Romance Writers & Readers discussion
Writing Romance
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Do you overuse certain words too...?
Lol. Maybe it's the tiredness creepy in, but you keep making me laugh. Great folder.I just wrote some stuff. *wink, wink*
I'll come back tomorrow with something much better. I promise.
Mod
G'night! *hugs Miss Amanda* Sweet dreams of sweeter things... ^_^
Annie wrote: "It's okay, I have that effect on people hahaha!!G'night! *hugs Miss Amanda* Sweet dreams of sweeter things... ^_^"
Ah, thanks:) Can't go to bed until my Minnesota Twins game is over! And thankfully, they are winning right now. There should be no problem having those sweet dreams then.
Mod
So, I'm editing a book (and yeah, I'm one of the weird ones, I don't mind editing) and going through with the FIND feature in Word and I just can't believe how often I use JUST. It's taking forever to go through. *drops head to the desk with anguish*Are there any words you guys just use way too much? Haha, I just did it again....and again. And seriously, not on purpose. I left those in just to show you I can't help it.
*screams manically and runs away*
Yessss I use the word THATtoo much! I had to delete sooo many XD
Mod
*GASP* You ARE evil!! *bows down to Evil Queen Amanda*
I overuse THAT quite a bit. Even though it's the "proper" way, I think it's kinda superfluous many-a-time, especially in dialogue...um...speech? Bah! Whatever goes between the double quote mark things haha!
Hugssss,
Ann
Mod
*fist bump*
Amanda wrote: "So, I'm editing a book (and yeah, I'm one of the weird ones, I don't mind editing) and going through with the FIND feature in Word and I just can't believe how often I use JUST. It's taking forever..."Ha! I actually like editing too. Maybe we should start a deranged bowling league or something. ;-)
I get on these word kicks and then I start using them more, and occasionally I notice I overuse them... it's like they infect me and multiply every time I type them to breed more of themselves.
I think I can be a bit of a pronoun over user; I find I have to go in and insert names or nicknames or change sentences around. I worry too many 'he/she, etc' will pull readers out.
L.C. wrote: "Yessss I use the word THATtoo much! I had to delete sooo many XD"I'm afraid to look at that word as well. I probably overuse that one as well. Oh, God, I can't stop laughing as I type...that, that, that
Annie wrote: "Amanda wrote: "[stuff] I don't mind editing [stuff]"*GASP* You ARE evil!! *bows down to Evil Queen Amanda*
I overuse THAT quite a bit. Even though it's the "proper" way, I think it's kinda super..."
*cackles madly* I think I enjoy cackling a little too much lately.
Mod
C'mon. That was clever, no? Okay, no.
*goes back to corner*
Holly wrote: "Amanda wrote: "So, I'm editing a book (and yeah, I'm one of the weird ones, I don't mind editing) and going through with the FIND feature in Word and I just can't believe how often I use JUST. It's..."Yes, bowling! Totally going next week, actually:)
I know what you mean about he/she. I had to go and fix that in another book and I couldn't believe how often I did it. I realized I had been trying to avoid using the names too much. You just can't win.
A few people who normally read my books in the editing stages told me I overused 'though' and 'too' way too much. They were like my go-to words. I now find I don't use them that much because I could hear their voices in my head, "You're using it too much. STOP!"
And yes, those are the only voices I hear in my head. *wink* Oh, besides my characters. They talk to me all the time. That's not weird, is it? hehe
Annie wrote: "Tsk tsk, Queen Amanda! You're letting the crown go to your head...C'mon. That was clever, no? Okay, no.
*goes back to corner*"
Very clever! I laughed out loud. My husband keeps looking at me funny, like, why do you keeping laughing to yourself over there?
I overuse(d) "drawled" and "rasped" for my hero. "Editing will be so much fun", Alexis drawled.
Mod
A drawl can be oh-so-sexy, eh? ^_~
"Suddenly" Amanda. I suddenly found far too many. Strict rule for me, now: once per hundred pages.
Oh, gosh. I don't know if I can give myself such a strict rule. That just *snickers* seems like it would be too hard for me.
At the risk of going on topic, I am now trying to convert my first novel to Scrivener because that will make it dead simple to produce all the outputs (.mobi, .epub, .pdf) that I want. Scrivener, however, is anything but dead simple.
I tried it once. I barely understood what I was doing. I like my simple Word. Gonna stick with that. So, I can be of no help if you have questions about it. Maybe someone else will. I know lots of others like and use it.
Mod
Can anyone define "trolling," "spamming," or "bookwhacking"? Thx.
Annie wrote: "Never tried Scrivener. Just use Word and Calibre. Do you think it's better, Mr Martin?"I use Calibre too. I find that super easy to navigate.
Mod
Spamming: Send the same message indiscriminately to (large numbers of recipients) on the Internet.
(Thank you, Google haha!)
Bookwhacking: I'm stealing this definition from SIA *smirks*
Think about bookwhack as bird droppings. Everyone is having a picnic. The sun is shining. The food is good. The conversation is flowing. Then, suddenly a bird flies down and leaves a dropping, ruining the day for everyone.
Bookwhacking is doing the same with your book. Going into threads and dropping your book name or cover or blurb without being invited to do so. You fly over, drop the bomb. and leave. Sometimes you stay to add a short comment but the sole purpose of it is to make people think you actually had something to say. In other words, it's finding any reason to push your book in the face of people who were not expecting it.
Thanks for asking, Mr Martin! I didn't add definitions to the rules cuz they sound too strict, imho. But I can certainly make a "Rules" thread if y'all think that'd be useful.
Thoughts?
Mod
Annie wrote: "Never tried Scrivener. Just use Word and Calibre. Do you think it's better, Mr Martin?"In Write. Publish. Repeat. Conversations Johnny B. Truant says, re formatting, "Two words. Use Scrivener." (Platt, Truant and Wright are all Scrivener-heads.) Joanna How to Market a Book Penn is another.
There's no doubt in my mind that Scrivener makes producing output in the three major formats (.mobi, .epub, .pdf) dead simple. There's little doubt that it will let me get nicely-styled HTML buttons in my ebooks for things like "Join my list and get your free..." to replace those lame little text links. (Rethink: eBook is another sort of book or is it another sort of website?)
And there's little doubt that something like Michael's "Learn Scrivener Fast" course ($200 or $300) my be a good investment if your budget permits. Scrivener's UI is not intuitive, to say the least.
Mod
Thank you very much, kind sir!!
Hugs,
Ann
The thing about Scrivener is that it's great to use when writing from scratch, but it's not very user friendly if all you're trying to do is import a completed manuscript for the sole purpose of converting to other formats. For that purpose, Calibre works just fine.I've used Scrivener for my last 5 books, and it's been great for keeping things organized, especially research from whatever source and in whatever format (photos, PDF's, websites, etc). For an OCD planner like me, this is priceless. It also allows very easy editing, splitting and/or merging documents, reorganizing placement of scenes/chapters, story-boarding...geez, stop me now--I could seriously go on and on. Plus, like Martin said, it does compile your manuscript into any format you choose.
Amanda wrote: "So, I'm editing a book (and yeah, I'm one of the weird ones, I don't mind editing) and going through with the FIND feature in Word and I just can't believe how often I use JUST. It's taking forever..."OMG SAME!! Mine are 'just' and 'that'... it kills me...
Here's me inserting "it just kills me". Bahahahahaha that is how my crazy mind thinks. I really need to work on that because when editing comes around its such a pain in the patootie!So glad I'm not alone in the 'just' world:)
Mod
@Miss Bree: OMGuuuurd! Just. JUST.
@Queen Amanda: You are JUST in good company *sigh*
I also love editing and going through the draft process. Like a few of you, I use adverbs, which everyone knows, is what the road to hell is paved with. I use "that" too much, (they tell us not to even use it if at all possible) and I think surge and urge when the characters are in a passionate kiss.That's the other word I shamefully use and have to go back and change--passionate!
Groovy wrote: "I also love editing and going through the draft process. Like a few of you, I use adverbs, which everyone knows, is what the road to hell is paved with. I use "that" too much, (they tell us not to ..."
I had the opposite. I was told that I have to use "that". And of course, I also use too many adverbs.
Plus there's another thing: every single one (I'm talking about every person on Earth) has their own quirks. You're not even aware that you use some things and that appears in the books unfortunately. That's why after I've reviewed the book twice myself, I always give it to at least two other people (not the same time). And you know what? There are still errors!!!!
Have you ever found one book with NO errors?
I had the opposite. I was told that I have to use "that". And of course, I also use too many adverbs.
Plus there's another thing: every single one (I'm talking about every person on Earth) has their own quirks. You're not even aware that you use some things and that appears in the books unfortunately. That's why after I've reviewed the book twice myself, I always give it to at least two other people (not the same time). And you know what? There are still errors!!!!
Have you ever found one book with NO errors?
I just use the word "just" just too darn much! : )Rowena - I overuse "that" word, too! I have certain words I know I overuse, so I put them on a list and search my Word book file to find and change them to something else. I think there are some words you can only use once in a novel or it's too much, like multi-syllable adjectives and adverbs.
Yes, I'm always looking for synonyms. However, some go under the radar.
I know, Rowena. No matter how many times my drafts are read, guess what? An Error. But I see it this way: as long as it's maybe one or two and it doesn't interrupt with the flow of the story, or irritate the readers, then that's good--right?And like Sue (Dog Mom), and no doubt every author alive, I live in my thesaurus:)
Yes, I love the thesaurus:) I even learn new words sometimes.
Groovy wrote: "I know, Rowena. No matter how many times my drafts are read, guess what? An Error. But I see it this way: as long as it's maybe one or two and it doesn't interrupt with the flow of the story, or ir..."
Groovy, there are people believing in perfection but I haven't met anything perfect by now. So, you are right!
Groovy, there are people believing in perfection but I haven't met anything perfect by now. So, you are right!
When I am working on my book in Word, I always have the thesaurus open! : )
Mod
Oh, another word I overuse is ORIFICE.
(Okay, not really. But did anyone giggle?)
Amanda wrote: "So, I'm editing a book (and yeah, I'm one of the weird ones, I don't mind editing) and going through with the FIND feature in Word and I just can't believe how often I use JUST. It's taking forever..."Soo... when I edited my book... I had a list of 10 words I overused. Then it grew to 80ish as I got picky. Needless to say, took me 2 months to finish the edit lol.
Groovy wrote: "I know, Rowena. No matter how many times my drafts are read, guess what? An Error. But I see it this way: as long as it's maybe one or two and it doesn't interrupt with the flow of the story, or ir..."Agreed, thesaurus has become my new BFF! forget google :P
I think the word I overuse the most is but. Just tonight while I've been writing I think I've used it a ton of times, so many that I have been totally conscious of it and am trying hard to use alternatives! But its hard cos its just such a great a word I can't help myself! ❀◕ ‿ ◕❀
Oh Jane, I have a 'but' issue too ;-PIt IS a great word. And yes, I'm trying to limit myself. See, I could've used one there but used an and instead. ;-0
My main overuse isn't a word though, it's my friend the '!'
And even ';' started getting used in place of commas.
Did I mention I spent 16hrs this weekend editing my ebook to go into print?? ;-)
Now drastically reduced all the above. And spaced my paragraphs out nicely.
:)
TL wrote: "Oh Jane, I have a 'but' issue too ;-PIt IS a great word. And yes, I'm trying to limit myself. See, I could've used one there but used an and instead. ;-0"
Go team but!! ᕙ(^▿^-ᕙ)
Princess Jane and TL, thank you so much for the daily dose of laughter. So needed....but, wait? I have no but to add!*still laughing*
I liked to overuse ! in one book. It's amazing how often you see it when it finally occurs to you.
Amanda wrote: "Princess Jane and TL, thank you so much for the daily dose of laughter. So needed....but, wait? I have no but to add!*still laughing*
I liked to overuse ! in one book. It's amazing how often you..."
It almost made me cry at first! ;-p
Mod
Confession: I think em dashes look ugly sooo I overuse (totally misuse) ellipses...
*grins sheepishly*
Writing mechanics? What are those??
*crazy laughs*
I reckon we need some folders, eh?
This one's for Writing stuff.
Updated Topic: (cuz the other one was useless haha!)
What words do you guys overuse the most? I'm constantly pulling out a bazillion extra THAT's...
*sobs uncontrollably*
You?