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editing, Overused Words, Strong vs Weak Words, Strong Words, Weak Words, writers, writing, Writing Advice, writing tips
Time to pause in the Strong vs Weak Word series for a laugh. Together we learned how to avoid unneeded words and replace anemic words with robust verbs and nouns.
The comments on this series are funny. For example, on the post about coming up with something better than the word “can,” Commander replied, “Can do, ma’am . . . oops . . . I mean, consider it done! Ahh. That feels better already.”
We are talking to code to each other and sprinkle in the offending word in every comment and reply. You guys are so smart.
Today’s post is a challenge. I’ve written 14 posts on this topic with 18-ish words to avoid. I tossed them in a hat and pulled out nine.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to take the following list of overused or weak words and write one or two sentences, or a paragraph if so moved, using all nine words. Then, write an edited version of the same sentence and post them here in the comments.
Here is my stab at it.
I WENT A FEW times to GO put ALL my PRETTY disgusting THINGS QUICKLY into the garbage.
Ouch.
It took five trips, but I threw every pair of my disgusting socks in the garbage.
Here is a refresher on what we’ve covered so far.
WENT, as in, “I WENT to the store in my car.” How about you drove to the store instead.
GO or GOING, as in, “Let’s GO to London by boat.” Why don’t you sail to London?
ALL, as in, “ALL the people adore Robin’s blog.” How about bloggers adore it instead?
STUFF, as in, “I put my STUFF in the car.” What stuff? Your ukulele and grass skirt?
ADVERBS, as in, “ I PASSIONATELY read every post on Robin’s blog.” How about “I hate Robin’s nagging blog with a passion.”
INDEFINITE NUMBERS, as in, “A COUPLE bloggers read Robin’s blog.” Be honest, she has two followers.
PRETTY, as in, “It is PRETTY fun to bash Robin’s blog posts.” Maybe it is a blast instead?
INTENSIFIERS, such as, “I am REALLY, VERY, SO hungry. Geez, you sound ravenous. Why not say it.
THINGS, as in, “The THINGS he did bugged me.” What things? The way he flossed his teeth at the dinner table?
Are you game for this challenge? Bring it on!
If you need to catch up on what I am talking about click here.
P.S. If this challenge evokes any interest, I’ll do a second round with the remaining nine. Also, depending on the response, I may do a post where you can vote on the best, or in this case, worst entry. Prize to be determined.
You mean I have to work when I camp out here? lol
Yup. Campground fee.
I don’t really trust my skills but it’s tempting so here’s my take:
Go see your mom and have her take a couple of stuff from your room. It’s pretty messy and I went all the way hastily from Australia to find these things?
Call your mom and let her take away those unused books from your room. It is chaos inside and did not travel for one day to find your garbage.
I hope it’s contest material enough to win the prize! 😀
Thanks for playing along! Excellent (and terrible) effort. You know what I mean.
I stuffed all my useless adverbs in a very big balloon and floated them into the sky to burst them all over the people. A couple got very excited about the things falling down around them.”They’re just words,” yelled passionately.
I pushed the affending modifyers into colourful air balloons, tossing handfulls over the side to the writers below. Two diligent scholars watched and waited, greedily grabbing handfuls. “They’re words,” I yelled. “You won’t need them.”
B-R-I-L-L-I-A-N-T!
That was fun 🙂
Nice to toss out the rules and be rather sassy, eh?
Sometimes sassy Sarah!
Always sassy Sarah. That is what I love about you. Well, one of the things.
You’re a fantastic woman. Have I told you that? You really are.
That is the sweetest thing ever. Group hug. Thank you so much. You are fantastic too. What a wonderful world . . . oh how lovely. And how lovely you are. i believe I am crying sweet Sarah.
Group cry. It’s been such a cry week for me, a group cry will do me the world of good. 🙂
Seriously. The wine is chilled so come on over. My address is 97 . . . oh wait. you are on the other side of the country. Here is to you with a virtual “clink.”
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Love the challenge. My brain is not yet on board today, though. I went to bed late and missed a couple of hours of sleep while I was doing all my work last night. I’m pretty tired. (If I only use a few, is that 1/2 baked?)
I love 1/2 baked ideas. Go for it right after you take a nice nap.
Thanks for the mention, Robin. 🙂
Here is my weak word challenge!
GO touching my STUFF, will you? Do ya think I WENT to ALL that effort to find those THINGS you keep fiddling with, just so you can keep fiddle with’em? Do ya think yo-self SO, PRETTY tough? …What!? I live a COUPLE o’ trees down the path? This isn’t my tree? …Oh…How TERRIBLY stupid!
Excuse me, sir. Would you mind not touching my bananas and apples. I spent two days collecting them, and they are ripened to perfection. You are bold, my friend. …Pardon? This isn’t my tree, you say? How foolish of me.
Brilliant! Them’s fightin’ words! First the Sharks and the Jets, then Sir Commander and Jeeves. Brilliant.
I catch these in my writing endlessly. Also, I get on one word and it appears I get a crisp hundred dollar bill for ever time I use it in a paragraph. Good stuff.
What a minute! How do you get a crisp $100 bill? I don’t!!
So are you going to put together a sentence? Since you are so well paid, you must!
Okay, I will cogitate on it and get back to you.
Can I just point out Robin that you didn’t actually use the word ‘stuff’ in your one! 😉
Anyway, here are mine. The second version is a bit clumsy, but I have no more time to work on it now, so here goes…
I looked EXCITEDLY at ALL the STUFF that I was GOING to take with me when I WENT on the trip in a FEW days time. Those THINGS were PRETTY important and I was VERY glad I packed them.
My excitement overwhelmed me as I surveyed my large suitcase packed full of clothes, shoes and suntan lotion, ready for my trip in two days time. I knew that each item I had packed was needed, and I smiled with satisfaction at my choices.
I didn’t? I better “go” fix that!
Great sentences! I mean, one terrible one and one great one.
Since you are packing sunscreen, I assume you are headed somewhere tropical. Can I come along?
Absolutely you can! (Remember to bring some show tunes).
Absolutely! I threw them in the suitcase this morning.
Clever idea Robin!
You gonna play?
Robin, you are so funny – I love it! Right, so am I using the same words that you’ve just used? Sorry, it’s late for me, been a long week, hence my denseness! 🙂
SAME words from the list except for indefinite numbers where you could write “some,” “a couple,” “many,” etc. See what I mean?
Yeah, thank you. I really am a tit, Robin. 🙂
Nope!
Here goes, have I done it correctly?
I WENT to the dry cleaners I usually GO to, to get A FEW of my PRETTY THINGS cleaned QUICKLY.
I drove to my regular dry cleaners to have a handful of my beautiful delicates cleaned in a hurry.
Perfect! It was rather fun to write with the rules tossed out, wasn’t it?
Yeah, but it was also a challenge. It’s good actively thinking about what you write! 🙂
I forgot to mention that you are smart to take your beautiful delicates to the cleaners. They last so much longer that way rather than tossing them in the washer with your jeans. 🙂
lmao! 🙂 Love it!