As we are writing our stories we often find ourselves typing “he said, she said, they said this or they said that.” Too many saids on a page will sound unprofessional. Also, you need to add some color, emotions, to what the character is saying.

In a lot of cases you can describe what the person is doing as they are talking without using he said. For instance…

Jack reached for the rifle. “You’re not going to make me use this, are you?”

But, if you prefer to use the colorful alternatives, here’s a list for you to look over.

Enjoy.