"Said is dead"?
My son came home from school yesterday with a creative writing assignment. He has to write a few exchanges of dialogue between two or three characters based on a "missing scene" from the book they're reading now.
Sound familiar? My son is writing fan fiction! And it's for school! Hee! (Sorry, that just tickles me.)
Anyway, one thing in particular caught my eye: the teacher's handout states they are not to use the word "said" more than twice in this piece. "Said is dead!" this handout proclaims, "try these instead!" And then it goes on to list a bunch of "said" alternatives like:
OMG! Can you imagine reading a fic -- or a novel -- where the word "said" was replaced over and over again by one of these words?? I think I'd end up throwing the damn thing across the room. That would feel *so* over-written to me. Once in a while, okay, when you're trying to create an atmosphere, but seems to me it should be the exception rather than the rule. Blergh.
I almost hope the child doesn't decide to become a professional writer; I'd hate for him to have to unlearn this "wisdom" they're passing along to him. Yikes.
ETA: Oh eek, and it looks like it's not just being done in his school, either. I just Googled on this and found this article (scroll down) for fan fic writers on Mugglenet.
Sound familiar? My son is writing fan fiction! And it's for school! Hee! (Sorry, that just tickles me.)
Anyway, one thing in particular caught my eye: the teacher's handout states they are not to use the word "said" more than twice in this piece. "Said is dead!" this handout proclaims, "try these instead!" And then it goes on to list a bunch of "said" alternatives like:
- accused
- added
- ad-libbed
- admitted
- advised
- affirmed
- agreed
- alleged
- announced
- answered
- argued
- articulated
- asked
- asserted
- assumed
- babbled
- balked
- bantered
- barked
- bawled
- beckoned
- begged
- bellowed
- blabbed
- blasted
- blubbered
- blurted
- boasted
- boomed
- bragged
- brayed
- breathed
- bubbled
- cackled
- called
- chanted
- chattered
- chimed
- chirped
- chortled
- chuckled
- choked
- commanded
- commented
- complained
- consoled
- continued
- cooed
- corrected
- cracked
- cried
- crowed
- dared
- debated
- declared
- declined
- decried
- deduced
- defended
- deferred
- delivered
- demanded
- denied
- denounced
- described
- dictated
- directed
- divulged
- drawled
- echoed
- emitted
- emphasized
- encouraged
- enunciated
- exclaimed
- exhorted
- explained
- exploded
- expressed
- gabbed
- gasped
- giggled
- gossiped
- grinned
- groaned
- growled
- grumbled
- grunted
- hesitated
- hinted
- hissed
- hollered
- howled
- hummed
- imparted
- implied
- indicated
- insisted
- instructed
- interjected
- interrupted
- invited
- jawed
- joked
- joshed
- justified
- laughed
- lied
- lamented
- maintained
- mentioned
- mimicked
- moaned
- mouthed
- mumbled
- muttered
- nagged
- niggled
- noted
- objected
- observed
- ordered
- panted
- pattered
- persisted
- persuaded
- phrased
- piped
- pleaded
- positioned
- prattled
- preached
- predicted
- proclaimed
- pronounced
- proposed
- protested
- puffed
- queried
- questioned
- quipped
- quoted
- ranted
- reasoned
- recalled
- recited
- refused
- related
- relayed
- reflected
- remarked
- reminded
- repeated
- replied
- reported
- responded
- restated
- retorted
- roared
- scoffed
- scolded
- screamed
- screeched
- shouted
- shrieked
- sighed
- snapped
- snarled
- snickered
- sniffed
- snorted
- sobbed
- sounded
- specified
- speculated
- spewed
- spieled
- spoke
- sputtered
- squawked
- squeaked
- squealed
- stammered
- stated
- stressed
- stuttered
- submitted
- suggested
- tattled
- teased
- testified
- thanked
- thought
- thundered
- told
- urged
- uttered
- wailed
- warbled
- wept
- whimpered
- whined
- whispered
- whistled
- wondered
- verbalised
- vocalised
- voiced
- vowed
OMG! Can you imagine reading a fic -- or a novel -- where the word "said" was replaced over and over again by one of these words?? I think I'd end up throwing the damn thing across the room. That would feel *so* over-written to me. Once in a while, okay, when you're trying to create an atmosphere, but seems to me it should be the exception rather than the rule. Blergh.
I almost hope the child doesn't decide to become a professional writer; I'd hate for him to have to unlearn this "wisdom" they're passing along to him. Yikes.
ETA: Oh eek, and it looks like it's not just being done in his school, either. I just Googled on this and found this article (scroll down) for fan fic writers on Mugglenet.