Fix my flaws: I use too many 'however's. - Writers Forum

Kamisama · 07-06-2006, 10:44 PM

When I start typing away at someting, I will go down a path of howevers. Yet I will try to change my howevers with substitutes. But I'll make sure not to use one after another. Nor should I ever use 'however' throughout a sentence when its not required. However, I sometimes feel it is required.

Have you had this problem with howevers?
How did you solve it?
How would you solve it?

take a whiff on me · 07-06-2006, 10:47 PM

Show me an example of something you have written

Kamisama · 07-06-2006, 10:54 PM

Well, I don't know any off hand examples at the moment. I was typing something, but it only used about two howevers. It's tons of techno-babble about Fedora Core 5 for Linux.

http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showpo...6&postcount=73

I figured using 'however' more than three times within a page was very bad writing. That's why I've been switching between yets and buts. However, the reader would eventually catch on to my writing style. Afterwards, it would be silly to use such thing. Yet the psychology of a reader does not watch a blank television screen, nor does he or she like a monotonous and elongating paper of dribble stated in "if--then" statements and "howevers". This is why I've been trying to alternate between usages. However, I haven't been able to fashion my own style to such a perfect state. A state in which "howevers" are slowly eliminated through time (I apologize for inproper quoation-mark usage).

Sometimes I feel as though I use 'however' in every paragraph.

Fantasy of You · 07-07-2006, 06:35 AM

You can repeat however, if there is a purpose to it. If the character is struggling and his thoughts aren't clear, he can ramble and be repeating whatever he wants. But as you can see, 'but' works just as well as however, and is slightly less formal, unless you need it to be..

nevertheless
anyhow
be that as it may
but
even though
nonetheless
notwithstanding
still
though
on the other hand
yet

Mike C · 07-07-2006, 06:37 AM

You know what your flaws are, so you can fix them. try restructuring sentences and saying things different ways so that you lessen the need of 'however' sentences.