tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15015304.post4706860740494223617..comments2023-10-08T02:29:54.161-05:00Comments on Word Trix: Just then, she felt like rantingHeatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17700809709293636333noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15015304.post-6056713673225847482014-06-09T09:00:04.000-05:002014-06-09T09:00:04.000-05:00Thanks, Adelle. I know every writer has those fill...Thanks, Adelle. I know every writer has those filler words they have to work on, but these weren't drafts, these were published books. It still astonishes me that you would find this in <i>published</i> books, especially so many times in <i>one</i> book. Heatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17700809709293636333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15015304.post-84579410004689618532014-06-08T00:45:15.113-05:002014-06-08T00:45:15.113-05:00I think every author has a few choice words or phr...I think every author has a few choice words or phrases they tend to over use in their first drafts.<br /><br /> With me, it is usually a different one each book. I'm not sure why this happens, but it does. The 'find' feature in word is a a very handy tool to search and highlight these repetitive phrases/words. The key is to weed them OUT. <br /><br />Thanks for a great reminder to all writers. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17765458764192796911noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15015304.post-25171101001827959542014-06-03T10:49:50.367-05:002014-06-03T10:49:50.367-05:00Jana: Believe me, I nearly did send a couple of th...<b>Jana:</b> Believe me, I nearly did send a couple of these flying. Remember, these are only a few examples drawn from four different books. The worst offender had 34 chapters and averaged at least one "just then" per chapter. <br /><br />You may be on to something with the reader/writer link, though as both a reader and (sometimes) writer, it makes me wonder where they learned to write, LOL. Maybe it is <i>what</i> they are reading/writing, since some genres seem to allow it while others do not. As I said in today's teaser, 400 pages so far of Steinbeck and I haven't seen a single "just then."<br /><br />I understand about getting tired of the same old, even from authors you love. I think that's one of the reasons I tend to read across so many genres the way I do. Keeps me from getting bored. Heatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17700809709293636333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15015304.post-17883280916707330912014-06-03T07:59:22.489-05:002014-06-03T07:59:22.489-05:00Ugh. It was annoying just as examples...I'd ha...Ugh. It was annoying just as examples...I'd have sent the book flying! LOL<br /><br />One explanation could be that a lot of writers are also readers. I know from my own experiences how my writing is often influenced by what I've recently read. That could explain the epidemic of "just then". Maybe?<br /><br />"So" seems to be my overused filler word. My blog is chock full of them. Trying to break that habit but...it's so easy! lol<br /><br /><br />I haven't done a whole lot of reading lately. Most of the things that I've read recently and really enjoyed have been more of the memoire/autobiography types. Genre fiction has gotten more and more repetitive, it seems. The storylines feel a lot like the overuse of "just then". Even among some of my favorite authors. Makes me a little sad, actually.Janahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17497608180842403825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15015304.post-86613479529126811442014-06-02T21:24:42.726-05:002014-06-02T21:24:42.726-05:00I have the habit of using "just" a lot, ...I have the habit of using "just" a lot, but have gotten into the habit of rereading what I write and removing most of them. I don't know that I'd really picked up on the use of "just then" as much previously, but the overuse of it in books read these past two months now has it grating on my nerves. Heatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17700809709293636333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15015304.post-6097715725655133102014-06-02T16:29:32.605-05:002014-06-02T16:29:32.605-05:00I'll be sure to go through my manuscripts and ...I'll be sure to go through my manuscripts and take out more of them. I also have that bad habit. Sometimes.Alice Audreyhttp://www.aliceaudrey.comnoreply@blogger.com