Today I am spending the day going over my critique partner's notes. Thanks Kelley *waves*. As usual she is spot on. Her notes are invaluable. I have noticed in every one of my first drafts I either have a word or phrase that I use in excess. I'm up to chapter 5 in this particular WIP and I am noticing the word of this manuscript is: That. I swear wherever I could put it I did. Luckily, Kelley took the time to red line every single unnecessary that. Last manuscript I think my favorite word was smile. I also have a habit of writing in passive voice. But that is what editing is for. To delete those pesky words and to find better words for smile and so on. I also went from never using dialogue tags to abusing those as well. In my defense I did write this in 30 days for NaNo. Then again after reading Kelley's I can't really use that as an excuse.
My question today, is there a word or phrase that you overuse?
Oh... *blushing*. We both know my word for the NaNo script was 'half smile'. I be going through that and changing those up. ;)
ReplyDeleteAnd it is funny because I was the one that had a 'that' problem in my first two manuscripts you corrected. (Among a number of other problems :))
Send the edited version my way! (If you'd like :))
It's funny, how we both corrected problems in each others WIP's then in our next WIP we made the same mistakes we corrected. Go figure.
ReplyDeleteI'm writing a scene you suggested right now. So hopefully soon :)
oh God, I'm sure I use that every other word.. also last night while I was about to fall asleep it dawned on me that my MC cries about every other scene. the girl is always either tearing up, or choking down the tears, the tears are burning her eyes.. and then at some point she also swallows them down... good lord, she's a cry baby, LOL
ReplyDeleteHa! It's amazing what you realize once you take a step back. But at least you vary the words and she doesn't just cry all the time, she chokes down the tears, swallows them, so you're already a few steps ahead :)
ReplyDeleteI have favorite words too. Critique partners are so valuable.
ReplyDeleteThey definitely are. (I was going to write that they are, but stopped myself. lol.)
ReplyDelete