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> "don’t use the same word repeatedly" is the worst possible advice to give

Agreed, this is often described as the error of "Said Bookism"

> People are so used to the word "said" that they can mentally skip over it when reading; when the word changes over and over again, it becomes a distraction.

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SaidBookism

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Have you read anything by McCarthy? His writing style is as far from "Said Bookism" as you can come.

Yes, and recently. His technique is more to Find/replace "he said" with "".

Your question has no point though, the advice was given as per grandparent comment; and it is not great advice as per several replies.

Anonymous wiki posters vs best-selling author. Hmmm.

a) Although the "Anonymous wiki" authors are a good reference for the trope of Said bookism", they did not originate it. You can also find it in the Turkey City Lexicon from 1988 (1) and no doubt other earlier sources. In that document, see also "“Burly Detective” Syndrome"

b) I marvel at Mr McCarthy's prose. it breaks all the rules, and is sometimes impenetrable, sometimes so direct. It's fantastic, it's hard work. I couldn't do that well; very few could. There are far easier ways to get to "best seller".

https://www.sfwa.org/2009/06/18/turkey-city-lexicon-a-primer...

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