The Spit Shine: Things to Check Before You Submit (or Publish) Your Novel

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

There's a lot to remember when revising a novel, so here's a list of words to check before you declare that novel "finished." 

I love checklists, especially ones that I can use to easily improve my manuscript. My master editing list is always a favorite, and I like to bring it out at least once a year for the new readers. For long-time readers, I've added a few new words as well.

One of the last things I do with a novel before I call it "done," is to go through a list of words I know I overuse (or misuse), words I shouldn't use many of, words that often spell trouble, and words to avoid. I search for each one and decide if I really need it, or if the sentence would be better without it. It's boring and tedious, but it does force me to focus on those little edits that can really tighten a manuscript.

I call it the spit shine.

This long list has developed over years from various books, posts, conferences, etc. on how to write and edit. I've found it very helpful in cleaning up stragglers and tightening the prose.

Even better, after you've done this a few times, you'll stop using a lot of these words, because you've trained yourself out of it. Your early drafts will be tighter and need less editing.

One caveat though--don't cut a word simply because there's a "never do X" rule attached to it.

Sometimes a "bad" word says exactly what you want it to say, or provides the best rhythm for word flow, or works as a judgment word for your point of view character.

Just because a word is on this list does NOT mean it has to be changed at all costs. It just means think about why and how you're using it and if there's a better way to say what you want to say. Usually you can. But if you can't (or don't want to), leave it.

Words Commonly Goofed

These are words that are often misused. You could add homonyms to this list, but those are just too difficult to search for. Imagine how many their, they're, and there are in a manuscript. Yikes.

Who vs that
Few vs less
Farther vs further
Which vs that
Only and just (are they modifying the right word)
Bring vs take
In vs into
On vs onto

(Here's more on Laying it on the Lie: Commonly Misused Words)

Words to Avoid

These words you can almost always cut without losing anything from the sentence. Often there's another word that makes them redundant.

That

Then

Almost

About

Begin

Start

Decided

Planned

Very

Sat

Truly

Rather

Fairly

Really

Somewhat

Up

Down

Over

Together

Behind

Out

In order

Around

Only

Just

Even

(Here's more on Tightening Your Novel With a Preposition Patrol)

Words to Rethink

These are words that often show up in told prose or explanatory prose. They can also signal a telegraph of out of sequence stimulus/response.

As

While

Since

Although

Though

Through

Because

When

Before

Until

(Here's more on I Told You: Mental Signposts That Tell, Not Show)

Words That Often Spell Trouble

These are words that keep readers out of the moment or aren't as active as they ought to be. Adverbs, passive verbs, passive writing.

Of
Was, were (especially the was -ing forms)
Have, had
Here
There
-ly
Will be
To be
Thought
Felt
Heard
Saw
Smelled

(Here's more on The Real Problem With Passive Voice in Fiction)

Words That Often Indicate Weak Prose 

Some words read just fine, but if you tweak them a little, it can strengthen the story and turn a lot of "good" sentences into great sentences.

Look

Need

Want

Here

There

(Here's more on It’s an Improvement: Five Ways to Kick Your Writing up a Notch)

Now the Hard Part

Search your manuscript for each word and examine the sentence. Ask:

• If I cut the word, does the sentence read better? 
• If I reword the sentence to eliminate the word, does it read better? 
• Is there a stronger verb or noun I could use? 
• Can I rewrite the sentence in a more active fashion? 
• Can I be more descriptive or am I relying on boring words?
• Can I rewrite it so it's more in the voice of my character?

Yes, it's a pain, and it does take a ton of time, but weak words creep into our writing without us even realizing it. It's amazing how much better a scene reads after you've gone trough this list and edited the weak areas. Checking smaller sections at a time does make it easier--I break the manuscript into quarters before I edit, and sometimes I'll review three chapters at a time.

A little extra polish can make the difference between good writing and great writing. And that can make the difference between "you're a talented writer but..." and "let's talk representation."

ETA: Tech Tools for Writers made a macro using this list (and others) to help writers spot troublesome words for those interested.

Do you have a spit shine list? Are there things you check last before submitting your work?

*Originally published February 2010. Latest update April 2020.

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Janice Hardy is the award-winning author of the teen fantasy trilogy The Healing Wars, including The Shifter, Blue Fire, and Darkfall from Balzer+Bray/Harper Collins. The Shifter, was chosen for the 2014 list of "Ten Books All Young Georgians Should Read" from the Georgia Center for the Book.

She also writes the Grace Harper urban fantasy series for adults under the name, J.T. Hardy.

When she's not writing novels, she's teaching other writers how to improve their craft. She's the founder of Fiction University and has written multiple books on writing.

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