One of the most useful editing passes I’ve done on my novels is what I call the useless words and phrases pass.
The idea is simple: search your manuscript for words and phrases that frequently add clutter without adding meaning.
That does not mean these words are always bad.
Sometimes just is exactly the right word. Sometimes a character really does start to do something instead of finishing it. Sometimes suddenly changes the rhythm of a sentence in exactly the way you want.
The goal isn’t automatic deletion.
The goal is to find places worth questioning.
Here are some of the words and phrases I’ve found most useful to search for while editing.
Common Single-Word Suspects
These words often sneak into prose without contributing much:
- just
- simply
- really
- very
- suddenly
- quickly
- slowly
- finally
- immediately
- actually
- obviously
- completely
- almost
- somehow
- however
- also
- now
- then
- still
- even
- already
- only
- both
- own
- directly
- particularly
- possibly
- unfortunately
Again, none of these are automatically wrong.
Searching for them simply gives you a chance to ask:
Does this word actually change the meaning of the sentence?
If not, delete it.
Phrases That Often Add Clutter
Certain phrases tend to use several words where one will do:
- started to
- managed to
- tried to
- trying to
- in fact
- at all
- at least
- as well
- once again
- right away
- all the way
- in some way
- in the midst of
- at that moment
- this entire time
- stood there
- followed behind
- mixed together
- what looked like
- what remained of
- almost as if
- needless to say
- or anything
- a lot
- much more
Some are redundant.
For example:
He followed behind her.
Usually becomes:
He followed her.
If he followed her, we already know he was behind her.
Likewise:
She mixed the ingredients together.
can usually become:
She mixed the ingredients.
Mixing already implies combining things together.
Watch for “Started To” and “Began To”
This is one of my favorites.
Writers frequently describe someone beginning an action even though the character actually completes the action.
For example:
Jake started to walk toward the door.
Did he only start walking?
If he actually crossed the room, this is probably stronger:
Jake walked toward the door.
Likewise:
She began to scream.
If she screamed:
She screamed.
There are absolutely situations where started to matters.
For example:
He started to answer, but she slapped him.
Now the interruption is important. He really did begin an action without completing it.
The point is to make sure the phrase is doing something.
Filter Words
First-person and close-third-person fiction frequently accumulates what are sometimes called filter words.
These remind the reader that the viewpoint character is experiencing something instead of simply letting the reader experience it.
Common examples include:
- I could see
- I could hear
- I could feel
- I noticed
- I realized
- I knew
- I wondered
- I felt
- I looked at
- I watched
- I remembered
Consider:
I could see blood running down his arm.
Versus:
Blood ran down his arm.
The second version usually feels more immediate.
Instead of telling us what the character sees, we simply see it.
That doesn’t mean filter words should disappear entirely. Sometimes the act of noticing, remembering, or realizing something is important.
But they’re excellent search terms during an editing pass.
Unnecessary Time Markers
Another category I find frequently is unnecessary narration telling the reader when something happened.
Look for phrases such as:
- Then
- Just then
- Now
- Suddenly
- Finally
- Immediately
- At that moment
- This time
- After that
- Once again
- It wasn’t long before
Fiction already happens sequentially.
If one sentence says:
Jake opened the door. Then he stepped inside.
the word then probably isn’t accomplishing anything.
Jake opened the door and stepped inside.
Or:
Jake opened the door. He stepped inside.
The sequence already tells us what happened next.
Intensifiers
Intensifiers aren’t evil, but they’re worth examining.
Common examples include:
- very
- really
- completely
- entirely
- extremely
- painfully
- uncontrollably
- much more
- strong
- huge
Often, a stronger noun or verb eliminates the need for the intensifier.
Instead of:
He walked very quickly across the room.
you might write:
He hurried across the room.
Instead of:
She was really angry.
You might be able to show the anger through her dialogue or actions. Really isn’t just a useles word here. It is a hint that you are telling rather than showing, which is another topic altogether.
The more intense your scene already is, the less you may need to tell the reader how intense it is.
Redundant Descriptions
Some editing problems aren’t tied to a particular word. They’re patterns.
Watch for things like:
followed behind
Usually followed is enough.
mixed together
Usually mixed is enough.
stood there
Often stood is enough.
sat there
Often sat is enough.
his own hand
Unless you’re distinguishing it from someone else’s hand, his hand probably works.
both of them
If you’ve already established that two characters are involved, both may be unnecessary.
completely destroyed
Depending on context, destroyed may already be complete.
These little redundancies barely register individually.
Across an 80,000- or 100,000-word novel, however, removing them can noticeably tighten the prose.
Don’t Explain What You Already Showed
This may be the most important category.
Sometimes the dialogue or action already communicates an emotion, and then the narration explains the same emotion again.
For example:
“Get away from me!” she shouted, furious that he had come closer.
Do we need furious?
Maybe.
But the dialogue may already make the emotion obvious.
Another common version happens inside a viewpoint character’s thoughts.
The character reaches a conclusion, and then the narration spends another sentence explaining the thought process the reader just watched happen.
Trusting the reader can often make the scene stronger.
My High-Priority Search List
If I were doing a quick editing pass and didn’t want to search for everything above, I’d start with these:
- just
- simply
- really
- very
- suddenly
- quickly
- finally
- immediately
- actually
- completely
- somehow
- now
- then
- still
- even
- both
- own
- started to
- trying to
- managed to
- at all
- as well
- once again
- at that moment
- almost as if
- I could see
- I could feel
- I realized
- I knew
You can paste these into your editor’s Find function one at a time and work through the manuscript.
The Rule Isn’t “Delete the Word”
The biggest mistake would be turning this into another rigid writing rule.
The rule isn’t:
Never use the word just.
The rule is:
Whenever you find just, ask whether you need it.
Sometimes the answer will be yes.
Sometimes removing it will change the character’s voice.
Sometimes it changes the meaning.
Sometimes the sentence sounds worse without it.
Keep it.
But if removing the word makes absolutely no difference, you’ve probably found a useless word.
Delete enough of those across an entire novel, and the prose becomes tighter without losing your voice.
That’s what makes this editing pass so useful.
