Good writing is a balance between effectiveness and style, engaging the reader with your unique voice while telling a gripping story that keeps them invested. Part of drafting—in trying to reach this balance—is getting absolutely everything down on the page, irrespective of any sort of perfection that may be reached in later drafts. It’s later—during revisions and editing phases—that the opportunity to refine your writing comes.
As you move through drafts, getting closer and closer to being completely satisfied with your story and your writing, you’ll become familiar with “killing your darlings,” or cutting the pieces you may love that aren’t necessary to the novel. During editing, writers also need to be on the lookout for words that aren’t necessary for understandability and don’t enhance style. These words aren’t your “darlings,” but they too need to be killed (i.e. cut). Catching and cutting these words and phrases to tighten up prose is a crucial element of the editing stage, often done by professional line editors.
There are different types of words and phrases that should be cut from your manuscript. Some are simply unnecessary, while others are more damaging to the reading experience, like filter words. Others, like glue words, can be an indicator of rambling, lesser-quality writing that has the opportunity to be tightened and improved.
Filler Words
Filler words are words that slip into writing that aren’t necessary to the meaning of the sentence and don’t contribute to your style and voice. They’re empty words, the sort of words that we might use a lot when speaking but that don’t have a place in tight, crisp, effective prose.
A (non-exhaustive) list of filler words to cut:
- Just
- Really
- Very
- That
- Then
- Seriously
- Even
- Seem
- So
- But
- Literally
- Suddenly
- Until
- Absolutely
- Only
- Quite
- Rather
While not every single use of these words needs to be cut from your novel, some of these words are worse than others and should almost always be cut.
Two such words are “very” and “really.” They’re weak words that detract from the style and impact of a sentence. You’ve read it before, but it’s worth repeating: if you catch yourself describing something as “very/really (blank),” it’s an immediate sign that you need to replace that two-word phrase with a stronger descriptor.
Instead of:
Very/really tired > Exhausted
Very/really happy > Elated
Very/really embarrassed > Mortified
Very/really hungry > Ravenous
You get the point. Don’t use weak, empty phrases when one impactful word can do the job better. Even cutting the really or very and leaving the original adjective alone—without replacing it with a stronger one—is better than including one of these words.
“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.”
-Mark Twain
Filter Words
Have you ever read a book and noticed lots of sentences like “She watched the car drive away” or “He thought the sky looked like rain,” and thought there was something awkward about it?
That’s because there’s something awkward about it.
Sentences like these—that rely on phrases like she watched, he thought, and words like felt/realize/etc.—are filtering the narration through the characters and are, hence, called filter words/phrases. Filter words and phrases describe characters thinking or perceiving something when it’s not necessary. They weigh narration down, filling it with unnecessary words and creating distance between readers and what’s unfolding on the page. These words and phrases can also be a sign that you’re telling instead of showing—stating what a character feels instead of showing readers them actually experiencing it. More than just filling up the story with unnecessary words, filter words and phrases detract from the reading experience and make writing sound amateurish.
Instead of simply cutting words here, these instances present opportunities to rewrite and strengthen your storytelling.
Layla realized the sun was rising and decided she’d need to start heading home soon.
or
Layla squinted at the orange and pinkish early morning sunlight beginning to peek over the fields. She needed to start heading home soon.
The second one is much more effective—it conjures an image, bringing the moment to life for readers. Readers don’t need to be told Layla decided to head home; we see her make the decision.
Another example:
I wondered if the killer could be someone we knew, someone we all trusted.
Could the killer be someone we knew? Someone we trusted?
Isn’t the second version so much more direct and powerful?
Glue Words
As the words that connect the “working” words (those that carry the meaning within a sentence), glue words are an essential element of writing. However, too many glue words can make a sentence sticky, detracting from the reading experience and bogging readers down.
Glue words include, but are not limited to: the, of, in, by, there, from, was, for, some, much, but, go, on, just.
A sticky sentence:
Just after Mary saw the sale in that week’s paper, she planned a trip to go to the store.
Revised:
Mary saw the sale in the weekly paper and planned a trip to the store.
The point is still the same, but the second sentence gets there quicker and more directly—two key features of effective writing.
Redundant Language
Lots of common phrases are redundant and make their way into writing.
Two common examples are stood up and sat down. Up and down aren’t necessary to understanding the meaning of stood or sat. Cut them.
Other redundant phrases include:
Actual facts
Advance warning
Exact same
Fall down
There are a lot of examples of redundant phrases that are used often in writing, far too many to include here. Keep a close eye out for these when editing, they can slip under your radar easily but need to be caught and cut.
One last thing…
Be mindful of your use of dialogue tags. After the first few within a conversation, they’re not always needed unless to remind readers who is speaking during a moment where it could be confusing. The need a writer may feel for dialogue tags in every line of dialogue can also drive them to reach for words other than said, creating awkward phrasing that stands out negatively.
Overusing dialogue tags—said or otherwise—creates a bad reading experience; it’s choppy and weighs the language down. It’s absolutely something readers will notice and dislike. Cut as many as you can.
“Are you sure about this?” Miles asked.
“Of course I’m sure,” Anthony said. “I told you I know what I’m doing.”
Rolling his eyes, Miles said, “Sure, sure. Who am I to question the Chosen One?”
Anthony ignored the sarcasm and said, “Just do what I told you.”
Alice cleared her throat and said, “I’m still here. Does anyone care about my opinion?”
“No,” Miles said.
Alice scoffed. “Rude,” she said.
With three people talking, readers need cues to tell us who is speaking more than if there were only two characters talking. That doesn’t mean we need all of those dialogue tags, though. Take a look:
“Are you sure about this?” Miles asked.
“Of course I”m sure,” Anthony said. “I told you I know what I’m doing.”
Miles rolled his eyes. “Sure, sure. Who am I to question the Chosen One?”
Anthony ignored the sarcasm. “Just do what I told you.”
Alice cleared her throat. “I’m still here. Does anyone care about my opinion?”
“No,” Miles said.
Alice scoffed. “Rude.”
It’s not just about lowering the word count; cutting dialogue tags improves the flow and feels more natural. Don’t you agree?
Cutting words to tighten up prose is an unavoidable aspect of editing and preparing your manuscript for agents, publishers, and readers. It requires going through your manuscript with a fine-tooth comb, but it is necessary and so, so worth it. Your story—and your readers—will thank you.
Quick Editing Tip: Read Your Novel Aloud
This isn’t a groundbreaking tip and you’ve likely heard it elsewhere, but there’s a good reason for that. It works. Reading aloud forces us to pay attention in a way we can’t when silently scanning over the words. If anything sounds awkward, choppy, or unclear, reading aloud with help you identify it.
As an introduction to the type of language writers need to be aware of when editing, this article is far from exhaustive in terms of all the examples of words and phrases that can be cut. You’ll also notice that there’s some crossover in what words and phrases are considered filler words, filter words, glue words, etc. While the label for the type of word doesn’t matter so much, it’s important to learn to recognize why certain words can harm our writing and when to cut them. I encourage you to look around for more comprehensive lists of words and phrases to cut if you find yourself wanting to commit more to memory.
Arming yourself with this information can help you keep your prose crisp as you write, but don’t overthink it while drafting. Let the words flow. Even as you’re editing, prioritize your style and flow even if it means letting some of these words or phrases remain in your manuscript (but for good reason, I hope).
Trust your instincts as a writer. And get a good editor.
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