tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15617001.post886564832683373912..comments2024-03-20T02:26:46.482-04:00Comments on Joanna Bourne: When to use saidisms.Jo Bournehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13457862962618886252noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15617001.post-26145515456835758932018-07-24T02:32:42.941-04:002018-07-24T02:32:42.941-04:00I know this is an ancient post, but I just wanted ...I know this is an ancient post, but I just wanted to let you know that this was really helpful and interesting! I've often balked at the "don't use saidisms" advice, and your explanation to when and when not to use them makes things a lot clearer. Thank you!Mierkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04609800255974647205noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15617001.post-22790297485007042592015-03-09T15:16:11.068-04:002015-03-09T15:16:11.068-04:00I hope folks take away the idea that there's l...I hope folks take away the idea that there's lots of ways to tag. It's not necessary to dip again and again into the bag of 'saidisms' and pull out an 'averred' or 'opined' or 'speculated'. If 'said' isn't right, try action, internals or description when it comes time to tag. Jo Bournehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13457862962618886252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15617001.post-16597809391376314242015-03-08T14:24:22.645-04:002015-03-08T14:24:22.645-04:00You're not giving any /reasons/ why it's b...You're not giving any /reasons/ why it's better to convey information in action, description, etc., than in a speech tag. Look at what you wrote:<br /><br /><br />>She whispered, with a child’s simplicity, “I do not need to see your face, Citoyenne Finch.”<br /><br />We change it around a bit. Take it out of the dialog tag and put it into action or description or internals.<br /><br />They could only speak in whispers. She said, with a child’s simplicity, “I do not need to see your face, Citoyenne Finch.”<br /><br />We convey it in Internal Monolog.<br /><br />I must not be overheard. She said, with a child’s simplicity, “I do not need to see your face, Citoyenne Finch.”<br /><br />We drop the information into description.<br /><br />“I do not need to see your face, Citoyenne Finch.” The words snaked out from under the rain; words made of cool wavery sounds.<br /><br />All those "improvements" are much worse than the original, IMHO, and the last changes the meaning entirely.Bad Horsehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10735227563256689679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15617001.post-75550775133729115112013-03-05T21:20:14.083-05:002013-03-05T21:20:14.083-05:00Well, I'm very glad indeed that this helps you...Well, I'm very glad indeed that this helps you out.Jo Bournehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13457862962618886252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15617001.post-32935077633822290522013-03-05T11:15:59.197-05:002013-03-05T11:15:59.197-05:00Thank you very much for the author of this article...Thank you very much for the author of this article. It realy helps. I've been asked by my teacher to look for the Isms of my name, my last name 'SAID' and I found it. Thank you very much.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15617001.post-15016316326179919172013-02-08T08:57:41.844-05:002013-02-08T08:57:41.844-05:00Yup. There's seldom a simple 20-word rule for...Yup. There's seldom a simple 20-word rule for anything. This writing stuff is complicated. Jo Bournehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13457862962618886252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15617001.post-38153886357363059952013-02-06T23:29:06.654-05:002013-02-06T23:29:06.654-05:00Nicely said. I've bookmarked this for the next...Nicely said. I've bookmarked this for the next time someone asks about saidisms.Elfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01827436807468320435noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15617001.post-43563650748269980042010-03-01T16:27:16.185-05:002010-03-01T16:27:16.185-05:00Hi Beth --
Right exactly. If you have to say he ...Hi Beth --<br /><br />Right exactly. If you have to say he said it wildly or he sneered it, there's probably something you should be doing with narrative or action or the dialog itself.<br /><br />Not always, by any means. But often enough so a bell should ring in your head when you reach for that informational saidism.Jo Bournehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13457862962618886252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15617001.post-32274326558058866612010-03-01T09:43:38.027-05:002010-03-01T09:43:38.027-05:00The action carries the big, complex emotion in a w...<i>The action carries the big, complex emotion in a way the dialog tag can't.</i><br /><br />Or put another way: the action shows while the dialogue tag (whether saidism or adverb) tells. Which is why the short version so often falls flat. It's like explaining a joke to someone who can get it without your help, thankyouverymuch.Bethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08504439129670380071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15617001.post-7013327228413212352010-02-23T20:56:44.183-05:002010-02-23T20:56:44.183-05:00Hi Tacita Sempronia --
I got to talking endlessly...Hi Tacita Sempronia --<br /><br />I got to talking endlessly about this, so I pulled the response up to a posting. A deeply scattered and discursive posting, but a posting nonetheless.<br /><br />I love the word nonetheless and I get so few opportunities . . .Jo Bournehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13457862962618886252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15617001.post-82921274530733645622010-02-23T18:26:55.460-05:002010-02-23T18:26:55.460-05:00Wonderful, thank you!
I'm curious about your ...Wonderful, thank you!<br /><br />I'm curious about your thoughts on adverbs-as-dialog tags and adverbs with dialog tags.<br /><br />Asked because I ran across a recent top-ten list of Thou Shalt Nots, and the editor seemed to finger adverbs as the henchminions of choice for bad writing.<br /><br />I can understand the protests against, "Congratulations," softly < where there is no formal saidism, just an adverb used to suggest one. <br /><br />I have a harder time with the combination of, 1) Thou Shalt Not Use Verbs Other than Said for Dialog, and 2) Thou Shalt Not Use Adverbs with Said. <br /><br />So much of good dialog seems to hang on getting out of the way, so that context and through-line are clear. So I tend not to use said, saidisms or adverbs, until I want to emphasize who's speaking or how they spoke.Tacita Semproniahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00849303573677041301noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15617001.post-50825659892662379512010-02-22T09:29:58.054-05:002010-02-22T09:29:58.054-05:00@ Linda --
To avoid TomSwifties, one should avoid...@ Linda --<br /><br />To avoid TomSwifties, one should avoid not only saidisms, but also the said-adverbly, Jo opined woodenly.Jo Bournehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13457862962618886252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15617001.post-60140720094599563742010-02-22T08:12:38.631-05:002010-02-22T08:12:38.631-05:00"Oh, my God," she ejaculated dismayed-ly..."Oh, my God," she ejaculated dismayed-ly. "I've been doing it all wrong!"Linda G.https://www.blogger.com/profile/04576828490765434497noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15617001.post-86203959082928703252010-02-21T15:12:27.643-05:002010-02-21T15:12:27.643-05:00@ Anon --
It's disconcerting not to know who ...@ Anon --<br /><br />It's disconcerting not to know who the speaker is, isn't it?<br /><br />When I just want to tell folks who is talking, and I don't have any other information to get across, I'm apt to use 'said'.<br /><br />Nothing fancier.<br /><br />'He said', is pretty much invisible. It's like . . . I dunnoh . . . it's like the closing quote marks. Necessary and useful, but you don't 'see' them when you're reading along.Jo Bournehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13457862962618886252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15617001.post-87636516484553266752010-02-21T14:30:42.589-05:002010-02-21T14:30:42.589-05:00And sometimes you put it in because otherwise you ...And sometimes you put it in because otherwise you have no idea who said what. The challenge of reading Ivy Compton-Burnett can make saidisms a lot more attractive....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15617001.post-45971752778562337132010-02-21T11:30:11.149-05:002010-02-21T11:30:11.149-05:00Thank you so much. Hope it is some help.Thank you so much. Hope it is some help.Jo Bournehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13457862962618886252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15617001.post-33049525178704731752010-02-21T11:25:34.691-05:002010-02-21T11:25:34.691-05:00Very very helpful. As per.Very very helpful. As per.Katrinahttp://readericreatedhim.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15617001.post-4697451095672136322010-02-21T05:31:17.520-05:002010-02-21T05:31:17.520-05:00Thanks for the lightbulb on dialogue! Putting it i...Thanks for the lightbulb on dialogue! Putting it in action is so effective.Robynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00206658754576427031noreply@blogger.com