okay here is the thing.
the criticism is specifically called "saidism" and refers specifically to people who go to extreme lengths to avoid using the word 'said' in their writing because a bunch of people were taught that using 'said' is bad/lazy by really poorly made US English curriculums.
The idea that using dialogue-framing verbs other than "said" is the mark of fanfic is wild to me because I grew up reading commercially published authors whose dialogue was routinely slinging around framing verbs like "opined", "temporised", and "demured".
May 14, 2025 03:49as a result people who are anxious about their writing ability trend towards avoiding 'said' in order to look smarter/better than they might believe they are.
is it a valid criticism?
lol no, neither angle of the argument has any real intellectual merit. you write how the fuck you want.
prescriptivism in art is for assholes who care more about the trappings and the rules than they do the substance and the experience.
people just police the shit out of fanfic because they believe its less legitimate and they're insecure about themselves.
