Just three of my pet words. 
And like any well-behaved writer, I’m culling them out. Streamlining. Cutting the fat. Making those sentences lean, mean working machines.
Well, (see?) I think with those words. And if you read my blog on even an infrequent level, you know I write with those words. Whether it’s a voice thing or a too-informal thing, those words tend to pepper my early drafts.
But I find that taking them out ruins the rhythm of the sentence for me. They just don’t sound right to me.
Okay, there’s an example right there:
They just don’t sound right to me.
They don’t sound right to me.
Maybe it’s just me, but the second sentence is just a shy bit choppy. It’s missing the just. And trying to find the balance between being a lean, clean well-behaved writer and having the sentence sound “right” to my ear is the thing that’s driving me mad tonight.
It’ll probably drive my poor editor mad, too. 
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I’m having the same revisions nightmare. I have a problem with “anyway,” too.
At least you have an editor to drive mad though so you’re a step ahead. :cheesy:
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So, I’m not a writer, but I’ve been noticing this about myself with blogging. I use the word ‘so’ alot- see above. I love the dreaded ellipse (I think I’m Barbara Carland or something). I also use the words “really, just, honestly” frequently. But I’m not getting paid so I don’t care (see there’s that word, so, again).
Anyhow (another favorite word) I think everyone has these words. It’s the better writer that recognizes them and finds ways to write without them quite so frequently.. you can do it, Shan!!
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Love, love, love the new colors and look of your blog!
I use just and so and a lot of other words that I really shouldn’t, like was. I need to remove the w-a-s from my vocabulary. Just doesn’t bug me at all when I read it and like you, I always feel like the sentence is missing something too.:roll:
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Oh, I’m seriously an ellipsis abuser.
So is a favorite sentence starter. Well is by far my favorite dialogue starter, and just is just my favoritest word of all.
I’m sorry to hear you’re in the same hell, Emily, but it IS nice to know I’m not alone. :cheesy:
And thanks, Rae. :kiss: SO yours is next. WELL, JUST as soon I figure out what will be pretty.
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My overuse word for writing is ‘that’. I’m always deleting that.
I have no idea what I overuse on my blog. I refuse to edit my posts – I prefer to have my thoughts just puke out as they come LMAO.
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I’m just shredding a piece right now and I’m embarrassed to see a proliferation of “probablys.” Yikes!
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Trust your ear. There’s no such thing as a word you never use. Just words you use sparingly.
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I love “just”. I love “well”. I love “probably”. And I especially love “that”.
Editing my first drafts makes me cringe because my dialogue is usually as I speak….with “just” and “well” and “probably” and “that”.
*just whimper*
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Excellent advice, Holly.
So, uh…Jaci? How does your editor feel about your pet words? :cheesy:
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Sometimes ya just gotta
My name is cece and I’m an em-dash a holic
I also have a deep love of the word then
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frankly, the only ones who ever flip out over those words are writers. i truly believe readers gloss over them.we’re much harder on ourselves than readers are. Unless it’s REALLY bad, of course
Jaci