You are an unknown writer. You have hopes. You have aspirations. You thought you knew good grammar and good English, and so you take your work to an on-line critique group to get some input.
And they slam you for using too many speech tags, and especially slam you if any of them weren’t “said”. You come away from the experience confused, clearly remembering how your grade nine teacher said not to repeat words too often. So what happened?
This is what happened: sometime between the beginning of the last century and this one, speech tags other than “said” were put out of favour. How? Modern popular writers drifted in that direction, and it is modern popular writers that change the field that is the English language. Where you might have seen more flowers a half century ago, now it’s all wheat in the field.
Smooth is the modus operandi, an effortless view from beginning to end. See a stake in the field farther off? Make sure you get to it as expeditiously and as smoothly as possible. No bumps allowed. Any words that stand out are bumps. “Said” is invisible, a nice magic carpet to help you to the next stake in the field.
Or is it?
“Said” is invisible? Funny. I’ve always noticed it. When did anyone else stop noticing? Why did they stop noticing? It’s very bland writing, if you ask me, nothing but said, said, said.
And so what happens to some of us desperate folk that feel we need to liven up a conversation, enlighten our reader as to exactly what our protagonist is feeling? We add adverbs, of course!
He said slowly. He said sadly. He said stupidly.
“NO! NO! NO!” they scream at you on the crit groups. Lazy writing. Terrible writing.
“Yeah, but J.K. Rowling does it!” we whimper in desperation.
“Children’s writer!” Scoff, snarl.
“Ok,” says I. “Steinbeck! Steinbeck did it! Take that! Of Mice and Men! “George said brusquely”, “Lennie said quietly”, “Lennie said breathlessly”, “Candy asked sulkily”! And see? Theres an asked! And he used shouted, and called, and pleaded, and stuff! Lots of stuff!”
He sure did. He had balance. Said tags, and no tags, and other tags, and tags with adverbs. Balance.
What’s the biggest trap the aspiring writer will find waiting for them on crit groups. Certainty. That’s it. Overwhelming certainty that only one way is the right way.
Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, first published 1937. Sure he used a lot of the word said, but he didn’t waste a tag that was better suited to a conversation. If he’d been writing about a king, I’m sure the word “demanded” would have wormed it’s way into his writing. Demanded, decreed, ordered, summoned. Steinbeck’s not the only famous writer out there who used more than “said” for speech tags. Go ahead. Do some research.
So what’s my point? If you’re critiquing on a crit group, don’t be so very certain about “said” being invisible or perfect. Look at the passages written and just see if they work before you hammer them into the mud. But if you’re new to writing and looking for input, have hope. The field that is modern writing can be ploughed under and replanted by anyone.
K.M. Frontain
The Gryphon Taint: Volumes One and Two
http://www.lulu.com/Frontain
http://soulstonechronicles.bravehost.com
Bibliography:
Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, 1937, Pearson Longman educational edition published in 2000, ISBN 0582 46146 4
