You are a poor girl selling flowers. Today is your birthday but no one knows. When you return home you find the prince of the kingdom waiting for you with a birthday cake. "Are you sure this is the one?" He whispers to his advisor.
good things will happen 🧿
things that are meant to be will fall into place 🧿
"mutuals can ask for discord" mutuals can haunt me after they die. mutuals can paint my immortal youth in a cursed portrait. mutuals can build a 8ft tall creature in my college dorm. mutuals can watch me wake up as a monstrous vermin. mutuals can feed me soup after i commit murder. mutuals can help me kill uncle claudius. mutuals can go out with me and my girlfriend from across the bay. mutuals can hunt the beast with me. do better
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.
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.
words to use instead of ______
Mild: clearly, decidedly, distinctly, markedly, considerably, notably, largely, recognizably, especially, indubitably Moderate: especially, surprisingly, substantially, uncommonly, chiefly, incredibly, obviously, unmistakably, considerably, awfully, wonderfully, particularly Bold: profusely, unequivocally, strikingly, astonishingly, exceedingly, absolutely, exceptionally, extremely, unquestionably, vastly, incontestably
Mild: often, oftentimes, sometime Moderate: frequently, usually, various, generally Bold: regularly, recurrent, persistent
Mild: many, much, several Moderate: numerous, bountiful, considerable Bold: multitude, profuse, vast
Mild: sizable, ample, large, considerable, great, above average, important Moderate: ponderous, significant, crucial, vast, copious, magnificent, substantial Bold: enormous, immense, colossal, extensive, endless, paramount, boundless, prodigious, imposing, gigantic, voluminous, limitless, essential
Mild: slight, limited, trivial, minor, light, puny, superficial, undersized, dinky, negligible, faint Moderate: scant, petite, inconsiderable, microscopic, dwarf, unsubstantial, minimum, miniature, tiny Bold: insignificant, minute, meager, infinitesimal, ineffectual, undetectable, inconsequential
Mild: acceptable, favorable, agreeable, pleasing, satisfactory, satisfying, super, able, relevant, accomplished, efficient, reliable, ample, useful, profitable, adequate, adept Moderate: great, honorable, admirable, commendable, sound, splendid, superb, valuable, wonderful, worthy, clever, proficient, qualified, apt, skillful, thorough, wholesome Bold: excellent, exceptional, gratifying, marvelous, reputable, stupendous, superior, exemplary, virtuous, expert, solid, advantageous, flawless, extensive, perfect
Mild: cheap, dissatisfactory, faculty, off, mean, wrong, unpleasant, unwell, low, grim, sour, regretful Moderate: careless, defective, inferior, imperfect, deficient, rough, ill-suited, inadequate, unsatisfactory, delinquent, sinful, unruly, wicked, rancid, grave, harsh, terrible, downcast Bold: awful, unacceptable, corrupt, dreadful, putrid, erroneous, detrimental, ruinous, vile, villainous, diseased, adverse, evil
How to __ and Other Writing Tips
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Writing and Describing Physical Appearance:
How to Describe Facial Expressions
How to Describe a Character's Appearance
How to Write a Character with a Prosthetic
Body Language Descriptions
Body Language Descriptions part 2
Writing Dialogue:
How to Describe a Character's Speech
How to Write Dialogue for a Stuttering Character
How to Write a Mute/Non-Speaking Character
What to Do with Too Much Dialogue
How to Write a Character with an Accent
Terms and Phrases:
Pirate Terms and Phrases
Cowboy/Wild West Terms and Phrases
Writing Genres and Subgenres:
Murder Mystery
Slow-Burn Romance
Writing Villains, Monsters, and other Antagonists:
How to Write a Monster
How to Write a Good Villain
How to Make Readers Fear Your Villain
How to Write an Unreliable Narrator
Serial Killer Signature Ideas
How to Give an Eldritch Horror Entity a Voice
Writing Protagonists and Side Characters:
How to Write a Sacrificial Character
How to Write a Bully with an Opportunity for Redemption
How to Write a Mermaid
How to Write a Pre-Teen
Writing and Describing Emotions and Disorders:
Nightmares and Sleep Paralysis
Panic Attacks
How to Write a Character with an Eating Disorder
How to Write a Paranoid Character
Different Ways to Describe Fear
How to Write a Controlling Character
Writing and Describing Threatening Conditions:
How to Write a Character that has been Poisoned
How to Write Hypothermia and Frostbite
Writing and Describing Character Interactions:
How to Describe Emotionally Distant Parents
Ways for Characters to Get to Know Each Other
How to Describe Characters in Cold Weather
How to Write a Band Performance that Flows with Inner Dialogue
ahhhhh master and margarita quote!!!!! and old silent movies title frame!!!!!! and red and black theme!!!!
HELLO AND YES :D!
The Master and Margarita is honestly one of my favorite books of all time. It's so horrifically funny and delightfully morbid. It's definitely not for anyone but it deserves more love imo
As for the silent movie title frame, I'm currently fostering an adoration for them sdhisjehehhe. They're just something incredibly charming about them that I can't quite articule
And red and black are just generally really fun duo ❤️🖤
More classic literature YouTubers because it's so funny to me
Bonus content:
in an alley leaping out of nowhere, and struck us both at once!”
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