I love books! Books books books!
But I've definitely noticed that writers use the same type of phrases A LOT.
Well, apparently so has John Boyne, the author of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. He recently asked writers to share the "lame phrases" they use too much in their writing.
Are there writers who find themselves using the same lame phrases over and over & having to cut them? I’m terrible for “he hesitated for a moment, then looked away” & I’ve realised that my characters spend so much time shrugging that it’s like their shoulders are on springs. 😂
Here are some of the best responses:
1.
@john_boyne Christ yes. Mine will NOT STOP BLINKING.
2.
@john_boyne The stomachs of my characters keep lurching
3.
@john_boyne Mine are shrugging, raising their eyebrows, running a hand through their hair or shifting their weight. It’s like bloody am-dram.
4.
@john_boyne Mine often wonder what to say🤦🏽♀️
5.
@CauveryMadhavan @john_boyne Having spoken, mine frequently wish they hadn't.
6.
@john_boyne One of the characters in the book I'm writing seems to spend a lot of time collapsing onto chairs and beds!
7.
@john_boyne My characters have scrunched their eyes in confusion so often they look like Zelda from Terrahawks. I also keep deleting "indeed" as a condescending response, which leaves just a hundred or so in my portfolio 😂
8.
@john_boyne Yuuuup. There’s a lot of sighing, and lower lip biting for my characters 🤦🏻♀️
9.
@john_boyne I gravitate to "She hesitated before kissing her" all the goddamn time
10.
@john_boyne My main characters might all be from the same screwed up family tree, or just all have bad dandruff cause they keep scratching their head when they have to make decisions.
11.
@john_boyne My characters tilt their heads. Might be because of my coworker.
12.
@john_boyne I write nonfiction essays, and wonder how many ways I can describe Mystery without using the word Mystery. There are only a few before you run out. 🤷🏻♀️
13.
@john_boyne My characters do far too much wondering. They also pause for a moment/hesitate/tell themselves something/consider something then decide against . . .
14.
@john_boyne My characters used to rummage in handbags a lot. It was getting out of hand and I've put a complete stop to it. They have so much more time on their hands.
15.
@john_boyne Everyone’s breathing is a mess, it’s always “hitching”, “breaking”, “catching”, “gasping”... the poor things can’t breathe properly. The phrases “caught in their throat” or “broke in their chest” are way too common. 😅
16.
@john_boyne Mine grin or smile at every damn thing!
17.
@john_boyne I gratuitously overuse 'stuff,' whenever I can't think of something better to say. And I probably do other stuff too.