While there is nothing wrong with the word "said" in and of itself, variety is the key to exciting writing that keeps readers engaged.
Combining action beats with varied synonyms as well as "said" yields the most interesting and varied results.
Here are some examples you can use in your next project to keep you writing varied:
Instead of "said quietly"
whispered
murmured
muttered
croaked
purred
hissed
crooned
breathed
buzzed
Instead of "said affectionately"
admired
gushed
praised
flattered
lauded
beamed
complimented
approved
exalted
Instead of "said sadly"
sobbed
cried
lamented
pleaded
wept
grieved
wailed
sniffled
bawled
Instead of "said angrily"
growled
fumed
demanded
hissed
scolded
mocked
yelled
bellowed
berated
Instead of "said fearfully"
stuttered
gasped
stammered
gulped
cautioned
screamed
wavered
croaked
blanched
Instead of "said excitedly"
cheered
sang
beamed
rejoiced
hailed
exclaimed
celebrated
exulted
blurted
Instead of "said uncertainly"
inquired
hesitated
balked
deferred
speculated
floundered
pondered
wavered
vacillated
Neutral synonyms to use instead of "said"
voiced
expressed
insisted
noted
uttered
continued
replied
went on
began
OH MY GOD whyyyy did no one tell me you’re supposed to send thank-yous after interviews?? Why would I do that???
“Thank you for this incredibly stressful 30 minutes that I have had to re-structure my entire day around and which will give me anxiety poos for the next 24 hours.”
I HATE ETIQUETTE IT’S THE MOST IMPOSSIBLE THING FOR ME TO LEARN WITHOUT SOMEONE DIRECTLY TELLING ME THIS SHIT
If Sherlock Holmes was Isekai'd to a fantasy world he would just deduce the rules of this world and get back to solving crimes. He'll find an elf girl sidekick,name her Watson, and pretend like nothing happened.
ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
writing adult emails is awful
its like
hi [name of person],
this formatting is making me uncomfortable but I have to tell you something / ask you something that is vital to my career as a student.
I re-read and edited that sentence for an hour, but you’ll probably just glance over it for half a second.
thanks!
- [name]
For when you just need to get rid of as many arrows as possible...
so I got into grad school today with my shitty 2.8 gpa and the moral of the story is reblog those good luck posts for the love of god
This is based on decades of experience as an uncle and as an older brother.
Never forget that children are just as much people as adults are.
Kids 10 years or younger (and sometimes older than that) don’t get sarcasm or irony, so don’t use them.
If a child has difficulty pronouncing a word, don’t copy their misprounciation when speaking to them. They can hear the word just fine. It could sound to them like you’re making fun of them.
(Yes, this means no babytalk)
Don’t be dismissive.
Listen to what they’re saying.
To get on the same eye-level, don’t bend over or squat: it seems condescending. Kneeling or sitting are better.
It should go without saying that you should respect children’s body autonomy. Don’t force affection on them.
Respect children’s emotional autonomy as well. Let them be angry. Let them be sad. Don’t force them to be happy.
Let children like things. Don’t run down the things they like just because you find them cringy.
Don’t think that you know better.
To children, adults are giants. Be a big friendly giant.
Don’t stifle children’s curiosity.
Don’t stifle children’s enthusiasm.
To quote Sondheim, “Be careful the words you say, children will listen.”
Don’t look down on children.
Have not stopped thinking about this picture I took of Tansy this morning
pjo au where shortly after the war nico dies and turns into a rather obscure deity. later, young demigods start showing up alone at camp borders. when asked who brought them, they always talk about a pretty person with wings on their head and back, covering a face that wore a black crown. time passes, and a young, tiny child of Hekate, maybe 4, appears. when asked, the child says how there was this boy with wings over his face that brought her, and that the boy tells the child that his name is nico before kissing her head and leaving. shit hits the roof.
Love how tumblr has its own folk stories. Yeah the God of Arepo we’ve all heard the story and we all still cry about it. Yeah that one about the woman locked up for centuries finally getting free. That one about the witch who would marry anyone who could get her house key from her cat and it’s revealed she IS the cat after the narrator befriends the cat.