Words you overuse constantly?

Proof reading hurts my soul!!!!

gingerwoman said:

I don't like trying to proof read my own work. *sigh*

Click to expand...

Whether I am writing for work or fun (NF vs. Fiction), I absolutely hate proof reading my own work. It makes me feel stupid every time I come across a sentence and realize I have no idea what on earth I meant. I am sure it made sense to me at the time. But now, nothing!

I think it was Hawthorne that said, 'Easy reading is damn hard writing.'

Jamesaritchie said:

You trust you betas more than I trust a professional editor. These are thing I need to identify and fix, not a beta, or an editor.

Click to expand...

Well, I'm sure there are many things you don't need a beta for that other writers do. Everyone has their own blindspot, right?

On the other hand, I bet I don't need a beta to point out some the things you miss in self editing either - my agent says my manuscripts are the cleanest she's ever seen.

Turned. He turned. She turned. When he turned. Before he turned. Turned. Turned. Turned. Turned. Turned.

Ugh.

My characters seem to "groan" and "murmur" a lot.

I use though, but, and actually a lot too.

The Package said:

Turned. He turned. She turned. When he turned. Before he turned. Turned. Turned. Turned. Turned. Turned.

Ugh.

Click to expand...

Well, to everything there is a season...

Come on, someone was thinking it!

I really have to watch using words such as really, very, like, though, that and only. I also have a tendency to overuse small gestures as dialogue tags that I only noticed in the last couple weeks. So, I'm working to limit their use and wondering what other things are going to pop out at me with this book that I didn't notice while writing the first one (which lives under my bed and will never again see the light of day).

Well I can be sort of, could'a, specifi'ca, though I would'a could'a.

I have lots of them.

Over used words

At the end writing a chapter I always need to check for- that, which and but (with its synonyms). Its nice to use Microsoft word to find all those pesky words. It is also nice to see my writing improve, since I have fewer of these words in my drafts, which makes the editing less painful.

The Package said:

Turned. He turned. She turned. When he turned. Before he turned. Turned. Turned. Turned. Turned. Turned.

Ugh.

Click to expand...

HA! Yes, sometimes my characters are acting out a song by The Byrds, too...

Brian

cmhbob said:

Well, to everything there is a season...

Come on, someone was thinking it!

Click to expand...

Yes, apparently! I missed your post before I posted!

Brian

I know no other verbs but push. /o\ That is the one word I repeat the most.

Others are: actually, almost, breathe in/out, just etc. I just cut most of them out in the editing process.

Adverbs are a crutch for me. I'm working on them. Shrugged, turned, sighed, huffed, waved. It may be time to consult the Emotion Thesaurus.