For the past few months, I’ve been engaged in the writerly task of editing four books. I do this full-time for about 14 hours a day, divvying the tasks up into four categories: 1) borderline boring, 2) terribly tedious, 3) downright dreary, and 4) mega mind-numbing. That way I can mix them up for a little variety.
One of the editing passes that I undertake is the arduous process of “enlivening my words.” I use the search function on Word to look up dull words and one by one swap them out for more interesting ones. At the tippity-top of the humdrum list is “was.” An exceedingly handy verb but not a writer’s best friend. I allow myself an average of one “wuz” per page. This means looking up about 600 wuzzes and switching 300 of them out. For 4 books, I’ll comb through approximately 2,400 wuzzes. Ack!
I have 33 wimpy, weak, crutch words that I put through this process, none as dreadful as “was” though “had” ranks right up there in second place. It takes forever.
I’ve completed all my swaps except for the last – Word #33: THAT.
For some reason that I can’t explain, I just love that word. I could write that word in every sentence that I write. And that’s a problem. Plus that’s a word that’s hard to replace without completely changing the way that a sentence is written. I know that other writers can figure that out without that much trouble, but that’s easier said than done. For me, that’s an editing step that takes tons of time that I could use to make other changes that would improve my work.
Good Grief. Ha ha.
Okay, I gotta cut this out so I can cut that out. Wish me luck – only about 3,000 to go.
Myths of the Mirror 
Ha ha. Ha ha ha.
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I’m so glad I got a laugh out of you. One of the challenges of writing that I had to share. 🙂
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I can certainly relate – I find that I also have words that I use all the time and I also ummmm! a lot when I speak (eeek!).
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Ha ha ha. Speaking, blogging, and writing all have their own styles, don’t they? They aren’t the same at all. Thanks for stopping by and happy writing. 🙂
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Well that’s that then. Oh we gotta stop! 😂
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Ha ha ha. That sounds good. 😀
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You made me smile. 😊
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Well, that’s good. See, I can’t stop using that word! 🙂
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Haha! Good luck with ‘that’.😉
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Thanks for reading my silly post. I did survive that. But that was a lot of work. Fortunately that is behind me now. Ha ha.
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[…] via I love THAT — Myths of the Mirror […]
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Aaaahhh these words that we use but shouldn’t. My bug bear is “really” 🙄
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I have a bunch of them. At least the crutch filler words can be eliminated without much rewriting. It is a bit mind-numbing. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
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Thanks for sharing your post ☺
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Arduous task. I can’t say ‘that’ I envy you. Just curious, what are some of your typical replacements for the ‘wuz’ word?
And, how much contact do you have with the author about these swaps?
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These are on my own books, so I’m battling with myself 🙂 One of the easiest ways to get rid of “was” is to change:
“was standing” to “stood”
“was laughing” to “laughed” (Etc.)
Getting rid of passive language helps too. Then, it’s just a matter of slogging through. Definitely avoid swapping “was” out for seemed and appeared (wimpy words in most applications when it’s better to take a stand). Happy Writing!
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I fully understand. “That” is a word thoroughly scattered throughout my writing also. Just remember the joke that goes, “Be a writer they said. It’ll be fun they said.” 😀 — Suzanne
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Ha ha ha. Most of it is fun, Suzanne. But wow, lots of work too. 😀 Can’t argue with THAT.
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😀
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I so feel you. Look, nod, and smile are my most besetting writerly sins.
And line edits can seem like a Sisyphean task. I’m in the same place with novels. I’ve got six that I want to take one last pass on to check if my description is truly as good as I can make it.
Then I’m done. I swear.
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Yes, we’re in the same place, Cathleen. Did you notice that as you reduce “look” all of a sudden everyone is “gazing?” Ha ha. I could go on and on. Happy editing 🙂
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I know–you can only use the easy fix so often. Normally what replaces the look is stronger, though. A certain amount of using it was just unconscious lazy writing. 🙂
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Now THAT gave me a right laugh. I have SO many crutch words and phrases, and being balls deep in the midst of two edits I am feeling your pain, SIGH.
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I’m trying to edit six chapters a day, Sacha. With four books that about 164 chapters. One month for this draft. Yeah, right.
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Oh too funny! It’s like a child showing defiance!!
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It’s almost THAT bad. Ha ha. Thanks for reading. I’m slowly paring the that’s away. 🙂 Have a smiling day!
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😍
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Don’t you just hate THAT! 🙂
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Yes! I do hate that. I went through 650 “that’s” last night and got it down to 500. Another 150 and I’ll be satisfied. Phew! Thanks for the visit and happy writing. 🙂
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Good luck. I love to hate editing. I love the result but hate the task. I’m going to try your technique and get w of the boring stuff. I’ve just cut about 100 cases of nodding from my latest. These poor characters heads are going to roll off.
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Ha ha ha. I have a lot of nodders too, Lisa, and did a big nodding cut. I’ve also had bouts of smiling and sighing. Some out of control shrugging. Ha ha ha. What a hoot. If you want my lame word list, here it is: https://mythsofthemirror.com/2015/08/03/the-word-police/
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I’m so using this! It’s perfect. The shrugging struggle is real, my friend.
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Ha ha. It takes forever, Lisa. But I really do think it makes a difference. Enjoy. 🙂
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That is an hysterical post. Well, I cringed through most of it, relating on every wuzz, had, and …. that. But THAT is better than WHICH, which reminds me, I better go back to editing my book. 🙂
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Happy Editing! There are rules about that and which. Seems there are rules about everything. *Sigh* I prefer that over which too. Now I’m working on will versus shall. OMG. 😀
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Loved this post Diana. You make the word ‘that’ so interesting, lol. Perhaps you should leave a few more of them in? 🙂
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I leave plenty of them in, Debby. Just not THAT many. 😀 Hope you’re having a great vacation!
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Lol. Thanks Diana. I returned Monday night for a week, from the Caribbean. Catching up on work, appointments, laundry, and repacking. Off to AZ early next week, but at least I’ll have reliable internet to buzz around more often. 🙂
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Yours is a very clever method to edit! 😉
You are quite right as to THAT…. To change it for a different word you should probably change the whole sentence, but it is difficult to do so as what follows “that” is a subordinate (i.e secondary) clause. Well it happens most times.
Anyway… wishing you best of luck with the edition process!….
Best wishes. 😀
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You’re right that it usually can’t be swapped out, Aquileana. I can eliminate it sometimes or reword the sentence. I tend to cut about 1/3 of them, but I have to read every one to do it! Ha ha. Thanks for reading. Have a great week 🙂
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It’s a good thing you mix up the tasks to liven things up a tad. Now I’m imagining how much more tedious this would be without a computer – yikes! 🤔
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I tried to write a book just after finishing college, Steph. On A Typewriter! (Home computers didn’t exist yet). Talk about labor intensive. I love my laptop. Ha ha. Thanks for visiting and have a great week!
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I remember trying to use a typewriter before the IBM Selectrics came out and I just didn’t have the knack for typing back then so I can’t begin to imagine writing a book one. I love today’s keyboards, they make life such joy.
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“That way I can mix them up for a little variety.” 😄 Sounds delightful.
I have an issue with “that”. I always reread and get rid of as many of those as possible and the sentence usually still makes sense. And is cleaner. Good luck!
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I’m now looking at “will” versus “shall.” A few hundred of those to go through. 😀
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I sure don’t envy you. I’m that bad I don’t even edit my blog posts (hardly ever) and it’s pathetically lazy of me because of course editing makes everything read ten times better. Good luck if you’re still at it and I love “that” also — couldn’t be without it 😉
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You’re so kind to visit and comment, Nathalie, on this silly post. I’m deep into this task and looking more like a zombie every day. Ha ha. Have a great week!
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It wasn’t a silly post, it was an insight into the “writer’s life” 😉
Good luck again, Diana 🙂 (zombies are very “in” these days 😉 )
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Good luck!
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Thanks, Kate. Blogging is a nice break. It’s keeping me sane 🙂 Happy Sunday!
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Thanks you too!
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Hahaha so it is the 19th here right now. How did ‘it’ go? Sounds tiresome!
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Yes, very tiresome, Lynne! But there are so many tasks that I do get to break it up a bit. I’m going through the books this morning and adjusting/correcting my will’s and shall’s. Ha ha. Have a great Sunday 🙂
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Oh I love That word too! ❤️
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Ha ha ha. So many of us do, Michelle. It’s not until we start writng that it sticks out and becomes a problem. *Sigh*. Just gotta laugh about it too. Happy Writing!
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