12 Words To Avoid When Writing
When I wrote my first book, my writing needed work. I was a good writer, but not a great one. Thankfully, with the help of a writing coach and hours of practice, my writing improved at warp speed.
Learning about words and phrases to avoid when writing changed the game. I hadn't realized how lazy and vague the use of these words made my writing. Working to avoid them leveled up my storytelling abilities everywhere from personal blog writing and social media, to copywriting and writing books.
It's not a perfect practice. And of course, there are times when each of these words and phrases are acceptable. But, knowing the rules means knowing how to break them effectively.
Take a look at these 12 words/phrases and challenge yourself to leave them behind next time you sit down to write.
1. "I think" or "I feel"
These are taking power away from your statement.
Ex: "I think his point is dull."
Better: "His point is dull."
Ex: "I feel like you're being rude."
Better: "You're being rude."
You can't feel someone being rude. What you mean to say is "I believe" or "I think." However... when someone is reading an opinion you've written, the assumption is that it's yours. Saying "I think..." or "I believe..." is redundant.
2. "One of"
We get worried about declaring something the best because we love so many things. But things are either the best, or they're not.
Ex: "One of the best things about traveling is the food."
Better: "The best thing about traveling is the food."
Recognizing something as "the best" doesn't mean you can't think there are multiple bests. Dropping "one of" strengthens your statement. Own it.
3. "A Lot"
A lot is vague. How many is a lot? My answer is going to be different than yours. You need to specify how many "a lot" is.
Ex: You're wasting a lot of time by using these old systems.
Better: You're wasting hours of your time each week using outdated systems.
4. "To be" verbs --> especially before "ing" verbs.
is
was
were
am
are
being
been
Ex: "Their company was running smoothly."
Better: "Their company ran smoothly."
5. "Some" and all its relatives.
The definition of "some" is:
an unspecified amount or number of.
used to refer to someone or something that is unknown or unspecified.
In other words - some is vague.
Ex: "Someone was talking too loudly."
Better: "I couldn't hear her over the volume of the gregarious man next to us. He spoke louder than everyone in the restaurant."
Ex: "I asked her to hand me some flour."
Better: "I asked her to hand me a cup of flour."
6. "Thing"
This is a lazy and vague word.
Ex: "Sometimes things work out."
Better: "What can I say? Against all odds, she made a full recovery and is back in the game."
Rephrasing in this way gives the same feeling of surprise and relief, but it gives your reader more context.
7. Adverbs --> Words ending with "-ly"
These words are well meaning, but they rarely add anything to the readers experience.
Ex: "She boldly walked onto the stage."
Better: "Her palms sweated as she peeked around the curtain. There wasn't an empty seat in the house. Swallowing the lump of fear lodged in her throat, she took a deep breath and stepped into the spotlight."
Provide your readers with an experience. Sure, I can envision what someone walking boldly onto a stage looks like. But the second example pulls me into the characters experience. It makes me feel what she's feeling. It gives me more context around why her stage entrance was bold.
8. "Very"
You're being lazy with "very."
She's not "very tired," she's exhausted.
He's not "very excited," he's ecstatic.
They're not "very talented," they're exceptional.
9. "Just"
Nine times out of 10, "just" is an unnecessary filler word.
Ex: "It just wasn't for me."
Better: "It wasn't for me."
Ex: "Just do your assignment!"
Better: "Do your assignment!"
10. "That"
When you find yourself using "that," read the sentence back to yourself without "that." If the sentence still makes sense, nix the "that."
Ex: "This is the best book that I've ever read."
Better: "This is the best book I've ever read."
11. Leading words
So
Mostly
Most times
often
oftentimes
in order to
as you can see
I for one, am guilty of this on a regular basis. But it's true, leading words are unnecessary.
Ex: "So as you can see, this system is more effective."
Better: "This system is more effective."
Ex: "In order to whisk the eggs, you must crack them first."
Better: "Crack the eggs first, then whisk them."
12. "Used to"
In almost every case, "used to" can be replaced with a past tense verb.
Ex: "I used to waste time too."
Better: "I wasted time too."
What do you think? Can you challenge yourself to avoid these words and phrases next time you sit down to write?
