My writing group keeps using 'said' like it's a dirty word

I went to a workshop in Portland last Tuesday and this guy spent 10 minutes explaining why we should replace 'said' with things like 'opined' or 'posited.' I get that variety is nice but look at any bestseller, Stephen King uses 'said' on every other page. Has anyone else noticed newer writers trying way too hard to avoid basic dialogue tags?

2 comments

2 Comments

mark_smith598d ago

Guilty as charged. My first draft had someone 'chortle' six times.

fiona_clark8d ago

Look, I get where you're coming from but I see it different. Six "chortles" in one draft is a lot, but that word has a specific feel that a simple "laughed" just doesn't cover. Sometimes you need that one weird word to set the tone for a character. I've done the same thing with "scoffed" before, and it took me five edits to pull it back to just two. It's not a bad instinct, it just needs a little trimming.