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Should I Replace “Said” with Synonyms?

Andrew Michael Miller1 Comment

One topic that gets debated quite frequently in writing is the question of whether writers should use the word "said" or choose a synonym for the word. Any piece of writing with character dialogue has to deal with this question, and there's really two camps that stand their ground fervently. On one hand, English teachers tend to absolutely love when synonyms are chosen instead of the word "said" repeated ad nauseum. On the other hand, most successful literary authors, tend to use "said" more than any other word when describing a character talking. But there are notable exceptions. Which is right?

The Gifted Wars – 32 Years of Bitter Feuds (Part IX)

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By the early part of the year 69 A4, the army led by General Tonsior had rested and replenished from its campaign in the land to the South, now known as the Southern Tribelands. In Caelon, the Torian control of the settlements continued to deteriorate until less than half of the settlements continued their subservience to the Torian seat of power. The idea spread across the land like a wildfire that possessing the Gifts of the First Son gave governors a birthright to stake out their own kingdoms. The Torian Empire was now in hasty decline, and the council was now desperate for good news. General Tonsior strategized that utilizing the vast fleet of Torian ships against the far less-developed navies of the newly formed kingdoms would be the key to their success.

How to Write an Essay the Easy Way

Andrew Michael MillerLeave a comment

So you have another paper to write for your class, and you're dreading it. No problem. I'm going to teach you how to write the perfect essay, and how you can make writing any essay extremely easy to do. It turns out it's not as hard as you might think it is to make a compelling essay, and this method can be utilized in most classes you take in college or high school for nearly guaranteed success.

“The Gifts of War” – A Poem by Cesario de Torium

Andrew Michael Miller1 Comment

Cesario de Torium, one of the great clerics at the turn of the first millennium in the Age of Kings, wrote this poem in response to what he considered a "tragic glorification of the terrors of war," after sentiment began to grow in his lifetime for a supposed "reconquista," or a reclamation of land within Caelon once belonging to the Torian Empire, from the Warathi conquerors who now inhabit it. Being old enough to have lived through the Northern Campaign that ended at the Battle of Gelgadongo, as well as being an ardent scholar of history, he sought to stymie sentiment for a new war as he feared it would only bring further destruction, death and decay throughout the land.

How to Write a Great Tragic Hero

Andrew Michael MillerLeave a comment

Not every good guy gets a happy ending. Sometimes the best outcome some characters can hope to gain is bitter-sweet. In a lot of cases, the tragic hero seems pre-destined from the beginning to meet a tragic end. While certainly not as common, and potentially a lot riskier to try to pull off in writing, a tragic hero well-written can still be memorable and certainly more interesting than a lot of other character types. So, what makes a tragic hero, and how can we pull off making one that will leave our audiences remembering these characters fondly long after they're gone?