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editing, editing tips, Overused Words, Self-editing, Strong vs Weak Words, Strong Words, Weak Words, writers, writing, Writing Advice, writing tips
Doing a blog post today seems irreverent. The senseless massacre in Colorado is painful and our nation mourns. Understanding what would drive a person to kill and injure dozens of innocent movie-goers is not possible. I would like to say to the families and friends of the victims, I am so sorry. We grieve with you.
I wrote this post yesterday and in trying to decide if I was going to publish today or not, the graphic below spoke to me, and is somehow appropriate for soothing the pain from the tragedy. With that, here is today’s Strong vs Weak Word post.
Remember our discussion on the cheeky little word “it?” As a refresher, we fall back on the word “it” to avoid using what “it” is again in the same sentence, or one nearby.
Akin to “it” is “there.”
I stop there so often, the bartender knows my name.
I love a good cocktail too.
The bartender knows my name because I drink exotic cocktails for hours and creep out of the bar without leaving a tip.
~~~~~
I found a new restaurant and drink there every night.
Have you considered Alcoholics Anonymous?
I found a new restaurant and the owner kicks me out of the bar every night.
~~~~~
I heard a voice in the room but when I looked over my shoulder, no one was there.
That’s the gin talking.
I heard a voice and I spun around on my barstool, but the room was empty.
~~~~~
There was room for me at the bar and he patted the barstool next to him.
The letch.
The barstool was vacant but he refused to let me sit next to him.
P.S. The last two examples use the verb “to be” with the “there.” The issue may warrant its own post! Let me know if you’d like one.
Robin Coyle 
It was the first piece of news I heard after landing in America and driving home from the airport… put a damper on the whole trip.
It seems we can only ask ourselves WHY?
Tragic. So sad.
So are you back in Norway now? Did you have a good visit , , , shooting aside?
I boosted the American economy with plenty of shopping. Good times and bad… thats what I do 🙂
Our economy needs the boost. Thank you for doing your part.
Great post, Robin. I think these tips help to remind us as writers that although we have the full picture in our own head, we need to make sure we are creating something vivid, clear and realistic for our readers. Nice one. 🙂
I have no idea why people do the senseless, cruel things in this lifetime I really don’t… 😦
I know what you mean. I can see the picture in my head but that doesn’t mean the reader sees it.
The shooting in Colorado is beyond comprehension.
There, they’re, their…………….lol
Ha ha ha. You are so clever!
I would go so far as to say beauty is often simplicity…any death is sorrow for the world to feel, sometimes those of us who feel so much also see and hear, more than we can bear.
Hmmm…your comment ended up in spam.
The lost is more than we all can bear. I’ve shed so many tears. Can’t watch the news anymore.
There are so many tragic things that go on in the world which are complete accidents, or that we have no control over, such as natural disasters, I just can’t bear it when somebody deliberately creates a tragedy. As well as obviously the victims and their families, I also feel terribly sorry for the killer’s family and the guilt and anguish they must feel knowing what he has done, and probably torturing themselves for ever wondering if there was something they could have done to prevent it.
‘There’ is another good one, I’m not taking in too much about all your though words now, I’ll wait for the book…
Yes, the killer’s family must be in anguish over what he did. You would expect someone capable of such horror to look like a mad man. He looks like a normal 24-year-old All American kid. What a waste.
I like your positive thinking regarding the book Vanessa!
Robin,
Kudos for being this sensitive about posting yesterday. It says a great deal about you. I had an idea for yesterday, but I postponed it. It felt right. You’re one of the good guys alright.
Le Clown
Thanks Le Clown. I thought long and hard about posting.
Yes please re the post.
What do you mean Tilly?
The post you offered to write if we want it on the word we shouldn’t use:
P.S. The last two examples use the verb “to be” with the “there.” The issue may warrant its own post! Let me know if you’d like one.
Don’t you read your own posts? 🙂
Ha ha. So sorry. I guess I SHOULD read what I write!
Honestly, the shooting in Colorado has me shaken.
So sorry about the Colorado shooting.
Horrible. I can’t wrap my brain around the tragedy.
I am with you in the senseless loss. The incident in Colorado follows a mass shooting in Toronto with 25 injured and two dead at a block party BBQ, followed by another shooting the following night, followed by a 3 year old who accidentally shot and killed his father. How can this keep happening?
Thank you for ‘there’ – I’ll stuff it in with all the other robincoyle-isms.
I didn’t hear about the Toronto incident. It is hard to watch the news anymore. I had to turn it off this morning because the tears won’t stop.
Ha ha. “robincoyle-isms.” Thanks for the much needed laugh!
A sportscaster from Texas who was in the Eaton Centre during a visit to Toronto moments before a shooting there in June (2012), was shot today in Colorado.
I’m sad for all the victims and their families but the bullet which followed Jessica Ghawi from Toronto to Colorado is mindboggling.
Well put about the bullet following Jessica.
The Denver Post headline says it all . . . “Our Hearts Are Broken.”
The tragedy is terrible enough to cut into editing/writing time. I used to live in Aurora, Colorado. A beautiful, peaceful suburb of Denver. Not at all the type of place one would ever think something like this would happen. My heart goes out to everyone involved.
Thank you for pointing out ‘there’. I will add it to my list.
I set aside editing yesterday. I was worthless.
Oh no..I didn’t read this before my latest post! Going to look over it now!
Let me know what you find!
You included the right strong words “I am so sorry. We grieve with you”. Those who have lost may not read your words but they will feel the energy they convey.
I hope they feel the love and positive energy the world is sending their way. Words are inadequate to express the sorrow.
If I can ever get this third draft done, there is another word I need to tame. But it’s been a difficult day to concentrate. The senselessness of the Colorado shooting weighs heavy on my mind.
I set aside my editing this afternoon because I was useless. The event is haunting me. Well, I bet I can safely say haunting all of us.
That was so nice of you to mention the victims and their families.
As for there, I was wondering you would approach that word. I took your tips from before and applied them to there, also. I thought it is one of those words like there and that. Of course, the sports editor at one of the newspapers I wrote for told me I was using “that” a lot at the time. “It is a mistake I see a lot of younger writers make.” I keep the advice with me today.
Your posts are so strong. You should definately think about sending the idea to an agent. Your humor in between comments would separate it from other grammar books and send it straight to the top ten list. I promise I do not say such a thing lightly.
Oh Rebecca . . . your kind words about the series put a bright spot for me on this sad day. Thank you so much.
The first time I read the advice about avoiding adverbs, I thought, “Huh? I wonder if I use other words I don’t know are weak.” The usual suspects like “really,” “just,” and “that” are covered extensively but I couldn’t find much more. I decided to tackle weak words myself. Ergo, the series was born! (I love the word “ergo.”) Based on the feedback I’ve received, and that there isn’t anything (that I’ve found) else like the series, it might to well!
Now, if I can finish editing my novel, I will pull the series into book form pronto!
I’ll take a copy!
Yes, I echo your thoughts about the victims in Colorado.
There is a lot of truth in what you’re saying. ; )
I do the “there” and “to be.” But it’s much easier to catch those in other people’s writing… I am hoping with some good editing and some great writer friends, I’ll be able to go back and rework those overused words.
“To be” is the trickiest one for me. Everything you read says “avoid at all costs!” But the spewers of such wisdom don’t explain how to not use “to be.” Have you found a resource? I’ve come to think that there is NO WAY to avoid “to be” and “there” all the time. Otherwise, the writing would sound weird.
The Colorado killings has me distracted today. So sad.
During my edits, I’ve found some “there”s that needed to be replaced. Also “to be” usage. But I still have a fair amount of the “to be” verbs. As I go through my final edit, I realize that you cannot eliminate all of these weak words; you just have to be aware of them and change those you can without changing your sentence’s meaning. But it’s funny, because since following your series, I’ve noticed these words more in my reading of other books. I just finished a novel by a best-selling author. It was good, but there were so many uses of “was” and “were” that it was almost distracting.
And yes, my heart and thoughts go out to all those affected by the Colorado shootings. So senseless and tragic. Sets a very gray pall on the day.
As I said to Anne, it is impossible to eliminate all the “there-s” and “to be-s.” I resigned myself to getting rid of the obvious offender. Rewording sentences to not use those weak words would make them awkward.
The series ruined a book I was enjoying. I slammed it shut after the millionth adverb.
Yes, such a sad day.
It is difficult to turn off that mental editor while reading for pleasure. But as my husband said last night–after I mentioned to him that I keep finding little things in my manuscript–your average reader is not looking for these details. They just want a good story that’s written well enough that they can keep reading and not be tripped up. It made me feel better, because, after all, the “typical reader” should be our targeted audience. 🙂
He has a good point. I told two of my beta readers (they loved the book) I am in deep edits and they said “What could you be editing?”
I said to them the difference is subtle, but you will notice a difference. You might not be able to pinpoint what is different. The important thing is the story needs to be compelling and propel the reader forward.
Nice Robin. Thankfully, ‘there’ is not too prevalent in my writing.
I, too, am numb from the news of the shooting. My heart weeps for the victims, their families and friends. My mind can’t wrap itself around the events. I don’t understand. I have that hollowness within me like I did when Columbine happened. The events are more than I can fathom. I have shed a few tears of my own.
Excellent news!
Numb is a perfect way to describe the impact of the shootings. My mind keeps wandering to Colorado and thinking about the poor victims and their family and friends. So senseless.
Excellent post again. I’ve been reading your Strong Vs Weak words series. It has helped me to be more succinct in my writing. Thank you.
Fantastic. So nice to hear!