Just last night in my memoir writing class our instructor brought how to attribute dialogue, and said it's best to use "said." But I have heard otherwise and I have often noticed words used in place of "said" in different books. Some such words I have noticed a lot include "insisted," "offered," and "suggested." I often question why these words are being used. What really does "offered" mean when used in place of "said"?
In my memoir, I've noticed I've used "said" the most, using "insisted," "shouted," and "suggested" at least once each. These were in sentences were I felt these words best described the dialogue spoken. I can only recall using "cried" to mean "shed tears" as an action.
How about you? What do you say?
Sometimes said is enough. The descriptive words have their place, but I think they get over-used. And become tired.
ReplyDelete