My buddy the English teacher called me out on using 'said' too much in my fantasy draft

Has anyone else gotten that piece of feedback and actually tried it for a full chapter to see if it changes how readers react?

4 comments

4 Comments

alicecooper2mo ago

Man that's rough. Getting called out by a teacher friend hits different cause they really know their stuff. I feel your pain though I've been in the same boat where a beta reader literally told me my dialogue tags were putting them to sleep. The full chapter test is legit though because the first few pages your brain is still warming up and not really noticing the little stuff like that. Gotta say props for even trying it out most people just get defensive and ignore the feedback at first.

the_piper2mo ago

Tried it for three pages and my beta readers didn't notice a thing.

oliviagrant2mo ago

Oh geez, three pages is really not enough to test if something works or not. Beta readers are great but they're not gonna catch everything on a first pass like that. You gotta give them at least a chapter if you really want to see if the technique is landing right. Ive had beta readers miss stuff that was super obvious after I pointed it out later. Three pages is barely dipping your toe in, not really trying the thing.

jesse9942mo ago

Gotta admit I used to think three pages was enough to test something out, but you and @the_piper totally changed my mind on this. I had a similar experience where I gave a short bit to a beta reader and they just nodded along without catching anything major. Now I always give at least a full chapter, it really makes a difference in what they notice.