Hello, I'm Leobluesmile I'm amateur in writing fiction so, I need someone help me by listing all vocabularies in making chracter have emotion in dialogue. P.S. Forgive me, english is my second language.
I could list adjectives for "said," but that isn't going to solve your problem, so I won't. Instead, you should try to "show" their emotions. For example, I could write: Or I could replace "said" with a more emotionally-driven word. This is a little bit better: These two examples are where you are "telling" the reader what the character is feeling. But what is better is to "show" the characters emotion through nonverbal expressions. For angry, what would she look like in her rage? What would she do because she is angry? I could instead try this: This is much better, because it gives the reader a visualization of what her rage is like, rather than just telling the reader she is angry. And we never really say she is angry, but the reader figures it out from her actions. This is the same reason the second example above (the one with "shouted") is better than the first (with "said angrily"). "Shouted" doesn't tell the reader what her emotion is, but it gives a clue. The third example is even better because the reader is shown more. But the more we "show" the reader, the better your scene, and the more powerful the dialogue comes across.
You know what would be easier? In your favorite internet search engine, type in the words "List of Adjectives" and hit enter. You'll find more sites than you'll be able to read with lists on them for you. Next easiest thing...don't use them for dialog tags.
first of all, what you're asking about aren't adjectives, they're adverbs! secondly, you should use them very sparingly, if at all, with dialog tags... use other ways to show emotion, etc., as shown above... and, as for using other verbs than 'said' that should also be done as little as possible... read the thread linked above and also study how the best writers of today and throughout history have done dialog...
I used to think people were too harsh on the use of adverbs and 'said bookisms' (google this term for further reading) but ever since I started eliminating them from my writing wherever possible, my writing has improved immensely. Anyone who is still sceptical about taking this advice should do it as an experiment and take a reviewer poll of the results
Not really - I said wherever possible. I considered putting 'a lot' or similar, but I felt in this instance there wan't anything wrong with an adverb,. so I left it in. I'm not suggesting you follow this rule BLINDLY for the sake of it, but just whenever it is applicable and appropriate to follow it.
You're right this is better than the other two, although the second example works better in a few situations, but you don't need to add " she said" at the end of the third. In fact, it ruins the sentence if you do add it.
try http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ I always find it helpful when I know there's another word for something but can't quite think of it.
The problem isn't a lack of adjectives (or adverbs, as Maia accurately pointed out). The entire approach is what I see as a problem, if you are trying to convey the emotion in the dialogue tags. Show emotion in the character's actions. You can also show it in what the character says, and how he or she phrases it, or what the character doesn't say. Take your time. The emotion doesn't have to be wrapped up in a word or two. Emotions have layers of subtlety. Show the emotion in a collection of indicators, rather than a single word or phrase.
This is a list of over 300 ways to say "said": http://www.scribd.com/doc/6226670/List-Over-300-Ways-to-Say This is the thesaurus.com entry for "sarcastically": http://thesaurus.com/browse/sarcastically?s=t The others are right that you should use adverbs sparingly and dialog tags sparingly. However, every now and then, they're OK, and as this was a question about vocabulary, I thought I'd include two of my favorite resources.
Look up "Tom Swifties" for lots of examples, and to discover why you need to use them with extreme caution.
Listen to what everyone is trying to say: your writing will be better without these things. If you really think you need to use them, that's okay for now. Go ahead and use them, but have it be your goal to eventually get past them and write the way Cogito clearly describes. Every now and then, challenge yourself to express the same thing by "showing," instead of "telling." You'll start to get the hang of it, and your writing will have improved. Trust us. Nakhiti- Just a joke/teasing you!
Most of which shouldn't be overused. Not "never". There's a place for these words, it's just not in every line. I would also like to note that some of the words listed are pretty basic, e.g. "asked," "responded," "replied," "commented," etc, that really are fine when used in moderation. Also, I'd like to point out that the majority of you aren't answering the OP's question, which is about vocabulary and not whether you agree with his/her use of adverbs. Your points of view are sound in general, but we don't know the context of the OP's usage. Perhaps in that situation, "said sarcastically" or something along those lines is perfectly appropriate. I try never to judge until I see it in context. Why? Because I've had all too many experiences here and elsewhere where well-meaning writers dismiss my question outright without knowing the circumstances. Let me tell you honestly: few things are more irritating than asking a simple question and getting a lot of wishy-washy generalized statements that don't answer it. I am, as always, speaking for myself.
I am not listing adjectives, adverbs, or any other kind of writing ad-ditions, because it's always best if you ad-lib it. (Pardon the pun.) My point is, use the word that works, which is a fine art learned over time through an understanding of emotions and characters and scenes, and which I have not yet mastered anyway; as people have said, do not use an extra word like "angrily" or "lovingly" when the tone can be conveyed by context and words said. Your readers are pretty smart; they can get into the minds of the characters as well and they can read emotions into words. Words like "sarcastically," "bitingly," "quietly," etc, may be necessary to convey a different meaning than you can tell. "You have done so much for me," she said. Now, depending on the scene, that may be said very, very softly, in which case you might say "almost inaudibly," or in a normal tone of voice, or coldly, as if stating a fact, or sarcastically, or whatever. Context will give a good sense. You could also emphasize certain words by italicizing, capitals, underlines, whatever. You are looking (if I'm getting you) for ways to convey tone of voice and emotion. You can almost never capture exactly the way a person would say it. It's in context, word choice, and precise, moderate use of adverbs, which is a particular skill that can be learned.
You have a point, there is that tendency. However, for me, it's always an attempt to be more helpful than merely answering the question. I don't just want to answer their question, because while that is what they want, that is not necessarily what they need. The question may just be a surface level solution to more underlying issues. I don't want to ignore that possibility. I think the best reply contains a healthy balance between answering their question and giving deeper-reaching advice. I believe I tend to give ONLY the latter, so I will try to give more of the former. That's kind of what I did in response to your earlier post.
I realize that many people become irritated when you offer the opinion that they are asking the wrong question. If you want robotic answers, ask a computer (or a search engine). You'll get the answer to the question you asked, but if it's the wrong question to begin with, are you really any better off? If someone gets irritated by the correction, that is their prerogative. They can ignore the advice - also their prerogative. But what if that advice is correct? There is that possibility, after all. If no one offers it because it may annoy the recipient, everyone is contented, but the asker never learns from it. I won't give the easy, safe answer if I think it's the wrong answer, the wrong question. There goes Cogito again, giving the same old non-answer. Well, I make no apologies for telling what I believe is the truth.
I'd prefer robotic answers to a lot of wishy-washy advice that doesn't help me. This begs the question, though: if others find your answers unhelpful, then what's the point?
the point is that some of those 'others' may find them helpful... majority rule doesn't rule in the realm of offering advice, y'know...
My point was just that there's a difference between suggesting politely that someone may have asked the wrong question and deliberately telling them that they have asked the wrong question. It's when people do the latter that I, for one, have a problem. I feel it's presumptuous to assume that I know better than the OP what the right or wrong question is. And as I said, few things are more tiresome than asking a simple question--one that does not ask for judgment or "sage advice"--and getting nonanswers that tell the asker that they are wrong. If you think otherwise, maybe it's time to ask yourself how often you've put yourself in the role of asker rather than answerer. It's easy to give advice and very hard to take it, especially when it isn't what you're looking for. It's not easy to be a new writer, and it's even harder when people dismiss your questions outright as the "wrong" ones. With that, I'm going to stop talking about this, because THIS IS NOT WHAT THE QUESTION WAS ABOUT.
There's an old saying, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink." Is advice wishy-washy just because it isn't what you want to hear? Maybe it is only unhelpful to you because you reject it out of hand.
There's an old saying, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink." Is advice wishy-washy just because it isn't what you want to hear? Maybe it is only unhelpful to you because you reject it out of hand. How is this any less judgmental and offensive than what you are accusing others of? Food for thought. Chew it well.
