Crutches, Tics, and Placeholders

Do you know your writing crutches? Your placeholders? Everyone has some. These are the “defaults” that come automatically to you when you’re on a roll, writing away in a flow state, just getting the words on the page. They can be pet adjectives, or gestures or facial expressions that your characters use over and over, or dialogue patterns that you always use.

It’s fine. The purpose of first drafts is to get your story into a form that’s observable, rather than just drifting around in your imagination. But when you set out to refine your story, that’s when these habits need to get a good sharp look. Then you ask yourself (or your editor will put it to you) “Are these devices enhancing the experience of the story, or will their presence be distracting for the reader?”

‍ Let’s take a look.