When it comes to writing tag lines, such as ‘said John,’ sometimes we need other words to say instead of the word ‘said’. Why? Because said gets too monotonous. And in this writer’s opinion, it can ruin the flow. It kind of takes the realism out of the dialogue. So…..what are some alternatives? See the list below.
- responded
- replied
- answered
- stated
- asked
- stormed
- ranted
- joked
- gushed
- noted
- observed
- agreed
- cried
- added
- gasped
- explained
- grumbled
- boasted
There are much more than these, but you get the idea. Notice these words dig deeper into the mood/emotions of the speaker. That’s what you want because, what this does, is touch the readers’ emotions. That’s what you want.
WRITE TIME AND AGAIN 