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I would have hugged you longer if I knew that’d be the last time we’d hug.

Overused Words in Writing & How to Avoid Them

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.

I got inspired to write a poem--

This Poem Was Made By AI

(please note this poem was not, in fact, made by ai. I stayed up until 1:30 in the morning writing this)

Imagine a world where everyone could write.  There’d be no need to argue, no need to start a fight.  No need to stay up until all hours of night,  No need to squint at the paper and say, “This can’t be right.”

Imagine a world where you could spitball a book. It’s really quite easy, I promise, just look! You don’t need to worry about finding a unique hook, Just borrow this neat one from this author I took.

Imagine a world where you could make a series for tv. It’s quite simple and really stress-free! All you have to do is write a sentence, you see, And our Inkitt AI can turn it into an episode, two, or three!

A single bullet point can turn into a flourishing story.  There’s no need to draft, no need to worry.  All the “real” writers will run away and scurry. Compared to our stories, theirs looks like an unfinished painting, blurry.

Imagine a world where we took all the joy Out of writing for every girl and boy. It’s our writing they want, our writing to enjoy,  And our platforms are as enticing as a small nostalgic toy.

AI is better. This, people just know We’ll steal from all the “real” writers; just keep it on the down-low. Everyone will come to us, and our platforms will grow.  We’re practically as iconic and cool as uh… Odysseus and Calypso.

That was the first thing, but this better thing is second:  All the helpless writers to our platforms, we beckoned.  And here’s a little secret, it’s something we recon,  That we’ve turned our silly tools into a weapon.

Imagine a world where people for themselves don't think.  And creating a piece could be done in a blink; And they’ll use our tools more and more like the alcohol they’ll drink As their helpless brains and their skills of craft start to shrink.

On our words of wisdom and greatness, they’ll rely While subpar original works out of “writers’” hands we pry And use our cool AI programs to modify— And if they come after us, we’ll simply just deny.

Their brains will grow stupid, tired, and weary, And we’ll have the power to answer all their writing queries. We may do some things that might cause some to be leery,  But not to worry, we’ll still write your english essays and letters to mother deary.

Imagine a world where everyone could write.  With what we’re doing, everyone’s ideas can take flight. And with the way we’re going, we’ll be All Writers’ sole—blinding—light, And no one will be able to look at what we’re doing and say, “This isn’t right.”

Each week (or so), we'll highlight the relevant (and sometimes rage-inducing) news adjacent to writing and freedom of expression. This week:

Inkitt’s AI-powered fiction factory

Inkitt started in the mid-2010s as a cozy platform where anyone could share their writing. Fast forward twenty twenty-fuckkkkk, and like most startups, it’s pivoted hard into AI-fueled content production with the soul of an algorithm.

Pictured: Inkitt preparing human-generated work for an AI-powered flume ride to The Unknown.

Here’s how it works: Inkitt monitors reader engagement with tracking software, then picks popular stories to publish on its premium app, Galatea. From there, stories can get spun into sequels, spinoffs, or adapted for GalateaTV… often with minimal author involvement. Authors get an undisclosed cut of revenue, but for most, it’s a fraction of what they’d earn with a traditional publisher (let alone self-publishing).

“'They prey on new writers who have no idea what they’re doing,' said the writer of one popular Galatea series."

Many, many authors have side-eyed or outright decried the platform as inherently predatory for years, due to nebulous payout promises. And much of the concern centers on contracts that don’t require authors’ consent for editorial changes or AI-generated “additions” to the original text.

Now, Inkitt has gone full DiSrUpTiOn, leaning heavily on generative AI to ghostwrite, edit, generate audiobook narration, and design covers, under the banner of “democratizing storytelling.” (Bullshit AI? In my democratized storytelling platform? It’s more likely than you think.)

Pictured: Inkitt’s CEO looking at the most-read stories.

But Inkitt’s CEO doesn’t seem too concerned about what authors think: “His business model doesn’t need them.”

The company recently raised $37 million, with backers including former CEOs of Sony, Penguin, and HarperCollins, proving once again that publishing loves a disruptor… as long as it disrupts creatives, not capital. And more AI companies are mushrooming up to chase the same vision: “a vision of human-created art becoming the raw material for AI-powered, corporate-owned content-production machines—a scenario in which humans would play an ever-shrinking role.”

(Not to say we predicted this, but…)

Welcome to the creator-industrial complex.

Publishers to AI: Stop stealing our stuff (please?)

Major publishers—including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, and Vox Media—have launched a "Support Responsible AI" campaign, urging the U.S. government to regulate AI's use of copyrighted content.

Like last month's campaigns by the Authors Guild and the UK's Society of Authors, there's a website where where you can (and should!) contact your representatives to say, “Hey, maybe stop letting billion-dollar tech giants strip-mine journalism.”

The campaign’s ads carry big mood slogans like “Stop AI Theft” and “AI Steals From You Too” and call for legislation that would force AI companies to pay for the content they train on and clearly label AI-generated content with attribution. This follows lobbying by OpenAI and Google to make it legal to scrape and train on copyrighted material without consent.

The publishers assert they are not explicitly anti-AI, but advocate for a “fair” system that respects intellectual property and supports journalism.

But… awkward, The Washington Post—now owned by Jeff Bezos—has reportedly already struck a deal with OpenAI to license and summarize its content. So, mixed signals.

Still, as the campaign reminds us: “Stealing is un-American.”

(Unless it’s profitable.)

#WarForever

We at Ellipsus love a good meme-turned-megaproject. Back in January, the-app-formerly-known-as-Twitter user @lolt64 tweeted a cryptic line about "the frozen wastes of europa,” the earliest reference to the never-ending war on Jupiter’s icy moon.

A slew of bleak dispatches from weary, doomed soldiers entrenched on Europa’s ice fields snowballed (iceberged?) into a sprawling saga, yes-and-ing with fan art, vignettes, and memes under the hashtag #WarForever.

It’s not quite X’s answer to Goncharov: It turns out WarForever is some flavor of viral marketing for a tabletop RPG zine. But the internet ran with it anyway, with NASA playing the Scorcese of the stars.

In a digital hellworld increasingly dominated by AI slopification, data harvesting, and “content at scale,” projects like WarForever are a blessed reminder that creativity—actual, human creativity—perseveres.

Even on a frozen moon. Even here.

Let us know if you find something other writers should know about, (or join our Discord and share it there!)

- The Ellipsus Team xo

writing a multi-chapter fic is posting a chapter that is 1,000 word long and another that is 10,000 word long. there's no in between

Writing Prompt #9

I’m not asking God for forgiveness. He should have a sense of humor.

HEY!!!!! HEY!!! HEY!!! HEY!!! YEAH, YOU!!!!

DO YOU STILL REMEMBER WHY YOU STARTED??? DO YOU STILL REMEMBER THAT DAY WHEN YOU GOT A LITTLE CLOSER TO YOUR DREAM??? TO YOUR GOALS??? DO YOU???

WELL, LET ME REMIND YOU, GET BACK TO YOUR WORK AND START PURSUING YOUR GOALS!!! 🚀🔥

YOU ARE ACHIEVING ALL YOUR GOALS FOR SURE! WINNING IS IN YOUR FATE, REMEMBER THAT!!! 🏆✨

GOD BLESS!!!!! 🙏

(We get lost sometimes, but keep walking the path that will lead you to a better place. Resting is fine, but keep moving!)

-Y.N. / Dark Asher

<3

Hello wandering traveler. Come rest your weary bones a while.

Even worse, you form a stronger attachment to the side character than the main character.

the worst part of writing is when you realize you accidentally gave a side character a better arc than the main character.

we absolutely should. it would be very platonically romantic. speaking of which, I'm driving @chaiandpages absolutely insane with the platonic writing I'm doing because I'm a romance writer and now I'm writing a 100 percent platonic relationship but they're pretending they're dating to get this dude to fuck off and its perhaps the best romantic banter I've ever written???? anyway hi

i should be banned from posting after 10pm. bad things happen in the evening when i am given free reign of the tumblr. Doing psychological warfare on my mutuals enjoy the mess that is. Me.

Writing Prompt #13

A friendly ghost helps a new adult do their taxes.