I love this format more and more with each new video. They're concise and easy to follow with the examples on screen, and are great resources for newbie writers. I appreciate them as a refresher course. Even though I'm mostly mindful of filler/filter words, they still slip through. It's good to be reminded of the basics.
Excellent video, Mandi! I am working on my tenth book, and I have developed several pet peeves in my experience as a writer. This video addresses my #1 peeve. I have found that when I'm on a roll in my writing, that's when I am the most likely to latch on to a word and wear it out. I see a similar problem with some of the authors I frequently read. I have about 15 or 20 favorite authors, and they're a roughly equal mix of male vs. female. There is no contest in the most overused word category, especially among female authors. That word is "gaze." I'm thinking of one woman right now who will use that word no fewer than 200 times in a 70,000-word novel. It distracts the reader something awful to be this redundant, and thoughts go through my head like, "Does this lady not own a thesaurus?" It makes the author look lazy or amateurish. Anyway, it's my reading (and my overly critical thinking while I'm reading) that has sharpened my writing skills. This video has given me a number of words to add to my list of potential "trap words." Thanks again, Mandi! Great work!
Adverbs were my weakness in my first book. I think I have a handle on them, though. 🤞I think I used adverbs because I wasn't as good at describing the scene.
ORIGINAL: Emma can hear the birds singing. REWRITTEN: The birds are singing. REVERTED TO ORIGINAL [referencing Emily's newfound ability to hear after ear surgery]: Emma can hear the birds singing. Context is always key when it comes to writing.
Great video! One word I frequently find myself using too much is: ALMOST. "It was almost as if he was disappointed...." or "I almost started ripping up the entire essay." I enjoyed your video! Think I might suscribe! Yes! I WILL subscribe! :)
I was guilty of just. I thought it was adding to my story. It wasn’t. I still use that word for dialogue because people use filler words all the time when they talk. I was guilty of passive or weak phrasing like, ‘this thing started to happen,’ or ‘she could see what was going on.’ These were things I didn’t catch until I read through it again a few days later. There were very few instances where I needed to say something started to happen. 9/10 I could say something happened and that was fine. Same with saying what a character could see. Write they saw it, or even better, describe what they see (if it’s important).
It's probably seems/seemed for me. I use seems/seemed a lot in one project because it's from the main character's perspective, and when someone "seems upset", it's usually clarified that maybe they're distracted or troubled. It's not all the time, but I do like to show the character doesn't always read people properly and the narration is a bit of her internal dialogue/feelings. Because of this, I also use 'possibly' to show her scattered thoughts or indecision. (She's going through a lot of stress, after all) I do think there's a caveat for dialogue for most of these words. In these cases, filler or filter can add emphasis or personality- like having a politician overcompensate by saying "honestly," in a lot of his dialogue.
@@TapiocaTwoStep Okay, the complaint is that the filter makes it abstracted. What I'm saying is the narrator also takes you a step back, but that's to be expected. Abstracted+Context = Lawyer: My client testifies that he noticed... Friend: Bob went to the store and noticed... Narrator: Bob noticed... Having that 3rdO Narrator as a pseudocharacter is still the reader interacting from the perspective of the 3rdO Narrator, Bob's lawyer or Bob's friend. The narrator is the context, not Bob. It's only filtered if you're doing 1st or 3rdClose. Let's not dismiss 3rdO as weak writing because it doesn't give us that riding directly in the skull of the main character feel that 1st does or the riding directly in the skull of someone who was directly observing the main character that 3rdClose does. Some of us don't actually like 1st or 3rdClose. Some of us think that's been done to death and there's room on the shelf for some more classic 3rdO.
Adverbs get a bad rap because instead of describing a verb, it's better to use a strong verb. Instead of "He slowly walked through the snow." use something like "He trudged through the snow."
Years ago I heard someone say "when a person begins with 'honestly' it makes me wonder about the rest of what they say" and it always stuck with me.
Like when someone says "If I'm being perfectly honest". Have they not been honest up until now?
Thanks!
You're welcome! I hope it helps!
Your advice on filter and filler words is a game-changer! Thank you for the amazing tips, Mandi! 🙂
I'm so glad you found it helpful! 🙂
I find myself using "at that moment" way too often. I now need to go through my manuscript and start eliminating. (It sounded good at the time.)
I love this format more and more with each new video. They're concise and easy to follow with the examples on screen, and are great resources for newbie writers. I appreciate them as a refresher course. Even though I'm mostly mindful of filler/filter words, they still slip through. It's good to be reminded of the basics.
Yay! Love to hear it! Thank you so much!
Excellent video! MS Word search feature is good for hunting filler and filter words.
I’m writing a book and this was helpful, thank you!
You get to the point & do not belabor the issue. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed the video!
Excellent video, Mandi! I am working on my tenth book, and I have developed several pet peeves in my experience as a writer. This video addresses my #1 peeve. I have found that when I'm on a roll in my writing, that's when I am the most likely to latch on to a word and wear it out. I see a similar problem with some of the authors I frequently read. I have about 15 or 20 favorite authors, and they're a roughly equal mix of male vs. female. There is no contest in the most overused word category, especially among female authors. That word is "gaze." I'm thinking of one woman right now who will use that word no fewer than 200 times in a 70,000-word novel. It distracts the reader something awful to be this redundant, and thoughts go through my head like, "Does this lady not own a thesaurus?" It makes the author look lazy or amateurish. Anyway, it's my reading (and my overly critical thinking while I'm reading) that has sharpened my writing skills. This video has given me a number of words to add to my list of potential "trap words." Thanks again, Mandi! Great work!
Thank you, Mahdi Lynn! A needed reminder.
Awesome advice! Great content as always.
Years ago I came across a few authors who emphasised show don't tell when writing! Very good advice!
Adverbs were my weakness in my first book. I think I have a handle on them, though. 🤞I think I used adverbs because I wasn't as good at describing the scene.
I find myself using 'that' or a phrase with 'about' too much. Rewording sentences to get around these is good practice for me.
THANKYOU! This is great!
ORIGINAL: Emma can hear the birds singing.
REWRITTEN: The birds are singing.
REVERTED TO ORIGINAL [referencing Emily's newfound ability to hear after ear surgery]: Emma can hear the birds singing.
Context is always key when it comes to writing.
Thank you so much!! I just realized my first chapter has 'just', 'seems', and 'really' in it--
Great video! One word I frequently find myself using too much is: ALMOST. "It was almost as if he was disappointed...." or "I almost started ripping up the entire essay." I enjoyed your video! Think I might suscribe! Yes! I WILL subscribe! :)
'that' is my filler word I need to watch out for.
I was guilty of just. I thought it was adding to my story. It wasn’t. I still use that word for dialogue because people use filler words all the time when they talk.
I was guilty of passive or weak phrasing like, ‘this thing started to happen,’ or ‘she could see what was going on.’
These were things I didn’t catch until I read through it again a few days later. There were very few instances where I needed to say something started to happen. 9/10 I could say something happened and that was fine. Same with saying what a character could see. Write they saw it, or even better, describe what they see (if it’s important).
I struggle with show don't tell. So this helps a lot!
Just, and, really, very, so are the filter words I write the most
It's probably seems/seemed for me.
I use seems/seemed a lot in one project because it's from the main character's perspective, and when someone "seems upset", it's usually clarified that maybe they're distracted or troubled. It's not all the time, but I do like to show the character doesn't always read people properly and the narration is a bit of her internal dialogue/feelings. Because of this, I also use 'possibly' to show her scattered thoughts or indecision. (She's going through a lot of stress, after all)
I do think there's a caveat for dialogue for most of these words. In these cases, filler or filter can add emphasis or personality- like having a politician overcompensate by saying "honestly," in a lot of his dialogue.
_Honestly_ , I _really_ use the word "really" _really_ _very_ much.
The problem with that method of removing words is that it adds more words... And that's an issue when my novel is already 353K words lol
Honestly, it actually just seems really strange to hear that a lot of the words I use are simply unnecessary.
I greatly appreciate the irony of this comment
My repeat offenses: “Immediately” “At that moment” “Suddenly” “Then”
Also “Nodded”
I despise the word "almost". In and outside of writing.
Almost like!! And almost as if!!
Infer vs imply: good to know the difference
began/begun....or even Had began or had begun....I have deleted so many of them.
What if you're writing 3rd Omni? You do have a narrator and you are experiencing the story through this pseudo-character.
It’s still stronger writing to say what an action/feeling/experience is, and not dance around it. The pseudo-character is the reader’s internal voice.
@@TapiocaTwoStep Okay, the complaint is that the filter makes it abstracted.
What I'm saying is the narrator also takes you a step back, but that's to be expected.
Abstracted+Context = Lawyer: My client testifies that he noticed... Friend: Bob went to the store and noticed... Narrator: Bob noticed...
Having that 3rdO Narrator as a pseudocharacter is still the reader interacting from the perspective of the 3rdO Narrator, Bob's lawyer or Bob's friend.
The narrator is the context, not Bob. It's only filtered if you're doing 1st or 3rdClose.
Let's not dismiss 3rdO as weak writing because it doesn't give us that riding directly in the skull of the main character feel that 1st does or the riding directly in the skull of someone who was directly observing the main character that 3rdClose does.
Some of us don't actually like 1st or 3rdClose. Some of us think that's been done to death and there's room on the shelf for some more classic 3rdO.
Is this the primary reason that adverbs get such a bad rap?
Adverbs get a bad rap because instead of describing a verb, it's better to use a strong verb. Instead of "He slowly walked through the snow." use something like "He trudged through the snow."