THAT!

I hate the word. If I find myself in a situation where I am about to use it, I delete the sentence and start again. The world just doesn’t need it. If you find a sentence with the word that in it, read it out loud with and then without.

Without usually sounds so much better, it’s confident writing without it. There isn’t a post on this website which included the word! And I can usually get out of using it in a 40,000+ word novel as well.

I can’t tell you where it came from. Or why it’s so happened, but if I am editing anyone’s work and I find one I suggest to rewrite the sentence or just take it out. It’s a useless word to me, it doesn’t do anything to the writing other than disrupt the flow.

I understand some people will disagree and some will agree. It’s just personal taste, I suppose, but give it a true with and then without and see which one you prefer.

I suppose it’s a bit like marmite, you either use it, or you don’t!

#Writing #Editing #tips