Writing tips: He said, she said...
Readers don't tend to notice 'said', while it's there in the sentence, it doesn't give the sentence any life. It gets the job done, mostly...
Here are some options to try!
whispered / muttered / mumbled → soft or secretive
shouted / yelled / barked → anger, urgency
growled / hissed → danger, teasing, frustration
murmured / breathed → intimacy, vulnerability
snapped / barked / snapped back → irritation, defensiveness
laughed / chuckled / giggled → laughing, fun, playful or flirty
asked / questioned / queried / inquired → curiosity, questioning
demanded / insisted → authority or control
sighed / groaned → fatigue, exasperation, longing
When you're looking to replace said, think about why. You'll generally want to do this when you need the following:
when the tone of the line needs more context.
when you want to show emotion instead of telling it.
when your character’s body language, action, or expression can do the talking instead.
Take a look at the scene you're writing, is the character saying their line? Or are they yelling it? Screaming it? Are they enraged, or perhaps is their voice a broken whisper from grief?
That being said, you shouldn't always avoid using 'said.' It's easy to read in long sentences, and it keeps the focus on the dialogue rather than the rest of the scenes. That may be beneficial and a key component to parts of your story.
