Thursday, May 10, 2012

"Never Use An Adverb To Modify Said"

This is a continuation of my ideas about the advice in a NYT column linked in my post about writing advice from Elmore Leonard.
     Again, I must admonish Mr. Leonard for the use of the word "Never", as I feel there may be instances, however infrequent, where such adverb modifications may and should be used.
     One of my favorite characters by one of my favorite writers is the wizard Harry in Jim Butcher's Dresden Series. I don't know how it gets past proof readers or editors, but many times throughout several of these books, the dialogue tag for when Harry speaks is, "He said quietly." This usually is appropriate to the action and doesn't necessarily disrupt the story, but as a reader I do notice it. 
     While we are told that if we write well our characters feelings and even personalities can and should be shown through their actions and words, sometimes a writer has to clarify how a character says something. If we read, "'Everyone dies eventually,' he said.", we might naturally think the character is realistic and accepting of this fact of life.
     However, to convey something different about the character's thoughts and outlook, sometimes clarification of how they say something is necessary. "'Everyone dies eventually,' she said cheerfully." depicts an entirely different attitude and/or personality. "'Everyone dies eventually,' she said wearily." might be more an illustration of a character's feelings at a given moment or their reaction to a situation than a mindset; but again, how a character acts or speaks in certain circumstances helps show who they are.
     I feel that truly great writers can find, choose and create dialogue where the character's specific words would convey the feelings behind them, but for those of us who are still striving to reach that level, sometimes using an adverb to modify "said" is not only advisable, but necessary.

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