: Re: Using filler words like 'So', 'Anyway' I find myself using these words all the time. Now (<-- there's one!), to be clear the context I'm using them is in conversational style writing, on

@Moriarity138

Vote Up Vote Down

My question is - is this actually an effective writing style, in the sense of being easy to read and persuasive, and if not, how do I get around it?

Regarding ease of reading, it's a wash. These types of words can add a friendly tone but they also make the text less concise.

Regarding persuasion, they reduce the effectiveness. That's because at best they are noise and at worst they are read as qualifiers. Qualifiers push text and speech in a "softer" direction where they allow more interpretation and are less assertive. More blatant qualifiers (e.g., "in most cases" or "ideally") can come across as signals of dishonesty.

While it might seem that softening your point is a way to gently invite the reader to consider your view, it's better to actually present a nuanced viewpoint with assertive, affirmative language than it is to weaken the statement of a more basic viewpoint.

Overall, conciseness shows respect for the reader's time. In expository writing, it's almost always more effective. In fiction, there are reasons to add what might otherwise seem to be "noise", with the caveat that you can still risk losing the reader's attention and excitement.

You get around it by simply reviewing what you've written and deleting all such words and phrases. Keep cutting until you can't remove a word without taking away from the core statement you are making.

(0)

Login to post a comment!