Dialog Tags

Sometimes we are worried that the tone of our character isn't getting across just right so we add a dialog tag to make sure our reader understands exactly how the character is talking. Or maybe we are tied of the he said she said all the time. I mean why is he grumbled such a bad thing. The problem is that dialog tags draw attention to itself, unless that word is said. For us as writers we often see said repeated and try and change it up, but in this instance it is better to keep them as said. I don't know how many times I have heard this at different conferences so it must be true. Avoid fancy dialog tags and just use said.