Filler Words: What Should You DELETE from Your Manuscript?

Let’s start the month off with a #WriterWarnings 🙃 Let’s go over those pesky that we should be deleting from our manuscripts. Also known as filler words.

Most of us don’t realize we’re using filler words as we write. The conscious thought not to include them isn’t there. Most of the time, the sentences we write can read perfectly clear without these words (list below). Filler words are unnecessary and drag the narrative, making it lack in engagement and slow the pacing of your story.

As an editor, I see these all the time and almost always hit delete when it comes to them. I’m more lax about filler words being in dialogue because they can make dialogue sound more natural. However, most filler words are deleted from the narrative when I come across them.

Here’s a list of filler words:
“that”
“that was”
“really”
“very”
“pretty”
“maybe”
“perhaps”
“possibly”
“actually”
“just”
“only”
“of course”
“so”
“like”
“occasionally”
“well”
“own”

So there’s my list! I have these words listed out in my style guide to remind myself to hit that delete button and you should, too!

Xo,
Ashley