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Printed from https://shop.writing.com/main/newsletters/action/archives/id/12366-Just-Like-That.html
For Authors: January 17, 2024 Issue [#12366]




 This week: Just Like That
  Edited by: NaNoNette Author IconMail Icon
                             More Newsletters By This Editor  Open in new Window.

Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter

"I certainly self-police my language depending on who I'm talking to. I try to be very careful about using filler words, about not drawling certain vowels, even when I can't say "drawl" without drawling. That's kind of sad, because self-policing inhibits communication. You're more focused on the words coming out of your mouth or that should not be coming out of your mouth than making a connection with the person you're speaking to." Kory Stamper is a lexicographer and former associate editor for the Merriam-Webster family of dictionaries. She is the author of Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries (Pantheon, 2017).


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Letter from the editor

Just Like That


I came across this conversation about filler words on the newsfeed today "Note: Question. When you check a word count, do you ta...".

Clearly, there is a lot of self-censoring going on for the sake of erasing repetition and avoiding words that don't add anything to a text.

There are times when it is imperative to write as concisely as possible. Eight word stories, flash fiction, micro blogging, or texting are examples when one word can quickly be one too many.

In creating short stories, longer short stories, novellas, and novels our job is to move an idea or image from our mind into the mind of the reader. The best way to do that is by using straightforward language. Several of the commercially most successful books are written at elementary school reading comprehension levels. Not all of these books are meant for young readers. It's simply that the average person who chooses a novel over TV still just wants to be able to kick back and get engrossed in a story.

As writers, most of us here have our pet peeve words. For a while, I thought "was" was a bad word. I agree that "was" is not always the best word. On the other hand, it is a word that is sometimes needed to make a sentence grammatically correct. Rather than flip through a thesaurus and insert some word's tertiary meaning and make my readers wonder what I'm going on about, why not just leave it at "was" and let the story itself do the work.

Yes. Revise and edit your stories. If a word is in the wrong place or it doesn't need to be there, move it or erase it.

No. Don't attach oversized importance to a few, small words and think that you're a bad writer. If a reviewer's only comment is that you used "too much of this" or "too much of that," without any further elaboration, then that person was simply lazy. There are a few one-size-fits-all reviewing phrases that could be thrown at any story or book and if you squint hard enough, it would stick.

That doesn't mean that type of criticism is valid for your text. If the a reviewer dumps an all-purpose "you have too many this, that'n the other" and leaves you hanging, chances are that person has not actually read your story. They may have perused the words, but did they let the story happen to themselves? Did they really feel your story out? Did they let your words wash over them and allow your fictional world to take them away?


Which words or phrases do you think should be used minimally in creative writing?


Editor's Picks

 
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Isn't It Pedantic? Open in new Window. (ASR)
An ode to grammarians
#2270191 by Words Whirling 'Round Author IconMail Icon

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How to Get 3 Stars on WDC Open in new Window. (E)
If you can get these things right you will get at least 3 stars from me every time.
#2039847 by Tileira Author IconMail Icon

 
BOOK
The Cheat Sheets Open in new Window. (18+)
Brief, accessible entries on writing craft; tips and tricks for prose and poetry.
#2287831 by Roseille ♥ Author IconMail Icon

 
BOOK
(Fun)damentals of Technical Writing Open in new Window. (ASR)
My foray into Technical Writing. Important notes and pointers will be documented here.
#1182354 by iKïyå§ama Author IconMail Icon

 Invalid Item Open in new Window.
This item number is not valid.
#2219887 by Not Available.

 Invalid Item Open in new Window.
This item number is not valid.
#1917848 by Not Available.

 
STATIC
Adjectives vs. Adverbs: The Basics Open in new Window. (E)
Some tricks to understanding adjectives and adverbs
#2090126 by H.A.B. Author IconMail Icon

 Improving the Craft: Adverb Addiction Open in new Window. (E)
A short essay about the frequent overuse of adverbs and how to improve your writing.
#1766426 by T. Edward Caminiti Author IconMail Icon

 
STATIC
Who Needs Punctuation? Open in new Window. (E)
If Cormac McCarthy doesn't need punctuation, why should I?
#1918236 by Winnie Kay Author IconMail Icon

 There, Their or They're Open in new Window. (E)
How to tell the difference
#2158557 by Just a Penguin Author IconMail Icon

 
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Word from Writing.Com

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Ask & Answer

Replies to my last For Authors newsletter "The Best Writing AdviceOpen in new Window. that asked What bit of writing advice that you got has stayed with you and helped you?

Damon Nomad Author Icon wrote: Another good newsletter NaNoNette Author IconMail Icon, pushing the story aside and coming back to it before editing and revising is critically important. As well as "exercise", write more stories to learn and refine your skills.

Thank you. And you are so correct that setting a story aside for a while before editing can make all the difference.

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