List of taboo writing words

Three words that just make my skin crawl and want to smack the noob who wrote them. I used to use them, but not so much anymore.

Suddenly

*shudders* the word bugs me more than ants when its at the beginning of a sentence, add another two or three words in front of it it sounds so much more professional and just flat out better when its not there.

Thats the worst word.

Any others?

"Emphatically".
Hyuk hyuk.

"Suddenly" can be good, if you know what you're doing and use it sparingly. I think this is true of any word. I can't think of any one in particular that bothers me; it's more like ideas and concepts that bother me (like color changing eyes or badly explained sci-fi).

My earliest teachers hated the word "pretty" and "nice." Therefore, I used them an obscene amount for FREAK. XD

The word "ejaculated" should never be used to indicate dialogue. Ever.

I'm fine with suddenly, when used properly and not too often!

"Almost" irritates me. Oh, as does "very". My father, who isn't a writer strangely enough, taught me when I was younger that no writer should ever use the word "very". We're writers, we can always find something to make it better. ^_~ And, adjectives in general! grr. heheh.

EDIT: oy, snoink, pretty? Yeah.... "That's pretty cool" *dies* I do that in spoken language. It's gross.

'Exclaimed'.

And also 'heaving', in reference to two people...O_O If I ever read that in a story again, I may very well just heave myself.

The word "ejaculated" should never be used to indicate dialogue. Ever.

That word crops up a lot in the Sherlock Holmes stories. Doyle can get away with it, I suppose. Maybe it just had one meaning back then.

Snoink wrote:The word "ejaculated" should never be used to indicate dialogue. Ever.

<immature> *ROFL* </immature>

*ahem*

I'd have to second that, actually. If only because I would snicker like a thirteen year old boy every time I saw it.

I thought of a word that I can't stand, though: "orbs," when used as a, er, poetic alternative to saying "eyes."

Accentuated.

Especially when it's followed by "her curves". Or when it's used in a sentence like "he said in a voice accentuated by a (insert stereotypical romantic accent here)"

Meep wrote:I thought of a word that I can't stand, though: "orbs," when used as a, er, poetic alternative to saying "eyes."

Ack, I hate that!

In reference to eyes, though, I hate how a lot of writers use descriptions like, "startlingly :*insert eye color here*: eyes..." I don't know. I just absolutely loathe the word "startlingly", except when it's used humorously.

Oh, and "spunky". I despise how people always call the heroines "spunky". (Leah, Jenny and Sandra are anything but spunky.)

Very is a bad word to use in writing. As Mark Twain said, "Substitute 'damn' every time you're inclined to write 'very'; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be."

Baroness Ink wrote:In reference to eyes, though, I hate how a lot of writers use descriptions like, "startlingly :*insert eye color here*: eyes..." I don't know. I just absolutely loathe the word "startlingly", except when it's used humorously.

I think they fail to realize what "startlingly" colored eyes would look like. These are startlingly green eyes; they look okay on an animé styled doll, but imagine meeting a person with eyes that color!

Wow....*shame* I never even thought about "startlingly" and "orbs"....I do far too much eye descript as it is. *uber shame* *goes through stories and DELETES!!!!!*

Edit: wow, only Gypsie Eyes seemed riddled with "orbs" (killed!), and far fewer "startlingly"s than I thought...still, thanks much!!!!!

"Gleamed, glittered, sparkled."

*Shudders* I really don't like those words. They seem like they belong in Barbie: Sparkle Fairy Princess Kingdom instead of in a novel.

"I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs." -Stephen King

Any descriptive ending in -ly should be removed from your writing immediately.

If you're doing your job as a storyteller, the audience should know how your character should be behaving. Thus,

"Go. Please." said Karen quietly.

is unnecessary

OR

You could say what you mean and write

"Go. Please." Karen whispered.

But 'Karen whispered desperately' is right out.

(Stephen King's On Writing is the absolute best text I have ever read as a writer. I highly recommend it to everyone.)