Your Characters Are Lying! How to Spin Lies & Keep the Reader Guessing

As everyone knows, when anyone in pretty much anything says, “I’m fine” or some variant of that, you know it’s a lie. We’re practically programed to think that nowadays, so first, keep that in mind when you’re writing, next, let’s talk about how to get more clever than that. Let’s talk lies: 

As far as lies go, its a great way to show character as well as adding an extra layer of conflict and tension. It can get confusing but a few properly executed lies will add an extra layer of dimension to your story. Happy writing!

“Oh? You feel like you belong?” the villain hissed. “You shouldn’t.” 

Words to replace said, except this actually helps

I got pretty fed up with looking for words to replace said because they weren’t sorted in a way I could easily use/find them for the right time. So I did some myself.

IN RESPONSE TO Acknowledged Answered Protested

INPUT/JOIN CONVERSATION/ASK Added Implored Inquired Insisted Proposed Queried Questioned Recommended Testified

GUILTY/RELUCTANCE/SORRY Admitted Apologized Conceded Confessed Professed

FOR SOMEONE ELSE Advised Criticized Suggested

JUST CHECKING Affirmed Agreed Alleged Confirmed

LOUD Announced Chanted Crowed

LEWD/CUTE/SECRET SPY FEEL Appealed Disclosed Moaned

ANGRY FUCK OFF MATE WANNA FIGHT Argued Barked Challenged Cursed Fumed Growled Hissed Roared Swore

SMARTASS Articulated Asserted Assured Avowed Claimed Commanded Cross-examined Demanded Digressed Directed Foretold Instructed Interrupted Predicted Proclaimed Quoted Theorized

ASSHOLE Bellowed Boasted Bragged

NERVOUS TRAINWRECK Babbled Bawled Mumbled Sputtered Stammered Stuttered

SUAVE MOTHERFUCKER Bargained Divulged Disclosed Exhorted

FIRST OFF Began

LASTLY Concluded Concurred

WEAK PUSY Begged Blurted Complained Cried Faltered Fretted

HAPPY/LOL Cajoled Exclaimed Gushed Jested Joked Laughed

WEIRDLY HAPPY/EXCITED Extolled Jabbered Raved

BRUH, CHILL Cautioned Warned

ACTUALLY, YOU’RE WRONG Chided Contended Corrected Countered Debated Elaborated Objected Ranted Retorted

CHILL SAVAGE Commented Continued Observed Surmised

LISTEN BUDDY Enunciated Explained Elaborated Hinted Implied Lectured Reiterated Recited Reminded Stressed

BRUH I NEED U AND U NEED ME Confided Offered Urged

FINE Consented Decided

TOO EMO FULL OF EMOTIONS Croaked Lamented Pledged Sobbed Sympathized Wailed Whimpered

JUST SAYING Declared Decreed Mentioned Noted Pointed out Postulated Speculated Stated Told Vouched

WASN’T ME Denied Lied

EVIL SMARTASS Dictated Equivocated Ordered Reprimanded Threatened

BORED Droned Sighed

SHHHH IT’S QUIET TIME Echoed Mumbled Murmured Muttered Uttered Whispered

DRAMA QUEEN Exaggerated Panted Pleaded Prayed Preached

OH SHIT Gasped Marveled Screamed Screeched Shouted Shrieked Yelped Yelled

ANNOYED Grumbled Grunted Jeered Quipped Scolded Snapped Snarled Sneered

ANNOYING Nagged

I DON’T REALLY CARE BUT WHATEVER Guessed Ventured

I’M DRUNK OR JUST BEING WEIRDLY EXPRESSIVE FOR A POINT/SARCASM Hooted Howled Yowled

I WONDER Pondered Voiced Wondered

OH, YEAH, WHOOPS Recalled Recited Remembered

SURPRISE BITCH Revealed

IT SEEMS FAKE BUT OKAY/HA ACTUALLY FUNNY BUT I DON’T WANT TO LAUGH OUT LOUD Scoffed Snickered Snorted

BITCHY Tattled Taunted Teased

Edit: People, I’m an English and creative writing double major in college; I understand that there’s nothing wrong with simply using “said.” This was just for fun, and it comes in handy when I need to add pizzazz. 

If you’re really stumped on a part in your story, placeholders are something that you could really keep in handy.

Stuck on a fight scene? Put down **THEY FIGHT**

Not in the mood for a romantic scene you have to write? Put down **ROMANCE ENSUES**

(Use asterisks or other symbols to help you find it later, and don’t be afraid to use different colors!)

Then, just skip to the next thing and come back to it later! It’s much easier to connect two dots with a straight line if you already know where that second dot is going to be.

This helps!!! Great tip

Cheat Sheet for Writing Emotion

Anger:

Sadness:

I am laughing so hard oh my god clickhole

If you just scrolled past, don’t. Go back and read it. I promise it is not what you think

Franzen has a point.

"If you keep my secret, I'll keep yours."

"And if I don't."

"I kill you."

"Don't have much of a choice, do I?"

A tip for under-writers

Do you struggle to meet typical novel word counts? Do scenes and plot lines feel underdeveloped? Are you unsure of what to add?

Here’s a tip that’s changed the trajectory of my current manuscript. 

If you’re ever daydreaming about your charecters, or see a prompt, or a far-fetched idea and think ‘Hey, I wonder what my charecters would do in this situation?’

Write it. 

Write that scene, that AU, that relationship that doesn’t feel like it’ll work. No matter how far fetched it feels, write it. Even if it’s just a 400-word drabble you did for a tumblr ask game, write it and save it. 

Because nine times out of ten? 

That scene, that idea, that arc you didn’t think would work? You can fit it into the story. You can make it cohesive. I’ve added over 10K to Cremation this way, and guess what? It works. The charecters are more developed and get a spotlight, I’ve solved several pacing and plot hole issues, and the book is more fleshed out, all because I allowed myself to write scenes that ‘wouldn’t work in canon’ 

They do. They really do. Writing those scenes pays off, and it pays off well. 

So write them, even if it’s a joke at first. Write them, and soon you won’t be able to remember your story before them.