[she-who-fights-and-writes]

Narrative Botox: Filler Words and Phrases to Look Out For

If you’re planning on publishing traditionally, chances are you keep a sharp eye on your word count. Literary agents and publishing houses are on the hunt for the best quality stories that they can print for the cheapest price (using the least paper and ink), so you have a higher chance of gaining representation if you can crank your novel out in the least words possible.

However, filler words and phrases aren’t only the enemies of aspiring traditional authors; every writer—fanfic, novelist, journalist, you name it!—should try to eliminate filler from their stories to assure more concise and high-quality writing. Oftentimes, filler contributes nothing but clutter, and without it, your narrative can flow smoother and in a more sophisticated manner.

But how do you know what’s filler and what’s not? Here are some tips on how to Ctrl+F and kick this narrative botox to the curb!

I compiled these lists with the help of Infusionmedia, BDR Publishing, and ResetEra !

Filler Words

1. Just

A writer’s worst enemy, and the bane of my manuscripts’ existences. Eliminating all the ‘just’s can cut down your word count by hundreds.

2. “That” as a conjunction

It’s an unnecessary addition to a sentence, which will be more streamlined without it.

Example: “He said that he wouldn’t do it again.”

Revised: “He said he wouldn’t do it again.”

3. “Now” as an adverb

“Now” is essential if you’re talking about the past and present, but when you’re using it to draw attention to a particular statement or point.

Example: “Now, I didn’t think it’d get so out of hand.”

Revised: “I didn’t think it’d get so out of hand.”

4. Redundant adverbs

These adverbs serve no purpose because the verbs they’re describing already imply the way the action is performed.

Whispering softly

Yelling loudly

Crying sadly

Laughing happily

5. “Telling” words

These words are redundant, especially when using first person, because in describing an event, we can already assume that the characters are experiencing it.

Seeing/saw

Feeling/felt

Hearing/heard

Smelling/smelled

6. “Clarifying” words used to portray definiteness or indefiniteness

Although these are meant to help out the readers get their bearings on a situation, all they do is come across as wishy-washy! Be concise and sure of yourself!

About

Absolutely

Accordingly

Actually

Almost

Basically

Certainly

Clearly

Completely

Entirely

Even

Exactly

Fairly

Highly

Hopefully

Literally

Maybe

Only

Often

Oftentimes

Perhaps

Possibly

Probably

Quite

Rather

Really

Reasonably

Relatively

Seem

Seriously

Simply

Slightly

Some

Somehow

Sometimes

Totally

Very

Filler Phrases

1.“Let out (vocal noise)”

Use the verb instead!

Example: “He let out a sigh.”

Revised: “He sighed.”

2. Using passive voice

Passive voice inflates your word count by including various “to be” verbs into the prose. Passive voice involves actions happening to a subject rather than the subject performing an action, and as a result isn’t as riveting to the reader as active voice; even if it wasn’t a matter of word count, you’d still want to get rid of it anyway!

Still don’t know what I’m talking about? Check out this article from Grammarly.

Example: “The boy was bitten by the dog on his arm.”

Revised: “The dog bit the boy on his arm.”

3. Describing the wrong noun

Many writers will be as specific as possible about what “thing” is affected by the event they’re describing, when it’s much simpler to take a step back and write about something more general.

Example: “The level of water rose.”

Revised: “The water rose.”

4. Phrasal verbs

Phrasal verbs are the combination of two or three words from different grammatical categories—a verb and an adverb or a preposition—to form a single action. Usually, these phrasal verbs can be replaced by a single-word verb.

“Ask for” can be replaced with “request”

“Bring down” can be replaced with “reduce”

“Come across” can be replaced with “find”

Etc.

5. Clarifying phrases

Same reason as clarifying words. Get to the point!

A bit

A little

A lot

In a sense

Kind of

Sort of

6. Remember your contractions!

Even if your story takes place in olden times, I can guarantee that if you never use any contractions ever, your story’s gonna be a clunky mess. But sometimes you’re in the moment, consumed by the poetic power of the muses, and forget that this isn’t a soap opera; so make sure you check that you’ve been using your contractions!

It is, it was, it would, she is, would not, should not, is not, does not etc.

7. Inflated phrases

These phrases can be replaced with more concise words.

Along the lines of (shorten to: like)

As a matter of fact (in fact)

As to whether (whether)

At all times (always)

At the present (now or currently)

At this point in time (now or currently)

Be able to/would(n’t) be able to (could or couldn’t)

Because of the fact that (because)

By means of (by)

Due to the fact that (because)

Even though (though or although)

For the purpose of (for)

For the reason that (because)

Have the ability to (could)

In light of the fact that (because)

In order to (to)

In regards to (on or about)

In spite of the fact that (though or although)

In the event that (if)

In the nature of (like)

In the neighborhood of (about)

On the occasion of (when)

On one/two separate occasions (Once/twice)

The/A majority of (most)

There is no doubt that (No doubt)

Wasn(n’t) capable of (could or couldn’t)

Hope this helped, and happy writing!

[2soulscollide]

WEBSITES FOR WRITERS {masterpost}

E.A. Deverell - FREE worksheets (characters, world building, narrator, etc.) and paid courses;

Hiveword - Helps to research any topic to write about (has other resources, too);

BetaBooks - Share your draft with your beta reader (can be more than one), and see where they stopped reading, their comments, etc.;

Charlotte Dillon - Research links;

Writing realistic injuries - The title is pretty self-explanatory: while writing about an injury, take a look at this useful website;

One Stop for Writers - You guys... this website has literally everything we need: a) Description thesaurus collection, b) Character builder, c) Story maps, d) Scene maps & timelines, e) World building surveys, f) Worksheets, f) Tutorials, and much more! Although it has a paid plan ($90/year | $50/6 months | $9/month), you can still get a 2-week FREE trial;

One Stop for Writers Roadmap - It has many tips for you, divided into three different topics: a) How to plan a story, b) How to write a story, c) How to revise a story. The best thing about this? It's FREE!

Story Structure Database - The Story Structure Database is an archive of books and movies, recording all their major plot points;

National Centre for Writing - FREE worksheets and writing courses. Has also paid courses;

Penguin Random House - Has some writing contests and great opportunities;

Crime Reads - Get inspired before writing a crime scene;

The Creative Academy for Writers - "Writers helping writers along every step of the path to publication." It's FREE and has ZOOM writing rooms;

Reedsy - "A trusted place to learn how to successfully publish your book" It has many tips, and tools (generators), contests, prompts lists, etc. FREE;

QueryTracker - Find agents for your books (personally, I've never used this before, but I thought I should feature it here);

Pacemaker - Track your goals (example: Write 50K words - then, everytime you write, you track the number of the words, and it will make a graphic for you with your progress). It's FREE but has a paid plan;

Save the Cat! - The blog of the most known storytelling method. You can find posts, sheets, a software (student discount - 70%), and other things;

I hope this is helpful for you!

(Also, check my blog if you want to!)

[skati-fjolnirsbur]

🤍💖💝💚💗🧖🏾🧘🏻‍♀️🧘🏿🧘🏽‍♂️🧘🏾‍♀️🧘🏻🧖🏼‍♀️💗💚💝💖🤍

emoji spell for self-love to overflow in a balanced and sustainable way.

may we recognize our beauty, our wonder, our unique ways of thinking and being. may we recognize that we are worth far more than our productivity. and may we feel deep in our bones how deserving of our own love we are.

likes charge, reblogs cast 💕

[dearbisexual]

dam…….. that website “you feel like shit” (it’s like a questionnaire / troubleshooting guide for when you feel like shit) really works………………….. im not even all the way thru it and i even half-assed a lot of the suggestions and i already feel loads better

[dearbisexual]

for some reason, with this website, i was able to complete small tasks ive been fruitlessly bugging myself to do for weeks??

anyway, i feel almost good now :^)

[dearbisexual]

im glad this got some notes!!!! i hope it helps y’all find some measure of peace or comfort <3

[jupitersmusings]

good things will happen 🧿

things that are meant to be will fall into place 🧿

[overlord-fire-bubble]

THIS ONE FUCKING WORKS. REBLOG IT.

[tiny-kt]

this for real fucking works

[skati-fjolnirsbur]

🍀🐲🐇🐱🐝🦉🦋🦉🐝🐱🐇🐲🍀

🧡💛💚💸💵💰💎💰💵💸💚💛🧡

Emoji spell for luck and money. So that you receive far more money than you’d hoped, much sooner than you expected, with harm to none.

Likes charge, reblogs cast

[magicallyemily]

🔮🤩😍✅😍🤩🔮

A spell for a life changing yes. You’ve been approved for that thing you applied for. You got that job. You get that help you need. Whatever it is, the answer is yes, yes, absolutely yes. Smile and thank the universe.

Like to charge

Reblog to cast

[metablarghbigtime]

Just OCPD Things

so now that I officially know what is Wrong With Me™, it seems like a good time to compile it all into a light-hearted and easily digestible list wheeeee

you can, in fact, make everything into a contest! absolutely everything! if you have any sort of platonic ideal of a pathetic loser fuckup you can aspire to that and become The Best

acing that exam or assignment depends not on your level of skill, but on how much you beat yourself up about it

is this an authentic feeling of joy or sympathy, or are you reconstructing and performing what you imagine joy or genuine sympathy must feel like for your inner cold but ever-watchful judge/jury/executioner?

look at how nice your goodreads and letterboxd lists look, time to check if there are any classic/canonical pieces of media left to strike off your list

if you have proven yourself to be useful or palatable enough you may indulge in one (1) eccentricity. collect enough Good At Being A Person stamps and you can cancel one meeting with your friends

so ehhehhehhehhheh ummmm does anyone else harbor a secret resentment against basically everyone they know because these people are the audience on which you depend for approval or is it just me???? :)

you’re no longer a Bad Intolerant Person because you understand that human beings each have their own idiosyncratic faults and frailties and unique perspectives. not you tho, you are in fact the Alien Robot Golem among them

how to explain that your kind of disorder is a sort of pathological, debilitating functionality

Or Else

[jupitersmusings]

good things will happen 🧿

things that are meant to be will fall into place 🧿

[overlord-fire-bubble]

THIS ONE FUCKING WORKS. REBLOG IT.

[tiny-kt]

this for real fucking works

[zella-rose]

Levels of relationship, part 1

(Part of my ongoing series of posts on Avoidant Personality Disorder.)

I realized recently that I tend to try and categorize every relationship I form. Here’s how that breaks down.

Variables of a relationship

The quantity of time I spend feeling safe vs. scared with them

Past evidence of them being judgmental or trustworthy

How possible intimate connection seems

How rewarding intimate connection seems

From those variables, we get groups like this.

“Scary” person:

someone I usually feel frightened around

they’ve shown frightening behavior: they’ve treated me or others negatively in the past (acting critical, judgmental, rejecting, or cruel)

Intimacy is impossible.

I will never choose to be vulnerable with them, for any reason.

“Friendly” person:

someone I feel comfortable around

who has NOT shown frightening behavior

Intimacy is possible, but even if I achieved it, I think it has a very low chance of turning out well.

I could choose to be vulnerable with them, but I usually won’t, because it’s not worth the risk.

“Safe” person:

someone I feel comfortable around

who has shown trustworthy behavior in the past: I have been vulnerable with them, and they responded in a kind, supportive, accepting way

Intimacy is definitely possible, and I think it’s likely to have a positive result: they’ll probably be kind and supportive again.

I will probably choose to be vulnerable with them as often as possible.

It’s not this clear-cut or this conscious in real life. But looking at the patterns in my relationships, that tends to be how it divides. When I’m with some people, I feel really, shockingly good; with others, I feel okay; and with others, I feel really bad/afraid.

Who goes where?

For me, I assume most people are “friendly.” Acquaintances who have never frightened me go here. Strangers go here – for me – because why would they bother judging me? What are they judging me against?

People who are abusive or who violate my boundaries go in “scary,” of course. But, for me, so do people who are just really opinionated or blunt, because I have such a low tolerance for conflict and hostility. (People vary! Your criteria for “scary/unsafe” or any other group might be totally different, and that’s okay.)

The rarest group is “safe” people.

Because finding someone who’s basically never frightened me, who I’ve risked being open with, and who responded to me in the exact right way to put me at ease and make me feel heard and accepted – well, that just doesn’t happen very often.

For me, the chances are better if they’re naturally mild and considerate people. And the chances are really good if they genuinely like me.

For more about safe people, you can read part 2 here.

[zella-rose]

Here’s the thing about personality disorders.

Among everyone I know with Avoidant Personality Disorder, I’m one of the happiest, most outgoing, and most emotionally secure.

I have strong, positive, intimate relationships in my life.

I feel comfortable interacting with strangers.

I even make friends easily.

(The secret they don’t tell you is that even when you’re good at it, not everyone is a good choice to try it with!)

But this week, despite all of those things,

I still turned off my phone to avoid a dreaded phonecall.

I was crushed by a moderate disappointment.

I genuinely worry that my friends have stopped liking me, and that I’m not welcome in my social groups anymore (“they’re finally onto me!”).

When someone confronted me about something, even without any overt hostility, I had an anxiety attack before I could respond. And after the conversation I cried in bed, so hard that when I got up, I had tiny fresh bruises around my eyes.

Most days, I have the impulse to take down posts that feel too personal, too confused, too me.

I doubt myself and everything I’m trying to do. Sometimes I still feel like hiding in a closet for the rest of my life would be a better idea.

And I obviously still struggle with all my usual avoidance problems – like the effort it takes to leave the house.

There are extenuating circumstances, but…

…the thing about having a personality disorder – or any mental illness! – is that it’s always there in the background.

It’s usually always under the surface. It can affect everything in your life.

And even when someone seems to be doing really, really well, this is still something they have to be aware of and careful with. Sometimes, if you’re recovering, it feels like it’s always waiting to take over again.

There are always triggers. There are always situations that will prompt a disordered response. Sometimes you’ll be able to choose away from acting on that response, and sometimes you won’t.

And there’s never a time when self-care stops being important.

So if you’re struggling?

Don’t worry. It doesn’t mean anything’s wrong with you, and it doesn’t mean you’re worse than everybody else. Because everybody has times where things are hard and awful.

It’s okay to talk about how much it sucks. We all need validation and support.

It’s also okay to deliberately focus on what’s good and what successes you’re having, if that’s helpful for you.

You can even do both at the same time. In spite of all the things I listed up there:

I turned my phone back on and called them back! I used my self-talk skills to cope with the disappointment! I kept showing up to my social group! I had the confrontational talk and survived! I didn’t take down any posts! I learned some things!

Most of us tend to downplay our victories and emphasize our faults and mistakes. Consciously doing the opposite of that can help us change our thought habits.

But mostly:

There’s no wrong way to heal. There’s no wrong way to get better, or learn what you need to learn. And you can get stronger and grow as a person, even when you have lots of bad days.

What works for you is good enough, and that’s all that matters. <3

[saturnianmess-deactivated202211]

LEOS!!! ESPECIALLY DURING YOUR UPCOMING SEASON, WEAR YOUR GOLDS, YELLOWS AND ORANGES!!!

You'll be able to attract more luck, you'll feel more confident, your beauty will be at its peak (although yall are always stunning and I love it for you).

[sleepbby]

u know that feeling when u discover a new song and in just a day or 2 it would be unimaginable to you that it was once absent from your life. u listen to it until u know every word and every note. and tomorrow, you might get crazy about another new song.

that's what life's like. constantly. ur always gonna have new experiences u never saw coming. new loves, friendships, jobs, opportunities, travel, gifts, smiles, sunshine on an otherwise cloudy day. things that be inseparable from u and yet u don't even know them yet.

please stay around for tomorrow's blessings

[wizardsexmachine]

BIG BIRD IS TALKING ABOUT HIS COUSINS ON TWITTER THIS IS NOT A DRILL

[catmarlowastrology]

💐 Venus in the houses + what people envy about you 💐

1st house : your looks. how you behave. your confidence. how poised you are.

2nd house : your beautiful house, how you dress, how much money you make

3rd house : your mind, your ability to charm anybody, how poetic you are

4th house : your family, your mother, your home

5th house : your talents, your kids, how you light up every room you enter, your ambition, your popularity

6th house : your routine, how organized you are, your work ethic, your healthy habits

7th house : your relationship, your ability to engage with people, your integrity

8th house : your sex appeal, how much power you have over people, your ambition

9th house : your energy, how lucky you are in general, your sense of humor

10th house : your career, your reputation, your commitment, what you’ve achieved

11th house : your ability to create a community wherever you go, your uniqueness, your aspirations, your incredible brain

12th house : your selflessness, how people love you no matter what, how magical you are, your intuition

[thepoetryofascension]

miracles in february. wealth in february. love in february. comfort in february. laughter in february. bliss in february. success in february. friendship in february. beauty in february. joy in february. harmony in february. blessings in february. balance in february. soul in february.

[homiedepot]

[homiedepot]