Many novice writers try to avoid using 'said' by substituting synonyms: 'he uttered,' 'she murmured,' 'he questioned.' It's true that any word repeated too often becomes monotonous, but substitutions for 'said' can be worse than its repetition.

Nancy Kress

Any Avoid Becomes He Many Monotonous Novice Often Questioned Repeated Repetition Said She Than Too True Try Using Uttered Word Worse Writers

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