Filtering Out Filter Words

Today I’ll add another set of things you should look for as you edit your writing—filter words.

What are filter words? Sometimes called ‘distancing words,’ filter words (or phrases) describe how your point-of-view character perceives and understands the world.

Suppose I wrote this:

Upon waking at her farm, Cheryl saw the pastel-painted sunrise, heard the rooster’s dawn greeting, and smelled the sweet morning dew. At once she knew this was the start of what would be a marvelous day.

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