ON WRITING: IS (BORING) ‘SAID’ THE BEST OPTION EVERY TIME IN YOUR SPEECH TAG? PART 2
You know how math fractions can be simplified (reduced) to their lowest terms, well, that is how it is for weak verbs. Said is the lowest form or term for all weak verbs and it should be used in place of all weak verbs in a scene. I mention scene here because youâre supposed to show in a scene. Weak verbs might be tolerated elsewhere but in a scene, it weakens your writing. Have some strong verbs in your scene and readers wonât notice the weak ones, but if theyâre all weak⌠Therefore said, according to my school of thought, should replace ALL weak verbs that imply speaking but not all the strong ones. That brings to the question.
What is a weak verb?
Itâs a verb that explains what is happening rather than shows how it is happening.
Informed, for instance, tells us that a piece of information (someone doesnât know) was passed.
Weak verb substitutes for said are terrible in dialogue scenes because they keep explaining what is happening, and the reader feels patronized. Itâs almost as if youâre calling them stupid by breaking things down for them. Thatâs why they are annoying. Words like beg, beseech, exhort, implore, urge etc all say similar things (in different intensities). They donât show us how something was said. They simply inform or offer explanations to why something was said. You should reduce them to their simplest term, said, particularly in dialogue scenes, not the narration (the telling part of your writing). Ask is another inconspicuous weak verb in its simplest form, just like said, and even if a question mark can tell the reader something was asked, there is nothing wrong with using it. Most readers wonât notice it. So it is okay to use ask or said for questions in your dialogue scene.
The truth is, if the reader is following your story, then you could use said in your speech tags and he would know that a character informed or begged or harangued or prescribed or quipped in a dialogue, or any other weak verb that could be simplified to said. But this is not the case with strong verbs (action-showing verbs). How will he know that someone shouted, whispered (or said in a whisper) or rattled words (rattled) or spoke very slowly (drawled or said with a drawl) or stammered. Notice that you could say things like âsaid in a low whisperâ or âwhisperedâ, but when youâre writing those long complex sentences, youâll see that tightening is best. And so, if you replace them with said, your readers will miss out on an experience. It isnât technically wrong, but if you keep using said, youâre playing safe and being unimaginative, even vapid. Unless it goes along with the voice of a character who is a child or isnât good with words, youâre not doing great. Apart from their clever metaphors and similes, the best writers impress with their apt use of strong verbs so donât miss out on this. Said all the time is flat and unskillful. Tell them I said so.
To conclude, the use of (boring) said is good because it doesnât draw attention as some other fellow weak verbs do, but if you keep using them where a strong verb can be used, then, your readers will not fully experience your scenes the way they could. And isnât that a shame. That said, Iâll say thank you and bye.
Charles Opara is a speculative fiction novelist currently finishing his first novel. He writes short stories of a much wider range of genres, some humorous. He is a programmer based in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, and a member of the Association of Nigerian Authors, Port Harcourt Chapter. He remains captivated by the logic in writing stories and programs. In 2014, his horror short story, It Happened, was shortlisted for the Awele Creative Trust Prize in his home country, Nigeria.
