Choose Your Words Wisely
Dec 22, 2024
I recently came across this writing advice from Mark Twain: “Words like really and very are rarely useful.… Substitute damn every time you’re inclined to write very; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.”
My father was my best editor. From the time I was in 7th grade, he’d read my papers for school with red pen in hand, slashing words. “No adverbs!” he famously declared. “Find a better verb!”
What does this mean? Instead of “He ran quickly,” write, “He blasted off.” Instead of, “She smiled broadly,” write, “Her smile radiated across the room”
In general, fewer, spicier, more impactful words are better. Always cut “very” and “really.” Always cut “so,” as in, “it was so beautiful.”
Instead of “innovative, “disruptive,” or “world-changing,” which are so overused these days, try to present your new idea in a fun way. “You won’t believe what our engineers have figured out - it’ll change your everyday life.” Or “Not since the invention of the printing press has publishing seen an idea like this.”
Declutter your writing. Find a better verb, use a more precise adjective, say it with a metaphor.
I know you’ll really, really appreciate this advice.
Aloha, MeiMei
Writing Tip of the Week: Sub out your Adjectives and Adverbs
- Examine a few paragraphs of your writing with a red pen in hand. Mark all the adjectives and adverbs.
- As much as possible, eliminate the adverbs. Seek out more descriptive verbs instead. Eg, replace, “She said loudly,” with “She shouted.”
- Replace boring old adjectives with exciting, fresh ones or a phrase or metaphor. Eg, replace “It was a really big book,” with, “The book weighed more than the brick he’d dropped on his toe that morning.”
Quote of the Week
Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.
- Author Anton Chekhov
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