What do you search and destroy in the editing process.

[KTC]

You've finished your novel.

What are some of the things you search and destroy in your editing process? I write in MSWord. I usually use FIND or REPLACE to get rid of the pesky little things that I have a habit of using in the rushed first draft. Here are my top three nemeses:

1. The pesky ellipsis is my biggest evil...I love them! (thanks to critters here for pounding home the point on this one.)

2. 'ly'. I blast most of them into oblivion.

3. 'were'. I kill my weres when I can.

I have become so adept at not using the exclamation point that my searches usually end up happy on those these days. I prominent Canadian author once told me that you shouldn't have more than 5 ! in your entire manuscript. (Of course, nothing is carved in stone) She went on to say you better have a damn good excuse for the 5 you do use!

I'd like to know what others search for. It might be something that someone here (mainly me) hasn't considered.

[cethklein]

I go after many of the same things. some others include:

Momentary head-hopping.

Excessive adverbs

The word "unmistakable". (I use it too much ands have come to hate it)

[SPMiller]

I have a file named words_to_kill.txt.

Really
Then
Actually
Very
Still
Quite
Suddenly
Just
So
Rather
Yet
Almost

I search for every instance of each of these words in my stories and try to eliminate them. Granted, some survive the process, but only those which are necessary.

[KTC]

Good file to have, SP. I think I'll copy that.

[vixey]

I'd add THAT to SP's list. Great list, BTW!

[KTC]

Originally Posted by vixey

I'd add THAT to SP's list. Great list, BTW!

Good one. I've been a THAT killer for years. I host a once-a-month critique group in my home...me and seven others. They all know me as the that killer. (-;

[Ken]

pronouns and names, when possible.

[SPMiller]

Feel free to add to my list! Rest assured I'll be updating my own copy as additional suggestions pour in.

[Telstar]

Originally Posted by KTC

You've finished your novel.

What are some of the things you search and destroy in your editing process?

Because I already do basic revision (grammar, punctuation, words choice/adjectives and basic style fixes) when re-reading each chapter, this does not apply for the real revision for me.
Except maybe abused words, having in mind in a bigger part of my WIP.
SP word list is an excellent idea.

The rest will be plot revision and then exposition editing.

[Maryn]

I have a long, long list of words I literally use "Find" to find, and I evaluate each one to see if it stays. Usually not.

*-ing beginnings
*-ly
*-ness
a bit
a little
a little bit
a lot
actually
all
almost
always
always
am
and so
anxiously
anyhow
anyway
appears
are
aren't
as
as * was *-ing
as *-ed
at least
be
been
began *ing
began to
completely
considered
continued
continued to
could be heard, seen, felt, etc.
did
didn't
do
does
doesn't
don't
down
eagerly
every
exactly
exist, exists, existed
extremely
fairly
felt
finally
frequently
get
glared
got
grin, grinned
groaned
had
has
have
heard
highly
hoped
I (in a first person narrative)
intended
is
isn't
just
kind of
knew
know
known
looked
make, makes
many
merely
most
mostly
nearly
need
never
not
noticed
occur, occurred, occurs
of
often
only
planned
prepared
pretty
probably
proceed(ed) to
put
quite
rather
reached
realized
really
recalled
regarded
remembered
saw
seem
seemed
seems
sensed
set out to
show, shows
slightly
smelled
smile, smiled
so (as a sequential word)
so then
some
somewhat
sort of
started to
suddenly
that
then
there was
though
thought
totally
tried to
up
utterly
very
waited to
wanted
was *-ed
was *-ing
wasn't
went
were
wholly
will
wished
wondered
won't
would

Maryn, who knows her own weaknesses

[KTC]

Maryn. Holy. Thanks for the list. Good to go through and evaluate words like this.

[JohnDavidPaxton]

Maryn I'm going to have to kiss you for that list.

I know you're not going to enjoy it, so I'm not going to slip you any tongue, but it's going to have to happen.

[RJK]

I've been using Autocrit to find the overused words and phrases. I run between 5,000 and 8,000 words through their program at a time. The program lists the words that I used more frequently that what is found in the commercial market, then it highlights the words and phrases in the text. I then go back through the MS and try to re-write the sentence. Sometimes I come up with a better sentence, sometimes I leave it alone.

The Autocrit program makes it a lot easier than running a 'Find' for each word in a list of words I'd be quessing at. The last run I made (5,500 word) revealed that I overused the following words:
it/there
just/then
knew/know
look
see/saw
that
was/were

[RedScylla]

Like SPMiller, I keep a standing list of search and destroy words, but each MS produces its own idiosyncratic list as well.

[Alpha Echo]

Originally Posted by KTC

You've finished your novel.

What are some of the things you search and destroy in your editing process? I write in MSWord. I usually use FIND or REPLACE to get rid of the pesky little things that I have a habit of using in the rushed first draft. Here are my top three nemeses:

1. The pesky ellipsis is my biggest evil...I love them! (thanks to critters here for pounding home the point on this one.)

2. 'ly'. I blast most of them into oblivion.

3. 'were'. I kill my weres when I can.

I am with you on all 3!!! I don't know why I put ellipsis' EVERYwhere! haha.

I also search for the word "that." A lot of times, though not all, it can be dropped from the sentence.

Yikes, Maryn. Thanks...I think!!!

[Shadow_Ferret]

*copies Maryn's list*

Yeah, that's my list, too, I just kept it in my head.

Some of those words never even creep into my writing. Like "suddenly," I just have an aversion to that word and if I find myself writing "suddenly" then there is something horribly wrong with the sentence in the first place.

And I don't just blast all "ly" words offhand. I have never understood this aversion to adverbs. Some of the greatest writers in history used adverbs.

But I'm keeping my elipses. You can't have my elipses. I use them on purpose in dialog.

[Sunshine13]

I, too, use Autocrit for my final revision, which checks overused words and phrases (including the -ing, -ly, that's, were's, was's, felts, feeling, etc.), cliche sayings, redundancy (which I've been nil of so far :P), dialogue tags, pronouns, first words, yadda yadda.

I pretty much am in line with what everyone else has said, and yes, Maryn, you are lovely for that list.

[jennontheisland]

That, was, as, when are my biggest offenders at the moment. Add the adverbs to them, and I'm not editing so much as I am rewriting.

[Donkey]

Suddenly, I have that almost perfect list!

[Diviner]

Originally Posted by anis

pronouns and names, when possible.

I don't understand why these need to be questioned. Are you talking about when a pronoun has a fuzzy reference, or do you mean something more conceptual?

[mscelina]

I slay commas and dialogue tags and adverbs. When I'm writing a first draft, I slather on the tags and the adverbs--it's kind of a signpost to me for rewrites. I have the general mood of the dialogue encapsulated and can replace the tags/adverbs with action that will work better. But I write my first drafts very quickly; it's the second and third drafts that drag on.

And apparently commas are my favorite condiment. They're nice and crunchy.

[Soccer Mom]

"Began to"

I have it on good authority (looks pointedly at Celina ) that I'm guilty of that one.

[mscelina]

As Yoda said: "Do or do not; there is no try."

Why not just let the characters do it instead of beginning to do it? (Obviously, this doesn't apply to all circumstances *standard editor disclaimer*)

[Deccydiva]

Editing for the first time I've removed a load of telling, several hundred commas and references to other people's feelings that my POV character could not possibly know. Where I see a lump of solid narrative, I dive in with the electronic red pen with glee!

[Sunshine13]

Originally Posted by mscelina

As Yoda said: "Do or do not; there is no try."

Why not just let the characters do it instead of beginning to do it? (Obviously, this doesn't apply to all circumstances *standard editor disclaimer*)

Agreed. I've caught myself making my characters begin to do something and I just change it to make them do it already. Same thing with "See, notice, saw, thought, wondered" Though there are a few occasions I may use one or all of those, I do it very sparingly.