Most of the time Facebook status updates are pretty innocuous, but a post from my editor, the brilliant Jamie Chavez, really got me thinking today...She said: Jamie Chavez is calling for a moratorium on the use of the word "amazing" in publishing. It's overused, used incorrectly in context, and just isn't appropriate most of the time. A prime example of when good words go bad. :)
As writers, we all have our pet words. Heck, I probably have about 1,000 that I use over and over and over, much to the chagrin of my editor and readers. And even the "big dogs" like John Grisham, Sophie Kinsella and Nicolas Sparks all have them, too, (I've seen it), so that puts us all in some pretty good company.
And really, other than excessive typos, lame characters or a plot with no real resolution, there's probably nothing more annoying to a reader than seeing the same turns of phrase and the same adjectives again and again and again. It's the literary equivalent of Chinese water torture, and it could be the difference between your reader plowing through the whole book—or not making it through the first chapter.
So when you're writing, I encourage you to think about your pet words/phrases and see what you can do to spice up your writing without them. Truth be told, they can be a crutch, much like the word "amazing" is for enough people that Jamie thought she better mention it.
i was just thinking about that the other day...hmmm, that's a good thing to be aware of! great post.
ReplyDeleteThat's funny. I use the word amazing when I talk and post comments, but I have tried to take it out of my real writing altogether.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder. I shall have to peruse my writing for other pet words.
~cat
Hmmm. That's a good reminder to look out for those things!
ReplyDeletep.s. Just to let you know, I'm one of your newest followers...the one with the green mug of chai in her face;)
Good reminder! Another similiar issue to watch out for are repetitive tags and beats after dialogue. Or too many of the same action. One character in my WIP bit her lip so many times she was surely bloody by The End. lol
ReplyDeleteThat is sooo cool, Beka! It's always nice to know who's following. :) Glad you liked the post, everyone...and Betsy, that's hilarious. :)
ReplyDeleteMy pet words are more in the dialog of my writings. I use "Well,...(insert character's response here)", "Imagine..." or "Indeed." a lot. I have to consciously go through and change the dialog after every conversation I write! LOL I tend to make my main character talk just like me. =] And I tend to talk like a Jane Austen character/Anne of Green Gables/lazy teenager. I do make interesting conversation with myself though AHAHAAH.
ReplyDeleteCould one of you girls post about what publishers consider a good selling book? As well as bad and bestsellinh? How many do you have to sell for them to offer you another contract?
ReplyDeleteTerrific reminder... but now I'm afraid to use adjectives in my comment because I think they are my pet words!!! AH!!!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I'm so glad I found your blog. I am now a 'follower' so I am looking forward to more of your posts!
Have a great weekend!
Melanie
~ melscoffeebreak.blogspot.com ~
I've been noticing this both in my speach and in my writing lately. Great topic to address! We can all use the reminder.
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