by Rayne Hall
Does your writing style have bulges and saggy bits?
In thirty years as an editor, I've found the same fatty words bloating the style of many authors, especially novice writers. Certain words are notorious.
“Look” and “turn” are the words most over-used by beginner writers. Editors need only a quick glance at the first page of a manuscript. If it contains “look” and “turn”, the piece was penned by a beginner. If those words are used more than once, they may trigger
instant rejection, because the author's writing craft isn't up to a publishable standard.
While there's no law against those two words, they are often unnecessary. They contain empty calories without real nutrition and make your writing bloated and fat. If you cut them from your diet, your writing style immediately becomes slim, trim, tight and toned.
Does your writing style have bulges and saggy bits?
In thirty years as an editor, I've found the same fatty words bloating the style of many authors, especially novice writers. Certain words are notorious.
“Look” and “turn” are the words most over-used by beginner writers. Editors need only a quick glance at the first page of a manuscript. If it contains “look” and “turn”, the piece was penned by a beginner. If those words are used more than once, they may trigger
instant rejection, because the author's writing craft isn't up to a publishable standard.
While there's no law against those two words, they are often unnecessary. They contain empty calories without real nutrition and make your writing bloated and fat. If you cut them from your diet, your writing style immediately becomes slim, trim, tight and toned.