I am so guilty

There was a time when I could use words effectively, but I have become paralyzed. One reason for creating this blog is to force myself to write until I smooth out my writing.

In reading The '10 Mistakes' List at Broca website, I recognized myself and cringed. Here are the first 3 mistakes.

Repeats

"Crutch words" are acceptable words unless they are used incessantly. I was impressed that the post author had researched different writers and concluded that Hilliary Clinton's word is "eager." Kate White's favorite is "quickly" in A Body to Die For. Other writers use "weird" or "sad" repeatedly.



Repeats of word patterns can also loss their freshness.  Sheldon Siegal's favorite in Final Verdict is "when he says:"

"His tone oozes self-righteousness when he says..." page 188
"His voice is barely audible when he says..." page 193
"His tone is unapologetic when he says..." page 199
"Rosie keeps her tone even when she says..." page 200

My top two clutch words are "but" and "also." Do you have clutch words or phrases?

Flat writing

"He wanted to know but couldn't understand what she had to say, so he waited until she was ready to tell him before asking what she meant."

Something is conveyed in this sentence, but who cares? The writing is so flat, it just dies on the page...

Flat writing is a sign that you've lost interest or are intimidated by your own narrative. It shows that you're veering toward mediocrity, that your brain is fatigued, that you've lost your inspiration. So use it as a lesson. When you see flat writing on the page, it's time to rethink, refuel and rewrite.

I know when my writing is flat. It reflects fatigue and a desperate need for No-Doze.  I use too many words and I am worn out by the time I get to the end of the sentence.

Note: I like the third paragraph in the quote above - the writing is not flat and has good rhythm.

Empty adverbs

These are emphasis words like "actually, totally, absolutely, completely, continually, constantly, continuously, literally, really, unfortunately, ironically, incredibly, hopefully, finally."

This example from Dan Brown shows empty adverbs, awkward phrasing, and passive voice  taken to an extreme: "Almost inconceivably, the gun into which she was now staring was clutched in the pale hand of an enormous albino."

I don't think I have written anything as bad as the Dan Brown quote. (I know I have not written anything as good as the rest of his writing, either.) I guess every writer has a bad day.

But I am guilty of empty adverbs. (There's that clutch word "but" again.)

I know better.

I will do better.

If I don't, fee free to gently remind me.

Read the original article for the rest of the top ten mistakes. 

Do you have any common mistakes to add to the list - things you are have noticed in other writers?