Are there certain words that you use too much? When you Wordle, does suddenly suddenly appear huge and dead center?
We all have our crutch words. The dictionary describes a crutch as "a thing used for support or reassurance." For me, crutch words are the easiest to find in my vocabulary when I'm writing a first draft. Nothing wrong with that.
But as we progress through drafts, we should trim as many crutch words as possible. I have a running list of words that weaken my writing. It's not that these words are never okay, it's just that they sometimes add unnecessary fat, and can usually be replaced with stronger words. When I run a search for these words, I spot areas in the manuscript that need tightening or clarification.
Here's a list that I've compiled, using multiple sources:
about
actually
almost
approximately
barely
basically
beginning
believe/believed
completely
down
eventually
feel/feeling/felt
however
imagine/imagined
just
kind of
knew/know
little
look/looked
mostly
much
nearly
only
practically
pretty
rather
realize/realized
really
remember/remembered
saw/see
seem/seemed
slightly
somewhat
sort of
stuff
suddenly
thing
think/thought
tried
understand
I usually weed out crutch words after beta reads, but before the professional edit. This time around, I'm doing it before the beta reads. That way my trusted readers don't have to suffer through reading "look" three times in the same paragraph.
Tell me, writers, what are your crutch words? Any I need to add to my list? At what point in the process do you search for weak words? Please share!
That's a great list. Janice Hardy once posted a great list too and I periodically check my manuscript to try to avoid those words.
ReplyDeleteReally, my big crutch is really. Really.
ReplyDeleteoh yeah...and just
ReplyDeleteGreat list! I do use really. A lot. Ok, and just. And kind of. They seem to fit with this particular narrator I'm using. If it was another voice I'd probably try to avoid them more. I do hate suddenly, though! It always feels strange when I read it.
ReplyDeleteI surely use just too much. It is surely just so. I know my two curse words.
ReplyDeleteI'd forgotten about Wordle! Thanks.
ReplyDeleteJust! I knew that word would be there. And yes, I've used Wordle to find some of those.
ReplyDeleteUsually look and almost are heavy in my manuscripts. I try to do before betas then again before subbing.
ReplyDeleteThat's a darned good "crutchy" word list, Julie. I have to take out hundreds of "justs" every time I write a story. I just can't seem to create a first draft with it again and again and again.
ReplyDeleteOh, yeah, another over user of just here. And feel. I use that one alot too.
ReplyDeleteJust is my worst. Fab list.
ReplyDeleteLately, I love these kind of lists... Its also a good way to warm up to a neglected WIP. Just by searching one word, it can get me back in the mood for creating and enriching my story.
ReplyDelete