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I’ve talked about editing out words to watch out for. Here are some more:
Use says or said for dialogue tags. Don’t use claim unless you want to cast doubt on what the speaker is saying.
Watch out for too qualifiers. They have their place, but when around, about, a bit, somewhat, sort of, and kind of crop too much, you’re hedging. and the Your reader will pick up on your Readers notice waffling.
Avoid tautology: actual facts, adequate enough, stand up, sit down, mix together, gather together. One right word is better than two words that repeat the same an idea.
That got meta.
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Filed under: Editing, Editors, getting it done, publishing, rules of writing, writing tips, dialogue tags, editing, editor, editorial, edits, tautology
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Helpful as always. It is hard to write and not use all the words we use when we are talking. That is part of learining the craft of writing.