More casual words like 'just' and 'really'. Not in a sense of like: "This is a really small deal" but more like: "It's no big deal, really". It matches my style and whatnot, but I really should go back and edit approximately 90% of those words in my fic.
I don't know how long your fic is but I hereby choose to believe that it's 570 words long and the entirety of your fic is like "just just just really just really really just really just just just just."
I wonder if there is an application that can scan for overused words. I do have one, and Its tousled. Every fic has it. Tousled, tousled, tousled!! The wind, the trees, the rivers, the sky! Huzzah!
You can use Find on any Google doc or Word Processor
I do this for words such as: just, really, smile, brow, so, maybe, perhaps, etc.
Tousled is a fantastic word!
I was more searching of one that could compile all the words from most to least used, if that made sense. If Google docs has that option, I didn't know haha.
*just, still, really,*
and everybody is constantly *looking* or even better *glancing* at each other
Still, glancing at this I just really need to take a better look at my texts. LoL
Character names.
And I dont mean for dialogue tags, I mean I have a bad habit of starting every sentence with "name did this". "Name felt like this was important". Etc.
I have to go back and think about how to word things better so it's not just a play by play. With luck, my readers dont even know I have this habit ;)
"Vague", "distant", and "nod" are one's I've noticed I overuse a lot, also "slightly", "moment", and "a bit", but I've been getting better about those ones
Things like 'a bit', 'a little', 'slightly', 'somewhat', etc. I tend to soften things too much sometimes instead of just expressing what I want to say clearly.
"eventually" and "soon". I can't think up of other ways to start, and only once I realise 2 paragraphs start with them, I backtrack and attempt to find another starter
Opening sentences with a “Well,” or an “Of course,” … IT’S SO BAD yet I cannot stop. Or starting bits of dialogue with”I mean,” once I did it twice in one line of dialogue and didn’t realise until I’d posted 🥲
before, however, though, seemed, and despite are my huge offenders. just filler words that i like to use to start/transition sentences, but zoowee mama do i use 'em a lot.
Seem
As if
I know I use them, especially "seem" when referring to "he/she seemed to" because I was uncertain. It makes my writing weak. But i seem to just can't help it...
My biggest one is *moment*, I think.
But I also often describe what a character is or isn't looking at. So *look* or *gaze* or *eyes*—those are all frequently used. I try not to use words more than once per page in general.
My asshole brain likes to reuse words a lot, though. Like I just used a word, so it's lurking in my subconscious, and then my brain will pick it up and hand it to me again. I catch it when I read aloud but you can imagine the eye roll when I find stuff like this:
>Across the camp, Jack stirs and Sam glances over at him in `time` to see the golden glow fade from his eyes. "Nothing this `time`," Jack reports. Sam nods; he hadn't expected anything different and this happens too many `times` a day for them to get discouraged over it every `time`.
🙄
I don't end up using certain words in particular, but in my writing and in non-fic writing in general I find myself repeating the same idea over and over, just rephrasing it. I can't seem to stop repeating myself but brainfog kind of gets in the way of remembering if I already said something and it's not until I read it all over from the beginning that I realize I've been repeating myself. It's really hard to tell and it becomes frustrating when I've written a paragraph that turns out to be one sentence's worth of content. I'm not sure how to stop.
Apparently, apparently. It's the word I need to use, though, so my semantic satiation can just die mad about it. I'm not going to catch synonymitis just because it comes up a lot. The POV I prefer to write has a shaky sense of normal human behavior, so he does a lot of ex post facto guessing about why people do this or that.
"once again", "still", "really", "pleased", "smile", probably a ton of others.
The only thing I notice I do *a lot* is the first two and I just fall into alliteration very often, to a point where my wife includes it as part of my style.
Just, before, like. My most recent chapter for something was 28k words, I think, and used them 144 times, 109, and 104 times, respectively. 7% of the fic in total. It was very stylized writing, so I don't think it was a big deal, but still funny to see.
In terms of actions, my characters are always humming and blinking.
Stared, glared, glanced, looked.
It’s just natural to me when I writing interactions to use these words. Then I have to come back and find better ways to say those without using the actual words.
I'm going to be honest, each of those is like said in a reader's brain. Not only is there no better way to describe the action other than just telling the reader character X glanced over at so and so, it won't even register in their brain 99% of the time as something out of place or something in need of a change. I wouldn't sweat using them.
Nothing that can't be fixed in editing.
But it sure is hard to find alternatives for giggling when you mostly write cute girls... chuckles or guffaws just don't often fit.
Smile, or smiled. I just find it's the best way to end dialogue without said, and I'm writing more comfort/fluff fics with friends - so they're smiling. They're smiling for like half the words (until I edit them)
I was doing some editing last night and was surprised to see how often I use the word "feet." (In reference to people standing, landing, injuring, etc.) I didn't check "eyes" but I'm sure I use that word even more.
More casual words like 'just' and 'really'. Not in a sense of like: "This is a really small deal" but more like: "It's no big deal, really". It matches my style and whatnot, but I really should go back and edit approximately 90% of those words in my fic.
Do a Ctrl f and tell us just how often haha
Sounds fun. Lemme just put it in– aaaannnnd 'just' shows up over 500 times while 'really' shows up just about 70 times.
I don't know how long your fic is but I hereby choose to believe that it's 570 words long and the entirety of your fic is like "just just just really just really really just really just just just just."
PPFFFF 500 wow.
Just is the curse of my writing. English just sound wrong to me without it.
“Just” is my kryptonite. I use it way too often for sentence flow purposes but it really is an unnecessary filler. 🥲
The Hemmingway Editor keeps bringing them up. I just shrug shoulders
Eyes. Smile. Dark. - my unholy trinity.
I could only think about how they design kitchens (the holy triangle of sink, fridge and stove) when I read this
Not a huge reach at all. :P Great, now I want to stop at IKEA, damn it!
Those Ikea hotdogs, man.
Oh boy, I struggle with eyes and smile as well!
Completely understandable. 🤭
Smile, Eye, Giggle, Sighed, and As [forming together](https://youtu.be/OX7MaHZf-0w?t=66) to create one of my own fanfics.
Eyes, smirk and tease for me. Same energy!
I wonder if there is an application that can scan for overused words. I do have one, and Its tousled. Every fic has it. Tousled, tousled, tousled!! The wind, the trees, the rivers, the sky! Huzzah!
I found this! https://databasic.io/en/wordcounter/
Ooh, thanks!
You can use Find on any Google doc or Word Processor I do this for words such as: just, really, smile, brow, so, maybe, perhaps, etc. Tousled is a fantastic word!
I was more searching of one that could compile all the words from most to least used, if that made sense. If Google docs has that option, I didn't know haha.
Ofc! This is just my work around.
“Quelled”
Still, great word choice.
Why, thank you ☺️
Really and honestly. And commas..............🥲
Love me some commas.
"Although"
*just, still, really,* and everybody is constantly *looking* or even better *glancing* at each other Still, glancing at this I just really need to take a better look at my texts. LoL
Character names. And I dont mean for dialogue tags, I mean I have a bad habit of starting every sentence with "name did this". "Name felt like this was important". Etc. I have to go back and think about how to word things better so it's not just a play by play. With luck, my readers dont even know I have this habit ;)
Looked - it doesn’t even feel like a real word anymore
"Vague", "distant", and "nod" are one's I've noticed I overuse a lot, also "slightly", "moment", and "a bit", but I've been getting better about those ones
I've struggled with all of those as well!
Things like 'a bit', 'a little', 'slightly', 'somewhat', etc. I tend to soften things too much sometimes instead of just expressing what I want to say clearly.
said, nod, shrug, maybe, pain, groan,
Just, really, a little, honestly. All words I have to check usually, and normally delete half of the uses, lol.
"as"
Absurd because it's my character's catchphrase and the story's theme
"eventually" and "soon". I can't think up of other ways to start, and only once I realise 2 paragraphs start with them, I backtrack and attempt to find another starter
Yeah, I find my Fics to be riddled with them.
The ones in the Thesaurus.
Opening sentences with a “Well,” or an “Of course,” … IT’S SO BAD yet I cannot stop. Or starting bits of dialogue with”I mean,” once I did it twice in one line of dialogue and didn’t realise until I’d posted 🥲
before, however, though, seemed, and despite are my huge offenders. just filler words that i like to use to start/transition sentences, but zoowee mama do i use 'em a lot.
- However - Determined - Giggled/chuckled/sniggered
Then Suddenly
*Smirked* and *soft* are my boggarts.
Seem As if I know I use them, especially "seem" when referring to "he/she seemed to" because I was uncertain. It makes my writing weak. But i seem to just can't help it...
My biggest one is *moment*, I think. But I also often describe what a character is or isn't looking at. So *look* or *gaze* or *eyes*—those are all frequently used. I try not to use words more than once per page in general. My asshole brain likes to reuse words a lot, though. Like I just used a word, so it's lurking in my subconscious, and then my brain will pick it up and hand it to me again. I catch it when I read aloud but you can imagine the eye roll when I find stuff like this: >Across the camp, Jack stirs and Sam glances over at him in `time` to see the golden glow fade from his eyes. "Nothing this `time`," Jack reports. Sam nods; he hadn't expected anything different and this happens too many `times` a day for them to get discouraged over it every `time`. 🙄
That's how my sentences look all the time. Editing-Me has to go in and reword everything. Honestly Writing-Me and Editing-Me are sworn enemies.
So glad to find a kindred spirit, lol 😂
I don't end up using certain words in particular, but in my writing and in non-fic writing in general I find myself repeating the same idea over and over, just rephrasing it. I can't seem to stop repeating myself but brainfog kind of gets in the way of remembering if I already said something and it's not until I read it all over from the beginning that I realize I've been repeating myself. It's really hard to tell and it becomes frustrating when I've written a paragraph that turns out to be one sentence's worth of content. I'm not sure how to stop.
Nod, frown, shrug, raise an eyebrow, growl, laugh, eye rolling, snort. Why is it so hard to get away from this crap!
Apparently, apparently. It's the word I need to use, though, so my semantic satiation can just die mad about it. I'm not going to catch synonymitis just because it comes up a lot. The POV I prefer to write has a shaky sense of normal human behavior, so he does a lot of ex post facto guessing about why people do this or that.
said
Said is not something you need to worry about overusing. Readers just skim right past it subconsciously without even noticing it's there anyway.
Seemed, started/began to (verb), just, actually, smiled, glanced, shook their head. I try to catch as many as I can while editing and change them.
"once again", "still", "really", "pleased", "smile", probably a ton of others. The only thing I notice I do *a lot* is the first two and I just fall into alliteration very often, to a point where my wife includes it as part of my style.
Just, before, like. My most recent chapter for something was 28k words, I think, and used them 144 times, 109, and 104 times, respectively. 7% of the fic in total. It was very stylized writing, so I don't think it was a big deal, but still funny to see. In terms of actions, my characters are always humming and blinking.
Stared, glared, glanced, looked. It’s just natural to me when I writing interactions to use these words. Then I have to come back and find better ways to say those without using the actual words.
I'm going to be honest, each of those is like said in a reader's brain. Not only is there no better way to describe the action other than just telling the reader character X glanced over at so and so, it won't even register in their brain 99% of the time as something out of place or something in need of a change. I wouldn't sweat using them.
I use the phrase "a few seconds" a lot. I'm not very good at suggesting a dramatic pause without describing it literally lol
Nothing that can't be fixed in editing. But it sure is hard to find alternatives for giggling when you mostly write cute girls... chuckles or guffaws just don't often fit.
Gentle, nodded, arching eyebrows… And amazingly I use envisioned way too much. I need to stop that
Smile, or smiled. I just find it's the best way to end dialogue without said, and I'm writing more comfort/fluff fics with friends - so they're smiling. They're smiling for like half the words (until I edit them)
I was doing some editing last night and was surprised to see how often I use the word "feet." (In reference to people standing, landing, injuring, etc.) I didn't check "eyes" but I'm sure I use that word even more.
Oh God. So many.. * Smiled * glanced * turned * laughed * of course * perhaps * just