a writing blog

*insert gif that says ‘bet you thought you’d seen the last of me*

Just the other day I was emailed by a relatively new indie journal looking for writers. They made it very clear that they did not pay writers for their work, so I figured I’d probably be passing, but I took a look at their Copyright policy out of curiosity and it was a nightmare. They wanted “non-exclusive, irrevocable, royalty-free, perpetual, worldwide license and right to use, display, reproduce, distribute, and publish the Work on the internet and on or in any medium” (that’s copy and pasted btw) and that was the first of 10 sections on their Copyright agreement page. Yikes. That’s exactly the type of publishing nightmare you don’t want to be trapped in. 

Most journals will ask for “First North American Rights” or a variation on “First Rights” which operate under the assumption that all right revert back to you and they only have the right to be the first publishers of the work. That is what you need to be looking for because you do want to retain all the rights to your work. 

You want all rights to revert back to you upon publication in case you, say, want to publish it again in the future or use it for a bookmark or post it on your blog, or anything else you might want to do with the writing you worked hard on. Any time a publisher wants more than that, be very suspicious. Anyone who wants to own your work forever and be able to do whatever they want with it without your permission is not to be trusted. Anyone who wants all that and wants you to sign away your right to ever be paid for your work is running a scam.

What if the publisher goes defunct? What if they get bought by another publisher who doesn’t care to promote or publish your work? You still can’t to anything with it, you don’t own it anymore!

For a thorough overview of what you should be aware of regarding your intellectual property and publishing rights, please read through this collection of post [https://kriswrites.com/business-musings/contracts-and-dealbreakers/] by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. 

Hello and welcome to our second annual Flufftober 🥳

We’re so excited to be back and to once again have you here!

Let’s fill the month of October with as much fluff as possible 🥰

You’ll find the entire prompt list - as well as a list of prompt substitutes! - at the end of this post so you can easily copy/paste it all. But first:

Rules & FAQ

No inc*st or p*dophilia - we can’t keep you from writing it or creating art for it but it won’t be reblogged.

No hate or ship bashing - we’re all different and we all love different things. As long as it doesn’t go against rule #1, it’s allowed.

Tag correctly! Trigger warnings (including cheating!), ships, ratings, (pure) smut, etc - it’s all fine as long as you tag it.

There’s absolutely no word count restriction, write as little or as much as you like.

In regards to art, anything goes: drawings, paintings, collages, mood boards, gifsets, videos, playlists… the sky’s the limit (though not really…)

While we can’t force you to write fluff or create fluffy art, please try to keep in mind that this is a fluff event 😉

You can start writing and/or arting as soon as you see this - but please refrain from posting before the respective day.

You can participate on as many days as you like, even if it’s just one; you can also create multiple entries for the same day.

NEW this year are our prompt substitutes! These are the five most loved prompts from the previous year, and you can use as many of them as you like instead of five prompts from the original list - or even in addition, that's completely up to you.

It’s okay to write one story/a series for all the prompts as long as it’s separated into chapters and the respective chapter/work is posted on the given day.

You do not have to stick to one ship or even one fandom - switch as often as you like to or even write for multiple ships for one day.

The ship does not have to be a romantic one! Friendship and family feels are more than welcome (but this is not a way to get around rule #1!)

This event can be combined with other events as long as the other event allows it.

Late entries are always welcome, even if it is months later.

All fandoms and ships are welcome - fanon and canon - as long as they’re of age (in case you want to add smut) and not related.

Posting

Posting to tumblr

Please use the tag #flufftober2022

Since tags are sometimes wonky, make sure to also add @flufftober in your post

We will try to catch them all, but please don't be mad if we miss a post or if it gets reblogged a bit late

If you're absolutely certain a post has slipped past us, feel free to send an ask with the link to your post

To make reblogging easier for us, make sure to add the following tags: #flufftober2022 #day [xy] #[fandom] #[ship and/or main character(s)]

If you're using a prompt substitute, instead of #day [xy] tag it as #alt 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5

Posting to ao3

You can add your creation to the collection flufftober2022 or flufftober_2022 (yes, we've claimed both because so many people added to the wrong collection last year 😅)

Late entries are always welcome, on tumblr as well as the ao3 collection! Neither will close - but like last year, reblogs will become less and less and further apart the more months pass...

Prompts

1. Wearing Each Other’s Clothes

2. “You’ve told your parents?”

3. Thick as Thieves

4. Supporting Silly Quirks/Hobbies

5. “Oh no, you’re a Morning Person!”

6. Candles, Lanterns, Fairy Lights

7. Movie Marathon

8. Shooting Stars

9. Game Day (Sports)

10. Love Language

11. Poetry, Art, Music, Craft

12. “You kept this?”

13. Secret Family Recipe

14. Truth or Dare/20 Questions

15. Accidents don't just happen accidentally

16. “I hate you” – “I love you too”

17. Animal Shelter

18. Soulmate AU

19. Hot Chocolate

20. Bedtime Stories

21. Kiss for Good Luck

22. “Have you heard?”

23. POV Outsider

24. All the Hugs

25. First Dance

26. Blankets

27. Reunion

28. Picnic

29. Leaves

30. Dear Diary

31. A Sweet Treat

Prompt Substitutes

Last year, many of you asked for it, this year we're delivering 😊 introducing: Prompts Substitutes!

As explained in the rules, these can be used if there are prompts in the original list that you don't like for whatever reason. No need to explain or apologize for it, simply switch them with one of the five most loved prompts from last year. Or... you know... just add these five to your list of 31 prompts that want to be written 😉

Alt 1: Slow Dancing

Alt 2: Caught in the Rain

Alt 3: Falling Asleep Together

Alt 4: Up Against the Wall Kiss

Alt 5: Winning a Teddy for the Other

We hope you like these lists, and now

E.A. Deverell - FREE worksheets (characters, world building, narrator, etc.) and paid courses;

Hiveword - Helps to research any topic to write about (has other resources, too);

BetaBooks - Share your draft with your beta reader (can be more than one), and see where they stopped reading, their comments, etc.;

Charlotte Dillon - Research links;

Writing realistic injuries - The title is pretty self-explanatory: while writing about an injury, take a look at this useful website;

One Stop for Writers - You guys... this website has literally everything we need: a) Description thesaurus collection, b) Character builder, c) Story maps, d) Scene maps & timelines, e) World building surveys, f) Worksheets, f) Tutorials, and much more! Although it has a paid plan ($90/year | $50/6 months | $9/month), you can still get a 2-week FREE trial;

One Stop for Writers Roadmap - It has many tips for you, divided into three different topics: a) How to plan a story, b) How to write a story, c) How to revise a story. The best thing about this? It's FREE!

Story Structure Database - The Story Structure Database is an archive of books and movies, recording all their major plot points;

National Centre for Writing - FREE worksheets and writing courses. Has also paid courses;

Penguin Random House - Has some writing contests and great opportunities;

Crime Reads - Get inspired before writing a crime scene;

The Creative Academy for Writers - "Writers helping writers along every step of the path to publication." It's FREE and has ZOOM writing rooms;

Reedsy - "A trusted place to learn how to successfully publish your book" It has many tips, and tools (generators), contests, prompts lists, etc. FREE;

QueryTracker - Find agents for your books (personally, I've never used this before, but I thought I should feature it here);

Pacemaker - Track your goals (example: Write 50K words - then, everytime you write, you track the number of the words, and it will make a graphic for you with your progress). It's FREE but has a paid plan;

Save the Cat! - The blog of the most known storytelling method. You can find posts, sheets, a software (student discount - 70%), and other things;

I hope this is helpful for you!

Hello! In this FREE Notion template for writers that I made, you can:

Manage your novels:

Have an overview of each novel:

Create your characters:

Build your world:

And then you ask...

Why should I use Notion?

Well, first of all, it is 100% FREE!

Plus, with my template, you have everything you need to start developing and writing your novel.

Also, Notion is totally customizable, which means that you are free to make the changes you need to adapt the template more to your liking.

TEMPLATE HERE! (Don't worry, this link is safe and will direct you to Notion.) To get the template, just click in "Duplicate":

It is called a reverse outline.

Basically, you write your entire 1st draft, take a good moment reading all of it, and then start summarizing each chapter one by one in single paragraphs.

It helps you to identify which scenes are not actually necessary, analyze if a scene is well placed in that moment of the story - and if not, it can help placing the chapter earlier or later in the story -, helps identifying plot holes etc.

I usually write a summary of each chapter/scene on an index card and lay them all out so I can clearly see where there are gaps and where things flow smoothly. I color-code them, too (e.g., red = the scene needs major editing; green = the scene is pretty good as is).

May you have endless ideas, motivation, and energy, and never have writer’s block.

Word document:

PDF:

And to those participating in NaNoWriMo, best of luck. You got this 🙌

Disclaimer: this is a harsh and mean informative post on mistakes that make your writing amateurish or fanfiction-like. In the professional world, editors will call you out on them in a much harsher way that here.. but hey, they’re easy to fix! Of course, the quality of writing is often a matter of individual taste and experience, though there is a theory to it and ways to make your work clear and interesting to your readers.

And yes, as cruel as it sounds to admit—most fanfiction writers are amateurs who will not help you improve your own writing. You might have to close your Good Omens AO3 fanfic for a few hours to read the actual work by Neil Gaiman. That said, fanfiction is an amazing gateway to becoming a pro author because it gives you insight on what the audience likes, and the practice you need to improve! There are many fanfiction writers who’ve taken the time to learn from professionals about their craft, and are in a place where they could become successful published authors themselves.

That aside, here are 7 writing mistakes that hinder your writing!

1 – Dialogue tags

This is BY FAR the most common mistake that amateur writers do, and particularly prelevant in fanfiction. Alternative dialogue tags (whisper, shout, murmured) should be used VERY sparingly. “said”, “replied”, and “asked” should build up the majority of the tags you use.

Oftentimes, the reader will understand the tone based on what the character says or by their actions.

2 - Tense changes

Pick a tense and stick to it. Many times, amateurs waver between past and present which leads to awkward reading. Choose which tense you prefer and stick to it. An extra caution should be taken when using past tense, however, to correctly use past preterite (I ate) vs past perfect (I had eaten). While both can be used, they are different so make sure you understand when to use which.

3 – Pointless dialogue

It’s time to cut the small talk. While chitchat and banter may be fun to read, particularly in fanfiction, editors will ask that you remove it if it doesn’t advance the plot. What you want to do is cut down on the filler in your story, and if that means your characters NOT having an argument about macaroni cheese, then so be it. Save dialogue for important and meaningful conversation only—your readers will prefer it, I promise.

4 – Pointless description

Hand in hand with the previous point, description should be kept consise and relevant. We don’t need to know what your character is wearing or the details of their “black, leather, zebra-print sofa under the wide windowsill in the master bedroom”. Keep the descriptions short, fed into the plot little-by-little and relevant to what is happening. Your readers are smart—they can imagine the rest for themselves! That’s what makes reading fun!

5 – Use the character’s name

The blue-eyed boy has a name for the great purpose of you using it! Literal writing, nine times out of ten, is better! Green orbs are distracting, but green eyes are to the point and clear. It’s the same with names! The name, title, role (butler, governess etc), or pronouns should always be the default. Any other term should be used sparingly when there is no other alternative.

6 – Abandon the pet names

Yes, pet names are cute and fun, but not when they’re in every sentence of conversation. Things like “babe”, “baby”, “sugarpuff sunshine fairy” should be used SPARINGLY. I can assure you, the love interests saying it once or twice in the novel will have a far greater impact on the reader than if they say it every time they call their partner. An overuse of pet names becomes distracting and make the character seem both immature and a caricature. It also has a similar effet to repeating the other person’s name during a conversation—it leads to unnatural dialogue as we only really say the other person’s name to them in order to get their attention.

7 – Immature characters

This is a biiiiig one in fanfiction. You may see characters who are adults in their mid to late twenties but who still behave like teenagers. Granted, if you are a teenage writer, this can’t always be corrected, though it does become apparent to any reader over the age of eighteen.

Truth be told, adults mature and don’t react as overtly as many poorly-written characters do. A twenty-eight year old is very unlikely to tell two teenagers who are making out at the kitchen table to “get a room”, nor are they likely to be victim of some horrible miscommunication that leads to a lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers situation. Of course, it is still possible, though it does read as unrealistic and makes it apparent that the author has not yet reached the age of the character they are writing about. Take reference from real people around the age of your characters and if all else fails, you could always look for the possibility to age them down.

The point of correcting these mistakes is to create a novel that is easy to understand without the reader feeling as though they're swimming through mud. Publishers look for clear, consise books that tell one story from start to finish!

Hello and welcome to our first annual Flufftober! We're so excited to have you here!

Let's fill the month of October with as much fluff as possible 🥰

You'll find the entire prompt list at the end of this post so you can easily copy/paste it all. But first:

Rules & FAQ

No inc*st or p*dophilia - we can't keep you from writing it or creating art for it but it won't be reblogged.

No hate or ship bashing - we're all different and we all love different things. As long as it doesn't go against rule #1, it's allowed.

Tag correctly! Trigger warnings (including cheating!), ships, ratings, (pure) smut, etc - it's all fine as long as you tag it.

There's absolutely no word count restriction, write as little or as much as you like.

In regards to art, anything goes: drawings, paintings, collages, mood boards, gifsets, videos, playlists... the sky's the limit (though not really...)

While we can't force you to write fluff or create fluffy art, please try to keep in mind that this is a fluff-event 😉

You can start writing and/or arting as soon as you see this - but please refrain from posting before the respective day.

You can participate in as many days as you like, even if it's just one; you can also create multiple entries for the same day.

It's okay to write one story/a series for all the prompts as long as it's separated into chapters and the respective chapter/work is posted on the given day.

You do not have to stick to one ship or even one fandom - switch as often as you want to or even write for multiple ships for one day.

The ship does not have to be a romantic one! Friendship and family feels are also more than welcome (but this is not a way to get around rule #1!)

This event can be combined with other events as long as the other event allows it.

All fandoms and ships are welcome - fanon and canon - as long as they’re of age (in case you want to add smut) and not related.

Posting

When posting to tumblr, please use the tag #flufftober2021 (be careful, there are other flufftober blogs out there, so make sure you tag the correct one)

Feel free to include @flufftober2021 in your post as well

When posting to ao3, you can add your creation to the collection flufftober2021

Late entries are always welcome - this blog will never close

Prompts

1. Winning a Teddy for the Other

2. Sneaking Out Together

3. Lazy Sundays

4. Sparklers & Fireworks

5. Watching the Sunrise

6. Fireman’s Carry

7. Meddling Friends

8. Cooking Lessons

9. Text Messages

10. Pillow Fight

11. Love Notes

12. Sleepy Kiss

13. Pillow Talk

14. Slow Dancing

15. Silly Traditions

16. Falling Asleep Together

17. Domestic Fluff

18. Costumes

19. Flowers

20. Secret Crush

21. Knuckle Kiss

22. Flirting at Work

23. Hold Me in Your Arms

24. Caught in the Rain

25. Cuddling & Snuggling

26. New Hobby Together

27. “I’m cold” - “Here, have my jacket”

28. Soothing Baths

29. Up Against the Wall Kiss

30. Fall Asleep in My Lap

Here is the list for October this year. Write something short (or long) and tag it with #fictober21 in the first five tags. Let’s see your creativity!

“I need you.”

“You have no proof.”

“I’ve waited for this.”

“Fine, I give up.”

“I’m not saying I told you so…”

“Didn’t we already have this conversation?”

“That could have gone better.”

“This is it, isn’t it?”

“There’s no right side to this.”

“It’s so quiet.”

“I swear, it’s not always like this.”

“You keep me safe.”

“The things you make me do…”

“Your information was wrong.”

“I like that in you.”

“Not this again.”

“I’m with you, you know that.”

“This was not part of the plan.”

“I feel strange.”

“That’s what I’m known for.”

“What did I say?”

“No promises.”

“This time, do what I say.”

“Is this supposed to impress me?”

“Do you know what time it is?”

“I’m sure this has never worked, ever.”

“You could have died!”

“I don’t have to explain myself.”

“Why are we whispering?”

“Don’t ruin this.”

“Take me with you.”

This event is open to fanfiction and original fiction. Start the first of October. You do not have to do the prompts in order. Tag your posts with #fictober21. Please state at the top if your entry is original fiction or fanfiction and what fandom. State common warnings and triggers at the top and tag accordingly. I reserve the right to not reblog fics that I find inappropriate. I will reblog things here on @fictober-event​, follow this blog to see all the entries.

Hey folks! 

Have you finished a story? Are you now at a loss for how to proceed? Are you looking for some step-by-step guidance on how to actually edit your work? This is the guide for you! 

This 20-page guide includes: 

An explanation of the different types of editing 

A handy flow-chart for what order to focus on issues 

Practical steps for identifying and fixing structural problems 

Resources for learning grammar and style 

And more! 

Like all of my guides, it’s available in pay-what-you-want format on Gumroad: https://tlbodine.gumroad.com/l/jkLpr

This slipped into the inbox just before I closed it last night, and I think it's important to answer it. (Don't worry, the inbox will reopen soon. Lots of asks came in at once and I need a couple days to get caught up...)

Romanticization happens when real details, situations, events, or people are presented in an idealized, unrealistic way. It has nothing to do with romance and everything to do with reality. When you portray something that's realistically bad as though it's all sunshine and lollipops, you're romanticizing that thing.

So, for example, let's say your character is a heavy drinker. If they're constantly chugging bottles of hard liquor and never show signs of intoxication, and they're driving around and getting in high speed chases but their driving is never impaired, and if they get pulled over for speeding and the police officer doesn't detect alcohol on their breath, and if no one around them ever notices or comments on the amount that they drink or the fact that they reek of alcohol... that's completely unrealistic. Why? Because those are just some of the realities of heavy drinking, and if your character is a heavy drinker but exhibits none of the realities of heavy drinking, you're presenting drinking in an idealized, unrealistic way. You're making heavy drinking look like it's safe, fun, and free from consequences, and that's just not true.

This isn't just an issue in middle grade or YA books. Romanticization is a problem in any kind of fiction, because even in fiction, there needs to be some semblance of reality. If you have a character who's a heavy drinker but exhibits none of the realities of heavy drinking, you at least need to explain why that's the case... make a point of the fact that this character has an off-the-charts alcohol tolerance that makes them a scientific wonder. Otherwise, you're just abandoning factual reality completely, and unless you have a good reason or purpose for doing this, it just looks like you're an idiot or you're lazy.

And, yes... the reality is that romanticizing things can sometimes be harmful.

Now I'm going to link to some other blogs and articles that talk about romanticization...

Difference Between Depicting and Romanticizing via Hey, Writers!

How to Avoid Romanticizing via Fix Your Writing Habits

Stop Selling Toxic Relationships as Love in YA Fiction via Estrella Ramirez, Medium

The Romanticizing of Domestic Violence in Literature via Domestic Violence Services Network

12 Things We Need To Stop Romanticizing via Madeleine Aggeler, Bustle

Victoria Schwab Tweets:

“This just in: you can love writing and also find it hard.

“I was once on a panel and another author essentially said, ‘if you don't enjoy every moment, then why are you here?’ and I was...exasperated. Creativity is a complicated beast. You don't have to love every second to be a valid participant.

“I love the ideas. I love brainstorming, and problem-solving, and I love making this better, fine-tuning language.

“I also hate drafting, claw my way through self-doubt, crawl on my hands and knees through the frustration of the unrealized.

“I'm not here because I love every second.

If you’re planning on publishing traditionally, chances are you keep a sharp eye on your word count. Literary agents and publishing houses are on the hunt for the best quality stories that they can print for the cheapest price (using the least paper and ink), so you have a higher chance of gaining representation if you can crank your novel out in the least words possible.

However, filler words and phrases aren’t only the enemies of aspiring traditional authors; every writer—fanfic, novelist, journalist, you name it!—should try to eliminate filler from their stories to assure more concise and high-quality writing. Oftentimes, filler contributes nothing but clutter, and without it, your narrative can flow smoother and in a more sophisticated manner.

But how do you know what’s filler and what’s not? Here are some tips on how to Ctrl+F and kick this narrative botox to the curb!

I compiled these lists with the help of Infusionmedia, BDR Publishing, and ResetEra !

Filler Words

1. Just

A writer’s worst enemy, and the bane of my manuscripts’ existences. Eliminating all the ‘just’s can cut down your word count by hundreds.

2. “That” as a conjunction

It’s an unnecessary addition to a sentence, which will be more streamlined without it.

Example: “He said that he wouldn’t do it again.”

Revised: “He said he wouldn’t do it again.”

3. “Now” as an adverb

“Now” is essential if you’re talking about the past and present, but when you’re using it to draw attention to a particular statement or point.

Example: “Now, I didn’t think it’d get so out of hand.”

Revised: “I didn’t think it’d get so out of hand.”

4. Redundant adverbs

These adverbs serve no purpose because the verbs they’re describing already imply the way the action is performed.

Whispering softly

Yelling loudly

Crying sadly

Laughing happily

5. “Telling” words

These words are redundant, especially when using first person, because in describing an event, we can already assume that the characters are experiencing it.

Seeing/saw

Feeling/felt

Hearing/heard

Smelling/smelled

6. “Clarifying” words used to portray definiteness or indefiniteness

Although these are meant to help out the readers get their bearings on a situation, all they do is come across as wishy-washy! Be concise and sure of yourself!

About

Absolutely

Accordingly

Actually

Almost

Basically

Certainly

Clearly

Completely

Entirely

Even

Exactly

Fairly

Highly

Hopefully

Literally

Maybe

Only

Often

Oftentimes

Perhaps

Possibly

Probably

Quite

Rather

Really

Reasonably

Relatively

Seem

Seriously

Simply

Slightly

Some

Somehow

Sometimes

Totally

Very

Filler Phrases

1.“Let out (vocal noise)”

Use the verb instead!

Example: “He let out a sigh.”

Revised: “He sighed.”

2. Using passive voice

Passive voice inflates your word count by including various “to be” verbs into the prose. Passive voice involves actions happening to a subject rather than the subject performing an action, and as a result isn’t as riveting to the reader as active voice; even if it wasn’t a matter of word count, you’d still want to get rid of it anyway!

Still don’t know what I’m talking about? Check out this article from Grammarly.

Example: “The boy was bitten by the dog on his arm.”

Revised: “The dog bit the boy on his arm.”

3. Describing the wrong noun

Many writers will be as specific as possible about what “thing” is affected by the event they’re describing, when it’s much simpler to take a step back and write about something more general.

Example: “The level of water rose.”

Revised: “The water rose.”

4. Phrasal verbs

Phrasal verbs are the combination of two or three words from different grammatical categories—a verb and an adverb or a preposition—to form a single action. Usually, these phrasal verbs can be replaced by a single-word verb.

“Ask for” can be replaced with “request”

“Bring down” can be replaced with “reduce”

“Come across” can be replaced with “find”

Etc.

5. Clarifying phrases

Same reason as clarifying words. Get to the point!

A bit

A little

A lot

In a sense

Kind of

Sort of

6. Remember your contractions!

Even if your story takes place in olden times, I can guarantee that if you never use any contractions ever, your story’s gonna be a clunky mess. But sometimes you’re in the moment, consumed by the poetic power of the muses, and forget that this isn’t a soap opera; so make sure you check that you’ve been using your contractions!

It is, it was, it would, she is, would not, should not, is not, does not etc.

7. Inflated phrases

These phrases can be replaced with more concise words.

Along the lines of (shorten to: like)

As a matter of fact (in fact)

As to whether (whether)

At all times (always)

At the present (now or currently)

At this point in time (now or currently)

Be able to/would(n’t) be able to (could or couldn’t)

Because of the fact that (because)

By means of (by)

Due to the fact that (because)

Even though (though or although)

For the purpose of (for)

For the reason that (because)

Have the ability to (could)

In light of the fact that (because)

In order to (to)

In regards to (on or about)

In spite of the fact that (though or although)

In the event that (if)

In the nature of (like)

In the neighborhood of (about)

On the occasion of (when)

On one/two separate occasions (Once/twice)

The/A majority of (most)

There is no doubt that (No doubt)

Wasn(n’t) capable of (could or couldn’t)

I’m not holding a gun to your head and demanding you to cut ALL filler; I’m telling you all the things you should look out for if you want to reduce your word count, or if you have trouble with over-writing like I do. Obviously, you should take into account what works best for your story instead of blindly following some rando on the Internet; I honestly thought that was a given.

You don’t have to use advice that doesn’t apply to you. If you’re not looking to cut filler, then don’t cut filler! If you like your story flowery, that’s fine! I write flowery all the time and love to do it, but it’s cost me a lot of words in the long run and now I’ve been editing for years to fix it, so that’s why I made this post so I can Ctrl + F these phrases and see if I can take any of them out.

I’m a long-time, experienced writer. I know when filler works and when it doesn’t. I sometimes leave filler when it’s appropriate, but these particular things were stuff I cut for the most part.

I understand how this post can seem like an end-all-be-all for novice writers, and I apologize that I didn’t state it was intended for more mature, advanced audiences who could feel out the differences and make decisions about their prose on their own.

TLDR; do what you want, I’m not forcing you to cut filler.