Repeat after me: S-S-S-S-S.
Well, I've done it.
I've just knowingly typed an "ly" adverb after a dialog tag. It couldn't be helped.
<!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-alt:"Times New Roman"; mso-font-charset:77; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:auto; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT; mso-fareast-font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT; mso-hansi-font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} </style>--> <br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">"Shut the door. Leave me alone," I say, pitifully. </span></span></div><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I honestly tried to use another verb, but I'd already used it two paragraphs later. </span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">And you know how much editors hate that "echo" thing.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The <b>pitifully</b> just worked. For the rhythm, the tone, the situation. So I'm leaving it.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">But I do it knowing that it worked for that dialog tag. And I hope all of you writers out there are doing the same. Making choices that work, that sound right when read aloud. And that don't echo themselves throughout your chapters.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Now, get ready for my Personal Peeve. </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I'm reading a very good book. Well-plotted, an unusual place, time, heroine.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Twists and turns. In fact, close to a page-turner.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">And no, I'm not telling you the title.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Because these little dialog tags are irritating the heck out of me.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">"Quiet," he hissed.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">A few pages later: </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">"We aren't supposed to be talking," he hissed.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">"Don't say anything," I hissed in his ear.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">"..., then walk away," I hissed.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Not to pick on that author, because plenty of writers use dialog tags that don't seem to work. IMHO. (Then again, everything on this blog is just my opinion.)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">But this HISSING thing is </span></span><style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Courier; mso-fareast-font-family:Times; mso-hansi-font-family:Courier; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} </style></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">--><s>giving me a hissy fit. </s>really bothersome. </span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Others agree. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://bigother.com/2011/04/28/on-the... /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Though if you read the comments to this blogpost, you'll see that not <i>everybody</i> agrees.</span> </b></span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It's worth clicking over to that link, above, just to see the hilarious cartoon, which I'd love to use but think is copyrighted. Oh well. Just go. I'll wait.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Okay, thanks for coming back to this very intellectual rant about HISSING your dialog. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Check out what the folks at Absolute Water Cooler say.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/s... here to join that discussion, </a>if you'd like.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A few there contend that it's okay to HISS, even if there's not an <span style="color: red;">S</span> in sight. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">If I've now confused you about dialog tags, check out some basic facts:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">NJ SCBWI guru, Kathy Temean has a simple explanation of dialog tags on her blog. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012... to go there.</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">And I almost hate to lead you here, but remember the storm I kicked up a while back when I posted my SAID IS DEAD post? </span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Yep. That's what some teachers seem to want kids to learn. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://ascattergood.blogspot.com/2011... can read that rumpus HERE.</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And before I stir up another can of hissing snakes, yes, I write for kids. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">(aside: That book mentioned above, full of hissed un-hissable sentences was a Young Adult novel, historical fiction.) </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So maybe the rules are different for other genres. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And I know RULES ARE MEANT TO BE BROKEN. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">If you write well, you can bend, crack, stretch the rules.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But I still can't see HISSING quiet sentences with no ssssssss sounds.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">At least not more than once in a while. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">If you're still reading, I'll leave you with one last link.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2007/... </a></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">End of rant. Back to work now.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Feel free to comment. Stir up that pot, please. Hiss away.</span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FNkD8VwYccc..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FNkD8VwYccc..." width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><br /><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><s><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></s></b>
I've just knowingly typed an "ly" adverb after a dialog tag. It couldn't be helped.
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Leave me alone," I say, pitifully. </span></span></div><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I honestly tried to use another verb, but I'd already used it two paragraphs later. </span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">And you know how much editors hate that "echo" thing.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The <b>pitifully</b> just worked. For the rhythm, the tone, the situation. So I'm leaving it.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">But I do it knowing that it worked for that dialog tag. And I hope all of you writers out there are doing the same. Making choices that work, that sound right when read aloud. And that don't echo themselves throughout your chapters.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Now, get ready for my Personal Peeve. </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I'm reading a very good book. Well-plotted, an unusual place, time, heroine.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Twists and turns. In fact, close to a page-turner.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">And no, I'm not telling you the title.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Because these little dialog tags are irritating the heck out of me.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">"Quiet," he hissed.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">A few pages later: </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">"We aren't supposed to be talking," he hissed.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">"Don't say anything," I hissed in his ear.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">"..., then walk away," I hissed.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Not to pick on that author, because plenty of writers use dialog tags that don't seem to work. IMHO. (Then again, everything on this blog is just my opinion.)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">But this HISSING thing is </span></span><style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Courier; mso-fareast-font-family:Times; mso-hansi-font-family:Courier; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} </style></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">--><s>giving me a hissy fit. </s>really bothersome. </span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Others agree. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://bigother.com/2011/04/28/on-the... /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Though if you read the comments to this blogpost, you'll see that not <i>everybody</i> agrees.</span> </b></span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It's worth clicking over to that link, above, just to see the hilarious cartoon, which I'd love to use but think is copyrighted. Oh well. Just go. I'll wait.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Okay, thanks for coming back to this very intellectual rant about HISSING your dialog. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Check out what the folks at Absolute Water Cooler say.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/s... here to join that discussion, </a>if you'd like.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A few there contend that it's okay to HISS, even if there's not an <span style="color: red;">S</span> in sight. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">If I've now confused you about dialog tags, check out some basic facts:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">NJ SCBWI guru, Kathy Temean has a simple explanation of dialog tags on her blog. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012... to go there.</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">And I almost hate to lead you here, but remember the storm I kicked up a while back when I posted my SAID IS DEAD post? </span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Yep. That's what some teachers seem to want kids to learn. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://ascattergood.blogspot.com/2011... can read that rumpus HERE.</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And before I stir up another can of hissing snakes, yes, I write for kids. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">(aside: That book mentioned above, full of hissed un-hissable sentences was a Young Adult novel, historical fiction.) </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So maybe the rules are different for other genres. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And I know RULES ARE MEANT TO BE BROKEN. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">If you write well, you can bend, crack, stretch the rules.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But I still can't see HISSING quiet sentences with no ssssssss sounds.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">At least not more than once in a while. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">If you're still reading, I'll leave you with one last link.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2007/... </a></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">End of rant. Back to work now.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Feel free to comment. Stir up that pot, please. Hiss away.</span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FNkD8VwYccc..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FNkD8VwYccc..." width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><br /><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><s><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></s></b>
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