Structure

Excess Verbiage

Paragraphs

"Said"

Captions

Second and Third Person

"Said" works better than synonyms

Sometimes, synonyms like declared, asserted, affirmed, etc., sound forced.

Incorrect

"That's hilarious," he laughed.

Correct

"That's hilarious," he said, laughing.

Also, watch for inconsistency in the use of "says" or "said." "Says" is appropriate for conveying a sense of immediacy, but sometimes it is inappropriate. If you must use "said" in one place, use it throughout.