rhi2018

[rhi2018]

ARCANE LEAGUE OF LEGENDS: SEASON 1 ↳ Amanda Overton (Arcane Series Writer) x Tweets on Caitlyn and Vi

[rhi2018]

[rhi2018]

Us against the world? As always.

[rhi2018]

Narrative Botox: Filler Words and Phrases to Look Out For

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)

Hope this helped, and happy writing!

[rhi2018]

Donald Trump gets attacked by an eagle.

This eagle truly represents America. What a majestic symbol.

[rhi2018]

[rhi2018]

Help Adora please she is Dying / @wlw-catra

[rhi2018]

More Catradora. The song is “Here With You” by Sick Puppies.

[rhi2018]

SUPERCORPFLIX - now streaming your favourite supercorp content. (part 1) click for better quality links to featured fics under the cut

Keep reading

[rhi2018]

More pre-S5 ko-fi request art!! Werewolves vs Vampires AU anyone 👀?

(+Bonus scary Queen Angella and Adora Woofs)

[rhi2018]

some incredibly rude ravens

X

[rhi2018]

Catra’s love language is physical touch. 

[rhi2018]

Catra (and melog) sneezing compilation

[rhi2018]

Why Catradora Isn’t Incest + Evidence they’ve always loved each other

Note: If you happen to not ship this, coming as a Catradora shipper I don’t mind. I can understand some issues regarding the pairing and how they may concern certain people and make others uncomfortable, and I am not here to invalidate your beliefs or anything like that. I’m simply here to negate this issue as a diehard fan of this show and as someone who fell in love with this pairing and personally feel like this doesn’t apply to this pairing. 

Okay so the main argument for this is that they’ve grown in the same enviorment since they were young and have been raised to think of each other as siblings as a result. However the thing is, just being raised from when young and in harsh enviorments that put you close doesn’t automatically mean the following characters see ,each other as siblings. By this logic in general, any childhood friends automatically can’t be into each other at some point because they were raised together doesn’t mean anything. Just because I’ve known someone since kindergarten to present day, being raised in an 8-hour almost daily rate where I constantly see them does not make me see them as siblings. Being raised in close proximity doesn’t make anyone related. And being close with someone from a young age doesn’t imply that either.

And with the second hand part of the argument, that since they’ve been raised together they clearly see each other as siblings means that THEY need to see each other as that to prove this really is true. But that’s the thing, never in canon do they call each other that and in canon it has been stated that Catra has ALWAYS loved Adora.

“Don’t you get It? I love you, I’ve ALWAYS have.”

And if we take that quote and keep it to mind that she always has been into her, and we look into other screenshots of Catra when young, in particularar this one, it reflects this.

Now, I will say that blushing in She-Ra doesn’t always equal romance and I get that. But considering that quote that I just showed, and the fact that the whole context behind this hug was Catra struggling to share Adora with others around her in that she wants her to herself, I think we can say that there was at least hints that Catra has liked her from a young age. And with that in mind and considering how they’re supposed to be like, 6??? In this scene, we can safely say that even by this age, they don’t see each other as siblings or anything like that. Otherwise why bother with the blush? Why animate that SPECCIFICALLY. It says something, and definetely not that they’re sisters.

Now on behalf of Adora’s side, this is a bit more difficult to prove that she liked Catra from a young age. She only blushes in this show from muscley women and season 5 mainlly after all. But even if this isn’t explicitly shown that she’s liked Catra from a young age either, it doesn’t mean she saw Catra as such either. And based off how quickly she went to blushing and flirting with Catra even after only getting her back and not having her be her enemy.

(Context: after Catra tells her to not leave and casually and softly moves her hand down from her arm to hold her hand. Also this happens like at most a DAY after they reunite.)

And considering how quickly this scene happened after meeting up, and knowing Adora and how much she represses her emotions. This means that she has been harboring feelings for a while. After all, as gorgeous short-haired Catra is, it’s not going to make her gay immediately knowing Adora’s character and how dense she be. Most likely, she’s had feelings for a long time towards Catra. Why they didn’t show us this in the show more? Because in the first few seasons, dreamworks and the executives didn’t greenlight it yet. Noelle had to work for it for a while, and like the queen she is, she did it. However this can only show until later on in the show. And during late seasons, this was when Adora is meant to be trying to push Catra away because she hadn’t changed or developed yet. But s5 hits, and that’s meant to change. But clearly, she’s harbored feelings for a while. How long I can’t say for sure, but even before this season, she has never seen Catra as a sister or anything remotely like that.

And with that PLUS that scene with all of Adora’s past memories of Catra in one of the final scenes. With every version of Catra that she’s scen all flashing, from the past young girl that she knew in the horde, to her enemy, and to the current girl she knows now who returned to her, and this present version of Catra getting really close, to cup her face and everything, and look romantically in her eyes. There is litterally no other way to interpret that but to see it as romantic and that Adora has always seen her as such. Especially conidering the whole area is showing Adora what she wants ultimately. That being that she’s always loved Catra as well.

The other argument I see for this is that aprantly it’s been stated in outside sources that they see each other as sisters. Howeever. The only time I have seen this being mentioned in two cases: A she-ra book

Though this can be easily disproven as reliable due to that Noelle most likely Noelle didn’t have control over these books, and that I believe it was even changed to “best friend” in a later version. (Plus user @malachi-walker​ does make a point on this in one the posts on why this isn’t reliable in more detail, link here: https://malachi-walker.tumblr.com/post/189899851356/ok-time-to-talk-about-spop-and-licensing )

The only other point of them being sisterly that I can hear about is where I believe Catra’s VA had commented on them being sisterly. However this also can’t be reliable as other VA’s that have worked on She-Ra (Adora’s, and Double Trouble’s) have shown large amounts of support for the ships even before s5.

(from Aimee as well lol)

In conclusion. I have an exam tommorow but this stuff just bothered me so here i am making a post that won’t make any sense in the morning. If you see them as siblings and just feel uncomfortable with the ship thats fine dude you’re valid but don’t proclaim something is incest over your headcannon. Anyways, gay rights babeyy and good night clowns.

[rhi2018]

bro she’s so in love

[rhi2018]

The Catradora kiss lives in my head rent free forever

[rhi2018]

Have some spam