Writing Without Crutches

I was lucky enough to vacation in Italy this month, landing in Milan and touring the countryside for a glorious week.

A news colleague mentioned before I left that I’d notice everyone begins sentences with, “Allora…” He was right! Oddly enough, it means “then,” and seems to be the Italian equivalent of “y’know” or “like.”

Filler words are everywhere, and they’re the topic of a thought-provoking blog for writers this week at Textbooks.com. In an effort to make my own copy more conversational, I’m afraid I’m as guilty of using them as anyone.

For instance, I might use “just” to soften a request – “Just wondering if you’ve had a chance to look at that draft I sent…”

Amazing…always…never…basically…literally…absolutely. The list of so-called “empty intensifiers” goes on, and the person interviewed for the blog post (Brittney Ross of Grammarly) points out that they weaken a writer’s descriptions rather than strengthening them.

Ross says using a word like “amazing” – say, to describe the 600-year-old Duomo de Milano, the giant cathedral in the photo – is lazy. Instead, tell readers why it amazed you.

Her advice for avoiding fillers as you write is almost deceptively simple: Ask for what you want. Get to the point. Say what you mean without padding it with extra fluff.

Points well taken. So, if you need another set of eyes on your copy to trim those excess modifiers, give me a call. I promise not to use a single “allora” in the edit!

(Photo credit: JSanchezper/Pixabay)