A variety of VERBS (e.g. murmer, whisper, mutter instead of "say" etc.) will make your story more lively.

e.g. "Hide it," she murmered and put a small box into my hand.

He was wandering the streets aimlessly, trying to make a decision.

(!?) ...For each word below, think of as many synonyms or near synonyms as you can:

• say/tell
• look/watch/see
• smile/laugh
• walk/run

Keys:

• say/tell: shout, cry, scream, speak, state, answer, reply, exclaim, hiss, yell, sigh, mutter, moan, shriek, mumble, scream, groan, gasp...
• look/watch/see: glimpse, glare, gaze, peep, peek, stare, view...
• smile/laugh: giggle, chuckle, grin, smirk, sneer
• walk/run: wander, stroll, stride, dash, rush, limp, march, hurry...

Note: These are just SOME possibilities.

Доп. http://www.efl.ru/forum/threads/17237/