Many writers are confused about whether to use a comma or period. What’s the best way to avoid using “said” all the time. Let’s resolve some of those issues.
Dialog tags use a comma.
A “tag” functions as a “hello” badge to identify the speaker. “Tommy said” is not a sentence that will stand alone, so we need a comma, not a period, joining the clause to the dialog.
“Yes, I would like you to do that,” Tommy said.
If the sentence asks a question, we want a question mark, not the comma. Writers often use asked instead of said, which is okay but a little redundant. So said still works just fine and is preferred by some.
Exclamation marks are best avoided except for one-word exclamations as in, “Wow!” Frequent use of exclamation marks is a sign of amateur writing. Show the emotion in the words and you don’t need the exclamation mark. Without the emotion, the punctuation doesn’t help. Never use the tag verb shouted and the exclamation mark. That’s redundant.
“Wow!” Tommy said.
Avoid burdensome tags.
We want to show, not tell, so avoid words like continued, laughed, or grumbled. Use verbs that vocalize the dialog, like said, whispered, and shouted.
You can use said all the time if you want. It’s what we call an “invisible” word that serves only to identify the speaker. Like the articles a, an, and the, people don’t notice how often said is used.
Non-tag attributions use a period.
When action, body language, or tone of voice is used to identify the speaker in a paragraph, we have a standalone sentence and don’t need the “said” tag.
Action Beats: “I disagree.” Tommy got up, ready to leave.
Body Language: “That might be a good idea.” Tommy looked surprised.
Tone of Voice: “Maybe we should go now.” Tommy sounded impatient.
Action verbs like laughed, smiled, nodded, and shrugged form independent sentences and should never use a comma.
“I would like that.” Tommy smiled.
Smiles, laughs, and tears are easily overworked, and they don’t say enough about the dialog. What kind of smile was it, free or restrained?
“I would like that.” A hint of sadness showed through Tommy’s smile.
By punctuating dialog correctly, your writing will be more polished and professional.
