Snags are devilish words and descriptions that can hurt the reader's experience and are common mistakes of new writers. As you step through your manuscript, look to cut:
· Purple prose, which is flowery, overdrawn descriptions and dramatic dialogue. To the reader, this comes across like the author is trying too hard.
· Information dumps.This is a classic case of telling the reader instead of showing them. Say only what's necessary and sprinkle in details later, or blend the information in dialogue and narrative.
· RUE, which stands for Resist the Urge to Explain. When you explain things, you're telling the reader what's happening. Let the reader experience it instead.
To save time, you can search your document for certain words that may take away from the reader's experience. These are the top three types of words that can cut or replaced:
· Filter words, also known as telling words. These words are generic and distance the reader from the protagonist's experience. Examples of these words are saw, looked, heard, felt, noticed, knew, watched, smelled, and tasted.
· Adverbs. While adverbs aren't inherently bad, they are often overused, especially in dialog tags (e.g., ... she said frantically). Search for "ly" in your document to catch many of the most common adverbs (e.g., nearly, barely, only) and see if you can't replace the adverb with a stronger verb.
· Garbage words.These words are rarely needed and often weaken the story. Examples of these words include really, very, so, just, good/great, and quite. Delete them, and chances are, your story will be all the better.
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