|
Nooooooo not TV tropes D: *is sucked in*
There's nothing wrong with the word "said," I think. That being said (HAR HAR pun not intended), have you ever read, typed, or otherwise looked at a word enough times in succession that it completely loses its meaning and starts looking like it's spelled wrong? Some authors use it so often and in such quick succession that it ends up bordering on farcical. Jean Auel in her most recent two books especially falls prey to this, with exchanges like:
"What should I do?" Ayla said.
"I don't know," Jondalar said.
"Maybe we should call Zelandoni?" Folara said.
"That sounds like a good idea," Marthona said.
"I'll go get her," Willowmar said.
"Thank you," Ayla said.
Basically, if you can replace a "said" (or similar) with an action that enforces or expands on, but doesn't repeat your statement, you're probably in a good spot, or find a word that adds tone without being over-the-top ("ejaculated" is almost always too far, haha). All that being said, I'm not sure how important it is for RP purposes, and if you can't find a good word you're happy with, just stick with "said" or (if the speaker is clear from context) nothing at all, imo.
*scuttles back off the RP boards*
(also I totally just noticed that this thread got month-and-a-halfish necroed, whoops)
|
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
