Writing 101 (with rotXinXpieces)

Unit 1: Basics-- Chapter Three: SAID, SAID, SAID!

Chapter Three: SAID, SAID, SAID!

"I'm going to kill him," I said, "That arrogant bastard."

Remember that example from the last two chapters? No? The angry intern is threatening to kill the guy who stole her thunder. Oh, but don't worry. She's not REALLY plotting his murder. She's just pissed and we all say silly things when we're pissed.

Now, we vaguely know she's angry by the wording she uses. However, how do we know she's angry if she only "said" those things? People can "say" a lot of things, but it's how they say them that makes them mean something.

You're probably thinking, "Well, shit, what other words are there for said?"

Oh, lovely readers, there are plenty of words to use instead of said. I've come up with almost a hundred. I'm still adding onto the list, which I will put at the bottom fo this chapter once I'm done ranting about the word "said". Now, I know it's a nifty word because sometimes you just don't know how to explain how a character said something.

However, "said" is overused and very annoying after a while. Here's some new dialogue added to our before example:

"I going to kill him," I growled, "That arrogant bastard."

"Quit being over-dramatic," Lily chided, "He's just a hard worker is all."

"Are you saying I'm not hard working?!" I demanded.

Those are some better words to use. Our main character is obviously very pissed, so she didn't just say aloud the threat and insult, she growled it. Not necessarily like a dog, but you get the gist. As for Lily, she's just basically scolding our main character, which only earns her some offended response.

Now, you've picked different words and that's excellent! But wait, there's more! Hold onto your seats people because this one's a screamer! (Haha, see what I did there? No? Really? Doh.)

There's more you can add to the way dialogue is spoken! Isn't that fantastic? Not only can our main character growl her words, but she can also growl them aggressively, hatefully, sulkily! As such:

"I'm going to kill him," I growled hatefully, "That arrogant bastard."

"Quit being over-dramatic," Lily chided lazily, "He's just a hard worker is all."

"Are you saying I'm not hard working?!" I demanded, offended.

There we go! Now we can feel the emotions. We know the main character is pissed and offended by her friend's lack of compassion. We also get a little insight into who Lily is. She's obviously laidback and just wants her friend to shut up and quit making a big deal about things.

And, without further adieu, please enjoy this huge list of words to use other than "said":

    Shout
    Scream
    Yell
    Cry
    Screech
    Shriek
    Wail
    Exclaim
    Proclaim
    Announce
    Denounce
    Chortle
    Chuckle
    Laugh
    Smirk
    Sob
    Stutter
    Stammer
    Murmur
    Mumble
    Moan
    Groan
    Manage
    Grunt
    Growl
    Seethe
    Hiss
    Hack
    Spat
    Cough
    Sneer
    Howl
    Whimper
    Whine
    Snort
    Retort
    Argue
    Disagree
    Agree
    Grumble
    Ask
    Question
    State
    Complain
    Admit
    Point out
    Threaten
    Answer
    Reply
    Respond
    Drawl
    Huff
    Scoff
    Puff
    Tell
    Contest
    Protest
    Reiterate
    Coo
    Croon
    Crow
    Chirp
    Pipe
    Declare
    Squeal
    Giggle
    Drool
    Wheeze
    Choke
    Snarl
    Urge
    Press
    Pressure
    Assure
    Soothe
    Chime
    Deduce
    Decided
    Conclude
    Accuse
    Recount
    Suggest
    Bit off
    Griped
    Rant
    Blabber
    Rush
    Add

Whoa! What a list that is. There's also plenty more where that came from. These are just a few that I've used in the past. You can come up with your own and look at these here for help! But make sure it matches what is being said! You can't just write:

"I'm going to kill him," I sang, "That arrogant bastard."

Unless your character is just psychotic and really does plan to kill her co-worker. In which case, feel free to make her as insane as possible. But in this example, she's just pissed and wouldn't be singing joyfully. She'd pretty much be seething with hate!

Oh, the joys of writing.

Hey! You made it to the end of Unit 1! Congrats! NOW! ONWARD, GLORIOUS WRITERS! ONWARDS TO:

Unit 2: Character Design. Chapter One: Personalities.