Comments on: Fix Fluff Words – 14 Fillers for Writers to Avoid

By: Fiction How-To’s – Holy Land Tales

Fiction How-To’s – Holy Land Tales — Mon, 14 Nov 2022 15:39:24 +0000

[…] Character Flaws – How to Start a Novel – Synonyms for Very – Fix Fluff #1 – Fix Fluff #2 – Story Stall – Building Blocks of Scene – […]

By: Fix Fluff Words –Fillers for Writers to Avoid (part 2) |

Fix Fluff Words –Fillers for Writers to Avoid (part 2) | — Wed, 07 Sep 2022 08:13:12 +0000

[…] a previous Writers in the Storm blog post, we covered several common filler words to avoid. This post extends the list of word-culprits, […]

By: Virginia

Virginia — Fri, 26 Aug 2022 16:43:30 +0000

In reply to Albert Spanser. "That" is often extraneous. However, "had gone" is not the same as "went". The first was already past in the past; the second is simple past tense.

By: Virginia

Virginia — Fri, 26 Aug 2022 16:38:56 +0000

Some, but not all, of this advice is valid. The expanded versions were certainly more interesting than the original examples. It frustrates me that so many people insist a form of the verb "to be" with a present participle of another verb must be replaced. This is the present progressive form of a verb. It has a meaning and a purpose. "He looked" and "he was looking" express different things. Sometimes one is preferable and sometimes the other. Oh no! I used "sometimes". And "some". Again, they have a use. By the way, criminal activity is never (!) a foot, unless it's a foot on someone's backside, propelling them off a bridge. It could be afoot, however. Rigid implementation of any "rule" is a sure way to make your writing stodgy, IMHO. Too terse is as bad as too verbose and may not communicate what you're trying to communicate.

By: Eldred Bird

Eldred Bird — Thu, 25 Aug 2022 19:13:24 +0000

Great post, Kris. My first drafts are fluffier than a bag of marshmallows.

By: Ellen Buikema

Ellen Buikema — Thu, 25 Aug 2022 18:10:41 +0000

And the cutting continues.
The verb "to be" is so easy to use and I need to attempt to root that out.
Your cut list is helpful! I tend to overuse certain bodily movements. Far too many eye and eyebrow actions.
Critique partners really help.
Great post, Kris!

By: deleyna

deleyna — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 22:32:17 +0000

So and very are my biggest problems. You'd think they would be easy to cut out, but they seem to multiply on the page when I'm writing!

By: dholcomb1

dholcomb1 — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 22:12:40 +0000

In reply to dholcomb1. Yay, it posted. My WP was messed up, and I when I was catching up from being away, I couldn't post on any of the posts I missed.

By: dholcomb1

dholcomb1 — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 22:07:14 +0000

just and that

denise

By: Jenny Hansen

Jenny Hansen — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 20:45:09 +0000

In reply to tobecontinuedbysam. Do it, Sam!