In a post on Writer Unboxed, Barbara Linn Probst suggests alternatives to the use of “said” as a dialogue tag. While “X said” is the generally accepted preference for indicating whom is speaking, it can become repetitive. There’s nothing wrong with a judicious change-up, as Probst suggests, particularly when you want to convey the emotion behind the dialogue without using adverbs.
Her ideas include:
- Using a strong verb like snapped.
- Describing how the words are spoken
- Using facial expressions or physical movement to show emotion
- Using a POV character’s thoughts
- Describing a POV character’s physical responses
Which method you choose will depend on where you are in your story. At a high emotional moment, your MC might have a physical reaction, such as nausea or muscle tension. If you want to linger on the moment, you might be able to use a character’s movement, such as pacing or slamming a door, or their internal reflection on the interaction.
