Best way to Introduce quotes

Off topic, but, anyway ...

I'm big on using said and said only as well, but, to me "joked" is better than "said jokingly" if you feel it isn't readily apparent the subject is, well, joking. Mostly, because I hate adverbs more than life itself.

To me, the reason for the ban on everything but "said" is because the majority of words young writers want to use in that spot don't make sense.

"And I still have the panties," Smith chuckled, snorted, guffawed, shrugged ... those words don't mean "said." You can't "chuckle" a quote ... or "shrug" a quote.

So just use "said."

 

"Shrug" ;D

 

Avoid "ejaculated."

 

I was reading this one and felt compelled to comment. I'll use 'Said Johnson: "QUOTE HERE." '

I'll also use "explained" and "elaborated" when applicable, often when a quote delves into a fact/point I've introduced. In J-School I had said-said-said drilled into me, but there I times I feel OK about deviating when I can.

 

I abhor that. "Said Johnson: yada"
Means that someone is too lazy to come up with a transition, imo.

 

Agreed on all the above. I usually will write "said" with almost every quote and perhaps add a modifier if it's a joke that may not come across clearly in print. If I'm using a lot of quotes in a longer piece I may use "added" with either a second reference or a pronoun, but only if it's absolutely clear to my imaginary dumb reader who the speaker is.

Generally speaking if you're going to use a semicolon there's a better way to write the graf so that it is more clear.

 

I wouldn't say it's lazy, in my case I'm trying to avoid monotony. Don't get me wrong, 80-90 percent of the time I'm using the "Johnson said" format, but I do think it's an acceptable method in that other 10 percent.

 

I usually avoid this, too, but when using quotes from multiple people, back-to-back, you need it.

An example:

Rochester pulled within 41-40 at :03, when quarterback Sean Robinson found all-state receiver Matt Bane from 2 yards out. Rockets coach Derek Leonard then put his team’s fate in the hands of an all-state offense.

“I asked the kids what they wanted to do and I was hoping they’d say (go for it),” said Leonard, whose team already had missed two extra points and who thought the overtime structure of each team getting four plays to go 10 yards favored Metamora.

“I believed in them and they believed in us,” the coach said. “He was a foot away.”

Said Robinson: “Life is about going for it, and we just came up short.”

 

I'm not saying it can't be used, I just don't like it. Just personal preference. Most rules are meant to be broken.

 

I agree that "Joe Smith said" sounds better than "said Smith." It just sounds weird to say it that way. I've seen it done in a few stories but not that much.

 

I just bang out the shit on our team website but our owner, an old newpaper guy, would have my ass if I did what I still see in a number of papers:

Coach Smith said Bumblefuck High needed a good start and had to avoid turnovers against Buttfuck Tech.

"We need a good start and have to avoid turnovers," said coach Smith.

 

Unreal.