Write Right: 5 Reasons Why Said is Best

Beginning writers often overlook the power of 'said' because they feel it is boring. But said is actually a very important tool for a writer!

Here are some of the reasons why you should use said.

Reason #1: Said is Invisible

I know that as a beginning writer you want to vary the words you use. That's good writing, right? Yes, but when it comes to speech tags, said is best.

"But said is boring! It's too repetitive if I use it all the time!" The writers doth protest!

But you see, the wondrous thing about said is that it is invisible. Think about it. When you read a book, do you notice every time the author uses said and think, "Gee, this is getting really repetitive, I wish she'd toss out some more colorful words instead."

Of course you don't! Now think about this: When you're reading a book, do you notice when the author uses a word other than said--barked, queried, interjected, snapped, smirked, growled, scoffed?

These probably jump out at you a little more. They call attention to themselves, and distract from the dialogue and the story. As a writer, you never want to do something that will shatter the illusion you're trying to create and pull your reader out of their fictional dream.

Reason #2: Said Doesn't Shatter the Fictional Dream

It is far better to use an invisible word like said that won't call attention to itself than a more colorful speech tag like barked, sneered, grunted, etc. Some speech tags that I come across while reading actually make me cringe. The top worst offenders are: intoned, implored, speculated, surmised, and queried.

Please, I beg of you, do not use these in your writing! Use said or asked instead. Using words like these won't make you sound smart--they just jar the reader with their weirdness and make you look like you're trying too hard.  

When a writer uses words other than said it makes me feel like the writer is calling attention to herself, waving her arms and shouting, "Look at me!"

Writers, take note: You never want to call attention to yourself in your writing. You want to remain invisible. You want to impress your readers with your story, not your writing.

Reason #3: Said Avoids Redundancy

If you think about it, most speech tags are unnecessary and redundant. Consider these:

"Be careful," he cautioned.
"I don't know why he hasn't called," she fretted.
"You shouldn't tease her," she chided.
"I told you to do that ages ago," he nagged.

Now let's take away the descriptive speech tags and replaced them with said:

"Be careful," he said.
"I don't know why he hasn't called," she said.
"You shouldn't tease her," she said.
"I told you to do that ages ago," he said.

Notice how you can still tell that these people are cautioning,  fretting, chiding, and nagging by their words alone without the speech tags. The reader doesn't need the descriptive speech tag to tell him/her what the character is doing. Your character's words should be explanation enough.

The character's actions will also clue the reader in to what the character is doing/feeling. For example:

She paced the room, wringing her dress. "I don't know why he hasn't called," she said.

It's clear from the character's actions and words that she is worried. The speech tag 'fretted' is not only unnecessary, but it is redundant--it's telling us something we already know.

Remember the rule "show don't tell?" This applies to speech tags, too. Don't tell us that your character is chiding, nagging, etc. Show us.

I suppose one could argue that said is redundant as well, (isn't it obvious that the characters are speaking?), but you have to use some form of speech tag to let the readers know who is saying what.

And the speech tag you are going to use is said, right? ;]

Reason #4: People Say Things

If you think about it, using some of those more descriptive speech tags doesn't even make sense (and sounds kind of silly). Can you actually physically gulp, sigh, bark, snarl, or sneer out your words?

Er...no.

People (and your characters) say things. They don't snarl them, sob them, or laugh them.

My rule I go by in my writing is that I don't use any speech tag that isn't physically possible. Besides said and ask, the only other speech tags I use are: whispered, mumbled, muttered, grumbled, shouted, yelled, and screamed.

These are the words I use that I have found aren't too redundant, are harder to imply through words/actions, are simple, and are physically possible. (And honestly, it makes it a lot simpler using these rather than wasting time hunting for a 'perfect' unnecessarily descriptive speech tag).

Reason #5: Using Said Makes You Look More Professional

If none of the above reasons have convinced you why you should use said, then maybe this one will. Using said makes your writing look cleaner and more professional. No writer wants to look like an amateur. And every writer wants their writing to be at its best when they send their story out to a publisher!

Getting published is tough--don't give a publisher another reason to toss your story into the 'reject' pile.

That's What She Said

Alright, so there you have it--5 very good reasons why you should use said in your writing. That's all I have to say about said, so go put it to practice! Start replacing all those descriptive speech tags with said and you'll realize just how power such a small, simple word can be. And like me, you'll probably fall in love with said.

Happy Writing!

Write Right: How to Format Dialogue Like a Pro

New Writer + Dialogue = Frustration

Nothing screams 'amateur' to a publisher like improperly formatted dialogue. And unfortunately, one of the most challenging things for a beginning writer (if I remember correctly) is how to punctuate dialogue.

You know there's quotation marks, commas, periods, and sometimes even dashes and ellipses involved, but trying to figure out what their proper places are can be confusing.

I didn't have a clue what I was doing when I first started writing dialogue. I felt a little something like this:

If this is you, I feel your pain. It took me forever to figure out how to properly use quotation marks, commas, etc. But fear not! I'm going to share with you the mysterious, elusive inner-workings of dialogue punctuation, and by the time you're done reading this you'll be a master!

How To Use Quotations

Quotation marks "  " are placed around words that a character is speaking out loud. Do not use quotation marks for characters thoughts. The punctuation mark, whether it is a period, exclamation point, or question mark, always goes inside the quotation marks. Example:

"Wait for me!" Mary shouted.
"Why aren't you coming?" he asked.
"This is stupid."
NOT: "This is stupid".

Simple, right?

The Intimidating Comma

Most often, a comma is used at the end of a character's dialogue. For some reason, figuring out what to do with this comma is intimidating to beginners. Relax! It's actually really simple. Just like other punctuation marks, the comma also stays inside the quotation marks. Like so:

"This isn't going to work," he said.
NOT: "This isn't going to work", he said.

If you put a speech tag (he said, she said, etc) after the characters words, you always use a comma at the end of the dialogue, not a period. (But you can use an exclamation or question mark instead of a comma. Just no period.)

"Well that sounds silly," he said.
NOT: "Well that sounds silly." he said.

Also acceptable: "What are you doing?" he asked.
But don't do this: "What are you doing?," he asked.

One punctuation mark is more than enough x]

 Ellipses and Dashes

An ellipse is three dots ... that can be used in dialogue to signify a character's words trailing off. A dash -- on the other hand, signifies an abrupt stop. These can be great tools to add emotion to your dialogue, but don't overuse them. Like commas and punctuation marks, they also go inside the quotation marks. Like so:

"Oh no..." he said quietly.
"This isn't going to--"

DO NOT put a comma after an ellipse or dash. It is unneccessary and looks weird. I see this sometimes in published books and it's one of my pet peeves.

NOT: "Oh no...," he said quietly.
NOT: "This isn't going to--,"

He Said, She Said

Now, what about what's outside the parentheses? The 'he said' and 'she said' as I already mention above is what is referred to as speech tags. Or who is saying what.

When using a proper noun (a character's name) at the end of a line of dialogue, it is of course capitalized. However, any improper nouns (he, she, they, it, etc.) at the end of a line of dialogue are left in lower-case. Like so:

"This is so exciting!" she said.
"I don't know what to do," he said.
"Are you confused?" she asked.

NOT: "That is so exciting!" She said.
NOT: "I don't know what to do," He said.
NOT: "Are you confused?" She asked.

In-between Lines of Dialogue

One of the most confusing things about dialogue is how to punctuate it when it is broken up. Observe:

"That is never going to work," he said, shaking his head. "You should just give up now."

When you have a speech tag (he/she said) followed by a description of action (in this case, shaking his head), you end it with a period. BUT, you could also do this:

"That is never going to work," he said, shaking his head, "you should just give up now."

Do you see the difference between the two? The first is the most commonly used, but you can use either as long as you use correct punctuation. In the first example the dialogue is two separate sentences: That is never going to work. You should just give up now. But in the second it is one sentence: That is never going to work, you should just give up now.

Comprende?

Paragraphs and Dialogue

Alright, hang in there we're almost done! Now, whenever a character is speaking, you should start a new paragraph. This character's actions, whether described before or after the dialogue, should also be in the same paragraph. Like so:

Amy picked at her nails. "So, are you going to ask him out?" she asked without looking up.
Natasha flipped her hair over the shoulder. "No way."

If you decide you need to create a paragraph within a character's dialogue, it gets a little weird. You don't close the quotations at the end of the paragraph, but you start them again in the new paragraph. Example:

"I can't believe he actually ditched me," she said. "I spent hours getting ready and doing my make-up and I had to beg my mom to let me drive her car so I could meet up with him and then he didn't even show! Who does that?
"I mean, what did I do to deserve that? I can't believe he could be so rude. I don't ever want to see him again!"

Yes, I suck at typing example dialogue >.< But do you get the point? lol.

Now That You're Sufficiently Confused...

Make sense? Yes, no, maybe so? Don't worry, dialogue becomes easier with practice, and one day it will become second nature and you won't even give it any thought at all.

Next time you're reading a book, pay close attention to how the dialogue is punctuated and formatted. How did I teach myself how to punctuate dialogue? By studying the dialogue in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books. No joke. Harry Potter taught me how to punctuate dialogue. Who would've known?

Hopefully you found something here helpful and I didn't make you even more confused! x]
What is your greatest challenge with punctuating dialogue?

Happy writing!

Write Right: Death to Italics!

Okay, okay, I know this post is a little late but it's a holiday weekend so bear with me!

Anywho...

This week I wanted to talk about something that has been bothering me. I've found an irritating little beast lurking in the pages of YA fiction. It looks innocent and unassuming to the casual reader, maybe even pretty or professional. But it is a wolf in sheep's clothing that will do more harm to your writing than good.

It's time to drag this creature out into the light and banish it from our writing. The name of the beast? Italics.

What's wrong with italics?

Everyone uses them! I see them in published books all the time! How will the reader know to emphasize the word if I don't put it in italics?

The writers doth protest! To a new writer, italics seem harmless and even helpful. I'll admit that when I first started out I used them myself. After all, other published authors used them so why shouldn't I? Didn't it make me look more professional and writer-ly? Eh, not so much.

Just because you see something in a published work doesn't necessarily mean that you should use it in your own writing. Don't get me wrong--you can learn a lot from studying the writing of other authors, but at the same time you can also pick up bad habits.The trick is discerning what is good technique and what should be avoided.

In short, the problem with italics is that not only are they unnecessary, but they make you look like an amateur.

Why You Should Forgo Italics

Allow me to explain what I mean when I say italics are unnecessary. The purpose of italics is to let the reader know that the word is to be stressed. Mary hated Gerald. Jane didn't think the bus would ever get there. There was no way she was getting in the car with him. etc, etc.

Italics pop up in prose, character's dialogue, and are used to mark character's thoughts and sometimes even flashbacks or dreams. But the problem is, when writers use italics, we are underestimating the intelligence of our readers.

I can't help but get annoyed when I read books where flashbacks or dreams are in italics. Not only is pages and pages of italics really irritating to read, but I feel that the writer thinks I'm too stupid to figure out it is a dream/flashback without her help, so thus the italics. Remember, readers are smart. They are capable of figuring out flashbacks/dreams without your help so resist the temptation.

Now, think about this: if this whole post was in italics, would that make you want to read it? Probably not. Italics in ones and twos are bad enough, but entire masses of italics is a nightmare for a reader. So don't annoy or scare off your readers--lose the italics!

Don't Tell the Reader How to Read

The other problem with italics, is that we are telling the reader how something should be read instead of leaving it up to them to add their own emphasis. Consider this:

Sarah turned her head away from him and closed her eyes against the tears. She clenched her fists tight. "I hate you."

or

Sarah turned her head away from him and closed her eyes against the tears. She clenched her fists tight. "I hate you."


Which do you prefer? Do you see how both give a slightly different feel? The problem with the first is that it's overkill, and the author is telling you how you should be hearing the dialogue. We can tell by Sarah's actions and words that she's angry and hates this person. Taking away the italics doesn't change the meaning, and nothing is lost.

Let the reader imagine the sound of the dialogue (and prose) the way she wants without you (the writer) telling her how it should sound! Chances are, her imagination will give it much more impact than any pithy italics.

Kill the Italics

Go through your current work in progress, find all of the italics, and get rid of them. Then, read back over it again. Is any meaning lost? Does it work better? The only time I use italics in my writing is when the sentence would lose its meaning without the emphasis. Other than that, I avoid italics like a dog avoids a bath.

By getting rid of italics not only will your readers thank you, but your writing will look more professional to potential publishers. Win-win right? So don't be afraid, go try slaying some italics for yourself :]

Happy writing!

Write Right: Don't Write What You Know

This is the first post in a new feature I'm starting, which I will post weekly on either Saturday or Sunday. In this feature I'll be sharing writing tips I've learned to make your writing journey a little easier. Huzzah for you! If you read this and would be so kind as to leave feedback below, it would be appreciated ^.^

Don't Write What You Know

The first step in writing a story is deciding what on earth you're going to talk about for 200+ pages. If you're a writer, at one point or another you've probably come across this little tidbit of writing advice: Write what you know. Sure, it makes sense to write about something you're knowledgeable about--it's comfortable and you'll undoubtedly have something to say. It's a good place to start for beginners. So why am I telling you not to write what you know? Because the problem is, it's restricting.

What if you want to write a story about something you don't know? Please toss "write what you know" out the window! Now, instead replace it with this new advice: write what you like. Or better yet, write what you want to read.

 Let me give you an example. I love Japanese mythology, history, and culture. Let's say I want to write a YA fantasy combining these elements. But the problem is, I know little to nothing about any of them! Should I ditch my awesome story idea because it doesn't fall into the "write what you know" category? Nay!

Don't be afraid to write about something because you're not knowledgeable about it! Learn more through research before you start your story. Research will open up a whole world of possibilities--you will no longer be restricted to writing what you know because you can learn about anything you want to write about. Not only will you gain confidence about the topic but you'll most likely get some cool ideas along the way.

Let's get back to our original example. Let's say I decided to set my story in feudal Japan and I've done all the historical research. But I want it to be a story about vampire ninjas. How exactly does one write a story about vampire ninjas when it is not possible to know anything about vampire ninjas?

If, like me, you write in the fantasy/paranormal genres, just go ahead and blow "write what you know" to smithereens right now. How exactly does one know what it is like to be bitten by a vampire? To transform into a werewolf? To have psychic abilities? The answer is, no one does. This is where your most powerful writing tool comes into play: your imagination. With your imagination, you can write about anything--even the impossible.

When I was starting out my very first story back when I was a wee budding writer, I was frustrated by "write what you know." It was daunting and frustrating to me, and I felt limited to what I could write about. This is why I think much better advice is to write what you like. What interests you? What do you love? What do you think would make an awesome story? If you don't know about it, don't sweat! Don't let knowledge that can easily be attained stand between you and that next great story you're dying to write.

Happy writing!