<name> said. or said <name>?

Choose one and stick with it. There is no rule.

Although, in my opinion "said he/said she" sounds a bit archaic.

I think either is fine. Not sure about mixing them up though, probably OK. I do know that in Stephen King's book On Writing, he mentions how new writers try to avoid the word said and use more elaborate words, like "he enunciated." The new writers usually say they are trying to avoid "said" because it gets old, but Stephen (or Stevie as I like to call him) says readers are so used to reading "said" that they don't even notice, and anything else yanks them out of the story.

I'd go with option one; said <name> would pull me right out of the story.

Though I've seen it done in YA, and it seems to fit better there. Sometimes.

I just use what I do for the newspaper. In a training video, we were told the style is now name said, so I've stuck with that. But, of course, the best thing is to pick one and stick with it.

There is no rule. I use whichever feels better for the sentence, but often that is "said <name.>" However, I would never say, "said he," because (in my opinion) that sounds kind of stupid.

maddythemad said:

There is no rule. I use whichever feels better for the sentence, but often that is "said <name.>" However, I would never say, "said he," because (in my opinion) that sounds kind of stupid.

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Agreed. Whatever sounds best and flows best, use it. I know others have said to pick one and stick with it, but I disagree. Stephen King is right when he says the reader's brain pretty much ignores it, but if you are using the same construction over and over, it's going to start sticking out.

I have found that it actually depends on the name being used. For example, the name David. "Said David" becomes awkward because you have the two "d's" together, so most of the time "David said" is going to flow better. Just read it out loud.

<name> said. Anything else sounds archaic to me.

I totally disagree with the majority of posters. <Name> said is the standard, true, and one shouldn't randomly mix it up with said <Name>, but as an occasional change, it works just fine.

A "rule" is never as important as what sounds right or looks right on the page--sometimes it's so obvious that one does it without thinking. Trust your ear and your eye and you'll be fine.

rugcat said:

I totally disagree with the majority of posters. <Name> said is the standard, true, and one shouldn't randomly mix it up with said <Name>, but as an occasional change, it works just fine.

A "rule" is never as important as what sounds right or looks right on the page--sometimes it's so obvious that one does it without thinking. Trust your ear and your eye and you'll be fine.

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Couldn't have said it better myself.

Nicole

As long as it flows, I don't sweat it.

Either way, just be consistent. Modern literature (especially set in modern times) tend to favor "he said" instead of "said he."

I'll throw my lot in with the dissenters--I think each version has a place, and what really matters is how it contributes to the flow of the story. If you read it out loud, which sounds better? Sometimes it will be ___ said, sometimes it wil be said ___, and sometimes both will sound like crap and you'll have to figure out something else to write. I wouldn't worry about which one is "right," though.

There isn't a set rule. If you're using what sounds best, you're already doing the best you can.

I am actually kind of puzzled that people think there IS some sort of standard or rule.

There might be in journalism, but journalistic writing is much more rigid and rule-based than literature. It focuses on conveying information quickly and efficiently-- the focus of literature is more on conveying [whatever you want to say] in a manner that is pleasing in some aesthetic way.

How about leaving out the said altogether and having just a series of quoted conversation?

Actually, I think this is one issue where consistency may hurt your writing. Both are acceptable, and which one you choose is often a matter of emphasis:

"X said" tends to put emphasis on "said" (or the corresponding verb). It makes the speaker inconspicuous. Personally, I'd use this if the name is just there as a reminder. That's why "said [pronoun]" often sounds strange, I think. A pronoun refers back to a name/noun given earlier, so there's rarely a reason to put it into a prominent position.

"said [name]" for example is often appropriate when introducing "surprising speakers".

"No, you're not!" said Mom.//I flinched, turning...

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If Mom hasn't been in the scene before, "Mom said" sounds awkward, I think. And notice that even a pronoun would work in that place, if it was clear who the pronoun referred to:

"Him..."//"Who?"//"You know. Him!"//"Oh!"

[snip]

"No, you're not!" said he.//I froze, lowered my head, hoping to hide my blush.

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Starting sentences with "Said [X]" doesn't sound right to me (except in rather archaic/poetic contexts), which makes consistency kind of hard for people who prefer the structure.

To summarize:

1. At the start of the sentence/before the quote: X said, "..."

2. To emphasize the speaker: "...," said X.

3. To emphasize the speaking: "...," X said.

4. With pronouns: "...," [pronoun] said. (Unless 2. applies, but it usually won't. If you wish to the emphasise the speaker, you're not usually using a pronoun.)

That's my take on it, in a nutshell. As always, writing is more complicated.

I find it distracting when the author uses both "Brian said" and "said Brian" throughout the same book. Peter Straub did this in Ghost Story. If the author chooses just one and sticks with "Brian said," then I never notice it.

(I only use Ghost Story as and example because I recently read it, and the interchanging saids got distracting.)

allen

If you can avoid the tag, all the better--eliminate the confusion.

Said he

There is no rule, but modern convention is usually for "he said." It's a matter of taste, but I do think consistency is just as important here as anywhere else.

On a personal level, "said he" sounds horrible to my ear, at least for adult writing.

But pick up a book by your favorite writer. Pick up ten books by your ten favorite writers. How do they do it?

I think it depends on the sentence and flow - whichever falls out naturally will probably be fine. If it's pronouns, he said is probably the only way to go unless you're trying for an archaic style (and it'll stand out), but said John/John said are probably both ok.

"said he" just doesn't flow well for me. It's almost unnatural to my ear, even in a historical. I don't know why. But I wouldn't mind if someone uses it.

I tend to use beats (bits of action) rather than tags (said, etc), but if I need to identify the speaker without interrupting the dialogue I use 'name said' more often than 'said name'. As others have said, it doesn't hurt to use 'said name' occasionally, especially if it fits the rhythm of the sentence better. 'Said pronoun', on the other hand, is decidedly archaic.

In my WiP, though, I have an additional problem. One of my characters is called Ned. 'Ned said' sounds bad enough, but 'said Ned' is just silly! A lot of the time I have to resort to beats or unpretentious alternatives to said like 'replied'