Strong vs Weak Words In One Convenient Location

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editing, editing advice, National Novel Writing Month, Overused Words, Strong vs Weak Words, Strong Words, Weak Words, writers, writing

You pleaded. You begged. You sent me your firstborn child.

I promised. I swore. I vowed I would do it.

And . . . I have done it at last! What have I done, you ask? I put the Strong vs Weak Word posts in one easy-to-find place on my blog. No longer do you need to slog through some 180+ posts to find my words of wisdom. Er . . . my words of editing advice. Ahem . . . I mean my nagging about using strong words when possible.

If I may direct your attention to the left, you will gaze upon a link in the sidebar with the clever title, “Strong vs Weak Words.” Boy, do I know how to turn a phrase or what? Click on that puppy and you will have hours of pleasure reading ahead of you.

My motivation for getting to this project at long last was the blog posts from folks as they wrap up their NaNoWriMo challenge. They are now staring into the abyss of editing those 50,000 words. Have mercy on their souls.

For those of you who weren’t in on this bumpy ride of the Strong vs Weak Word series since its inception, it was born out of my own editing pain. I spent the better part of the summer polishing my manuscript. Whenever I ran across a weak, or oft-repeated word, I poked at it. If the word didn’t dance on the page, I poked it some more to see if I could fix the flat language. And when I could fix it, I shared my brilliant discovery with you, my unwitting readers.

Well, I am overstating my wisdom, but the response from you let me know that many of us share the same writerly tics, crutches, and the tendency to fallback on certain words. I lovingly call those words “cheeky little buggers.”  They sneak in our writing unnoticed and do nothing to punch up the story.

An early discovery of a “cheeky little bugger” was the word “went.” My character went here and went there. She never strode, marched, tiptoed, or pirouetted anywhere. For example, change the words “I went to the principal’s office” to “I slunk to the principal’s office” and you have a better visual.

I plan to make the series into a made-for-TV-movie. Steven Spielberg wants to direct it. Until I can work out my 7-figure royalty payment with Stevie-boy, I’ll settle on working the Strong vs Weak Word series into a slim tome in the coming months, publish it, and then sit on my laurels. Fame and fortune will soon come my way. And yes, I do sign autographs.

Can I send back your firstborn children now? They are eating me out of house and home. And GAWD, the laundry is piling up.

Strong vs Weak Words ~ Part 33 ~ Tautologies

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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

This isn’t a Strong vs Weak Words post. It is more like a “Why Use so Many Words?” post. We use these expressions every day, but the words are redundant. The writerly term for the phrases is “tautology.”

If it is out of stock, we don’t have it! (Photo credit: quinn.anya)

According to Mr. Wick E. Pedia, a tautology is “using different words to say the same thing, or a series of self-reinforcing statements that cannot be disproved because they depend on the assumption that they are already correct.

Here are seven examples for you. I will share bunches more in future posts, but I can’t wait to see what you have to add. Comment here and I will do a post summarizing your “ack” phrases.

 

It takes a great amount of time to read Robin’s blog.

Why, why, why bother?

It takes time to read Robin’s blog. 

~~~~~

Each and every time I log-on to Robin’s blog, I learn something new. 

Robin Coyle? You are kidding, right?

 When I read Robin’s blog, I want to tear out my hair. 

~~~~~

It is a true fact Robin knows what she is talking about.

Amen, sister!

Robin doesn’t know what she is talking about.

~~~~~

The one and only blog I read is Robin’s.

Again, why waste your time?

One blog I avoid is Robin’s incessant blah, blah, blah, barf. 

~~~~~ 

Robin wore a dress green in color to her award ceremony.

She looks good in green. Matches her skin. 

Robin’s green dress was a fashion mistake. 

~~~~~ 

Robin approached the stage to accept her Pulitzer at a great rate of speed.

Is the nomination committee on drugs? 

Robin’s speed as she took the stage took out an old lady.

~~~~~

In my personal opinion, Robin is the best blogger on the planet. 

Are you on drugs?

My opinion? Robin can’t write her way out of a paper bag.

Is there any other kind of access? (Photo credit: mikecogh)

Strong vs Weak Words ~ Part 29 ~ Time

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editing, editing tips, Overused Words, Self-editing, Strong vs Weak Words, Strong Words, Weak Words, writers, writing

The four members of Pink Floyd. I guess we all age. Sigh. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This post will have Pink Floyd’s song “Time” stuck in your head. Sorry.

“Time” is one of those words that is fine. But could it be better? Let’s see.

 

I read Robin’s old blog posts to pass the time.

You need to get a life.

Reading Robin’s old blog posts helps fill the void in my sad little life.

 ~~~~~ 

Robin puts in extra time at her computer so her blog is error-free. 

Well, she failed in that regard, didn’t she?

(Did you notice I slipped a “so” in the above sentence?)

 Robin toils at her computer to insure her blog ain’t got no errors.

 ~~~~~

By spending time at the computer, Robin improves her writing every day.

She needs to spend waaaay more time at the computer.

 Robin wastes hours at the keyboard. Her writing never improves.

 ~~~~~

 Robin’s time in writing class was worth it. 

Nope. It wasn’t.

 When Robin signed up for the writing class, her teacher resigned.

 ~~~~~

Robin checked the time so she wouldn’t be late for class.

She should skip class. It is no use.

(Did you notice I slipped a “so” in the sentence above as well?)

 Robin checked her watch and because she was 20 minutes late for class, she drove to Taco Bell instead.

~~~~~

I loved Robin the first time we met. 

Wait. Whoa. Hold on. Robin Coyle?

 Robin annoyed me when we met.

Strong vs Weak Words ~ Part 28 ~ So

Tags

editing, editing tips, Overused Words, Overusing the Word So, Strong vs Weak Words, Strong Words, Weak Words, writers, writing, Writing Advice, writing tips

Image Courtesy of Freedigitalphotos.com

Today’s word to think about is “so.” Not “so” as an intensifier as in, “Robin is soooooooo smart,” but when used as a transition. “So” isn’t altogether evil, but if used too often, “so” sounds like a crutch. Maybe a semicolon is better. Maybe an “and” irons out the wrinkles. Maybe the sentence needs to be two sentences.

I had 109 “so-s” and reduced the number today to 50. The result? Literary magic! Well, not magic exactly, but better writing. Let’s explore this idea.

 Robin’s blog is humorous, so she must be a smart cookie.

 Oh gosh! She makes me laugh too.

Robin’s blog is humorous; she must be a plagiarist.

 ~~~~~

Robin has many readers, so she can’t respond to all the comments.

 She ignores me too.

Robin has few readers and appreciates the one comment she gets per day.

 ~~~~~

 I read every word of Robin’s blog so I don’t make a fool of myself when I praise her profound writing advice.

 Profound writing what………..?!?

 Not wanting to make a fool of Robin, I refuse to comment on her blog.

~~~~~

Robin didn’t know I un-followed her, so please keep my secret to yourself.

Shhhhhh.  I un-followed her too!

 Robin doesn’t know I un-followed her. If you tell her, she is likely to hurt me. 

~~~~~

 Robin is testy, so commenting on her blog makes me uncomfortable.

 She is scary!

 Robin barked at me when she replied to my comment. I was afraid for my safety.

~~~~~

 Robin leaned against the bar at the writer’s conference so I made my way across the room to say hello.

 You can always find Robin at the bar.

 I spotted Robin across the room and headed for the exit before she saw me.

 ~~~~~

 If I could afford the extravagance to do so, I would send Robin flowers every week. 

You do know her favorite flower is an expensive rare orchid from South America, right? 

If I could afford the extravagance, I would hire a bodyguard to protect me from Robin’s wrath.

So . . . what say you?

Strong vs Weak Words ~ Part 27 ~ Tell

Tags

editing, Overused Words, Self-editing, Strong vs Weak Words, Strong Words, Weak Words, writers, writing, Writing Advice, writing tips

A signpost for us all.
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Related (sort of) to “told” is “tell.”

We want to write so that we “show, not tell,” right? One easy step in following that sage writing advice is, in small part, to rid our manuscripts of the word “tell.” Not using the word “tell” doesn’t make the writing Pulitzer-worthy and paint pictures in the reader’s mind, but it takes it up a notch.

Do these examples “tell” you what I mean?

I could tell Robin blushed when I complimented her writing style.

Are you talking about Robin Coyle?

 Robin face turned an unbecoming shade of purple when I suggested she take a writing class.

~~~~~

I wanted to tell Robin about a great blog post idea.

 Please, no! Don’t give her more material!

 I shared a blog post idea with Robin. She pooh-poohed the suggestion and wrote about strong vs weak words. Gawd. Not again.

~~~~~

 The urge to tell her more blog post ideas came over me.

 Really. I mean it. Don’t feed her blogging obsession.

The urge to give her more blog post ideas was squashed when my fellow bloggers threatened my life.

 ~~~~~

 Robin wouldn’t tell us what she planned to blog about next.

Isn’t that cheeky of her.

 Robin wouldn’t divulge her plans for torturing us further.

Readers Weigh In On Annoying Phrases That Need To “Just Chill”

Tags

Annoying Phrases, Grammar Pet Peeves, Irritating Phrases, Overused Words, Phrases That Need To Go, Words and Phrases to Avoid, writers, writing

The proper use of “like”.
“Free image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net”

On July 5^th we groaned about annoying phrases we would like (used correctly here) to see banned. I promised a follow-up post with the additions you made in the comments. You guys are hysterical!

So here are the additions to the list along with a link to who added the word or phrase. I hope I didn’t miss anyone. Going back and forth to link everyone’s blog made me dizzy!

Too much information. ~ Subtlekate

“I could care less.” vs “I couldn’t care less.” ~ Subtlekate and Promethean Times and JMMcDowell

Like ~ Bringing Europe Home and Ramblings of the Insane Girl

I hear you. ~ Fly Away Home Book

I feel you. ~ Robin Coyle

Basically ~ The Laughing Housewife and Promethean Times

Literally ~ Personal Growth

I’m just saying. Or, Just saying ~ Blurt and Brain Splats

No probs. ~ Vanessa Jane Chapman

Are we on the same page? ~ Comedy in Crisis

“Hella” and “irregardless” ~ Readncook

If you want the truth. ~ Legion Writer and Laughing at Everyday Life

You are too funny. ~ Lori’s Lane

Ya know, I totally get you. You rock. You’re the bomb. I got your back ~ J. Keller Ford

You may not believe in God, but he believes in you. Bullseye. Totally. Everything happens for a reason. The grand finale. ~ ahamin

Back in the day. High end. Yous. You know what I’m sayin’. That’s special. ~ Beyond the Brush 

Whole ‘nother thing. If viewed in this context. ~ Promethean Times

I so get where you are coming from. ~ Carrie Rubin

Chill. A fabs listen, babe. Soz. Laters. ~ Ms. Katykins

Have a nice day. Help you? No problem. What’s up wit dat? ~ Diabetic Redemption

It’s a heavy lift. ~ News of the Times

Low hanging fruit. ~ Robin Coyle

I’m starving. ~ 4amWriter

It’s not you, it’s me. Have a nice day. I’m not being funny, but . . . ~ Dotty Headbanger

What’s new? ~ On the Homefront and Beyond

I couldn’t be bothered. Honestly. ~ Writing by the Numbers

Everything happens for a reason. ~ Richard Coyle

Strong vs Weak Words ~ Part 26 ~ Told

Tags

editing tips, Overused Words, Self-editing, Strong vs Weak Words, Strong Words, Weak Words, writers, writing, Writing Advice, writing tips

Hi folks! I’m back from four lovely days with the beautiful Pam. Did you enjoy the break from me? Well, brace yourself for another post in the Strong vs Weak Word series.

The Beautiful Pam

“Told” is another flat word. My novel is in the first person. Much (not all) of the dialog is narrated, meaning without quotation marks. So therefore, “told” might not be a problem for you. It was for me.

I examined the “tolds” and converted some of the narrated dialog into “he saids” and she saids.” However, not all.

“Told” jumps out at you and slaps you across the face. But “told” can also be stated as screamed, whispered, or ranted. Or simply as “said.”

Again, the difference is subtle. Losing “told” also gets rid of an unneeded pronoun. Let’s see if I can make sense of this with some examples.

Robin jumped for joy when I told her I made a pitcher of martinis.

Gin or vodka?

When Robin learned I was pouring martinis, she ran three stoplights driving to my house.

 ~~~~~

Robin kicked down my door and I told her I would call the police.

Smart girl!

I found my can of mace and warned Robin I have the police on speed dial.

~~~~~

She snorted when I told her I was serious about calling the cops.

 Robin is like that when she wants a martini.

Robin threw a water balloon at me when I said the cops were on their way.

~~~~~

The single tear on Robin’s cheek told me she was at the breaking point.

 What a basket case!

 The single tear on Robin’s cheek let me know I better pour her a drink.

~~~~

Robin’s empty martini glass.
Free image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I told Robin she needs rehab. 

Phew. She does need it.

I outlined the benefits of rehab while the intervention group filed in.

 ~~~~~

When Robin refused to leave, I told her she was obstinate.

 I bet that didn’t go well.

Robin handcuffed herself to the table and I called her an obstinate fool.

~~~~~

Robin growled at me when I told her she needed to leave.

 Someone needed to say it. Better you than me.

 Robin growled at me when I dragged her and the table out the door.

Sorry for the numerous examples, but there are many ways to say “told.”

Also, note the legal use of the martini glass photo!

Strong vs Weak Words ~ Part 25 ~ There

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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.

Strong vs Weak Word ~ Part 24 ~ Then

Tags

editing, editing tips, Overused Words, Self-editing, Strong vs Weak Words, Strong Words, Weak Words, writers, writing, Writing Advice, writing tips

“Then” was brought to my attention by SubtleKate. Best wishes to Kate as she is having surgery on Friday.

My characters did this. Then my characters did that. I reduced 69 “then-s” to 28. I should give the remaining 28 a second look. If you describe what happens next in the story, the “then” is implied. Let’s take a look.

I joined Sir Paul’s fan club, wire tapped his phone, and then stalked his dog-walker.

Why the dog-walker, not Paul?

I joined Sir Paul’s fan club and wire tapped his phone. The police arrested me when I stalked his dog-walker.

~~~~~

Paul hired me as a housekeeper and then I devised a plan to steal his gold records.

Dastardly of you.

Paul hired me as a housekeeper, which gave me the opportunity to steal his gold albums.

 ~~~~~

I gushed over Paul during the interview and then censored myself for sounding like a groupie.

 I would gush too.

I gushed over Paul during the interview until he rang for his army of bodyguards.

 ~~~~~ 

I planned my escape route from the mansion, ran it by James Bond, and then made off with Paul’s gold records.

You know James Bond?

I planned my escape route from the mansion, ran it by James Bond over martinis, and was arrested for stealing Paul’s gold records.

~~~~~ 

Until then, I wasn’t afraid of Paul’s bodyguards.

 You should have been. I’ve seen ’em.

Until I saw their guns, I thought I could sweet-talk Paul’s bodyguards into letting me keep the records.

Strong vs Weak Words ~ Part 22 ~ Would Have

Tags

Overused Words, Self-editing, Strong vs Weak Words, Strong Words, Weak Verbs, Weak Words, writers, Writers Resources, writing, Writing Advice, writing tips

Would have. Geez Louise. That is all I will say as an intro. Read on.

Robin would suggest ways to improve my writing and I hung on her every word.

 Why? Gosh . . .  get a grip.

Robin suggested ways to improve my writing but I ignored her.

~~~~~

He would bring Robin flowers to weasel more writing tips out of her.

The letch.

He brought Robin flowers and she threw her blog posts into his awaiting arms.

~~~~~

Robin would blush when her readers sent her flowers.

Dead black roses?

Robin blushed when her readers called the grammar police.

~~~~~ 

He would leave me love notes in the comment section of my blog.

Such a romantic fool.

 He left me hate mail in the comment section so I changed my identity.

I am now Paris Hilton.

How awful is this?

Strong vs Weak Words ~ Part 21 ~ Try and Attempt

Tags

editing, editing tips, Overused Words, Self-editing, Strong vs Weak Words, Strong Words, Weak Verbs, Weak Words, writers, writing, Writing Advice

Do your characters “try” to do things? Do they make an “attempt?

If your romantic lead “tries” to win the girl’s heart and fails, that is one thing. But if he “tries” to impress her by wearing after-shave laced with pheromones and she swoons into his arms, he succeeded. Let’s see if some examples help me out here.

I tried following Robin’s point in her blog post but she lost me by sentence two.

There you failed.

I tried following Robin’s blog and loved it.

Gosh, me too!

I followed Robin’s blog and hated it.

~~~~~

I try to learn something from Robin, but she has nothing to offer.

You failed again.

 I try to learn from Robin’s posts and because of her wisdom, I am stronger writer.

Gosh, me too again! We have so much in common.

I learn how to use strong words from Robin. She is so wise!

 ~~~~~

 I was trying to make sense of Robin’s blog post, but she writes drivel.

Failed again my friend.

I was trying to follow the editing advice Robin gives and it works beautifully.

Are you sure we are reading the same Robin Coyle? (P.S. The “was” in the above sentence is awkward.)

 Following Robin’s advice made my WIP Pulitzer-worthy.

 ~~~~~

I attempted to un-follow Robin, but darn WordPress wouldn’t let me. 

 Boy, you must feel like a failure by now.

I attempted to follow Robin and I am glad I did! She is a smart cookie!

Robincoyle.com, right? You sure?

I unfollowed robincoyle.com as soon as I read her last post. As my mom would say, good riddance to bad rubbish.

Strong vs Weak Words ~ Part 19 ~ Them

Tags

editing, editing tips, Overused Words, Self-editing, Strong vs Weak Words, Strong Words, Weak Words, writers, writing, Writing Advice, writing tips

I wrote about my discovery of my overuse/reliance on the word “it” here. I shed bitter tears while editing out about a million “its.” A new revelation was my overuse-run-it-into-the ground reliance on “its” evil twin “them.”

As with “it,” every time I read a “them,” I asked myself, “who/what is the them?”

I own 462 purses and my husband loves me because I store them on his side of the closet. 

He is more understanding than my husband.

 I own 462 purses and my husband is ready to divorce me because I store my collection on his side of the house.

~~~~~

I hide my jagged cuticles and chipped nail polish from my mother-in-law because she makes fun of them.

Do we have the same mother-in-law?

I hide my nails from my mother-in-law because she makes fun of my obsession with daily manicures.

 ~~~~~

 I have many followers and I keep them engaged by writing insightful blog posts.

 We must have the same followers!

I had many followers but I lose 20 readers every day because I write nothing but drivel.

Strong vs Weak Words ~ Part 17 ~ Past Tense of the Verb To Be

Tags

Avoid the verb To Be, editing, Overused Words, Self-editing, Strong Verbs, Strong vs Weak Words, Strong Words, Weak Verbs, Weak Words, writers, writing, Writing Advice, writing tips

http://frans3xy.tumblr.com

Yesterday we looked at ways to avoid using the present tense of the verb “to be.” Today, let’s reflect on the past. The past tense of “to be,” that is.

I know, I know . . . you all know the forms of the past tense of “to be,” but here you go anyway:

I was

We were

You were

He was

She was

It was

They were

Who was

I was sitting at my computer waiting for inspiration to hit. 

Same thing happens to me.

 While I stared at my blank computer screen, my fickle mistress Madame Inspiration, was on a date with someone else.

 ~~~~~

When we were finished reading Robin’s manuscript, our book group banned her for life.

Aw . . . how sad.

We read Robin’s manuscript and sent it to Mr. Pulitzer for consideration for next year’s prize.

 ~~~~~

 She was surprised when she received a rejection notice from Mr. Pulitzer

 Really? Is she delusional?

Robin framed the rejection notice from Mr. Pulitzer because he was kind enough to add a handwritten note at the bottom that said, “Your novel would make good kindling.” 

~~~~~ 

It was a shock to Robin when she realized he meant her novel would make good kindling to start a fire, not that the book is Kindle-worthy.

No need for lighter fluid!

Robin smashed the framed rejection letter when she realized he dissed her, not complimented her.

  Sorry!

Strong vs Weak Words ~ Part 16 ~ Present Tense of To Be

Tags

books, Overused Words, Strong vs Weak Words, Strong Words, Weak Verbs, Weak Words, writers, writing, Writing Advice, writing tips

“One of the most common stylistic mistakes aspiring writers make is to rely too much on the verb “to be.” ~ EssayForum.com

I wonder what Mr. Shakespeare would say. Isn’t his oft quote soliloquy, “To be, or not to be?”

When I read EssayForum.com’s page on avoiding the verb “to be,” I thought uh-oh. I dashed to my computer to do a quick search, and GUILTY AS CHARGED YOUR HONOR!

But how to fix this “common stylist mistake” was a puzzle. I couldn’t put my hands on concrete ways to avoid the verb “to be,” but found many sites and books with admonitions to keep away from the verb like it is an outbreak of e coli.

You will be getting some tips on the present tense of “to be” today, and the past tense form in the near future. I know you know this, but as a refresher on our new enemy “to be” in the present tense:

I am and I’m

He is and He’s

She is and She’s

It is and It’s

We are and We’re

They are and They’re

You are and You’re

~~~~~

I am making every effort to write well. 

Good for you!

I make every effort to write just like Robin.

~~~~~

He feels Robin’s presence when he is writing.

Like a poltergeist? 

Robin’s annoying voice rings in his head when he writes.

~~~~~

It is odd how often Robin edits her manuscript

Maybe the book is really bad.

Robin edits her manuscript freakishly often.

~~~~~

We are hoping Robin shares more tips on how to use strong vs. weak words.

 Ask, and ye shall receive!

We hope Robin changes the theme of her posts to underwater basket weaving.

Strong vs Weak Words – Part 13 ~ It

Tags

Overuse of the word it, Overused Words, Self-editing, Strong vs Weak Words, Strong Words, Weak Words, writers, writing, Writing Advice, writing tips

Thanks to Jennifer Eaton’s blog, I discovered the most vile word in the English language.  In my comment on her post, I said, “I hate you, in the nicest possible way,” for pointing out the word.

You thought you hated me before, but wait until you get a load of this.

How could a two-letter word destroy a writer in one afternoon? Here’s how. I found 539 of the cheeky buggers in my manuscript. 539!!! I kid you not. So far, I edited out 64 of the offending words and I’m only on page 52. The result? The writing is stronger.

I know you are all dancing on your toes and asking, “What is it? What is it?”

You answered the question yourself. The bloody word it “IT.”

How could “IT” be so bad? Let me explain. When we reference something in our writing, say a purse, we are loath to use the word again in the same sentence, or one following closely behind. For example:

I put my purse on my shoulder and IT made my neck hurt.

We avoid writing the word purse twice so we use the word “it.” But the “it” can be referred to in other ways.

When I put my heavy purse on my shoulder, the strap dug into my neck.”

Or,

I put my purse on my shoulder and the weight sent a sharp pang up my neck.

Or,

When I walked out of the pub, the weight of my purse caused me to hold my neck at a weird angle. My husband said I looked tipsy.

Get “it?”  I mean ~ Do you understand what I mean? When you read the word “IT,” ask yourself, “What is the “IT?”

Here is an example from my manuscript:

Original copy:

The funeral ended with “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” To this day, the song gives me chills. If you listen intently to the words you will know what I mean. IT is sad and soothing at the same time.

Revised copy:

The funeral ended with “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” To this day, the song gives me chills. If you listen intently to the words you will know what I mean. The lyrics are sad, but soothing.

Of course you can’t, nor shouldn’t, get rid of every “it.” It serves a purpose. And, you don’t want to go overboard and sound silly:

I put my purse on my shoulder. I carry my wallet and lipstick in a device with a history dates back to biblical times.

When you do “Seek and Destroy” to look for “it,” don’t forget that “it” can hide as “it,” it.” and “it’s”

~Our former friend Cousin Itt

For advice on other words that sneak into your writing, clink on the links below:

▪    I Have a Problem with “That”

▪    Sneaky Little Words for the word GOT

▪    Strong vs Weak Words for the word WENT

▪    Strong vs Weak Words – Part 2 for the word PEOPLE

▪    Strong vs Weak Words – Part 3 for the words THING and STUFF

▪    Strong vs Weak Words – Part 4 for the words GO and GOING

▪    Strong vs Weak Words – Part 5 for the words ALWAYS and NEVER

▪    Strong vs Weak Words – Part 6 for the words PRETTY, SURE, and CERTAIN

▪    Strong vs Weak Words – Part 7 for the word HAD and HAVE

▪    Strong vs Weak Words – Part 8 for the word JUST

▪    Strong vs Weak Words – Part 9 for the word ALL

▪    Strong vs Weak Words – Part 10 for INDEFINITE NUMBERS

▪    Strong vs Weak Words – Part 11 for the word USE

• Strong vs Weak Words – Part 12 for the word CAN

Moldy Verbs, Adverbs, and Intensifiers

I Challenge You to A Weak Word Duel. En Garde

Tags

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.

Strong vs Weak Words – Part 7 Revisited ~ Have and Had

Tags

Overuse of the word had, Overuse of the word have, Overused Words, Self-editing, Strong vs Weak Words, Strong Words, Weak Words, writers, writing, Writing Advice, writing tips

The Honorable Supreme Court Justice Ima Writer sequestered me over the weekend and ordered the bailiff to unplug my Internet. Hence, you haven’t heard from me in three days.

You see, while giving advice on eliminating needless words in your writing to create robust sentences, I am guilty of not following my own orders. (See here if you don’t know what the heck I am talking about.)

When I ran across a problem word, I would fix a bunch in my manuscript and say, “Yup, that is a problem.”  I would set aside my editing because I was excited to tell YOU about it. As a result, “justs,” “gots,” “wents,” and the like, continued to sit in my manuscript like the ugly stepsisters snubbed by the prince and forced to stayed home instead of attending the writing party.

The half-taken advice was haunting me. I closed myself off to the world at our cabin and snuggled with the sneaky little words “had” and “have.” The romance faded when I realized it would take me all weekend to do the edits on those two words alone. The argument that ensued wasn’t pretty.

Why am I bringing this up? Because I learned an important lesson while editing out dead-weight “hads” and “haves.” I became better at it the more I did it. It started out slow and painful, but two-thirds of the way through the process, I was flinging the words out with ease. I learned how to spot the easy “just hit delete” “hads” and “haves.” For the trickier ones, I became adept at seeing how the sentence could be reworked. In many cases, the entire offending sentence was dumped because it did nothing to advance the story. Yeah! More dead-weight eliminated.

At first, I was afraid I was over-editing and making my writing sound stilted. Was I erasing my “voice?” However, when I removed the excess baggage, my voice had room to come through the white noise.

Emboldened, I hit “seek and destroy” for a second round. I found sentences I thought were fine on the first round, but armed with the lessons learned while working my way through the manuscript, I knew how to dust, tidy, and freshen them.

My point? “Hads” and “haves are especially sneaky and they snarl when you first attempt to eliminate them. Sharpening your knife with practice eases the process.

Bonus tidbits I discovered. “Had” and “have” hide in the conjunctions “I’d” and “I’ve:”

I’d liked my manuscript until this weekend.

Clunky example, I know. Sorry.

I thought I liked my manuscript, but it became a masterpiece over the weekend after I edited out the “hads.”

 ~~~~~

I’ve got to spend more time editing.

 Yes, you do.

 I must dedicate more time to the fine art of editing.

 “Had” and “have” also skulk around disguised as “hadn’t” and “haven’t:”

He hadn’t realized Robin the “Had Cop” was after him.

Isn’t she about as effective as Barney Fife?

He realized Robin the “Had Cop” was after him when she slapped the usage-cuffs on his scrawny wrists.

~~~~~

I haven’t seen Robin the “Had Cop” so angry in years.

Ooh, scary.

 In anger, Robin the “Had Cop” fed his lousy manuscript to the grammar police.

For those of you scratching your head about “had” and “have,” take heart. It gets easier the more you exorcise them out of your writing. Trust me, I know.

Strong vs Weak Words – Part 10 ~ Indefinite Numbers

Tags

Indefinite Numbers, Overused Words, Strong vs Weak Words, Strong Words, Weak Words, writers, writing

Words indicating indefinite numbers are sneaky and vague.

Sure, we need to use these words when we say something like, “Some pizza-lovers like anchovies.” In this case, we don’t know exactly how many crazy people there are in the world.

However, if you can be specific, it adds pop to the sentence.

I had some ice cream last night.

Yum. What flavor?

 I ate a gallon of anchovy ice cream in one sitting.

~~~~~

Many people follow my wildly popular blog.

 That’s cool. How many?

Three fellow-bloggers follow my wildly popular blog.

~~~~~

 A few people hit “like” on my blog about anchovies.

Anchovies are fascinating, aren’t they?

 My blog about anchovies received zero “likes.”

~~~~~

I had a couple of drinks to numb the pain.

 Did you lace the drinks with anchovies?

After six shots of vodka I decided to change the theme of my blog from anchovies to the fine art of distilling vodka.

Other indefinite numbers are (can you think of more?):

A lot, a ton, a boatload, a truckload, a bunch, a bit, a tad

Gobs, heaps, oodles, scads, smidgeon

Gazillion, kabillion,

Several

Most

Any

However, I do like the word umpteen.

Happy three-day weekend everyone. I’ll be back next week.

For advice on other words that sneak into your writing, clink on the links below:

• I Have a Problem with “That”
• Sneaky Little Words for the word GOT
• Strong vs Weak Words for the word WENT
• Strong vs Weak Words – Part 2 for the word PEOPLE
• Strong vs Weak Words – Part 3 for the words THING and STUFF
• Strong vs Weak Words – Part 4 for the words GO and GOING
• Strong vs Weak Words – Part 5 for the words ALWAYS and NEVER
• Strong vs Weak Words – Part 6 for the words PRETTY, SURE, and CERTAIN
• Strong vs Weak Words – Part 7 for the word HAD and HAVE
• Strong vs Weak Words – Part 8 for the word JUST
• Strong vs Weak Words – Part 9 for the word ALL
• Moldy Verbs, Adverbs, and Intensifiers

Strong vs Weak Words – Part 9 ~ All

Tags

Overused Words, Overusing the Word Just, Strong vs Weak Words, Strong Words, Weak Words, writers, writing

“All the world’s a stage . . . “

 ~William Shakespeare

Really Bill? Isn’t it the same if you said, “The world’s a stage?”

He scoffed from deep in his grave and said, “It is lyrical with the “all” in situ.”

True, so true.  How Shakespearean of you. However . . .

 All the donuts are stale.

Is more visual when stated . . .

I chipped a tooth because I bit into Bill’s stale donut.

~~~~~

All the people adore Robin’s blog posts.

 And why wouldn’t they?

Bloggers from Istanbul to Bakersfield adore Robin’s witty blog about writing.

Did you notice I nuked the word PEOPLE too?

~~~~~

That was all the time I had to work on my novel today.

You must be writing a blog.

I had one minute to work on my novel today because I was reading hundreds of brilliant words written by Robin.

See what I mean? Sometimes “all” is okay, but please don’t ever say “alls,” as in “alls I’m gonna to do is fix me some ribs.” Hmmm . . . I’m hungry. How about you Bill?

Cover of William Shakespeare

For advice on other words that sneak into your writing, clink on the links below:

• I Have a Problem with “That”
• Sneaky Little Words for the word GOT
• Strong vs Weak Words for the word WENT
• Strong vs Weak Words – Part 2 for the word PEOPLE
• Strong vs Weak Words – Part 3 for the words THING and STUFF
• Strong vs Weak Words – Part 4 for the words GO and GOING
• Strong vs Weak Words – Part 5 for the words ALWAYS and NEVER
• Strong vs Weak Words – Part 6 for the words PRETTY, SURE, and CERTAIN
• Strong vs Weak Words – Part 7 for the word HAD and HAVE
• Strong vs Weak Words – Part 8 for the word JUST
• Moldy Verbs, Adverbs, and Intensifiers

Strong vs Weak Words – Part 7 ~ Had

Tags

Overused Words, Overusing the Word Had, Overusing the Word Have, Strong vs Weak Words, Strong Words, Weak Words, writers, writing, Writing Advice, writing tips

“I’ve HAD it up to here with the word HAD,” she said while drawing an imaginary knife across her throat.

Today’s words of the day are, you guessed it, “had” and her kissing-cousin “have.” My novel was littered with them.

Many (too many to count) of my “had’s” and “haves” were tossed out with the bathwater. I give you the following examples:

I had breakfast. 

Big deal. Me too.

I threw up my breakfast.

I ate breakfast with Superman.

I inhaled my breakfast. 

~~~~~

She had questions for me. 

Yawn.

She pommeled me with questions. 

~~~~~ 

She had red hair.

What? Is she now bald?

Her red hair glowed like a match-tip.

~~~~~

I have a bossy dachshund.

Really? He should meet William.

 My bossy dachshund thinks he owns me.

~~~~~

The problem I have is ______________.

 You fill in the blank, but please be nice.

My problem is abuse of the words “had” and “have.”

If you will excuse me, I’m off to do hours of editing.

For advice on other words that sneak into your writing, clink on the links below:

• I Have a Problem with “That”
• Sneaky Little Words for the word GOT
• Strong vs Weak Words for the word WENT
• Strong vs Weak Words – Part 2 for the word PEOPLE
• Strong vs Weak Words – Part 3 for the words THING and STUFF
• Strong vs Weak Words – Part 4 for the words GO and GOING
• Strong vs Weak Words – Part 5 for the words ALWAYS and NEVER
• Strong vs Weak Words – Part 6 for the words PRETTY, SURE, and CERTAIN
• Moldy Verbs, Adverbs, and Intensifiers