Speech sentences confusion

[Hero]

Hi

John said, "Hello everyone".

"Hello everyone", said John.

Jane replied enthusiastically, "Hi John, nice to see you".

"Nice to see you", replied Jane enthusiastically.

Which way is correct to write a sentence.
I thought we always have to end a sentence with "×××", he said. Like the BLUE COLOURED sentences I have shown.

I saw a book today which had all its speech sentences beginning with John said "×××"

Are both ways okay?

Its seems to be easier to read a sentence that begins with JOHN REPLIED, "Blah blah blah" rather than ending it with the JOHN REPLIED because you know immediately who's talking and you know the way the sentence is to be read i.e ENTHUSIASTICALLY in the example above.
But I have always seen books end with the "Blah blah", John replied.

[Terry D]

Both are okay. But, when you use the format in blue, put the comma inside the quotation marks. "Everything is fine," said John.

[Squalid Glass]

I prefer dialogue tags that use nouns to put the noun before the verb, and when using pronouns, put the verb before the pronoun. So:

"Hello," John said.
"Hello," said the girl.

I am well aware this might be insanity.

[Hero]

"Hello everyone", said John.

Do most people write this way? I dont read much but this is the way I remember most people writing?

Can you use both ways in the same book?

[Bloggsworth]

"Good morning Jane."

"Hello to you too John" she replied.

Obviates the need for he said/she said...

[Ralph Rotten]

Said is dead.
If you use SAID more than about once per page in your dialog, then your dialog needs to up its game.

Really, dialog should be filled out with brush strokes and scene painting, and some action.
But if everything is he said/she said, then you got some skinny dialog.

[Ralph Rotten]

Hi

John said, "Hello everyone".

"Hello everyone", said John.

Jane replied enthusiastically, "Hi John, nice to see you".

"Nice to see you", replied Jane enthusiastically.

But in answer to your question, those are all acceptable ways.


Also you should try complex dialog sentences;

"dialog" attribution+brush strokes, "more dialog."

or; "dialog", attribution+brush strokes, "more dialog." and summary*

or; Action, "dialog." attribution, "dialog"


One trick to make these methods work is to give your characters unique voices.
Dialog works best when the reader knows who is talking BEFORE they read the attribution.
So give your people diverse speech patterns...like real people.










*Careful with that format tho.

[EmmaSohan]

Its seems to be easier to read a sentence that begins with JOHN REPLIED, "Blah blah blah" rather than ending it with the JOHN REPLIED because you know immediately who's talking and you know the way the sentence is to be read i.e ENTHUSIASTICALLY in the example above.

You noticed.

Just to fill in a gap, you can also put the dialogue tag in the middle: "For the punch line of a joke," Emma noted, "the dialogue tag should never come last."

[Hero]

"dialog" attribution+brush strokes, "more dialog."

or; "dialog", attribution+brush strokes, "more dialog." and summary*

or; Action, "dialog." attribution, "dialog"


One trick to make these methods work is to give your characters unique voices.
Dialog works best when the reader knows who is talking BEFORE they read the attribution.
So give your people diverse speech

1. I didn't understand what you meant by attribution, brush strokes and summary.

Can you give examples please.

2. Giving characters a unique voice I suppose would be done at the beginning of book, once or twice only. Then the reader would have to remember the characters accent.
E.g John spoke with a deep south American twang

[Hero]

You noticed.

Just to fill in a gap, you can also put the dialogue tag in the middle: "For the punch line of a joke," Emma noted, "the dialogue tag should never come last."

That's good to know. Thanks.
This method would help break up a long dialog.

My example just to be sure I'm getting it:

"Let's run," said John, picking up the pace "we're going to be late".