How To Write Correctly

Said is Dead

Do you know what the absolute worst word of all history is?  Fraction.

Do you know what the second worst word ever created is? Said.

The reason why Fraction is such a bad word is because it is used way too much in school, by the teachers.  (I hate working with fractions)

The reason that “said” is such a terrible word is because it is used WAY too much by the students in EVERYTHING!  Language, essays, works, fanfiction, you name it.  People just use the word way too much, please don’t. 

Do you know how much I hate the word "said"?  So much that I snuck over to its house with my dagger and slowly killed it, letting it exclaim its sins and apologize to the world.  Oh, but it was to late by then.  Said died a slow and painful death and is not to be used in any writing that wishes to not have the same fate.

If you don’t understand why it is so annoying, I’ll just have to take an entry out of Sky’s diary from when she was very young.

Example:

     Hannah Montana is perfect. *heart*  She said that she cares about her friends and family.  Mommy said that she likes Hannah Montana.  I said that I like her too, and then I watched another episode and said that it is great.
     My brother said that he is going to marry her, he is funny.  I said that he is dreaming and he said that I was a little brat.  I said that he called me a brat to my mom and she said that she doesn’t care.  She is a mean stink bug. :(

Do you see how BORING that is?  Well, Sky was about seven or eight when she wrote this so I wouldn’t expect anything important out of it.  I’ll take an entry out of one of her later ones.

Example:

     I still don’t understand how my diaries are just disappearing!  At first, I remembered that Percy and Annabeth had a “study” date in here (even though they are studying totally different subjects) and asked Annabeth if she knew anything about it.  She informed me that she was not aware that I had diaries so I just let her go.
     Then I thought that Leo might know something about it, he started sweating like crazy.  I saw that there was a blue and purple fuzzy journal on his work desk and I blew him (with wind) out of the way so I could check it out.  It was my diary from when I was ten, nothing special in there but I was still ticked off.  I told him that he better watch it or I’d go looking for his diary.

Yeah, I know. Sky has absolutely no life so her entries are BORING!!!  Except for her newest one, but she wrote it in a code so I only was able to decode the first page (that I ripped out).  Did you know that she has a really dirty mouth when it comes to writing?  Yeah, it was EXTREMELY nasty language.

Sky: STOP READING MY DIARIESSSS!!! D’:<

She’s just joking, she loves it when I read her stuff.  If you have the habit of using “said” a lot, don’t just start saying “told” all the time.  I’ll make you a nice list.

A:

Accused
Accused
Acknowledged
Added
Addressed
Admitted
Advised
Affirmed
Agreed
Allowed
Announced
Answered
Apologized
Approved
Argued           
Asked
Assumed
Assured

B:
Babbled
Balled
Bargained
Barked
Bawled
Begged
Belched
Bellowed
Betted
Blabbed
Blurted
Boasted
Boomed
Bragged
Bribed
Brought fourth

C:
Cackled
Called                                               
Cautioned
Challenged
Chanted
Cheered
Chimed
Chirped
Chuckled
Claimed
Commanded
Commented
Complained
Conceded
Concluded
Confessed
Confirmed
Continued
Convinced
Copied
Corrected
Cried
Criticized
Croaked
Cursed

D:
Debated
Decided
Declared
Decreed
Demanded
Denied
Described
Dictated
Directed
Disagreed
Disrupted
Drawled
Droned

E:
Echoed
Elaborated
Emphasized
Encouraged
Estimated
Exaggerated
Explained
Exposed

F:
Faltered
Feared
Foretold
Fumed

G:
Gasped
Giggled
Greeted
Grinned
Groaned
Growled
Grumbled
Grunted
Guessed
Gulped
Gurgled
Gushed

H:
Hinted
Hissed
Howled
Hummed

I:
Implied
Indicated
Inferred
Informed
Inquired
Inserted
Insisted
Instructed
Interjected
Interrupted

J:
Jabbered
Joined in
Joked

L:
Laughed
Lectured
Lied
Lisped

M:
Made known
Maintained
Marveled
Mentioned
Mimicked
Moaned
Mumbled
Murmured
Muttered

N:
Nagged
Narrated
Noted
Notified

O:
Objected
Observed
Offered
Ordered

P:
Panted
Paused
Pestered
Petitioned
Pleaded
Pledged
Pointed out
Pondered
Prayed
Preached
Predicted
Proceeded
Promised
Proposed
Protested

Q:
Questioned
Quoted

R:
Rambled
Ranted
Realized
Reassured
Recalled
Recommended
Recounted
Regretted
Rejoiced
Related
Related
Remarked
Remembered
Reminded
Repeated
Replied
Reported
Responded
Restated
Retorted
Returned
Revealed
Roared
Ruled

S:
Sang
Scoffed
Scolded
Scowled
Screamed
Screeched
Shouted
Shrieked
Shrugged
Sighed
Smiled
Smirked
Snapped
Snarled
Sneered
Snickered
Snorted
Sobbed
Spat
Specified
Spilled
Spoke
Sputtered
Stammered
Stated
Stormed
Stressed
Stuttered
Squealed
Suggested
Summed up
Swore

T:
Talked
Tattled
Taunted
Teased
Testified
Threatened
Theorized
Thought
Threatened
Told
Trembled

U:
Urged
Uttered

V:
Voiced
Volunteered
Vowed

W:
Wailed
Warned
Wept
Went on
Whimpered
Whined
Whispered
Wished
Wondered

Y:
Yelled
Yelped
Yowled

There you go, nearly 250 words that will replace “said” if used in the correct context.  (241 words in all)  If you have another REAL word that is used oftenish, comment it on the letter that it should be added too.  I must leave now, I’ve got to apply for a few scholarships now.