Hi
I'm new and to save trawling through a plethora of questions I thought I would ask this and apologise if it's a repeat.
When writing dialogue in a fiction novel should it be 'Jane said or said Jane'?
Many thanks
Pauline
Hi
I'm new and to save trawling through a plethora of questions I thought I would ask this and apologise if it's a repeat.
When writing dialogue in a fiction novel should it be 'Jane said or said Jane'?
Many thanks
Pauline
Do you know how Tarzan keeps his nuts jungle-fresh.
He changes his pants everyday.
Some writers also say, 'Jane said, "How long are you going for?"' I think that this works really well in some books (Beryl Bainbridge and Iris Murdoch use it quite a bit) but in some sentences it can sound a little stilted.
Also, I very very very rarely - if at all - use anything other than said, shouted, cried or asked. I don't really like responded, warned etc. The reader can tell that from what the character is actually saying. But of course like everything this depends on context ... Alice conceded.
I agree Derek re not always needing to use 'said'. When I just have two characters it is superfluous and so I don't use it.
I think I will also maybe mix it up a bit, as you suggest Mark.