Avoid filler words

Filler words are easy words to slip into our writing. When we are just getting words out on the page, we don’t usually need to think much about the words being used. And it’s perfectly okay to do that while you are drafting your text. But when going through the revision/editing process, those filler words need to be identified and removed/replaced with stronger words. Otherwise, the writing can be quite bland for your readers, which is not the effect you’re looking for. (I hope!)

What are filler words? There are a number of words that can be seen as filler words. I just used some in the previous sentence: “there are” and “that.” Let’s revise that sentence: A number of words can be seen as filler words. Or even: A number of words are filler words. (Now let’s strengthen the verb, too: A number of words function as filler words.)

There is/are or was/were

“There are” (and its variants) is a weak opening to a sentence and can even be a stumbling block for the reader (as they try to find the main part of the sentence). Sometimes, especially when paired with “that,” the phrase can be removed (along with “that”) without any additional revision; however, some sentences will need more extensive revision to remove the phrase. (Note: You can use the phrase occasionally in dialogue, but even there, I’d recommend not using it too often.)

That

“That” is a word that doesn’t add anything to the sentence or do anything for the sentence. Removing it makes the sentence cleaner, clearer, and easier for the reader. Sometimes “that” is necessary for clarity or as an actual grammatical usage (see my own use in the first sentence of this paragraph with “that” as a relative pronoun), but most of the time a sentence reads fine without it. Try removing “that” and if the sentence still works, you’ve tightened up your writing and haven’t lost any meaning along the way.

Just

“Just” is a word that tries to tone down the sentence, making it seem less assertive (more “polite”). Maybe that’s the effect you’re going for, in which case, use the word. (That might especially be the case for a specific character’s dialogue, for example.) But often, sentences are much stronger without this word. Think about it for just a moment. Think about it for a moment. Look at those two sentences. Can you feel a difference? You’re not being rude by removing “just” from a sentence, and sentences don’t lose anything when they lose the “just.”

Very/Really

Writers use “very” when they want to emphasize something, but honestly, “very” is not a powerful word. It’s been used so much that most readers just skip right over it. Instead of saying someone was “very angry,” have them be “furious.” Use a stronger word rather than “very” plus a relatively neutral word.

The use of “really” works the same way. Don’t have someone be “really happy”; go with ecstatic or joyful or radiant. Each of those words has a slightly different nuance. And each option is much better than the bland “really happy.”

Started/Began

Let your characters do the action rather than start to do the action. She walked down the street. She started to walk down the street. One is straightforward, the other meanders (and meanders in a way not helpful to your reader). These words get in the way and have no reason to be there most of the time.

The time when they could be needed is when a character is interrupted in an action: She started to walk across the street, but a hand grabbed her and pulled her back. A car zoomed past.

Then

That happened and then this happened. Why is “then” needed here? It’s not. The order of the actions tells us which one happened first and which one happened next. “Then” just gets in the way of the reader. Trust that your reader can figure out the order of actions without the word “then.”

Side note: “Then” is not a coordinating conjunction (like “and” or “but”). The sentence “He picked up the book, then he started to read.” is not grammatically correct. It should be “He picked up the book, and he started to read.” (Or “He picked up the book and started to read.) I’ve been seeing this construction more and more lately (even in traditionally published books), so it might eventually get to the point where it doesn’t bother readers. But we’re not quite at that point yet.

Suddenly

Just the word “suddenly” is not enough by itself to create the feeling of something happening suddenly. It’s lazy to expect that one word to do all the work. (And it doesn’t do much work because it gets overused, so it has become a rather bland word without much meaning.) Use description to create the sense of suddenly for the reader without using the word itself.

Actually

I actually think removing these words from your manuscript makes the text more enjoyable for the reader. Wait, what is “actually” adding to that sentence? Absolutely nothing. The sentence reads fine (and more smoothly) without it.

Side note: The “I think” in the above sentence is also unneeded. I’m the one writing this post, so anything I write in it is something that “I think.” So I don’t need to write out those words. So the sentence reads much better like this: Removing these words from your manuscript makes the text more enjoyable for the reader. See, now the sentence gets straight to the point, and the reader doesn’t have to stumble over the words “I think” to get to the main point of the sentence.

In all of these instances, keep in mind that these can be stumbling blocks for readers. And when readers stumble over the writing in your book, they can’t enjoy the story as much. The ultimate goal in editing/revising is to make the book the best possible experience for your readers. And these words don’t add to that best possible experience.

Note: Filter words are also words to remove from your writing. Those words are a slightly different category of words (the “I think” mentioned above is one of them), so I’ll cover them in a future blog post.