesn’t work well. This one’s a maybe. She growled a challenge. “Just you try it,” she growled. I don’t think you need it.
Hissed - okay
Roared - Lions roar. Dragons roar. They don’t really TALK while they’re doing it.
Swore - again. check out cursed. If your character is swearing, you don’t need this to prove they are.
My thoughts on this subject are long, and I don’t want to offend anyone. The words of your dialogue are so much more important than how you tag them. Speech tags are there to clarify who is speaking and clarify how something is being said when it’s a surprise. If it’s a question, there’s a question mark. you don’t need “she asked.” It’s obvious. Same thing if it’s a reply.
Now, if there are like eight people in a scene and you need the speech tags to attribute who is talking, then sure.
“Would you like a coffee?”
“Sure,” David replied. Then great, but most of the time, you don’t need them. If there’s a question and the next line is an answer to that question. Replied, answered, etc are redundant.
Adding flowery dialogue tags can take AWAY from the meaning of your words and how they come out of your characters mouth. Most of the really descriptive synonyms for ‘said’ come from ‘telling, not showing.’ Which you don’t want to do.
If Emma is angry, don’t just show it in the dialogue tag, show it in her speech itself. How she stands, how her face looks. That’s so much better than.
‘I hate you,” Emma growled.
Her eyes flashed as she stood still as a statue. Her words slurred into a growl. “I hate you.”
One of them tells your reader Emma is angry, the other shows your reader what angry looks and sounds like.
I rant because I love you fellow fic writers and I want you to write better fic. Learning to avoid the quick fix of the dialogue tag that conveys what you want to pass on to your readers makes you write better dialogue so its clearer and makes you describe better action.
Those things make you a better writer. a quick fancy dialogue tag is just a quick note. A highlighter. Paint a damn picture.
here are some AWESOME resources on said bookisms and why to avoid them.
