#overused words

[dreamyfaeriewords]

Avoiding the word "say" while writing

I keep trying to avoid the word "say" because it feels too flat and generic…

But then suddenly every single character in my story is:

whispering

muttering

sighing

snapping

growling

and occasionally… hissing?? like who even talks like that (no they are not snakes 😭).

At this point, my dialogue doesn’t sound like a conversation anymore, it sounds like an over dramatic audio book.

And the worst part? I’ll notice I’ve used the same one three times in the same page, JUST TO AVOID THE WORD "SAID". Everyone is suddenly whispering like we’re all trapped in the world’s longest library scene, or growling like a pack of wolves...

So maybe "said" wasn’t so bad after all...

[includedisco]

Losing the battle against my unhealthy attachment to overuse of my fave adverb in writing 😎

Me: overuse of the same word is problematic. I've been writing fanfiction for years now so, I can do better😎

Also me in one chapter: gently touches, gently says, gently kisses, gently replies, gently gazes, gently reaches for, holds gently, lifts gently, gently, gently, gently......gently

Also also me while editing said chapter: 😳😬👀

Also also also me: But why does everything in my story just seem better when it's done gently?😅

Also also also also me: Let's post this and hope no one notices that I'm in a complicated and toxic relationship with the word "gently"😁😅🙈

[duey65]

Overused words

It’s a weird topic – popular words. But there are always new words or words that all of a sudden become used more and more with the younger people (my God I sound old!). The word “like” is overused by so many people. I actually cringe whenever I hear my daughter use it more than three times in a sentence. It’s not necessary in 2022 to talk like a valley girl. “Literally” is another one. I have…

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[just-the-hiddles]

Tip Tuesday | Overused Words

Hello cats and kittens.  It had a sort of request to cover overused words.  So here we go.

1. Thesaurus can be your best friend.  I will pull up an online thesaurus when I feel like I am starting to repeat myself.  This is best for verbs and nouns.  I would also suggest those amazing lists giving alternative for words like “said” and words for writing sex scenes.

2. Repetition can be prove a point.  There is something to be said for the artistry of repeating a word or phrase.  I often enjoy having characters parrot back things the other said to make a point.  It can bring emphasis to something or make something more ridiculous.  It also helps develop the vocabulary and language of a character.

3. Try removing the word all together.  Sometimes we include words that don’t need to be there.  They don’t serve an integral purpose (but they sure do look pretty). Try seeing how the sentence sounds by removing the word.  This works great with words like “that”, “like”, “just”, “then”.  

4.  Use a software to help find and replace overused words.  This is how I help get rid of overused words.  I personally use ProWritingAid and I use the premium version.  It has a report that finds overused words and can sometimes give options of what to replace it with.  The program finds words such as know, smell/taste, was/were, then/just.  Now I realize not everyone has the cash to fork out for a program so I found some free programs.  I have not used them so YMMV.

Online Word Counter- literally counts the number of times you use a particular word.  They divide it between common words and not.

Scribens- This seems to do a number of things including looking at repetition.

Slick Write- This also checks for variety under Vocabulary.  Does a bunch of other things as well.

5. Remember it’s our work and use whatever you want.  Grammar rules are just something someone made up one day and other people agreed.  Like the rule to never a sentence with a preposition?  Just something one guy made up because he didn’t like it.  So do what works for you.

Until next week!

[ultratropicalrainforest]

Writing prompt: everytime someone unironically uses the word boomer, Sandy Checks says “Did somebody say boom?” and triggers and explosion.

[writerystuff]

NOT PISSED

It’s so easy to say (or have your character say), “I’m really pissed at him!”

But English is a gloriously vast and rich language with so many more interesting possible words to choose from.

You could be exasperated, irritated, cross, riled, angry, irate, or fed up.

Even better, you could be peeved, irked, miffed, cheesed off, piqued, galled, in a huff, in a snit, or in a pet.

Read more! Be creative!

[the960writers]

We all have our verbal tics.

These tics find their way into the written word, too. But good writing is clear and precise, with a rich vocabulary that doesn’t rely on cliches. Some overused words are simply that — overused. Others are used completely incorrectly.

[patbertram]

The Venerable Vegetable

Daily writing promptWhat’s a word or phrase that annoys you?View all responses There used to be many words and phrases that annoyed me, constructions such as “110%” and “intestinal fortitude,” but those instances seem so innocuous now that other words have begun to be used half to death (to the death of the word, that is), words like fascist and nazi and racist and whatever happens to be the…

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