JKR's writing style (was Re: Changes I would make)/Draco

[Ceridwen]

No: HPFGUIDX 177437

Laura wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Finally, someone pointed out the "she said / he said +
> > > > adverb" problem, something that I had NEVER noticed
> > > > before...

va32h:
> > but as often as not "said" really is the most 
> appropriate 
> > word. 
> 
> Magpie:
> Oh my-there is absolutely *nothing* wrong with using the word said. 
> On the contrary, it's what the author *should* use most of the 
time. 

Ceridwen:
Having read books on writing by various successful authors, like John 
Gardner and Stephen King, "said" is almost always the perfect word.  
It slides under a reader's radar, causing people not to notice that 
the words "he said/she said" were even there.  Alternatives should be 
used sparingly, to signal some sort of change or problem ("he gasped" 
or "she cried").  This change signals something to the reader, that 
the character is upset or happy or alarmed, so there is something 
different going on in the text.

Rowling uses a lot of -ly words (shakily, angrily) when describing 
speech, which draws attention to the character's disposition (he said 
snarkily/she said worriedly).  I've seen where people criticize this, 
since she could have used "he snapped" or "she fretted", or described 
behavior (he turned abruptly and stalked off/she raised a trembling 
hand to her mouth).

Ceridwen.