Aspire Magazine - May 2020 - Team of Dreams Anniversary Edition

Education

Kill Those Filler Words

Don't use filler words.

Along with "show don't tell", this is one of the pieces of advice most often given to amateur authors. In this article, we will explore why this is such valuable advice and how you can spot filler words in your own writing.

Every word is important. Every single word that makes it into the final draft of your story needs to have a reason to be there. This will make your writing look clean, strong, and professional.

Many authors in the early stages have a tendency to use as many words as possible. Sometimes they do this to reach a certain word count, sometimes it's done to try and make it as clear as possible what they are trying to convey. However, most often ideas can be much more clearly presented with less words, if the right words are chosen. Most often sentences are much clearer when they contain fewer words.

Filler words are unnecessary words. They clutter up the sentence, without making anything clearer. In fact, they have a tendency to make things less clear or even cause ambiguity. Let's look at this sentence, for example:

John thought the girl looked rather pretty and he started to walk over to her.

There are two filler words in here, can you spot them both?

The first is "rather". It makes the picture the author is drawing unclear; is she pretty or isn't she? The same goes for "started"; did John move or not? It makes it seem like he's interrupted, but that's often not the case when this word is used. Get rid of them! The sentence sounds much smoother like this:

John thought the girl looked pretty and he walked over to her.

Or, better yet, choose some stronger words: John thought the girl looked stunning and he strutted over to her.

Aside from causing ambiguity, these pesky little filler words can also make your writing look cluttered, unclean, and unprofessional. Consider this next example:

Anne was very tired. She wanted to just go home and even go to bed, despite it being four in the afternoon.

Did you spot the unnecessary words? They can be rather annoying when they're too obvious. But even when they're not that obvious, they still clutter up the sentence. In this case, "very", "just" and "even" can all go. Without those, the sentence is still just as clear, and much more sharp and to the point. In fact, why don't you try and use a stronger word to describe "tired", rather than using "very"? Like this:

Anne was exhausted. She wanted to go home and get to bed, despite it being four in the afternoon.

Some of the most often used filler words, and the main ones to look out for, are: that, just, like, even, seem, so, but, well, very and really. They are the ones you use so often, in both speaking and writing, that they just sort of slip in. You don't notice them anymore. In fact, sometimes it's hard to find them in your own writing unless someone points them out to you. That's why it is always good to have someone else read over your work and give you feedback.

Here are a few more words that don't add any extra information and can often be left out:

Totally, completely, absolutely, and literally. As with "very", these words don't add anything and can often be deleted. If you really think the sentence isn't as good without it, try choosing a stronger verb. For example:

I've had so much food, I'm completely full! Instead, try: I've had so much food, I'm stuffed!

Definitely, certainly, probably, actually, basically, virtually. These once again cause ambiguity:

He's had virtually no luck with online dating. Has he had any luck or not? Just leave it out.

Apart from filler words, there are also a handful of sentences (or rather, parts of sentences) you might want to avoid.

Firstly, there are dialogue tags. Yes, dialogue tags are often necessary to show who's talking. But just as often it is clear from context who the speaker is. In those cases, don't add a dialogue tag. Instead, you might want to try having the character who's speaking perform an action right afterward, to make it clear that way. Like this:

"See you tomorrow!" Lana waved at her friend and closed the door.

Wonder, think, realise, understand, and felt. Again, all words that should be clear from context and don't add anything to the sentence. The same goes for "breathe". Have you ever used the sentence "I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding"? Chances are you have – most of us have. In fact, it has been used so many times that it has become one of those cliché sentences, losing any real meaning. They've been so often used that they've become like filler words.

What's important to remember is that filler words might differ from person to person. There are many, as explained above, that is used by most authors. But there are also words that are specific to you. Do your characters shrug, nod, or reach for something every other paragraph? Do they pull a hand through their hair or raise one eyebrow at least once every 500 words?

Try and find your personal filler words in your stories. If you really can't find any, it is very much worth asking a friend to help spot them for you. What are your favourite (or most hated) filler words? Let us know in the comments.

Lastly, keep in mind that there are exceptions to the rule. You don't have to go into your current WIP and cut out all the filler words we've just listed. As with any writing advice, the main thing is to use filler words in moderation. Sometimes, words like "just", "so", "rather" and "started" can definitely have a function, a good reason for you to use it. In those cases, you may decide to keep them. You simply need to get a feel for them and learn to recognise when to use them and when to delete them.

Naomi - NDeMeer

Team Of Dreams