Monday, June 25, 2012

Do you harbor throw away words?

I was reading Deep Editing by Margie Lawson. Her lectures on deep editing helped me see what I needed to change in my MS.
There was a a page or two on throw away words. Words that don't need to be in the story. I went through my work by using the "find" editing button and plugged a few of the words Margie says are throw always. I was surprised at which words I use a ton in my MS. Here is a short list of offenders (so far):


even
though
that
at that moment 
like
maybe
grin
eyes
has
is
are

What about you? What words do you find you use often??

UPDATE:
Taffy here.
I'm adding a few more words to my list:
very
some
really
often
actually
few (I had no idea how many times I used "few"!)
many
most
bit
I'm amazed as I find and eliminate most of these words how much better my writing sounds. Tighter. Clearer. Flowing. 
Totally worth my time to revise.

6 comments:

Andrea said...

We all do it. I think it is how we talk.

Leigh Covington said...

I have so many words like this that I really need to get rid of. "Like," "just," "had," etc. Grrr.
I'll have to find this book though. Sounds helpful!

Karen Jones Gowen said...

Just and all are two I always watch out for.

Lauren said...

That, just, of, had, then, because, LY words in general but gently and quietly in particular.

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Julie Daines said...

Just is a big one for me. My dad used to call these kinds of words lard, and he would edit my papers and cut out the lard factor.

Jennie Bennett said...

'That' and 'just' are my biggest crutches. I seriously need to work on cutting that stuff back. Ugh.

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