40 Ways to Strengthen Your Writing and Avoid a "Very" Weak Word

Writer's often hear a simple, yet vitally important, piece of advice:

Never use the word, ‘very.’ It is the weakest word in the English language; doesn’t mean anything. If you feel the urge of ‘very’ coming on, just write the word, ‘damn,’ in the place of ‘very.’ The editor will strike out the word, ‘damn,’ and you will have a good sentence.

- William Allen White

"Very" often serves as a go-to word for many, but it simply leaves writing flat. Good writing draws the reader in and creates the writer's world in the reader's imagination. People imagine things with various differences, but when an author really paints a perfect picture, it helps readers to better "see" what the author "saw" when drafting the novel or poem. Compare the following three descriptions of the same scene:

Some rights reserved by Nick Kenrick.

1. Vibrant reds, yellows, and oranges blew very slowly across the sidewalk.

2. Vibrant reds, yellows, and oranges blew lazily across the sidewalk.

In this example, the idea is the same, but the presentation stands stronger because the word is stronger. As an intensifier, very is a modifier that provides no real meaning except to enhance or add force to the words that it modifies. Simply put, it's lazy filler. Admit it: it's easier to say something is very tall instead of thinking of a more descriptive word (such as towering) or thinking creatively (maybe using a metaphor or simile?). Shortcuts don't always breed success, however, and a good writer understands that readers desire substance, thought, and ingenuity.

The next time you find yourself writing that damn word very, sit back and reconsider. The English language overflows with synonyms for the simple word you chose. That's what makes writing so wonderful: the only limit is your imagination. Be creative! If you find yourself stuck, try one of the 50 very good  excellent replacements below.

very	bad	Awful	Atrocious
very	cold	Frigid	Freezing
very	wet	Drenched	Soggy
very	expensive	Costly	Pricey
very	sad	Depressed	Melancholy
very	fun	Entertaining	Delightful
very	happy	Ecstatic	Pleased
very	cute	Adorable	Precious
very	hot	Sizzling	Suffocating
very	painful	Agonizing	Excruiciating
very	tired	Exhausted	Pooped
very	comfortable	Cozy	Snug
very	boring	Monotonous	Tiresome
very	bright	Radiant	Vivid
very	dull	Dim	Witless
very	dark	Murky	Somber
very	clean	Immaculate	Unblemished
very	deep	Profound	Fathomless
very	young	Youthful	Juvenile
very	late	Belated	Delayed
very	tall	Lanky	Towering
very	short	Condensed	Abbreviated
very	small	Minuscule	Petite
very	big	Gigantic	Substantial
very	hairy	Fuzzy	Bewhiskered
very	shiny	Sparkling	Lustrous
very	calm	Harmonious	Serene
very	angry	Furious	Enraged
very	dry	Arid	Parched
very	long	Elongated	Stretched
very	gentle	Amiable	Tame
very	harsh	Bitter	Coarse
very	loud	Roaring	Boisterous
very	quiet	Muted	Hushed
very	nasty	Noxious	Vulgar
very	good	Favorable	Pleasing
very	smelly	Fetid	Rancid
very	bloody	Grisly	Crimson
very	thirsty	Parched	Droughty
very	hungry	Ravenous	Starved

Ten Excuses I Use to Avoid Writing

The past few months have been very busy and writing has completely taken a back seat in my life. I always find an excuse to avoid writing. When I took a weekend trip to the lake, I read a book instead of working on my novel. Right now? I'm writing a blog post instead of becoming reacquainted with my characters. I am writing a blog post about avoiding writing instead of working on my novel. It makes little sense, but here's the thing: writing is hard. Writing takes time and effort and concentration. It's frustrating, infuriating, painstaking. It means taking a part of yourself and opening it to the world. Writers will find all sorts of reasons to avoid writing because it is all of the above.

At this point I could give you a single excuse for why I failed to revisit my fictional world tonight, but it wouldn't be truthful. There are always many reasons that writers such as myself avoid writing. They are often related yet separate issues that we use as justification for avoiding what we enjoy most...at least, when we finally sit down and do it.

The following are ten of the biggest excuses I use to justify to myself why I avoid writing.

 (This is a pretty good one, I think)

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10. Work

I've worked all day and I just want to vegetate when I get home. This is one of my biggest excuses. Often my days are 9 to 12 hours long, with very few (if any) breaks. By the time I get home, I am fried and want to do nothing. Sure, I could write a few paragraphs or edit a previous chapter, but I've worked all day. That's a good excuse, right?

For those lucky enough to write for a living, this may not be a huge problem. For others, a regular 9 to 5 is necessary. After grinding the day away in a cubicle or on one's feet, work is the perfect, easy excuse.

9. Chores

I need to wash clothes. Make dinner. Walk the dog. Clean the house. Insert any daily or weekly chore and it can be used to avoid writing. Of course they're good reasons!  They have to be done.

The laundry must be done, no one wants a filthy house, and the family needs attention. After working all day or week, coming home to a laundry list of chores is an easy excuse to avoid writing.

8. Commitments

I promised _______ I would ________. Dinner and a movie with a spouse. After work cocktails with coworkers. Visiting family. Chauffeuring the kids. I can't turn every invitation down, can I? Sure, I don't really want to, but if I don't, I won't have a good excuse.

People in general tend to over commit without making time to take care of themselves. Writers are no different. Perhaps they're teaching a night class or freelancing for extra money. Sometimes it's time to care care of your own selfish wants and needs.

7. Distractions

Let me just finish this book, then I can clear my head and give my full attention. My favorite TV show is on tonight. Or (my own biggest) during the fall: it's college football season and my Saturdays are all about the pigskin.

It's easy to find a distraction when you finally sit down. They help us relax and entertain us. Everyone needs to relieve stress, but there's a difference between letting loose to decompress and seeking distractions to avoid the task at hand.

6. Slight of hand

I need to do some research. I'll just Google a few things. Search this database. Take a few notes. Oh, wait! I have an e-mail. Who's messaging me on Facebook? Back to the task at hand. Ugh, I'm not finding what I need. Haha. Look at that LOLCat.

Initial intentions are good, but you know well and good that you're not in the mood. You start out giving a little effort to really research what you need to make details come to life until there is some simple excuse to avoid the task all together. 

5. Uncertainty

I don't know if I like where this is going. I need to take a break and come back with a fresh mind. Do I really want to do that with this character? This isn't how I pictured it. Would readers even enjoy this? I'm not good enough. Could I handle negative comments if this stinks? Maybe I should stop. Now.

It's so easy to second guess everything you write. I don't think any writer could say that they don't desire to write a bestseller, to be successful. Yes, I write for myself because I have a story rattling around in my brain that needs to be told. It needs to be inked on paper for my sanity. On the other hand, I want everything I write to be good. To entertain. To be something I am proud of. The key is to not let that uncertainty hold you back.

4. Time

It's too late. If I start now, I'll never really get started. Or I'll be up all night writing. Or late for work. I still need to do this, this, and this, so if I write now, I'll never get it all done. The Walking Dead comes on in an hour. I don't have enough time to unwind after work. If I skip it tonight, I can go to bed early. I'll just make sure I write tomorrow.

Who ever has all the time they need or want in a day? Time always appears to fly by and leave us wondering where it all went. There is time to write if you make time to write.

3. Physical exhaustion

I'm too tired. Exhausted. I don't want to even move.

This excuse is that simple. After working all day or catching up on chores and commitments on the weekends, I am often just flat tired. I forget that a tired brain is more creative.

2. Mental exhaustion

Please be quiet. No, I don't want to chit chat about my day. I'll break my phone if it doesn't stop ringing. I need quiet. A few minutes to rest my brain. Some time to myself. Yes, a few hours all alone.

I call this an introvert's exhaustion. I am a very introverted person who is in a line of work that requires constant interaction and communication with other people. My phone's always ringing. People are in and out of my office every ten minutes. I get no quiet during those 9 to 12 hour work days unless I am just completely lucky or find a place to be a hermit...until my phone rings again. When I get home, I want nothing to do with human interaction until I've had a while to recharge. I am without a doubt that introvert who feels mental and physical exhaustion after too much social interaction. I could use this excuse every day of my life, but I know I need to channel that "me" time into my writing.

1. Writer's Block

I'm stuck. I don't know where to go from here. That was completely ridiculous [delete]. Why am I even trying? I know I've seen that cursor blink for an hour now.

I know many people may not agree with me on this, but I find I use writer's block as an excuse. When I have "writer's block" and sit staring blankly at my laptop screen, I know that it is because I just don't want to write. I'm not in the mood or in the right frame of mind.

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Writing is difficult. I have my own high standards to meet while hoping I am creating a work that others will appreciate and enjoy. I know that if I would just get started, it would flow just like it always does, but I don't want to start. I'm tired. I've worked all day. Aubie needs a bath. There's a game on. My brain's fried. I think I'll go to bed...I promise to write for a couple hours tomorrow.

Drinking Perfection - Throwback Thursday #tbt #halloween

I was.... 16 when I wrote this one.  Figured it was appropriate for Halloween!

Drinking Perfection

Footfall could be heard on the cobblestone path
The reflection of the creator could be seen by the birdbath
Swirling lights from the lighthouse nearby
The color iris staining her eye

A wisp of his presence came out of the air
All of a sudden he appeared from nowhere

Satin cloth brushed by her side
Tendrils of hair caressed her forehead
A loving kiss was plated on her cheek
A hint of wine could be sensed on his breath

The wounds from his fatal kiss were far gone
Now the creator stared at his job well done
The beauty of the creature was hard to miss

Skin the feel of steel
Lipstick as that of an evergreen garden
Eyes that absorbed all of the spectrum
Strength that outnumbered the largest of men
Fangs to match the shining white teeth
Yes, she was perfect indeed.

A shiver ran through her body
The metamorphosis claimed her mind
The time had come for the affect to take hold
 Her first victim was only seventeen years old

Ahhh!  I cringe!  Like I said in a previous post, keeping my writing helps me see how much I've grown.... and I've grown a whole lot since this! Do you have old writing you aren't proud of?

Three Mistakes Beginning Writers Often Make

Every writer has their own strengths and weaknesses. Some are strong in grammar. Some are guilty of “showing” so much that they don't move the story along. Others don't give enough description. The more you write and get feedback from others, the more you will figure out what you need to work on to become a better writer. Here are three mistakes beginning and even experienced writers often make. I know I catch myself being guilty of these.

1. Spell-check Software vs Editing: Many believe a quick run of spell-check will catch all of their spelling and grammatical errors and quickly polish their piece for reader consumption. Think about this: does spell-check catch the difference between their, there, and they're? Simple mistakes or misspellings are not identified with basic spell-check programs.  You need to edit!  Read your work silently at least three times to identify spelling and grammatical errors.  Read it out loud to identify the flow of your work.  How does it sound to the reader?  You wouldn't believe the difference it makes to hear your work out loud.  Not only is it important to edit for errors, it's important to edit for clarity, flow, and readability.  You'll catch sentences that are full of filler.  You'll catch sentences that stumble through to the end.  Lesson learned: Edit!
2. Using Clichés: As a reader, how many times do you read the same metaphors over and over again?  Be creative with your descriptions, metaphors, etc.  I try to avoid clichés in my work unless I absolutely cannot think of something better.  If you have to, use them initially, but when you go back to edit, change to something more creative.  You'll be amazed at the things you can come up with if you just put in some effort.  Believe me, readers will appreciate it.
3. Wordiness!: When you put too much in a sentence, readers will stray and have a hard time following it.  For my final in my Place & Setting course this semester, we had to revise two of our major creative writing pieces in the class.  When I went back today to revise my very first assignment, I completely agreed with my professor that some of my sentences were over the top.  You can convey the same feelings, descriptions, or ideas in simple ways that do not lose your reader. 

A Walk to Remember for #ThrowbackThursday

A Walk to Remember (11/1/2003)

Beautiful cloudless sky
Endless mass of stars above
Two forms walked forward
Walked only looking ahead

He held her hand in his
She rested her head on his arm
Silently they walked in sync along the path
Only one set of footsteps could be heart
Just one powerful heartbeat could be sensed
The pair was one.

Every night the pair walked
Hand in hand for hours on end
Every night they never spoke
Just cherished the moments together

This evening would be the final night 
Until a year passed
For he was leaving
And she would be left behind

This night their pattern was dismissed
For he broke the silence
And she broke the touch between them

"I love you," he whispered silently
She looked up at him teary-eyed
"I love you, too," she answered 
With a hint of sadness in her voice

He grabbed her hand
She placed her head on his shoulder
They walked on again until the night was over

Until the miles no longer stood between he and she
A walk to remember this would be.

A poem I wrote when I was 16, presented for Throwback Thursday. Barf! It reads like more like a short story than a poem... a bad, broken, improperly formatted story... and apparently I didn't realize you don't have to capitalize every line... and that poems should flow instead of read awkwardly... and that it is just completely horrible.

Do you have old work that makes you cringe?