Really? (words you use too much.)

I'm working on the second edition of a book originally written by someone else and have declared war on "quite" and "several." For my own writing, "just" is probably the worst. I remove 5 out of 6 during revisions.

Nancy Holzner

JimmyB27 said:

There's a different usage for 'save'?

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I wondered that.

I assumed they mean save as in 'except for', but I wasn't aware that was only used in UK English.

"As," as I want to add to the sentence as a means to avoid short, choppy sentences. As soon as I see "as," I try to remove as many as possible.

<----- making a list of words to NOT abuse....thanks for the help

Scotia

I've got a whole slew of words relating to eyes rolling and smiling, and I seem to have a habit making my characters address the person they're talking to by name every time they open their mouths.

I, too, am a "comma", and an "and" whore.

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I'm definitely also a comma whore.

Can you please for the love of god give me your list of alternate terms for "eyes rolling"?!?! This one $*%^@#& thing has been driving me crazy for about 8,000 words.

Chase said:

"As," as I want to add to the sentence as a means to avoid short, choppy sentences. As soon as I see "as," I try to remove as many as possible.

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I'm an 'as' man myself .

He started the car as the zombie chased after him....

That 'as' transition is just sooo fucking addictive it is all I can do to not have my story drip red with them.

So I limit myself to just one per page.

Incidentally, I used to be an 'as if' offender as well, but I consciously made the decision to never USE 'as if', and I find i can go an entire 5000 word story using it only once or twice and boy do I make it justify it's existence!

Mel...

john barnes on toast said:

Does that even make sense?

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Well, they ain't bulky-muscled like wrestlers, boxers and weight lifters.

Yes, smooth muscled bodies are like gymnasts and swimmers.

Also, the smooth muscle of the GI tract, pushes food along in one peristaltic wave after another.

Well and seem(s).

I don't know why, it just seems---DOH!

Then
Suddenly
That
Quite

Horrible with commas too.

jodiodi said:

Well, they ain't bulky-muscled like wrestlers, boxers and weight lifters.

Yes, smooth muscled bodies are like gymnasts and swimmers.

Also, the smooth muscle of the GI tract, pushes food along in one peristaltic wave after another.

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um, okay.

cscarlet said:

Can you please for the love of god give me your list of alternate terms for "eyes rolling"?

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To me, "she rolled her eyes" is the prize winning cliché of the latter half of this decade. I believe it replaced "he leaned in" as needing a click-counter to keep track of its uses in works critiqued.

It was discussed elsewhere, and a coven of writers descended with crazily rolling eyes that it was such a fact of everyday life that it should be required word-for-word at minimum of twice per chapter.

I know the impatient lifting of gaze is popular. Like Scarlet, my point is that tune could stand a few other arrangements.

Chase, casting a frustrated glance heavenward.

Literal eye rolling (as in the Minority Report film) isn't used enough IMHO.

How about...

His face was a mask of horror
He tore his gaze away


I tell you, there is an overbundance of horror face masks and tearing gazes

Mel...
and

vixey said:

All of the above. Really.

There's a thread here listing overused words. I did a search in my WIP for these words and just about almost found so many of the very same words that I was nearly able to delete them all. Really.

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Anybody have a link handy for that thread? Have been searching, thus far fruitlessly.

I'm being on 'that', 'as', etc. Have sorta managed to break the 'just' habit.

I just use just too often. Then I don't use that. Go figure.

Rather, Quite, Perhaps, Particularly - annoying words that crop up and get cut on the first revision.

dnic said:

"As." Just lots of "as"s. And "just," "a lot," and "of."

I think the "as" thing is a recent development though.

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Yes, AS is my biggie too. I thought for a while there that I was the only one.

Funny, I never noticed it as I was writing. (he he). But after reading it, I started rephrasing like mad.

I will 'just' my text to death.