Overused Words

We writers strive to make our stories and articles interesting. One way to up the interest level is to avoid overused words. Every writer falls prey to the overuse of certain words, and those words vary with each person who puts ink to paper. My downfall is the word just. I just didn’t realize I was so dependent upon the word just and wrote it over and over throughout a manuscript. A member of my critique caught the problem and justly brought it to my attention. Hats off to my critique group.

From that point on, I use the computer to check for those words that just seem to pop up all over my manuscript make it look like it has a bad case of chicken pox. I highlight the entire text, click on Edit, click on Find, and write the word in the box. The magic of the computer points out each use of a particular word. Just like that, I find how many times I’ve use a word.

Here’s a list of words that are often overused.
So
Some
something
that
just
really
very
then
but
start
started
begin
began
about
still
and
well

Check your writing. If you’re dulling the text with the same old words over and over, just eliminate them and add sparkle and shine to your manuscript.