270+ Other Words For "Said" To Supercharge Your Writing

Dialogue is one of the most powerful ways to introduce your characters and bring them to life for readers. When done well, it reveals personality, relationships, and motivations—all in a way that feels natural and engaging. Here are a few techniques to make character introductions through dialogue memorable, with examples from authors I’ve worked with.

Show personality through speech patterns

The way a character speaks—their tone, choice of words, and rhythm—can reveal a lot about who they are. In Losing Juliet by June Taylor, the dialogue between two adult female characters is a perfect example. One character is guarded and precise, while the other’s tone is more casual and assertive. This contrast instantly tells us about their personalities and sets up their complex dynamic. When editing, I often help authors create unique speech patterns that make each character’s voice distinctive.

Reflect relationships through dialogue

How characters speak to each other reveals their relationship dynamics. In Losing Juliet, Taylor uses subtle hints in the dialogue to convey past secrets and tension without spelling it all out. Readers sense the history and conflict between the characters, making the dialogue feel rich and layered. When I work with authors, I encourage exploring these nuances in relationships, showing rather than telling.

Reveal motivation through subtext

Great dialogue often goes beyond what’s explicitly said. In The Hanged Man Rises by Sarah Naughton, the children’s dialogue is filled with innocence and curiosity, yet it often hints at deeper fears and uncertainties. This subtle layer adds intrigue without needing direct exposition. I frequently work with authors to find opportunities for subtext, letting readers read between the lines to discover characters’ hidden motivations.

Show conflict and tension

Conflict in dialogue can reveal a character’s core traits. In The Hanged Man Rises, Naughton’s children’s dialogue shows both their vulnerability and resilience, heightening the story’s suspense. In Losing Juliet, conversations between the protagonists highlight simmering anger and unresolved issues, offering readers a glimpse of what drives each character. When editing, I encourage authors to think about how characters might speak differently under pressure—revealing who they are when emotions run high.

Balance dialogue with actions and reactions

Dialogue is most impactful when paired with physical cues. In Losing Juliet, Taylor often uses gestures and subtle actions to deepen the impact of what’s said (or left unsaid). These small cues add depth, creating a more immersive experience. I often advise authors to integrate these details, as they can make dialogue feel more real and relatable.

Reflect character growth in speech

As characters evolve, so should their dialogue. In The Hanged Man Rises, Naughton’s young characters’ dialogue changes as they face challenges, reflecting their growth over the course of the story. This shift makes their journey feel authentic, and I often encourage authors to consider these changes as they develop characters’ arcs.

How much or how little a character "speaks" says a lot about them. A dialect can also reveal where they are from. Broken English or a stutter can also say a lot. Dialogue is a great way to "show" and not "tell."

The main thing to get across when introducing characters through dialogue is to write it so it feels natural. Constantly ask yourself if the way you're making them speak is the way regular people in those circumstances would speak. If it sounds too stilted or infodump-y, that's going to distance your reader from the character because they'll feel unreal, manufactured—just there to move the plot along.

There can be no exact rule about what adjectives to use when describing characters, because the key is to capture a unique personality with great effect, in a way that supports your plot. Don't try to be clever; just think about the person you want to describe, as well as the situation they are in, and be as authentic as possible. You should, however, consider asonance, alliteration and rhythm - how these words will 'sound' in the head of the reader. A badly chosen collection of adjectives might read like a list, for example: 'enterprising, calculating, scintillating' (unless of course you were going for a rather hectoring style where this type of repetition was desirable). Obviously, you should also avoid adjectival groupings that are just too predictable - 'tall, dark, handsome'. Compare with this Jane Austen's description of Emma Woodhouse as 'handsome, clever, rich.' This tells us, in three words, something about the woman's appearance, something about her intellect, and something about her social status. Well-chosen adjectives combine in a harmonious unit, sound well when read aloud, convey a considerable amount of information succinctly, and produce a fresh image in the mind of the reader. For example, what might you think of a character when told, 'Phoebe stepped forward, blushing, rumpled, fearless'? This conjours up a great deal about what Phoebe has just been doing: perhaps falling in love, enjoying a forbidden clinch in a side room at a ball, getting caught in the act of social transgression, standing by her decision, feeling the enjoyment, coming forward to own up and defend herself, showing her defiance. Adjectives can be a very powerful and succinct way to move a plot forward, sweeping the reader along with you, because the information is intimately focused on an individual character, their behaviour, their motivations, and what they might do next.

Curious, rebellious. A character that doesn't quite "fit the mold" will usually be interesting to readers.

Characters are so varied and endless in type, I'm not sure it's possible to zero in on just a few particular adjectives, but when you are describing characters, I think it's worth keeping a few things in mind:

1) Whatever descriptive term you're using, reconsider it when it comes to the self-editing phase. Is there a way you can show what you're talking about instead of using an adjective? It may not be possible to 'show' that a character has blue eyes or blond hair without getting bogged down in metaphor at a moment that needs to move quickly, but you can absolutely show that a character is, for instance, curious or timid or intelligent. 'Show don't tell' is used more often than it's useful, but in this case, it's absolutely worth keeping in mind.

2) Make sure you're using varied descriptions. You don't want to consistently describe a number of different characters using the same terms/adjectives/traits/characteristics, no matter what those descriptions may entail. (The exception, of course, would be if you're writing something like The Stepford Wives, where character similarity is part of the point!)

3) If you offer too much description at once, whether it's focused on one character or going from character to character, readers aren't going to be able to absorb everything you're saying. If you're offering detailed character descriptions, try not to give more than two in a row without breaking them up with a scene. In most cases, you'll be better off sprinkling in description as it comes up naturally rather than spending a paragraph or more on it at once.

Characters are best described through body language and dialogue. Avoid overusing adjectives and let your readers do some of the interpreting. There is no need to spell everything out for them. The best way to convey a character's personality is through action, dialogue and body language.

I'm a huge proponent of staying hydrated, so I will always recommend water. It's a great tool to give your brain space to think, too. Stuck? Take a sip of water. Finished a difficult line? Take a sip of water. Feeling achy after sitting too long? Take a sip of water.

A pocket notebook and pen or pencil. You never know when an idea will come around, or you suddenly figure out a solution to a writing problem. I keep one on me all the time, even if I'm sitting at my computer, because sometimes in the time it takes to decide what app/document to open, the thought will just vanish. It also gives me a chance to think visually, which is how I often work through things: mind-maps, doodles, sketches, and other ways of expressing myself that are not always easy to pull off with a keyboard.

And they're handy for impromptu to-do or shopping lists to boot!

Your smartphone! The quickest way to make sure you don't forget an idea is to record a voice note – save yourself the scramble for a pen and paper. Snapshots of places, scenes, details, and skies that inspire you are great for reference too.

A notepad or a phone as a way of taking verbal or written notes for ideas as they arise.

I'm a sucker for a good pocket notebook. You never know when inspiration will strike, and while phone are great (and another note-taking device that works wonders) I've always found that physically writing something down helps the ideas flow more.

Pen and paper if you're old-school.

Laptop (or in a pinch, smartphone) if you're new-school.

Coffee if you drink coffee; tea if you drink tea.

And when the words just aren't coming, access to whiskey and rum. 😉

Write it anyway!

The market for books is huge and each writer's voice is unique. You will have a different way of presenting the informaiton or telling the story, even if it's similar to someone else's.

Your book will still be yours and stand out from the crowd. Think about it this way:

You know that book/movie about a group of strangers who end up at a haunted house and have to survive the night/day in order to get the prize or meet the challenge put in front of them?

How about the one about the big-city-living thirty-something woman who's forced to go home to her small town, just for a quick visit to deal with family drama, and ends up falling in love with a local?

Or the book/movie about the serial killer preying on unsuspecting innocents in a small town, so that FBI agents have to come to town and overcome local prejudices to catch the killer?

Well, no...you probably know the dozens of books and movies described in those quick little concepts.

The point is, concepts and ideas are generic. Once you write your book, you'll make it your own. If you can tweak the concept/idea so that it's never quite been done before, then you'll have a high-concept idea that might stand out even a bit more than it would otherwise, but no matter what, you'll have a book that will be different from all those others because you're the one who wrote it. And readers who want that genre or live for that idea (like I live for haunted house stories, admittedly) will devour it, no matter how similar it may be to other books at a basic level of concept.

Write a better book. There are many books written about the same topic, same ideas, same plots. You can't protect an idea, only the written expression of that idea. Go write your own book that is thoughtful, well-written, and thorough. A good book will find an audience.