Words make the difference. It’s not just what you say, but how you say it. Once a writer finishes his 80,000 word masterpiece, he often finds that the job has only just begun. I recently did a rewrite that brought my 315 page manuscript down to 265 pages. You spent two years getting 315 pages, how do you magically reduce it by 50 pages? If you diet, you watch what you eat. If you write, you take care of what you write. It’s called editing.
Everyone has their weaknesses, whether it’s chocolate chip cookies or writing words that don’t help your story. When it comes to editing, there are certain words or phrases you should cut down on, like… chocolate, ice cream, or cookies. It’s a joke. But seriously, the word “like” is one of my demons. It’s like I use it here and there, then I look down and see that I’ve used it like five times in the same paragraph.
It’s not like I’m saying it’s always bad, but it’s like I’m just saying you don’t always want to sound like a valley girl, do you dude? Now for the word list, you have to be careful to avoid making your story feel bloated.
1. I like it- If this is “like” something, then it is NOT that thing. Giving accurate descriptions and using correct verbs makes reading more enjoyable.
two. In fact- This is a flaccid edition. Try to do without it, or better yet, try to find a more robust word than the one you are modifying. Example: instead of “I’m very hungry.” Try “I’m hungry.”
3. So- The word “Then” is an unnecessary intensifier. Just like the word “like”, it can become addictive. “So what you really mean is…” would be better read as, “What you mean is…”
Four. Up and down- usually these words are not necessary. They tend to be redundant. For example: “I sat on the bed.” it could be, “I sat on the bed.” Now, if you need to “look up”, that’s fine. But don’t say, “look at the clouds in the sky.” Just say, “Look at the clouds.”
5. That- If a sentence makes sense after you delete “it,” delete it. For example, “This is the most amazing book I’ve ever read.” It can be, “This is the most amazing book I’ve ever read.”
6. Great- This is a weak adjective. Replace it with something more precise. Example, instead of “He was a big man.” Proof, “He was six feet tall and weighed 250 pounds.”
7. Suddenly- “Sudden” means quickly and without warning, but using the word “suddenly” slows down the action and warns your reader. Do you know what would be better? Just spit it out. Instead of saying, “Then all of a sudden I heard a bloodcurdling scream.” Say, “I heard a bloodcurdling scream.”
8. Nope – This is known as a negative construction. Readers don’t like it when you tell them something it is No. They like it when you tell them something it is. For example, he might say, “The actor didn’t remember his lines.” or, “The actor forgot his lines.”
9. Said- Many writers have a divided opinion on this word, but this is my perspective. A hamburger is not going to kill you, but if you eat at McDonald’s three times a day for 20 years… what happens is not their fault. In other words, if you have a whole page of dialogue, after the original “he said, she said”, let it slide. Readers are smart enough to go on without saying “she said” every time.
10 Very- In this case, no one can explain why better than Robin Williams.
“So avoid using the word ‘very’ because it’s lazy. A man isn’t very tired, he’s exhausted. Don’t use very sad, use moody. Language was invented for a reason, guys: to woo women, and, in that effort, laziness will not work. It will not work in your essays either” – dead poets society
Are there any other filler words or phrases you can do without? No doubt. These are just the most common ones that I need to remember. As I was writing this article, I deleted the word “Only” half a dozen times, so I guess you could add it to the list. The thing to remember is that if you find yourself using a certain word or phrase too much, so will your reader. In order for your readers to turn each page as quickly as possible, you need to keep up. Don’t use ten words when six is enough. Writing a book requires stamina, motivation, and inspiration. Writing a good book requires editing.