We talked last time about empty words. This week let’s discuss word choice.

            Don’t overuse adverbs, choose vivid verbs instead. Notice the difference:

She walked wearily and painstakingly up the steps.

She trudged up the steps.

With the second sample, you save a few words, yet you have successfully shown your readers this character’s state of mind.

Make your words count for you. Your words should show, not tell. Every word choice should move the story forward. Consider these examples:

The young boy walked through the puddle.

The student walked down the aisle.

The man sat in his chair.

You can see each action, but only barely. Why not this instead:

The young boy splashed through the puddle.

The student dashed down the aisle.

The man slumped in his chair.

Think about why your character is doing something, then give him or her a specific, vivid action word that shows this. The above simple sentences could be expanded with just a few words that reveal even more about the characters. Why is the boy splashing through the puddle? Is he running away from someone, heedless of the puddle? Is he enjoying rain after a long drought and has a need to revel in the water? Is he being naughty and trying to dirty someone else?

Vivid words set your manuscript apart from the ordinary. It could mean the difference between your manuscript being accepted or rejected by a publisher. Changing ordinary words into vivid words is not necessarily the job of a copyeditor. But if you want your manuscript noticed, make it sing with vivid words!

Next time we meet, we’ll discuss “pet” words, words you use often. Look over your writing and see if you can locate some of your pet words, then join me and we’ll see if your pets are working for you, or if they’ve got to go.

Before having your great American novel or masterpiece nonfiction work copyedited, look for and edit out some common, but empty, words.

Empty words are those we commonly use in speech but have no value on the page. Because they take up space, they are a detriment to readers, forcing them to read more words, and therefore work harder. Empty words don’t add to the plot, characters, or theme. And if they don’t add, they subtract.

“Very” and “there are” stand out as the most overused empty words.

 If you have to use “very,” you haven’t chosen the correct adjective.  For example: He is very tall. Kind of boring, isn’t it? Instead, try this: He towered over me. Or: I had to tip my head back to glimpse his piercing blue eyes. A bit more interesting, wouldn’t you say?

Wherever “there are,” there were,” and “there is” crop up, get rid of them. Consider this example: There are ten people in line. Why not: Ten people are in line. In both sentences, “people” is the subject. “There” simply takes up space and serves no purpose.

When it comes time to pay for your manuscript’s copyedit, empty words can rack up the bill. Let’s say yours is a 100,000-word manuscript—about 400 pages. And on each page you have one “very” and one “there are.” If you don’t edit these out first, the copyeditor will do it for you. Those pesky fillers could cost you about $50 or more.

Check back in a few days for more money-saving, self-editing tips!

    Welcome to the launch of The Write Editor blog!

    I am Erin Brown, owner of The Write Editor, my freelance copyediting and proofreading business. I'm thrilled you've decided to visit me. Grab a cup of coffee or tea and let's chat!

    One of my goals is to equip new writers as they begin their journey toward being published. Another is to help veteran writers continually improve their writing skills.

    So be sure to check back often as we explore ways to meet these goals. I will be posting writing and self-editing tips guaranteed to move you forward on your path to writing success!

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