Tired of reading manuscripts riddled with 'he said,' 'she said,' 'they said'? Let's face it: 'said' is dead, or at least, it *should* be taking a long vacation. Overuse drains the energy from your dialogue and tells the reader instead of showing them. So, how do we resurrect our writing?
First, consider ditching the attribution altogether. If it's clear who's speaking, silence is golden. Next, favor action beats. Instead of 'He said, nervously,' try 'He fiddled with his collar, his voice a shaky whisper.' Show, don't tell!
Finally, embrace stronger verbs. Instead of 'She said angrily,' try 'She snapped,' 'She retorted,' or 'She hissed.' Choose words that convey emotion and add depth to your characters. Ditch the 'said' crutch and watch your dialogue – and your entire writing – come alive!
