Omfg, I definitely needed this
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
Writing fight scenes requires a delicate balance of action, emotion, and detail to keep readers engaged and immersed in the moment.
Here are some tips to craft compelling fight scenes:
Know your characters: Understand their fighting styles, strengths, and weaknesses—are they offensive, or defensive? Spontaneous, or strategic? Trigger-happy, or reluctant? Their personalities and motivations will influence their actions and decisions during the fight.
Create tension: Build tension leading up to the fight to increase the stakes and make the action more gripping. Foreshadowing, verbal sparring, or physical intimidation can all contribute to a sense of anticipation.
Use sensory details: Engage the reader's senses by describing the sights, sounds, smells, and physical sensations of the fight. This helps to create a vivid and immersive experience—but make sure not to overdo it. Too much detail can distract from the adrenaline of the fight.
Maintain clarity: Ensure that the action is easy to follow by using clear and concise language. Avoid overly complicated sentences or excessive description that could confuse readers.
Focus on emotions: Show the emotional impact of the fight on your characters. Describe their fear, anger, determination, or adrenaline rush to make the scene more compelling and relatable.
Include strategic elements: Incorporate tactics, strategy, and improvisation into the fight to make it more dynamic and realistic. Think about how your characters use their surroundings, weapons, or special abilities to gain an advantage.
Balance dialogue and action: Intersperse dialogue with action to break up the fight scene and provide insight into the characters' thoughts and intentions. Dialogue can also reveal or support the characters' personalities and motivations.
Keep it concise: While it's important to provide enough detail to immerse readers in the action, avoid unnecessary padding or overly long fight scenes. Keep the pacing brisk to maintain momentum and keep readers hooked.
Show the consequences: Illustrate the aftermath of the fight, including injuries, emotional trauma, or changes in relationships between characters. This adds depth to the scene and helps to drive the story forward.
Hope this helped ❤
Previous | Next
aww! So cute!
(The last one had like 3 movies that were not Dreamworks so I'm making one that's only Dreamworks, I picked the most iconic)
Doesn’t matter if you write in a frequent basis, or once in a blue moon, just how many of us are there?
Nazis, TERFs, pedophiles, bigots, Tr*mp supporters, Islamophobes, exclusionists, queerphobes, and anyone who can’t reblog this post, etc, do not interact. I will block you.
So in Shrek 5, I want Pestilence, or another character who’s the same species as Death, to appear. Maybe even a half primordial entity, the name for Death’s species I came up with, appear.
Maybe Pestilence appears as a more neutral figure who decides to help Shrek’s children and maybe Donkey’s son. Maybe the reason why he’s helping them is because he’s bored, or has some secret ulterior motives.
Maybe have somebody who’s half primadorial entity and half mortal appear. Everybody thinks Felicia is gonna be this quirky rebellious girl, so maybe have this character be a foil to her. Maybe she’s super obedient and calm.
Sry, I just hope Shrek 5 is good and dives deeper into how Death’s kind function.
fuck it!! reblog this and say one (1) (or more if you want to) nice thing about the person you reblogged this from. it can literally be about anything– just spread some positivity and make this hellsite just a little more bearable!
(She/Her) | Multifandom Blog | INFP-T | Interests: Storytelling, music, literature
228 posts