What are your weasel words?

[pjthompson]

Every writer has them—those pesky words that creep into your manuscript, clogging it with the literary equivalent of plastic packing peanuts. They are deadhead words, little more than filler: words like "very," "totally," "probably." They don't communicate, they clutter up.

I've been aware of them in my work for some time, but the search function of Word tends to rub in how unaware I am at times. This short, pithy post from Justine Larbelestier last year helped remind me when I was doing the final spit and polish draft for my novel, Shivery Bones, that I needed to pay closer attention. Ms. Larbelestier provides her own list of weasel words and refers the reader to another couple of helpful posts on the editing process.

I'm glad that many of the words on this list weren't ones I abused (too much), but my own list of weaselers more than makes up for my "actually" "possibly" control.

Just - My God, searching and destroying just this word from my manuscripts can reduce them by about 10k. I joke, but not by much.

though
really
little
a bit

Not too much very but all variations of the every clones: every, everyone, everybody, everywhere, everything... All useful words (every word on this list can be useful), but it is abuse and overuse of them that make for clogged literary arteries.

And I have my ups and downs. It isn't sufficient for something to rise, it must rise up. It isn't enough for something to sink, it must sink down.

Like. Oh my God! How many similies can fit on the head of a manuscript, I ask you? If you're me they are as numerous as angels on the head of a sports stadium. And it's not just in similies that I abuse this poor, inoffensive little word.

little
a bit

Thought. Way the hell too much thinking going on, I'm here to tell you.

Then at the beginning of sentences. It's practically a personal pronoun. (I should probably include "And" and "But" at the beginning of sentences here, too, but I'm not gonna!)

It's kind of, sort of unreal how many unconscious words can sneak into one's prose. (I'm confident some have sneaked in here and not been highlighted.) It isn't an issue for everyone, I realize, but editing isn't only about plugging the plotholes for me. Which is why when all the structural stuff is done, I make one last, intensive pass for the sake of the language—and hope with a very very very large hope that it flows so well that nobody even notices.

Comments

[lizziebelle.livejournal.com]

It is way too easy for those words to sneak into my writing as well. One I have to particularly look out for is 'just.' It just sneaks in there without my noticing! *g*

[pjthompson]

Isn't it just so frustrating you could just scream? :-)

[jmeadows.livejournal.com]

Just is sneaky. So is that. And though is my bane!

*shakes words*

But I like weasels.

[pjthompson]

I like weasels, too. Justine's word, not mine.

Though I'm getting better at, but only because I'm looking with eagle eye these days. Nasty words! Nasty nasty!

[will-couvillier.livejournal.com]

You forgot that isidious extra "," that should actually be "and".

[pjthompson]

I am guilty as charged there, sometimes intentionally.

[will-couvillier.livejournal.com]

And that's the point on that one. While I tend to overuse that comma, sometimes I want it there for the pause tone it gives.

[krsj.livejournal.com]

"Actually"
That's the weasel word that gets me every time.
"Actually"

If I have a 20,000 word ms, and I do a search for "actually" I'll likely find 11,000 of them.

Friggin' "actually"

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

I have an enormous list of crap phrases and words to search on. It's grindingly dull, but I can't seem to keep myself from writing them so when I'mdone, I do the tedious search and replace.

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

Ditto this! :P

[(Anonymous)]

Yes. I've been told (usually by newbie critters) that "editors hate that. You should get rid of all those." But I like my commas without ands.

[pjthompson]

Yes. I've been told (usually by newbie critters) that "editors hate that. You should get rid of all those." But I like my commas without ands.

Which, of course, also goes for the woman who never remembers to log in when replying to comments from email.

[pjthompson]

I know. It's the seeming innocuous ones that get us.

[pjthompson]

Exactly! I'm trying to get a start on that now while I'm finishing the edits on the last few chapters.

[pjthompson]

Moi aussi, even!