Worse than "passive" voice

[megwrites]

I've just realized that I rely on the phrases "seemed like" and "as though" far too much in my writing.

Apparently, I have a hard time being decisive in my prose and committing to what the characters see, think, and do. Not sure why, but it's probably been weakening my writing all along.

Time to pull those weeds up by the root.

The only good part about not being madly in love with your story is that you can take a hacksaw to it and not feel bad.

I think maybe being good at editing is like being good at marriage. You can work with it when the mad passion has worn off and bills have to be paid and you realize that your One True Love has the world's most annoying snore. And if you're really good at it, you can even get up in the morning and say, "I love you" and still mean it.

Fortunately, my One True Love only snores a little and he brought me flowers last night and kissed my hand like I was a princess. Just because. Yes, yes, I know I'm spoiled rotten.

I'm also failing at my word count. Time to get back to rooting and hacksawing and what not.

Comments

[scififanatic.livejournal.com]

I do this too. One of my writer friends calls them "filters" that put a block between the reader and the character (or the writer and the character). They're easy to fix though! As you said, it's a matter of committing to what your characters experience in that moment. My filters tend to be "it felt" or "seemed like."

[fiction-theory.livejournal.com]

One of my writer friends calls them "filters" that put a block between the reader and the character (or the writer and the character).

Filters are a good word. Big potholes in the road of your narration is another good phrase for it I think. I do know that I noticed the overuse of these words in chapter *three*, so that can't be good.

My filters tend to be "it felt" or "seemed like."

I've been known to overuse those phrases myself in prose. ;)