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With great help, finally managed to get the website working. Here's is my first university piece: Ascension of the World. I'm really proud of how it turned out in the end!

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Hi! So I recently discovered removing the word 'that' from 90% of my writing actually made it more fluid and hardly impacted the readability. Tiny achievement but very proud of myself as a novice writer ^.^ I was wondering if (other than the up/down one) there were any other tiny tricks for removing superfluous words? Thanks!

Great question! Honestly, there are hundreds, but here are a few to get you started.

Words You Can (Usually) Safely Cut from Your Writing

That

Then

Start

Begin

Suddenly

Down

Up

Kind of

Really

Just

Basically

In general, look out for adverbs (actually, really), “hedging” words (kind of, sometimes), and ambiguous words (nothing, everything, someone). Some can be cut; others will need to be revised or swapped out. “That” is a classic offender. “Then” can usually be changed to “and.” It’s only necessary to qualify that an action was “started” if the action gets interrupted, otherwise it can be cut. (”She started to cry” becomes “She cried”).

I have a detailed, exhaustive list of words like this (with explanations!) in my book The Complete Guide to Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, which will be done soon :)

Nice to hear from you & hope this helps!

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The Literary Architect is a writing advice blog run by me, Bucket Siler. For more writing help, check out my Free Resource Library, peruse my Tumblr Post Guide, or get The Complete Guide to Self-Editing for Fiction Writers. xoxo

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Subtle energies are shifting and people are waking up in a spiritual sense, as we enter into an age where twin flames are finding each other around the world. But how can someone know about twin flames if they haven't encountered one, and what makes someone in a relationship so certain they found “the one” - their twin flame?

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Guide to Figuring out the Age of an Undated World Map.

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Taking a look at what telepathic dreams are, past scientific experiments and personal experiences (via Dream Telepathy)

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a mess

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Things to do as a famous writer;

Make a “fan blog” of ur book of Tumblr and stalk ur fandom from within.

Go to a book store, find ur books, sign a copy, then leave.

Write purposefully bad fan fiction of ur book and post it anonymously.

Buy a copy of ur own book and write commentary in the margins, then sell it online.

Cosplay ur own character to a con, don’t let anyone know it’s you.

Using your “fan blog” befriend another fan online. Ask them to video chat you, record their reaction.

Draw purposefully bad fan art and post it anonymously.

Read ALL of the fan fiction of ur book, then declare random ones you like as cannon in the comments.

Talk to aspiring writers online or at schools and encourage them.

Become a beta reader for one of ur fans.

Hold long in depth conversations with a fan who doesn’t recognize you, disagree with everything they say.

Ask to talk a picture with people who recognize you on the street before they have a chance to ask you first.

Anonymously commission artists to draw ur characters, then surprise them by posting it to ur “official blog.” Make sure you credit them so you draw more attention to their amazing artwork!!!

Tease ur fans about the next book coming out.

Tell ur fans a character is gonna die in the next book, but not say who. Watch them squirm.

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If You’re Too Busy For These 5 Things: Your Life Is More Off-Course Than You Think

Keep Reading

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Sometimes writing is like: The forest arched high an impassable over her head, thickets thatched tightly together as if to keep her out. Even the trees seemed more foreboding, hollowed and bare, wind whistling ominously through their empty branches like a long-forgotten song.

And sometimes it's like: The forest was filled with trees. It also had bushes. Ugly bushes. it was spooky.

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The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness. We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life. We’ve added years to life not life to years. We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We’ve done larger things, but not better things. We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We’ve conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less. These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete… Remember, to spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever. Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side. Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn’t cost a cent. Remember, to say, “I love you” to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you. Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person might not be there again. Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

Bob Moorehead (via wordsnquotes)

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I have this battle everyday.... Though I find the challenge as much fun as creating the fictitious world =^.^=

the thing about writing fantasy stories is that language is so based on history that it can be hard to decide how far suspension of disbelief can carry you word-choice wise - what do you call a french braid in a world with no france? can a queen ann neckline be described if there was no queen ann? where do you draw the line? can you use the word platonic if plato never existed? can you name a character chris in a land without christianity? can you even say ‘bungalow’ in a world where there was no indian language for the word to originate from? is there a single word in any language that doesn’t have a story behind it? to be accurate a fantasy story would be written in a fantasy language but who has the time for that

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❤ Give love! Spread love!  ❤

Go and tell your favorite artist something nice about their art! Go-go-go!

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Vaejume is finally available to buy on amazon =^.^=

'After finally discovering who she is, Aengal must deal with the crumbling and corrupt politics of Kisu in a world filled with masked motives and uncertainty everywhere; before she can continue on her mission to deal with the looming threat of Raketselka.

Along the way she meets with new friends and an unsuspecting betrayal as she journeys around Sirin in search of the Night Tree, meeting with her destiny so she can finally put an end to the evil spreading through the world and mend the rifts growing between the Spehirikin and the unelmuns.'

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The guardian of dreams, the Syndal was the first creation of Tseva and is said to appear to people that are truly lost within the darkness.

Its tail plumes radiate a soft light, and it will occasionally pluck out a choice feather to leave as a sign of its presence. These feathers are considered to be a symbol of good fortunes and love.

Unelmuns, often unable to see that majority of Spehirikin, have often seen the strange lights created by a Syndal's tail feathers bobbing through the night, and many tales have come around as a result of the phenomenon.

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A talvaen creature and incredibly rare and elusive; Astasian foxes are incredibly sensitive and are known for their telepathy, healing powers and exquisite fur. Astasian foxes have an incredibly playful nature and love flowers.

They will occasionally adopt a person, particularly children, and seldom leave their side. They are also known to play tricks on those people they reside with.

Astasian foxes avoid unelmuns, and hunters especially, by vanishing into the Fethralin. They are incredibly perceptive when it comes down to judging a person's intentions and nature.