Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very’; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be. – Mark Twain
We’ve all got words that we used more than we should, and I bet if we were to make a list, “very” would make it to the top five – not to mention other words that can be ruthlessly cut out from every article we write – words that may add to the length but not to the substance. [Read more…]
I have hired dozens of freelance writers in my role as an in-house copywriter for a content conversion firm, and it never ceases to amaze me how many writers lack basic writing skills. Whether you’ve been a freelance writer for two months or ten years, there are always ways to improve your craft. Here are some specifics things writers can do to strengthen their writing:
Use “is” Sparingly
The most valuable lesson I took away from my upper graduate English coursework involves use of the word “is.” Here’s how it goes: if you can rework a sentence to remove use of the word “is,” you will create a stronger sentence. Consider the following examples:
Placing the adjective before the noun creates a clause, making the sentence more complex and descriptive.
The first example above uses the dreaded passive voice. By removing “is given” and changing the verb to the present tense, we remove passive voice and get a clearer sentence.
Just Say no to “due to” and “because of”
Removing these two weak phrases will vastly improve your writing. Take the noun or phrase that follows “due to” or “because of” and make it the subject of your sentence.
The last example is the best sentence because it answers the reason why John had to foreclose on his house.
Be Clear and Concise
Clearly communicating ideas is a key goal for every writer. We live in a fast-paced, information packed world. As writers, we have to quickly convert people to read our content. If readers have to work to figure out what you’re trying to say, you’ve lost them. If people won’t read our words, they won’t click where we want them to, like our latest article, or buy our work.
Tip: If a sentences doesn’t flow naturally when you read it aloud, odds are it won’t make sense to your reader.
Avoid Wordiness
Have you ever had an editor write “fluff” or “too wordy” in the margin of your writing? I have. While it is difficult criticism to take, your editor isn’t saying you’re too wordy to criticize your writing – she’s trying to help you improve.
One quick way to reduce wordiness is to use adverbs (words ending in ly) sparingly. Most of the time these qualifiers aren’t necessary. If you are going to use them, make sure they have a purpose. When you eliminate adverbs, your point comes across stronger and more direct. Take a look at this short list of fluffy words to avoid:
Too Many Prepositions
Prepositions have their place in writing, but frequent use forces the reader to struggle to figure out your point. Examples of prepositions include:
Combat overuse of prepositions by circling each one. Once you have identified and circled the offenders, ask yourself what the point of the sentence is and reword with fewer prepositions identify the sentence’s point and reword.
What tips have you received from an editor that helped you improve your writing?
Sarah is the Content Manager and a Writer at Virtual Vocations, the one-stop shop for telecommuters looking for legit jobs. With several years of marketing and writing experience, Sarah managed a group of freelance writers for a marketing firm before venturing out into the telecommute world. Follow Sarah on Twitter, Google+, and Facebook.
Crutch
This morning, I just read – again – an old article published by The Atlantic Wire. Titled “A Literal Epidemic of Crutch Words“, the article highlights words and phrases that we tend to use loosely, both in formal and informal conversation. Going through the list, I couldn’t help but think that writers are not exempt from leaning on crutch words and phrases.
Here are some of the phrases/words that I see often – and might have a beef with.
Exponentially. “How could you leave out exponentially, a crutch word that might be used accurately once in a thousand times? Something grows exponentially when it grows by the same factor repeatedly over many periods of time, as in compound interest or the population of rabbits in the absence of predators. The exponent can be negative as well, but when used as a crutch the speaker never is referring to that aspect!”
Going forward. Better to give an actual implementation/start date to which one will go forward, because save a time machine, we are not going backward. A commenter says of this one, simply, “Ugh.”
If you will. One commenter marks it as the sure sign of a whopper, making an example of Dick Cheney: “They’re in the last throes, if you will, of the insurgency.”
In fairness/to be fair. The thing about life is, nothing is, though your sense of justice in in the right place. But also, why be fair? Just be sure of what you want to say.
There’s more where those phrases came from, but be prepared to feel a sting or two if (when?) you see your crutch word/phrase made fun of. The truth hurts, but the chances are you have you own set of phrases and words that you automatically use for certain scenarios. I think I have dwelled on this topic before, and I am the first to cringe whenever I see myself overusing words such as “actually”, “truth be told”, “at the end of the day”, and “awesome”.
What does it mean if you use crutch words?
I don’t think it means you’re a bad writer. It probably just means you need to read more, shake up your writing a bit, and stop working on autopilot. That’s what I have been telling myself all day!
What are your crutch words?
Image via Darrelhoff
I was planning to work on this entry earlier this month, but as you know, the Universe and I weren’t exactly on the same page. Still, all’s well that ends well, and I hope I am not incorrect in thinking that it’s not too late to take a look at some of the worst words of 2012. Not only can it be fun, it might also come in handy as we continue churning out our pieces this year.
Usually, at the end/beginning of each year, I like taking a look at Lake Superior State University’s list of banished words. What they do is compile a list of words that have been overused in the past year and ban them from use in the new year.
While there is no enforcement involved whatsoever (at least that’s how I see it), looking at those words is an interesting activity. In 2012, words that were banished (overused in 2011) included “amazing”, “occupy”, and “baby bump”. I sure failed at NOT using the first one! You?
Lake Superior State University’s list of banished words
This year, the worst words/phrases of 2012 (banished for 2013) are:
I found myself chuckling at several words, as I wholeheartedly agree with banishing them: YOLO, passion/passionate, trending, and guru. Or am I being too harsh?
The Atlantic Wire’s guide to the worst words of 2012
Lake Superior State University is not alone in being touchy about word usage. The Atlantic Wire threw made their opinion known in this regard as well, pinpointing words labeled as the worst. I do like their disclaimer:
We mean no offense to these words, even when we call them despicable. One woman’s worst word might be another’s best. Bad words are a matter of opinion, and each is entitled to his own. And sometimes by hating a word, you—strangely—grow to love it.
It’s a pretty long list, but I particularly like – or dislike, you know what I mean – the following:
Overused words in PR
If you’re a PR writer, you’ll find this infographic by Shift Communications useful. It details the most overused words in press releases for 2012.
Are you guilty of overusing these words?
What’s on your list?
As the guys at Atlantic Wire said, disliked words can be subjective. That being said, what do you consider the worst words of 2012? Are you consciously avoiding any words in your writing this year? Let us know in the comments!
I like experiencing strange, new things. Not too new and too strange, mind you. I am not that adventurous, but I have found that new experiences almost always brings positive results.
When it comes to words, I also like learning new words and using them whenever possible, as naturally as possible. I do not know what you think about using new and uncommon words as often as you can, but I honestly would not be surprised if we share the same sentiment. I have to admit, that sometimes, I do have the propensity to choose words that may not be commonly used – if only because I like how the word sounds or looks.
Then I read an old blog post over at The New York Times. ((Words We Love Too Much)) The topic focused on the use of the “somewhat out-of-the-ordinary word” and how the practice can be perfect at times but how it can also make it appear as if the writer were trying too hard.
That made me think about how I choose my words. Some questions that came to mind:
I have to admit that I have been chewing on these questions for the past hour or so, and except for the last question, I have no clear answer! I do know that I will not hesitate to look up a word when I am uncertain.
Going back to the NYT blog post, two words were put under the spotlight: eschew and quotidian.
Since I do not read the NYT all that much, I am in no position to judge whether they overuse those words or not. However, I think that I do understand why they would have leaned towards using those words often. Do you?
Then again, the author’s parting words on the topic got me thinking:
Now comes my standard “fancy word” disclaimer: I’m not suggesting a ban on “eschew,” “quotidian” or any other word. But let’s be judicious. And be aware that your striking word choice might seem less so if all your colleagues are using “quotidian” every day, too.
So what do you think? Should we eschew the exotic for the quotidian, or should we stick to how we do things at the moment? I have come to the conclusion that I will continue to choose words that I feel comfortable with (and that includes out-of-the-ordinary words that I like) and that will suit the particular audience I am writing for.
Oh, in case you’re wondering about the photo at the beginning of the post…Do you mind describing it using one sentence? Pay attention to how you choose your adjectives. 😉
Photo via calafellvalo
We all have our pet peeves, and for writers, this is especially true when it comes to word usage. I am sure that all of you will be able to come up with your own list of banished words and phrases, but I wonder how your list will compare to what Lake Superior State University has come up for 2010 and 2011?
Last week, the Internet was abuzz with talk about the newly released 35th Annual List of Words Banished from the Queen’s English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness. ((Source: Lake Superior State University)) It seems that my year has been starting out slowly, and I only had the chance to take a look at the list today. I have to admit that I am guilty of using some of the words in the list, namely tweet, teachable moment, app, and bromance.
I do have my defense ready for the use of these words, though.
I write online for a living. How can I not use tweet and app when oftentimes, those words are part of what I write about? And, yes, I do spend a lot of time tweeting and using apps.
For the first half of 2010, I had a “real” job which involved teaching English and monitoring English lessons for quality. Don’t tell me that I cannot use teaching moment when I come across a teaching moment! 😉
If you have the friends that I have, then you will understand that bromance simply has to be uttered at least once when you go out for a night of fun.
Here’s the full list of words banished in 2010.
It’s 2011, though. Does this mean the words in the list above can be used this year?
If you think that you have a full year to use whatever buzzword you feel like using, think again. The guys at the LSSU already have a list for 2011. ((Source: Lake Superior State University)) I think I am going to get shot down for using more words in this list. I won’t even bother to defend myself.
I have no issues about banning words 2, 3, 7, and 12. Some words in the list, however, are too useful to be banned. Alright, I just don’t know when to shut up, but what can we replace viral with? I know it can get irritating to hear and read this word over and over again, but if a video or a post becomes viral, how else can we express it? How about google? Wouldn’t you rather say/write “Google it” rather than “Search for it on Google”? After all, saying more with fewer words is better, isn’t it?
So tell me, what do you think of these lists? I don’t know about you, but while I am more than willing to say goodbye to some words and phrases listed, I will not part with others.
Photo via Miss Penny Dreadful
