The power of words

Robert Burns considering a word choice.

First an update… 1400 words a day?  No.  But words every day.  And I’ve been editing on a manuscript for a revise and resubmit request.  14% done.  The resubmit will be off my whiteboard this month.  Yay.

I sent the second paranormal novella to my editor.  Keep your fingers crossed for me.

And I started my valentine’s day novella.  I’m really having fun with this idea.

On the diet/exercise front?  Don’t ask. Next week.  I’ll be better next week.

Since I’ve been editing, words and word choices are on my mind.

Like can an author ever use the word ‘was’?  The editor on this manuscript seems to think the answer is no.  Probably, hell no.

And looked.  What’s wrong with looked.  People do it all the time.  (Okay, so I agree with her on that one.)

And just.  Is it just me, or do women use that word more than men?  At the day job, we got an article called, You are woman, hear you roar.  Okay, so I can’t remember the real title.  Anyway, the author mentioned using ‘just’ takes away your credibility.

I was just checking… Just a reminder….Or even I was just looking at that… (Ha!)

I think the author’s right.  I”m working on taking the word out of my daily communications.  I might write it, but then I edit the word out before I send the email.

Have you noticed filler words creeping into your manuscripts or your language? What’s your favorite filler word?