For-Edwall

✨unapologetic fangirl✨

[hayatheauthor]

100 Dialogue Tags You Can Use Instead of “Said”

For the writers struggling to rid themselves of the classic ‘said’. Some are repeated in different categories since they fit multiple ones (but those are counted once so it adds up to 100 new words). 

1. Neutral Tags 

Straightforward and unobtrusive dialogue tags: 

Added, Replied, Stated, Remarked, Responded, Observed, Acknowledged, Commented, Noted, Voiced, Expressed, Shared, Answered, Mentioned, Declared.

2. Questioning Tags 

Curious, interrogative dialogue tags:

Asked, Queried, Wondered, Probed, Inquired, Requested, Pondered, Demanded, Challenged, Interjected, Investigated, Countered, Snapped, Pleaded, Insisted.

3. Emotive Tags 

Emotional dialogue tags:

Exclaimed, Shouted, Sobbed, Whispered, Cried, Hissed, Gasped, Laughed, Screamed, Stammered, Wailed, Murmured, Snarled, Choked, Barked.

4. Descriptive Tags 

Insightful, tonal dialogue tags: 

Muttered, Mumbled, Yelled, Uttered, Roared, Bellowed, Drawled, Spoke, Shrieked, Boomed, Snapped, Groaned, Rasped, Purred, Croaked.

5. Action-Oriented Tags 

Movement-based dialogue tags: 

Announced, Admitted, Interrupted, Joked, Suggested, Offered, Explained, Repeated, Advised, Warned, Agreed, Confirmed, Ordered, Reassured, Stated.

6. Conflict Tags 

Argumentative, defiant dialogue tags:

Argued, Snapped, Retorted, Rebuked, Disputed, Objected, Contested, Barked, Protested, Countered, Growled, Scoffed, Sneered, Challenged, Huffed.

7. Agreement Tags 

Understanding, compliant dialogue tags: 

Agreed, Assented, Nodded, Confirmed, Replied, Conceded, Acknowledged, Accepted, Affirmed, Yielded, Supported, Echoed, Consented, Promised, Concurred.

8. Disagreement Tags 

Resistant, defiant dialogue tags: 

Denied, Disagreed, Refused, Argued, Contradicted, Insisted, Protested, Objected, Rejected, Declined, Countered, Challenged, Snubbed, Dismissed, Rebuked.

9. Confused Tags 

Hesitant, uncertain dialogue tags:

Stammered, Hesitated, Fumbled, Babbled, Mumbled, Faltered, Stumbled, Wondered, Pondered, Stuttered, Blurted, Doubted, Confessed, Vacillated.

10. Surprise Tags

Shock-inducing dialogue tags:

Gasped, Stunned, Exclaimed, Blurted, Wondered, Staggered, Marvelled, Breathed, Recoiled, Jumped, Yelped, Shrieked, Stammered.

Note: everyone is entitled to their own opinion. No I am NOT telling people to abandon said and use these. Yes I understand that said is often good enough, but sometimes you WANT to draw attention to how the character is speaking. If you think adding an action/movement to your dialogue is 'good enough' hate to break it to you but that ruins immersion much more than a casual 'mumbled'. And for the last time: this is just a resource list, CALM DOWN. Hope that covers all the annoyingly redundant replies :)

Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks? 

Check out the rest of Quillology with Haya; a blog dedicated to writing and publishing tips for authors!

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[creation-help]

STOP BEING SELF CONSCIOUS ABOUT YOUR CREATIONS STOP SECOND GUESSING WHAT YOU REALLY WANNA DO STOP DEBATING IT'S WORTH. LET YOUR ART SERVE YOU INSTEAD OF THE OTHER WAY AROUND

[foredwall]

Quote dump of actual things my best friend @sonofafuckingcoffeebean has actually said to me in casual conversation. There’ve been too many good ones to post individually:

“Those mood swings, man, I’m just a slut.”

“I break too many laws for them to like actually be doing their job.”

“What can I say. My sexual prowess overwhelms all genders.”

“One of them was short as fuck, that’s why we called him Mario. And the other one was tall as fuck, which is why we called him Luigi.”

“Speaking of skinny boys, I don’t know why twinks like me so much.

“I thought I was into older guys, but maybe I do wanna be a cougar.”

“I'm gonna smell like a sweaty piece of grass during my shift.”

[cafffine]

my prof just explained on the syllabus that he’s included more points in the class than we needed to pass, so we could skip up like?? 20 small assignments/quizzes/participation!! and still get a very high grade!!

the idea was that we could focus on assignments that played to our strengths - only do the participation stuff if we like to talk out loud - only do the quizzes/readings if we want to do the class remotely - only do online discussions if we like to talk and share opinions but struggle with anxiety in class ect.

and that’s cool enough but then he pulled up DnD character sheets with drawings he’d done of these hypothetical student player classes and how our various accessibility needs could be gamified to ‘max out’ different aspects of the class to get high grades and like!!!!!

hell yeah!!!! let’s treat accessibility in higher education not just as a necessity but as the fun, engaging, and creative aspect of learning that it is!!! I love this!!

EDIT: For proper credit or further questions about his system please find my professor on twitter @/kurtishanlon

[foredwall]

Part 3 of things my best friend @sonofafuckingcoffeebean has actually said to me in casual conversation:

“I eat sour cream like Jesus is coming back tomorrow and I’m never gonna eat it again.”

[hellcheersmovingcastle]

[fandomsmeantheworldtome]

such a cutie 🥰

[chrissy-n-eddie]

I am on such a hunger games kick recently. I love it for hellcheer only bc they are made to be a final couple covered in blood. chrissy as a carreer who gets injured and separated from the careers pack after a few days in the arena. eddie who has been playing Dangerous to intimidate the competition but is actually Terrfied encounters her. chrissy is unable to run away and begs him to get it over with fast but eddie can't do it. they form a short-term alliance instead. chrissy can give him inside knowledge on the careers plans and the terrain that eddie hasn't ventured into yet, and in return eddie will keep her safe while she heals.

it's a tense alliance at first. but eventually eddie's mask slips and he accidentally starts to beat the Mean and Scary allegations. chrissy's is the first genuine laughter heard in the arena for decades and eddie smiles a real smile for the first time since the reaping. the next day... their first sponsored gift arrives. they begin to realise that their connection will get them more sponsors. chrissy starts to heal. they get closer.

the games runners broadcast that a team of two can win.

eddie and chrissy's reaction to this announcement is broadcasted on every capital channel, social media, billoard... they grab onto each other. clinging, laughing, jumping (chrissy hobbling, grabbing eddie for support).

however, jason who came in with chrissy and is heading the careers pack immediately becomes fixated on finding her. he becomes convinced that eddie is holding chrissy hostage as leverage against him. all of the careers attention turns to slaughtering eddie.

but eddie... has this lingering fear that despite everything, once chrissy is healed, she'll betray him for jason so that they can win together. he's not sure if she's pretending to be close to him for the sponsors it brings. he's not sure if he can trust her at all...............

[lucidowl]

Hey, just in case anybody else has, like me, also been mourning the secret dance number that got cut from the film without realizing Nicholas Hoult posted it on Twitter, Nicholas Hoult posted it on Twitter.

[foredwall]

@sonofafuckingcoffeebean I didn’t know anything could make me love this movie more. I was wrong. I have tears in my eyes. I don’t think I blinked once while watching this. This movie is a goddamn masterpiece.

[dcstorm]

Saw Renfield today and the movie was such a bloody fun time and loved every minute of it.

One spoilery thing I can't stop thinking and laughing about though...

Dracula really went all the way back to his Hospital Lair, after Renfield (in his 60s/50s-painted, colorful, motivational studio) discussed how group therapy was helping him and tried to quote the motivational book passages to him, to change into his Killing Fit.

He went back home to put on his fur cape, grab his shiny top hat, and jazzy cane to not only kill all those at group, but stunt on them while doing it

[tiffanyvalentine]

Try telling me this wasn’t how that one conversation in Renfield went, I dare you 😤

[foredwall]

Had a dream that a guy was attacking me and I was pulling on his long-ass hair, and he pulled out scissors to cut his hair off. What a fucking power move.

[clefadrylcorner]

He's goth. He's bisexual. He's a disaster. He's canonically a dilf. He's worked for Count Dracula (that one) for literal decades. He's part of a codependent relationship support group. He eats bugs. He makes snicker doodles. His studio apartment looks like it came out of a 70s tie dye event. He wears pastel square sweaters. He decapitated a man by punching him. He has self-help books lining the wall of his home. He cut off a guys arms with a cheap serving platter. He brought flowers to give a witness statement. He drugged and brought many people to their deaths. He doesn't like ska. He's covered in blood for half the movie. He even did coke. I didn't say his name but he popped into your head didn't he?

[foredwall]

Part 2 of things my best friend has said to me in casual conversation (@sonofafuckingcoffeebean ):

“You know how much I despise kidneys?….They’re awful. Little bEaN shaped organs. Go AwAy.”

[ladyantiheroine]

While I’m still thinking about Renfield, I love how the movie never attempts to make him into a *~cool macho badass~*

Like yes, he spends a good chunk of the movie doing badass fight scenes and karate-chopping bad guys, but even then he still feels like the timid dork he is the rest of the time.

The way he awkwardly smiles and waves at Rebecca while slamming that guy to the ground at the apartment complex? Poetic cinema. The way his fight scenes (while entertaining to watch) only happen because of his abusive servitude to Dracula? Meanwhile, him taking on brighter colors and more "feminine" hobbies like baking and home decorating is not framed as emasculating and instead a sign that he's becoming a happier, healthier person? *chef's kiss*

I’m tired of male characters being one-dimensional power fantasies. We need more leading men who are pathetic wet cats in human form even when they’re kicking ass.

[raccoon-energy]

renfield (2023) out of context

[femmefatalegoth]