↳ Tell & Don’t Show

Writing Tips

Words to Avoid

This does not include dialogue.

These can be used (of course, it’s your writing!) just try to make sure they are not overused.

❉

↳ tell & don’t show

➳ telling words force the reader away from the story; showing immerses them

➝ consider

➝ decide

➝ feel / felt

➝ got

➝ has / have / had

➝ hear / heard

➝ is / are / was / were / am

➝ look

➝ next

➝ notice

➝ ponder

➝ recall

➝ remember

➝ see / saw

➝ smell

➝ taste

➝ then

➝ think / thought

➝ watch

➝ wonder

❉

↳ extra & can be removed

➳ declutter your writing; keeping your story concise holds the attention of the reader better

➝ absolutely

➝ completely

➝ down / up

➝ just

➝ really

➝ totally

➝ very

❉

↳ vague

➳ don’t make the reader guess what you mean; show them exactly what you’re describing

➝ a little

➝ a lot

➝ about

➝ almost

➝ appear

➝ approximately

➝ few

➝ like

➝ lots

➝ many

➝ might

➝ more

➝ most

➝ much

➝ often

➝ perhaps

➝ rather

➝ roughly

➝ seem

➝ some (somebody, somehow, someone, something, sometime, somewhat, somewhere)

➝ thing

❉

↳ absolutes

➳ don’t give the reader the opportunity to find discrepancies in your story

➝ absolute

➝ all

➝ always

➝ complete

➝ entire

➝ every (everybody, everyone, everything, every time, everywhere)

➝ never

➝ none

❉

↳ adverbs

➳ be as concise and meaningful as possible; every word you use should be the ideal descriptor

➝ anything ending in ‘-ly’

➝ if you’re using ‘-ly’ there is a better verb or adjective to use

➝ angrily, quickly, sadly, softly, suddenly, etc.

❉

↳ continuous action words

➳ these words reduce the sense of urgency; keep your readers hooked by keeping the tension

➝ after

➝ as

➝ continued

➝ when

➝ while

➝ ‘-ing’ verbs

❉

↳ transitions

➳ transition words allow writers to avoid finding connections between sentences, but meaningful connections increase immersion and flow

➝ after

➝ also

➝ anyway

➝ as

➝ besides

➝ even though

➝ finally

➝ however

➝ later

➝ meanwhile

➝ next

➝ so

➝ soon

➝ then

More Posts from Owlcircus and Others

owlcircus

3 years ago

I absolutely agree. People like this are the bane of society and should be killed. Luckily I have brought this to the surface of society even if people won’t listen…

Hey. This is a serious post calling out the behavior in the owls nest discord dedicated to OwlF45’s fanfiction community. Owl is non-participatory in the downfall of this server. They do nothing to moderate this madness and have nothing to do with this server and their crimes aginst humanity.

Tch. Anime profile picture. Degenerate.

Of course one of them have a Tec###ade user

This place is a fucking freak show……

I want to call out this DISGUSTING behavior done by these absolute MONSTERS of society. These scum of the earth are why this server and the WORLD is fucked up. I hope by exposing this evil underbelly of the fanfiction world I can help make the world a better place from FREAK-SHOWS like this…….

46 notes View Post

owlcircus

2 years ago

ppl who celebrate fictional character birthdays are annoying pass it on

653K notes View Post

owlcircus

2 years ago

september 8, 2022

YES SHE DID

79K notes View Post

owlcircus

2 years ago

Ur da only one that matters……..

happiest I’ve ever been FUCKKKKK

6 notes View Post

owlcircus

2 years ago

MWAH

You either die a hero…or live long enough to become a villaim

107 notes View Post

owlcircus

2 years ago

The deviled eggs have heard of your crimes

please stop roleplaying ‘Egg!’ In my ask box.

1 note View Post

owlcircus

3 years ago

they put me in jail :(

1 note View Post

owlcircus

2 years ago

You never get worse to me king <4

Thank you to my mutuals who stuck with me through insanity !!!! Trust me it’s about to get worse, that was the practice run o7

17 notes View Post

owlcircus

2 years ago

OH MY GDODOWORKOROEOFKDLDLODPDODOD FOAMING WT THE MOUTH!!!!!!:((((

fun with the lieutenant again... (^:

13K notes View Post

owlcircus

3 years ago

Hello. i am back with another call out post of the Owls Circus. the Owls nest has not stopped their wretched behavior so i am once again making a post in hopes we can rid the world of the evil