Floretskybright - FloretSkyBright

100 Dialogue Tags You Can Use Instead of “Said”

For the writers struggling to rid themselves of the classic ‘said’. Some are repeated in different categories since they fit multiple ones (but those are counted once so it adds up to 100 new words). 

1. Neutral Tags 

Straightforward and unobtrusive dialogue tags: 

Added, Replied, Stated, Remarked, Responded, Observed, Acknowledged, Commented, Noted, Voiced, Expressed, Shared, Answered, Mentioned, Declared.

2. Questioning Tags 

Curious, interrogative dialogue tags:

Asked, Queried, Wondered, Probed, Inquired, Requested, Pondered, Demanded, Challenged, Interjected, Investigated, Countered, Snapped, Pleaded, Insisted.

3. Emotive Tags 

Emotional dialogue tags:

Exclaimed, Shouted, Sobbed, Whispered, Cried, Hissed, Gasped, Laughed, Screamed, Stammered, Wailed, Murmured, Snarled, Choked, Barked.

4. Descriptive Tags 

Insightful, tonal dialogue tags: 

Muttered, Mumbled, Yelled, Uttered, Roared, Bellowed, Drawled, Spoke, Shrieked, Boomed, Snapped, Groaned, Rasped, Purred, Croaked.

5. Action-Oriented Tags 

Movement-based dialogue tags: 

Announced, Admitted, Interrupted, Joked, Suggested, Offered, Explained, Repeated, Advised, Warned, Agreed, Confirmed, Ordered, Reassured, Stated.

6. Conflict Tags 

Argumentative, defiant dialogue tags:

Argued, Snapped, Retorted, Rebuked, Disputed, Objected, Contested, Barked, Protested, Countered, Growled, Scoffed, Sneered, Challenged, Huffed.

7. Agreement Tags 

Understanding, compliant dialogue tags: 

Agreed, Assented, Nodded, Confirmed, Replied, Conceded, Acknowledged, Accepted, Affirmed, Yielded, Supported, Echoed, Consented, Promised, Concurred.

8. Disagreement Tags 

Resistant, defiant dialogue tags: 

Denied, Disagreed, Refused, Argued, Contradicted, Insisted, Protested, Objected, Rejected, Declined, Countered, Challenged, Snubbed, Dismissed, Rebuked.

9. Confused Tags 

Hesitant, uncertain dialogue tags:

Stammered, Hesitated, Fumbled, Babbled, Mumbled, Faltered, Stumbled, Wondered, Pondered, Stuttered, Blurted, Doubted, Confessed, Vacillated.

10. Surprise Tags

Shock-inducing dialogue tags:

Gasped, Stunned, Exclaimed, Blurted, Wondered, Staggered, Marvelled, Breathed, Recoiled, Jumped, Yelped, Shrieked, Stammered.

Note: everyone is entitled to their own opinion. No I am NOT telling people to abandon said and use these. Yes I understand that said is often good enough, but sometimes you WANT to draw attention to how the character is speaking. If you think adding an action/movement to your dialogue is 'good enough' hate to break it to you but that ruins immersion much more than a casual 'mumbled'. And for the last time: this is just a resource list, CALM DOWN. Hope that covers all the annoyingly redundant replies :)

Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks? 

Check out the rest of Quillology with Haya; a blog dedicated to writing and publishing tips for authors!

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I resolved the problem of the low quality visual , this is the original version

I don't know if I did it right or not , at least it looks somewhat good

I literally used Airbrush until I found the right violets/purples that blended in somewhat well

Now to find out how to shade on something more complex like an Oc

Cosmos Monkeys AU

Prologue

I was the first one to come into existence , ironically being born from a star dying

I never noticed how lonely I was , maybe because I didn't know how it felt to not be alone from the start

I just spend my days between the stars and did nothing at all

It may be boring for someone else but it was all I ever knew to do

Floating around and looking at galaxies were the only thing I could think of to pass the time in the immense nothingness of space

Until one day I strumbled upon your birth , it was as beautiful as it was dangerous , I already thought of you as such even before knowing you were coming into existence like me

When I realized who came out of the bursting of the supernova I was left spechless a second time

Your radiance made me forget everything before you and I couldn't help but getting closer to you

I will never forget our first meeting

______________________________________

The first time I opened my eyes it was also the first time I saw you

At the time I thought we were family seeing as you were there when I was born , but you said we weren't really related because being born from the galaxies are unique

I didn't really understand it but we looked to be the same so I stuck around you , I was afraid to live alone in such a vast place and it seemed you didn't like it either

I wanted to see you laugh so I played games with you , you looked so confused and excited every time I came up with a new one , it was amusing to see

Eventually I wanted to see what else I could do other than coming up with games so I started experimenting with myself , I thought there was no way it was all I could do when my existence is special itself

You supported me and only looked troubled at the thought of me hurting and your caring brought me joy

But my efforts weren't in vain , I eventually discovered powers so strong to destroy a sun , you followed in my steps wanting to be by my side in everything and I couldn't have been more grateful for your loyalty

I thought we would be together forever but there's a first time for everything

______________________________________

They took my sun away , these beings that called themselves gods took my sun away from me

They feared us , feared our power but we never did anything to them

They captured us and let me watch as they killed my sun before my eyes and then killed me too

I used all my remaining strenght to lay next to my sun , I wanted my last moment to be with him and thinking only of him

My hatred and desire for revenge against the gods was only a passing thought compared to the feeling of wanting my sun to be my only focus for foverer and more

And with a last look at my other half my eyes closed as my last strenghts left me

Shadow's Realm AU (Shadowpeach)

MK concept

Guayin discovered what was happening from a drunk and depressed Wukong and made a plan to reunite the two monkeys , she created MK and gave him two bodies , one in the shadow's realm and the other in the mortal realm , so he could switch between the two worlds. The events of the lmk serie goes mostly the same but when MK goes to sleep in the mortal realm he's awake in the Shadow's world and is the adopted son of Macaque and the astral vessel of Wukong , MK will understand the situation and what to do after growing up

(Wukong doesn't know MK is his son because in the Shadow's realm he looks like another primate , Macaque doesn't know either because he doesn't look at the mortal realm anymore so he doesn't suspect Wukong's sucessor and their kid to be the same person , MK also goes by another name in the shadow's world given by Wukong and Macaque)

The MK of the mortal realm is adopted by Pigsy and Tang , the rest of the cast acts the same

It's a running joke that MK thought that his parents were the monkey king and the six eared macaque when he was young , not knowing it was the truth and thinking he was simply a fan even when they find strange for one of the parents to be the dead Macaque , MK eventually gave up convincing them until he found his father Wukong in this realm

Later when Wukong still doesn't know that Macaque and him are real and not him hallucinating MK try to make him see the truth. ( All between the events of the serie)

When Wukong and Macaque finally talk the three of them will be a family of three , for real this time , and Macaque will create another vessel so the three can live some days in the mortal realm and others in the shadow's realm.

The constant battle between "I want to cut all my relationships and isolate forever" and "I wish I could have normal feelings towards people".

Me:*working on art about my Shadow's Realm AU*

Computer:*low battery alert*

Me:"What? But the charger is on"

Computer:*powers off soon after*

Me:"Noo come on"*powers it back on*

Computer:*powers on*

Me:*goes back to work* "huh?!"

My digital pen:*stops working correctly*

Me:*sigh*"okay let's try this"*closes and opens the drawing program*

Me:*Tries again to draw*

Drawing program:*works weirdly*

Me:"Okay that's it!! I'm powering it off , maybe it doesn't work because of the low battery"*leaves computer to charge*

Wouldn't it be a cool quirk if Shadow milk's hair would boil like milk when angry or/and be freezing when sad? His hair could also be whatever temperature is outside when he's normal (emotionally), like if it's summer it's warm but in winter it's chilly and in spring and autumn it's something inbetween, the effects are even more potent if he's feeling angry or sad

New Lmk Au/s but it's more of a funny scenario

In journery to the west it says that there were 4 celestial primates , but in the work only make an appearance Sun Wukong and the six eared macaque

I didn't read journery to the west but I think it didn't specify that the other two celestial primate lived in China too (if I'm wrong I'm sorry) , or that they were still alive (again if I'm wrong I apologize) but for Au plot's sake let's say they are alive but live somewhere else

I say they could live somewhere else because there are many other cultures in other places/countries were some monkeys are considered deities/demons/spirits/gods ecc

There also could be other god-like monkeys that are not exactly the celestial primates that China knows in the world , because if China's gods exist why not the ones in other places?

So what if the primates from China(Sun Wukong and Macaque) met the others from other countries? Like a meeting between the monkey kings from all over the world

___

Another idea with the same basic characteristic is if Macaque goes traveling all over the world and makes friends with other powerful primates and they make a fun kind of chaos

I think it would be funny if Macaque forms a quartet with all four of them being a kind of equivalent of the original celestial primates , substituting Wukong with someone else

(bonus if Macaque isn't literally the six eared macaque/ a celestial primate in the first place but him being one is just a running joke)

(bonus n*2 if he really is but his friends think he's joking , then find out it's true later)

I think it would be funny if Macaque takes his friends to China and forms a school

Macaque teachs spells/seals/curses

The wukong equivalent teachs fighting

Another teachs about beasts and artifacts

Another history and culture of demons/celestial/spirits ecc

And MK gets interested in wanting to join , Mei too , much to Wukong's dismay

Bonus if Macaque and the Wukong equivalent are in a fake relationship to mess with Wukong

Or they are in a real relationship and Wukong isn't romantically interested in Macaque but just hates the fact that others like someone he can't stand

Feral Macaque AU

I had another idea for a lmk au

When they were young Macaque was good hearted while Wukong was kinda the bad one

Wukong was only nice to the monkeys and who he considered his friends and didn't have problems with being cruel or murderous to those who weren't and that pissed him off (which was easy to do)

Macaque was the most soft hearted of the two , he might not put his trust blindly to strangers like a naive fool but he isn't heartless or uncaring to people in need that deserved help

And that's the exact reason Macaque was a target for bullying , mockery and insults by the other demons

Even with Wukong's protection it only gave the others another reason to consider him weak

Wukong was Macaque's only friend and that's why Mac was so scared of losing him but eventually they fought while Wukong was trapped under the mountain sealed by Buddha and Macaque was very emotionally hurt

When Wukong joined the journery to the west Macaque got worried and thought about saving him despite still being somewhat hurt and mad at Wukong but it lead to his death instead

Macaque was furious , Wukong was the bad one , the one killing and doing whatever he wanted but got a chance to be better while he died mistaken to be a bloodthirsty monster out for the monk's blood

Macaque decided , if they thought of him as monster then he will gave them a monster

Then Lbd came and resurrected him but didn't know much of the "monster" she was dealing with

Macaque has gone feral and Lbd had to take precautions to use him

She caged him and leashed him but he would still not obey her , trying to escape and causing a rampage destroying and killing her servants with bare hands

She then used the monkey's insticts to gave him a reason to somewhat stay put for a while so she gave him Rumble and Savage to protect and care for and as a reason to obey her orders if he doesn't want them to get hurt

Eventually Mk strumbled across them and freed them and would later struggle to help and befriend three feral monkeys and try to avoid them going out for a rampage

Wukong gets involved to keep them on flower fruit mountain so they don't kill anyone and he has to try to reason with Macaque for him to return civil and maybe reconcile (by MK's request)

Shadowpeach can be platonic , romantic or simply friendship