Well, I think the idea is that you want the reader to focus on the dialog, not on the tags. Too many "colorful" verbs are distracting. Or so the theory goes.
Oh, yeah, I understand
that. But if you want the reader to focus on the dialogue, not the tag - don't use a tag. Just have naked dialogue. That seems more logical to me.
If the experts claim that using said is the same as using nothing at all - wouldn't nothing at all be easier? Putting in something that's designed not to be noticed seems entirely redundant to me, is what I mean. Logically, you might as well just put nothing at all, save yourself some typing, and come up with the same result.
Having said that, I think I'm at odds with the experts on this theory entirely.
I can't say I've ever
not noticed 'said' when I read it. In fact, I tend to notice it more than anything else, I think.
LabRat
