It’s coming up on a new year, which means it’s time to make a slew of resolutions that may be far in the rearview mirror by February. But as a writer who’s always looking to improve, I can say that one resolution worth keeping is trying to become a better communicator. This holds true whether you’re a professional or merely tapping out casual emails and texts.
My colleagues are among the most talented writers and editors I’ve ever had the pleasure of collaborating with, but we’re all still prone to falling back on some bad writing habits. Here’s a look at some areas that members of our editorial staff identified as opportunities for improvement in the coming year.
Word Smarts and Word Daily editor Jennifer Freeman proudly says, “I can’t get enough of alliteration,” and I tend to agree. Alliteration is “the repetition usually initially of a sound that is usually a consonant in two or more neighboring words or syllables (such as wild and woolly or threatening throngs).” But as everyone knows, you can have too much of a good thing. Sometimes other editors on the team recommend removing an example or two, because as great as alliteration may be, it can have negative effects, such as adding a lighthearted tone when discussing serious topics. Alliteration may also draw too much attention to the writing, which in turn distracts from the topic at hand. It may be more appropriate in poetry or creative writing than in investigative reporting, for example.
Jennifer also admits to leaning on rhetorical questions “way too much” (her words, not mine). How is that a problem? Overusing rhetorical questions can backfire by creating an air of uncertainty, which could undermine an author’s credibility.
Brooke Robinson, editor of Interesting Facts and Inspiring Quotes, acknowledges that she overuses the word “also,” particularly at the start of sentences — so much so that she says, “I’ve started to drive myself nuts with it.” “Also” can be a useful adverb in a sentence, but in some cases, it’s just a filler word, akin to the term “um.” If it’s adding an unnecessary pause without adding meaning, cut out the “also” to make your writing more streamlined.
Associate editor Sarah Kearns admits to using “actually” way too often, and she’s not alone. Author and copy editor Benjamin Dreyer wrote about “actually” and other “needless” words in the first chapter of his book Dreyer’s English. Words such as “actually,” “quite,” and “very” are just a few examples of pointless words that add clutter. Dreyer challenged his readers to “go a week without writing” any of these words. Give it a try, and you might notice a vast improvement in your writing.
As the editor of the travel site Daily Passport, Peter Vanden Bos notes how “it’s easy to fall back on words like ‘scenic,’ ‘stunning,’ ‘awe-inspiring,’ or ‘unique’ to describe a destination.” But those are generic terms you’d find on any travel website, so Peter tries “to use more specific descriptors when possible.” Even if you’re writing an Instagram caption of vacation photos, challenge yourself to think of more creative and specific adjectives.
Meg Neal, the editor of History Facts, says she overuses unnecessary transitions such as “in fact” or “indeed.” If you’re writing a fact-based piece, your words should be treated as fact, so adding transitions such as “in fact” is redundant.
Senior managing editor Allie Takeda agrees with Meg’s take on unnecessary transitions, stating that she also leans heavily on words and phrases such as “however,” “for example,” and “additionally.” Removing these transitory words and phrases when they’re not needed can do wonders in helping to reduce clutter and make writing more concise.
House Outlook editor Kelsey Morrison admits she tends to overuse a couple of phrases when giving multiple examples of something. She refers to one as the “think” setup: “Dishwashers are said to be a surprisingly effective mechanism for cooking salmon and other types of fish that benefit from low heat and plenty of moisture — think trout, cod, haddock, halibut, and mahi-mahi.” Kelsey also fesses up to using the phrase “just to name a few” too often at the end of lists. If you think you repeat the same phrases as well, try to shake things up by busting out the thesaurus and trying some synonyms.
Do you find yourself using the same words and phrases time and time again, or relying on bad habits that inhibit your writing? Send in your examples and we may include them in a future article.
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