Welcome to Twitter Treasure Thursday! Today’s gem, courtesy of freelance literary editor, Heather Jacquemin, tackles eight specific words all writers should consider slashing axing killing deleting from their manuscript. Although these words might seem necessary, the truth is, they’re not. In fact, they tend to weaken our stories and steal their punch.
Personally, I’m guilty of using over half the words on this list, particularly three of them: “start”, “like”, and “suddenly”. So, when I go back to edit and polish up my manuscript, I know I’ll need to hunt them down and chop them out–hiyah!
I encourage you to review this list as well, and find out if you’re using unnecessary words in your writing.
8 Words to Seek and Destroy in Your Writing
“Like”
I’m not just saying that, like, you shouldn’t, like, talk like a valley girl (though that too). Here’s the problem: “Like” is used to show uncertainty. And you. Should. Not. Be. Uncertain.
Be bold. When making a comparison, use force. Use metaphor over simile. Don’t let yourself cop out by coming up with a halfway description.
“My eyes rested on the gun for a sliver of a moment. I snapped forward, grabbed it, and
it was likethe chill metal flowed from the gun into my veins.
To read the entire article, click here!
And for more useful advice, follow Heather Jacquemin on Twitter!
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