A collection of useful words and sentences used to describe scenes or characters in writing a story.
Plus, any useful things I encounter like how to write dialogues, flashbacks, and more.
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BEFORE: "We don't need your boyfriend's charity," Max said.
AFTER: "We don't need your boyfriend's charity." His voice sounded like a peach pit in a garbage disposal.
BEFORE: "I've hunkered down here for years with my hard, silent Dad. I held on tight, trying to keep things from changing," he said.
AFTER: "I've hunkered down here for years with my hard, silent Dad. I held on tight, trying to keep things from changing." He looked down at his bloodless fists.
BEFORE: "But if you don't know all this about yourself, it doesn't matter what I think," he said.
AFTER: "But if you don't know all this about yourself, it doesn't matter what I think." He shut his mouth, closed his eyes, and grabbed for all the guts he had.
BEFORE: "Oh, Bree," Wyatt said.
AFTER: "Oh, Bree." His words trailed off, as if he'd run out of breath.
Summary:
1. If you have no good reason not to use it, stick to the standard "he said."
2. Other simple verbs – she asked, she replied, she whispered – are fine.
3. Fancy or over-the-top verbs – he thundered, he expostulated, he interjected – are best avoided.
4. Never use adverbs (exceptions to the rule notwithstanding). Instead of telling the reader, show the emotion in action.
5. Use only as many dialogue tags as you need for clarity. One every three or four lines is about right.
6. But remember...Instead of tags, you can use other ways to indicate who is speaking (like having the character do something right before or right after they speak, or having them name the other character).
