Get Rid of "IT"

[Star]

Greetings fellow writers,

I've just discovered a weakness of mine while writing an email.
I tend to use "it" where a noun should be. This weakness creeps into my fiction as well. So just as a friendly reminder with your novel: Concrete is the key! Look through your novel and get rid of that abstract "it" once and for all!!! It has no place in fiction.

[J. Weiland]

You can't make a postulate like that and not present us with an example of it.

[Esopha]

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

Just saying. ;)

[IceCreamEmpress]

This is the most bizarre and silly piece of advice I have ever heard. Yes, you don't want to overuse "it". On the other hand, the last thing you want to do is to NEVER use "it" because that will make your novel sound like Mr. Spock reading aloud from a poorly-translated automotive owner's manual.

[Soccer Mom]

"It" has it's place. There are no bad words. Okay, maybe a couple of them, but they weren't born that way. I admit that I cringe whenever I see an anti-that or anti-ly campaign spring up. Yes, be concrete in your writing. Yes, be active and vigorous. Yes, "she walked slowly" is weaker than "she trudged", but don't start a jihad on "it." It has its place.

[Shadow_Ferret]

For every it, it should be clear what it is.

[CaroGirl]

I agree. I started the campaign to change Stephen's best-selling novel title to The Scary Clown Guy.

[maestrowork]

Change all "it"s to "that"s.

Oh, you think I'm joking...

[Star]

Oh my! Have the cynics from the other board crossed over?
Of course I don't mean you should NEVER use "it" in a sentence. I meant you should avoid it..uh you know what the heck I mean. Stop being so mean!

Forget IT.

[IceCreamEmpress]

For every it, it should be clear what it is.

Except for "It's raining" because nobody knows what that "it" is.

[Jersey Chick]

This thread is like that scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail - where the head Knight Who Says Ni accidentally utters the sacred word - and then can't stop saying it.

Oh no, I said it!
Oh, I said it again!

:D

[Willowmound]

Change all "it"s to "that"s.

Oh, you think I'm joking...

Mindcurling. I like that.

[Star]

You guys won't run me out of here. I'll be back to brag when my book hits #1. *bowing and exiting stage left*

[blacbird]

"It" has it's place. There are no bad words. Okay, maybe a couple of them, but they weren't born that way.

Oftentimes
Irregardless
Rejection

caw

[Soccer Mom]

Oftentimes
Irregardless
Rejection

caw

Okay, maybe there are a few demon words--born evil and never got over it.

[Viral]

Personally, I think the only bad words are:
things
you
get
a lot

[Soccer Mom]

You guys won't run me out of here. I'll be back to brag when my book hits #1. *bowing and exiting stage left*

No one wants you out of here, Star. We're just having a bit of fun. It's great when you realize something about your writing, but we've just had a run a people who pop in with sage advice like eliminating a certain word.

Good luck with your book.

ETA: And I overuse the word "just." I just love it. That's all.

[CaroGirl]

I'm just playing around. I know you can take it, Star!! All the best.

[Jersey Chick]

Hi - I'm Jersey Chick and I'm a "that" addict.

And I'm not poking fun - if there's any word I overuse, it's that.

[melaniehoo]

Change all "it"s to "that"s.

Oh, you think I'm joking...

Then change the "that"s to "who"s and we're gold.

[Twizzle]

*throwing up hands in disgust*

I thought it was AS. AS was to be avoided at all costs.

now it's IT?!?!

you all SWORE you had nothing else to tell me. I asked you all if there was annnnyyyytttthhhhinnnnggg else I needed to know.


great. just great.

[Willowmound]

The best might be to not use any words at all.

[Potluck]

Oh man, I over use Then and Just and IT.

Just then it blew up. It then just spewed all over the ground. Then it just forced the people the run from it.

Wow, am I good or what?

[Birol]

you all SWORE you had nothing else to tell me. I asked you all if there was annnnyyyytttthhhhinnnnggg else I needed to know.


They lie. Not always, but often.

[Doogs]

One day I want to write a story using only "it", "that", "as", adverbs, and passive verbs.

[KTC]

I agree. I started the campaign to change Stephen's best-selling novel title to The Scary Clown Guy.

I see what happened now. Our two campaigns must have cancelled each other out. Because I started one to change it (<that it meaning the title, not the title. Notice it is not capitalized.) to Pennywise Kicks Ass.

[benbradley]

Just Do ... uh ...

[Twizzle]

They lie. Not always, but often.

IT doesn't surprise me. AS usual.

*glaring at those who lied, and you know who you are*

I quote donroc. Kiss my as. :hi:

[Potluck]

Don't forget your "Tom Switlys". He said laughingly.



What would SH be with out IT?

[TheIT]

You mean you guys don't want me here anymore? :gone:

:D

Seriously though, one of of my best English teachers recommended avoiding "It is" and "There are" constructions since those can usually be replaced by stronger phrasing. I also agree with the sentiment of making certain that whenever "it" is used, it's extremely obvious to what "it" is referring. I get very frustrated whenever I see it/he/she/they and need to puzzle out the antecedent.

[SpookyWriter]

You mean you guys don't want me here anymore? :gone:

:D

Seriously though, one of of my best English teachers recommended avoiding "It is" and "There are" constructions since those can usually be replaced by stronger phrasing. I also agree with the sentiment of making certain that whenever "it" is used, it's extremely obvious to what "it" is referring. I get very frustrated whenever I see it/he/she/they and need to puzzle out the antecedent.On a serious note. I somewhat agree with the OP. It was important to point this flaw in sentence construction.

Huh? What was important? The use of it was to begin a sentence that is part of a paragraph or scene is passive writing. I could easily have said "The importance of pointing out this flaw in sentence construction helps our writing."

But in story telling sometimes "it was" helps the scene flow easier or transitions the previous "noun" from "The dead were laughing." to "It was a dead laughter."

I think (avoid) novelist who overuse passive voice when writing. If the writer can't conjecture another sentence that is active then they will bore me rather quickly.

[Sage]

What. Is. It?

It's it.

[Jersey Chick]

It is what it is.

(i've always hated that - what else could it be but what it is?)

[IceCreamEmpress]

I also agree with the sentiment of making certain that whenever "it" is used, it's extremely obvious to what "it" is referring. I get very frustrated whenever I see it/he/she/they and need to puzzle out the antecedent.

This, to me, seems like extraordinarily useful advice.

"He picked up the football and hurled it across the field" is a good sentence.

"He picked up the football and hurled the pigskin across the field" would be much better with "it".

On the other hand, "Joe came into the parlor, looked through the stack of mail on the table, took his keys out of his pocket, then brought it into the next room" is infuriating. What did he bring to the next room? The parlor? The pocket? The table? The stack of mail is the most logical suspect, but it's not indicated grammatically.

[benbradley]

It is what it is.

(i've always hated that - what else could it be but what it is?)

Sometimes a tautology is just a tautology (I like to think I coined that). At least I didn't say that about a cigar (cue Groucho Marx saying "I love my cigar but I take it out of my mouth every once in a while").

[donroc]

But we all know what IT is when she has IT. AS in bowing to Clara.

[Jersey Chick]

i think my head just popped

[Star]

Okay. I took a day to breathe. I believe most of you guys here are great folks, so I'll skip over the cynics.

[choppersmom]

I'm just a "just" junkie myself. I can fit it in just about anywhere. Go on, just try me.

[IdiotsRUs]

'and' is mine, too many ands!

and ( look there I go again!) for some reason gout(s) ( as in blood, it always gouts. Stupid word, I shall have to ban it)

[Potluck]

If you want an 'and' fest read "The Pearl". Holy cow!

[Balthazar]

I have found that was and were are two words that can be really inactive. So I've gone through my ms. and tried to slash them where appropriate.

Max was feeling tired at this point.

Becomes: Max, tired beyond belief, put his head in his hands.

Not the greatest example, and may be obvious to some, but hopefully will help a few out there. Thanks for your original post.

[Devil Ledbetter]

If you want an 'and' fest read "The Pearl". Holy cow!And if you want to read a was, were and passive voice fest, read Atonement.

[Star]

...Then go see the movie and get your snore on. lol