Body Language

Overused Words in Writing & How to Avoid Them

We’ve all got our comfort words—those trusty adjectives, verbs, or phrases we lean on like a crutch. But when certain words show up too often, they lose their impact, leaving your writing feeling repetitive or uninspired.

1. “Very” and Its Cousins

Why It’s Overused: It’s easy to tack on “very” for emphasis, but it’s vague and doesn’t pull its weight.

Instead of: “She was very tired.” Try: “She was exhausted.” / “She dragged her feet like lead weights.”

💡 Tip: Use precise, vivid descriptions rather than vague intensifiers.

2. “Looked” and “Saw”

Why It’s Overused: It’s functional but flat, and it often tells instead of shows.

Instead of: “He looked at her in disbelief.” Try: “His eyebrows shot up, his lips parting as if words had failed him.”

💡 Tip: Focus on body language or sensory details instead of relying on generic verbs.

3. “Suddenly”

Why It’s Overused: It’s often used to create surprise, but it tells readers how to feel instead of letting the scene deliver the shock.

Instead of: “Suddenly, the door slammed shut.” Try: “The door slammed shut, the sound ricocheting through the empty room.”

💡 Tip: Let the action or pacing create urgency without needing to announce it.

4. “Said” (When Overdone or Misused)

Why It’s Overused: While “said” is often invisible and functional, using it in every dialogue tag can feel robotic.

Instead of: “I can’t believe it,” she said. “Me neither,” he said. Try: Replace with an action: “I can’t believe it.” She ran a hand through her hair, pacing. “Me neither.” He leaned against the counter, arms crossed.

💡 Tip: Don’t ditch “said” entirely; just mix it up with context clues or action beats.

5. “Felt”

Why It’s Overused: It’s a shortcut that tells instead of showing emotions.

Instead of: “She felt nervous.” Try: “Her palms slicked with sweat, and she couldn’t stop her leg from bouncing.”

💡 Tip: Let readers infer emotions through sensory details or behavior.

6. “Really” and “Actually”

Why It’s Overused: They add little to your sentences and can dilute the impact of stronger words.

Instead of: “I really don’t think that’s a good idea.” Try: “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

💡 Tip: If a sentence works without these words, cut them.

7. “Walked” or “Ran”

Why It’s Overused: These are go-to movement words, but they can feel bland when used repeatedly.

Instead of: “He walked into the room.” Try: “He strolled in like he owned the place.” / “He shuffled in, avoiding everyone’s eyes.”

💡 Tip: Use verbs that convey mood, speed, or attitude.

8. “Just”

Why It’s Overused: It sneaks into sentences unnecessarily, weakening your prose.

Instead of: “I just wanted to say I’m sorry.” Try: “I wanted to say I’m sorry.”

💡 Tip: Delete “just” unless it adds essential nuance.

9. “Thought”

Why It’s Overused: It tells readers what a character is thinking instead of showing it through internal dialogue or action.

Instead of: “She thought he might be lying.” Try: “His story didn’t add up. The timelines didn’t match, and he wouldn’t meet her eyes.”

💡 Tip: Immerse readers in the character’s perspective without announcing their thoughts.

10. “Nice” and Other Vague Adjectives

Why It’s Overused: It’s generic and doesn’t give readers a clear picture.

Instead of: “He was a nice guy.” Try: “He always remembered her coffee order and held the door open, even when his arms were full.”

💡 Tip: Show qualities through actions instead of relying on vague descriptors.

Final Tips for Avoiding Overused Words:

1. Use a thesaurus wisely: Swap overused words for synonyms, but stay true to your character’s voice and the scene’s tone.

2. Read your work aloud: You’ll catch repetitive patterns and clunky phrases more easily.

3. Edit in layers: Focus on eliminating overused words during your second or third pass, not your first draft.

Irondad Prompt #274:

Peter: Can I be in charge of the music today?

Tony, suspicious: Why?

Peter: I want to listen to Epic! It’s a musical about The Odyssey!

Tony: Sounds like a nerd thing, but knock yourself out!

*2 Hours Later*

Tony, crying: He’s finally home!!! He’s home to his son and wife!

And this here is what we in the writing industry call "a display of hubris that may or may not have karmic consequences but is very, very fun".

[ID: a screenshot of white text on a black background reading "All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The sole exception for the ocean, the ocean is The Pacific Ocean from real life. If it is unhappy with its portrayal it can settle the matter personally." /end ID]

HELLO I'm back!! Anyways, I'm nearly done with Of Mice and Men and I already know how it's going to end so I'm just waiting for the inevitable at this point

just gonna leave this here for anybody who wants it

free copies of:

the bonnie and clyde proshot

hadestown

the great gatsby(jeremy jordan)

dear evan hansen

jekyll and hyde

ride the cyclone

enjoy!

Adoptive siblings prompts please :)

Adoptive Siblings Prompts

Write about the first moment the siblings hear about each other.

Write about the first time they meet.

Having siblings from different cultural backgrounds means learning a lot and celebrating the differences.

An older adoptive sibling's protectiveness over their younger sibling gets put to the test.

Having both experienced trauma and loss before, the siblings begin to heal together.

One sibling finds out about the other's adoption, having never been told by their parents.

Getting an adoptive sibling doesn't mean just sharing their parents, but also their grandparents.

People never believe them when they say that they are siblings.

For some reason, they never tell people that they are siblings and it leads to confusion regarding their shared parents and home.

More: Family Prompts Masterpost

Hope you like them!

- Jana

Y’all, y’all, I know this is (among many, many other things) the talk-about-your-fanfics site but I physically cannot talk about them without being prompted. However, because I am dying to talk about them, I have decided to do it in the format of an ask game.

What story (stories?) are you writing rn that you’ll most likely publish next? ∩(´∀`∩)

What story (stories?) are you writing rn that will most likely linger in your head for an undetermined period of time? (*´▽｀*)

What tropes do you like writing about the most? (´▽`ʃƪ)

Lore dump about the OCs (see tags for options)! (∩˃o˂∩)

One individual fun fact for each OC in the tags. ヽ(‘ ∇‘ )ノ

Longest fic you’ve written (published or not)? ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ

Shortest fic you’ve written (published or not)? ‹•.•›

Fic that is near and dear to your heart? ♡

Top three fics you’ve written (in author’s opinion)? ♡♡♡

Story Moodboard of choice (either you or author picks the story; author makes). (◡‿◡✿)

OC Moodboard of choice (either you or author picks the OC; author makes). ❀☉‿☉❀

Write another line in your WIP (rude, productive, but okay). ◔̯◔

Drop a playlist for a story! ♪♡♪

Umm… yeah, so feel free to reblog to use the ask game yourself!! Fingers crossed all those nervous writers get to lore dump, yeah?

DONT SCROLL THIS IS IMPORTANT!

im begging anyone who sees this post to prevent rapesexual, im begging you. no one will see this but if you do reblog to get the message out that these fuckers exist and dont deserve to exist heres the flag so you can know who to fucking block, report and tell to fuck off

i dont want this to ruin the pride and help with self esteem of being lgbtq+ so a signal boost from larger accounts might be nice

anyway if dracula daily made you realize how great the book dracula is, please read jekyll and hyde, it's also extremely good. and the audiobook narrated by richard armitage is EXCELLENT.

꒰ If I had known who Godot is, I would have written it in the script . . . !

Epher ─ minor // FILO // aroace ᡣ𐭩 she/they , writer , neurodiverse , former fencer , mystery detective incarnate ୭

♡ ─ the found family trope , whimsy, absurdism , musical theatre , mythos and folktales , my typewriter , classic and gothic literature , history , researching about topics that pique my interest