The Thing

Because of my honors-level English classes in high school, I have an aversion to the following word:

Thing

Of course, I still use it heavily in the first drafts of anything I write (it is one of those elementary-school placeholders I spoke about in a previous post: Finding the Words).  But when I review my work and find those five letters in succession, I begin to develop a mild twitch (and night-terrors).  There is always a more descriptive way to explain said “thing” to your audience.  Next time you come across that word in your own writing, seriously consider a better way to describe what it is you’re talking about.  (This is also an easy way to beef up your final word count). 

Another equally annoying word:

A lot

As writers/readers, what words give you a twitch?

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Kickstarter Update: Big news, loyal readers (and first-time stumblers)!  My self-publishing project has successfully been funded!  We are currently $650 over the original goal of $4,000.  This means that more books can be printed in the initial print run.  As of 4:00 pm on Saturday, March 31, I will be officially on my way to self-publishing The Mirrors at Barnard Hall!