Stephen King's quote came on in neon lights in my mind this week as I posted a first draft of a memoir piece to my online critique group. When the crits came rolling in, there was not as much about the content as cutting unnecessary words. No matter how long I write, that first draft fills up with words that can and should be cut. It's especially important to get rid of what you can when you have a maximum word count. Those needless words are taking up valuable space! One of the reasons they appear in the first draft, at least for me, is that I tend to write it just as I think and speak normal conversations. The writer part of me has to take over when it's time to write the second or third draft. Entire paragraphs can be cut when we repeat the same idea but in different words. For some reason, we like to repeat some important part just to make sure our readers 'get it.' I remember a college professor giving exam instructions for an essay question saying Don't be redundant. At the time, I didn't know the meaning of redundant so I sat and squirmed a bit, wasting precious writing time. Finally, I slipped over to the prof's desk and admitted my inadequacy. He gave me a short explanation and I hurried back to begin writing. Got an A on the exam and added to my vocabulary that day. When you are revising a first draft, check to see that you have not told your reader the same thing in different places. You might be able to cut large amounts if you are guilty of this writer's sin. Adverbs take a hit over and over again as we are advised to use them sparsely, if at all. Go through your story, essay or chapter and slash those adverbs. They tend to tell rather than show. Maybe they are also the lazy writer's crutch. Another way to cut is to keep descriptive areas to a minimum. The less is more theory works here. It's a little like the woman who goes to a fancy function who puts on a simple but elegant dress and then drapes herself with a gaggle of jewelry that covers the attraction of the dress itself. Let the best part shine and dump the extras. When using dialogue, put words in your characters' mouths that make a point and then stop. Don't let them talk on and on. Let their words move the story along; make the important point and quit. Finally, cut anything that does not move your story from it's beginning to its conclusion. Keep your reader focused on the plot and the characters who carry the story.
All aboard the alphabetic adventure of Positive Words That Start With A! We'll voyage through verbal wonderlands encompassing our precious planet, the art of building relationships and tapping into the treasures of empathy and many more. Are you ready to embark on this linguistic odyssey of the letter A? Let's set sail!
19 Useful Collocations about TIME in English – TIME Phrases; pass the time At home, she passes time playing game. leisure time What do you do in your leisure time? spare time In his spare time, he play tennis. precious time Doctors say tuberculosis has moved too slowly and lost precious time. set time set time aside for someone kill time We played game to kill time. spend time Alex spends a lot of time with his wife. waste time I’m sorry, but I think it’s a waste of time. make time for I make time for playing football
lost wisdom by the edge of the stream at dusk
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English Vocabulary, Words to Use Instead of Very Instead of Say very lazy indolent very fat obese very afraid terrified very accurate exact very often frequently very smelly pungent very smooth sleek very willing eager very long-term enduring very nervous apprehensive very strong unyielding very tasty delicious very tired exhausted very valuable precious very neat immaculate very risky perilous very afraid fearful very creative innovative very evil wicked very good excellent very light luminous very nice kind very rich wealthy very roomy spacious very smart intelligent Instead of Say very necessary essential very noisy deafening very dry parched very cold freezing very clever brillant very
Time isn’t precious at all, because it is an illusion. What you perceive as precious is not time but the one point that is out of time
Have y'all ever read this precious book??? It's all about a little girl named Beatrice who is a perfectionist in every sense of the word. She was known as the girl who never made mistakes....until
50 Examples of Prefixes and Suffixes, Definition and Examples PREFIXES Prefixes are used to change the meaning of a word. A syllable word or group of syllables added to the beginning of a word. Prefixes help to add meaning to words and make it possible to create new words that are easily understood everywhere. Understanding a few prefix examples will help you understand the logic of new words and use them appropriately. For example, consider the prefix de-. This prefix means getting something back. It is usually added to a verb. You can then activate the verb. Likewise, you can parse,
Falling in love is awesome. Every look, touch, and word they say fills you with anticipation. You feel swept up, full of hope and desire. It's just magical. Falling out of love... well... not so much. Sometimes, falling out love happens as a slow…
Mon cadeau le plus précieux, c'est toi • You are my most precious gift • /mɔ̃ ka.do lə ply pʁe.sjø s‿ɛ twa/
Hello, I'm Mongs from Milkyprint Illustrations. I find joy in the simple moments of everyday life and I love to transform them into whimsical illustrations. Whether it's two tomatoes expressing love for each other or a wise plant sharing inspiring words, my art captures the beauty of love, kindness, gratitude, and hope.
100 Strong Words to Use Instead of VERY very careful cautious very bright luminous very boring dull very nice kind very skinny skeletal very necessary essential very noisy deafening very dry parched very cold freezing very clever brillant very stupid idiotic very thin gaunt very ugly hideous very wicked villainous very quiet silent very accurate exact very clean spotless very dear cherished very happy ecstatic very large huge very little tiny very powerful compelling very risky perilous very short brief very worried distressed very upset distraught very glad overjoyed very cute adorable very colorful vibrant very shy timid very skinny
We can keep piling on and piling on the refuse from our past until we are transformed into a hunched, wretched creature that can barely move. Or we can fling it off with strength and conviction and boldly say, “You have no power over me.”
Synonym Words Starting With P precarious dangerous, uncertain, shaky precious cherished, valuable, prized prejudiced biased, opinionated, influenced premature early, hasty premeditated planned, intended, calculated preserve uphold, guard, save pretty lovely, beautiful, attractive prevalent customary, widespread prevent thwart, prohibit, hinder probable likely, apt, liable proficient skilled, adept, competent profit gain, earnings, benefit prohibit forbid, bar, restrict prominent distinguished, eminent prompt punctual, timely prosperous thriving, successful, flourishing proud arrogant, elated push shove, propel painstaking meticulous, precise, fastidious passive compliant, submissive, yielding past former, previous, preceding patience tolerance, perseverance peculiar weird, bizarre perfect flawless, accurate permanent enduring, lasting perpetual eternal, endless, incessant persuade
50 Ways to Avoid Using the Word VERY in English Instead of Say very lazy indolent very fat obese very afraid terrified very accurate exact very often frequently very smelly pungent very smooth sleek very willing eager very long-term enduring very nervous apprehensive very strong unyielding very tasty delicious very tired exhausted very valuable precious very neat immaculate very risky perilous very afraid fearful very creative innovative very evil wicked very good excellent very light luminous very nice kind very rich wealthy very roomy spacious very smart intelligent Instead of Say very necessary essential very noisy deafening very dry parched very cold
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There are no words for that.
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Discover 11 of the most beautiful Iranian names what they mean and how to pronounce them.
Around the 70’s and 80’s, the world was still in the process of discovering a lot of the things we now know to be true. It was a completely different era, a time when a lot of things still seemed…
The Latin word for 'stone' is lapis; in that language, something 'of or relating to stone' is described as lapidarius. Gem cutters obviously relate well to stone, and during the 14th century someone
