Ah, the dreaded crutch word. All writers have them. These words are often simple ones, such as "like," "that," and "really." The great thing about them is they usually can be removed without much trouble. The hard part is just being aware they exist because they can change from story to story.
I've also seen, and been guilty of, crutch phrases. You've noticed those, haven't you? Maybe the author describes the hero "as handsome as a fallen angel" twice in every chapter for all twenty-four chapters!
Sure, the first, or even the second time, the phrase works, but after that it's redundant. It can even become annoying and make readers put the story down, or at least make them roll their eyes--never a good thing.
Every word has its time and place, but not too excess. When you revise or critique a manuscript, pay careful attention to sneaky words that slip onto more pages than they should.
What are some of your crutch words and phrases? And do they change with every story you write?
I've also seen, and been guilty of, crutch phrases. You've noticed those, haven't you? Maybe the author describes the hero "as handsome as a fallen angel" twice in every chapter for all twenty-four chapters!
Sure, the first, or even the second time, the phrase works, but after that it's redundant. It can even become annoying and make readers put the story down, or at least make them roll their eyes--never a good thing.
Every word has its time and place, but not too excess. When you revise or critique a manuscript, pay careful attention to sneaky words that slip onto more pages than they should.
What are some of your crutch words and phrases? And do they change with every story you write?