Thread: Tips on editing statements

Is there a word that you feel you use too much that is rather basic? Is there a specific phrase that you think can be worded better?

This is the thread where you put down these words or statements that you think can be bettered. This will be good for us all, and get our minds churning.

An example: I use 'sigh' way too much, since I can't think of a better way to say it.

For awhile it was LIKE A...whatever, I broke the habit and now use other words such as AS A, SIMILAR, etc.
Now I find my characters doing a lot of breathing, taking deep breaths, breathing in, letting out their breath in a rush. I need to do something about it, but haven't figured out what just yet.

I talk about breathing so much too! Seriously, breathing and sighing I have in like every single chapter for every story I write!

And OMG (side note), my grandparents live in Elk Grove IL.

I've tried inhaled and exhaled, but that only works in a very few places. She sighed. A resolution for next year? Maybe.
Interesting how many of the same town names there are across the nation. Most be because of the migrations the easterners made to the west. In this case, must have been a lot Elk around in the groves.

i use verbs like 'smiled', 'whispered' and 'laughed' too much. the main problem is i like to use simple language as much as possible in fiction, especially for actions, so can never bring myself to use many of the obvious synonyms for such words. the idea of using a word like 'grimaced' for 'smiled' just doesn't do it for me.

I guess thwere are some word that are so commonthat their use is inevitable. I could say that I use the word 'I' too much, since there is no better was of saying 'I' than if I use the word 'I' to say that I am doing something. 'Sighed' is a funny one, because you want to say it differently, but you can't it desires a power verb, an extension of the lexis, but any attempt is to no avail. Sigh.

I don't think that the reader minds reading such words over and over again. They only notice if the word can be easily replaced, like 'said'.