The Freedom of Placeholder Words in First Drafts

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Some days I’ll be writing along, feeling the words flow, then get to a line where I know there’s a particular emotion or concept I want to show, but I’m not exactly sure how to represent it. 

Smiled doesn’t quite cut it, giggled is too much, and the great writing momentum I’ve built up slams to a halt while I figure out what to say. The longer it takes, the more frustrated I get, and on really bad days, it can derail and entire writing session.

Luckily, I figured out how to deal with these hiccups without ruining a perfectly good writing day.

Placeholder words.

Adverbs, generic nouns, boring adjectives, even clichés—these are valuable first-draft gems to quickly insert a basic emotional note where I want into a scene without having to stop the drafting to find the perfect word or description.

First drafts are typically messy, which is great, as it takes some of the pressure of us writers. We don’t have to worry about getting every word right, and we can let the story flow out of our heads and onto the page.

Characters can yell angrily, or sigh sadly, or do all kinds of things adveridly and it’s okay. It’s a first draft, so the focus in on getting the story down. We can polish the text later.

(Here’s more on adverbs as placeholder words)

They’re great for emotional shorthand: She smiled. He frowned. Two of my favorites to remind myself that “more emotion is required here.” I search for these words later and flesh out the emotion where needed. Not every instance of smiled or frowned needs revising, of course, and sometimes the change is minor (a sneer or a scoff), but they’re boring words that sneak in anyway, so why not use them to my advantage?

This also holds true for word packages and clichés. We all have our favorites, so accept that we use them, keep a list, and edit them afterward. Eliminate those oh-so-common “close-cropped hairs” or “heaved a sighs” and change those “beamed a smiles” to something fresher that fits the scene better. After the first draft is done, we have a better sense of what needs to be there anyway.

(Here’s more on word packages)

Clichés develop for a reason—they encapsulate a particular meaning that’s easily (and usually quickly) understood by the reader. If they help lock in a meaning and move on, put them to work in that first draft. Keep a list of the ones you use most often so it’s easier to find them, or even highlight or mark them as placeholders when you drop them in.

(Here’s more on using clichés)

It can even be useful to tell a little (or a lot) and explain a scene you know you’ll come back and fix later. I’ve found it’s a good idea to make a note on these so I don’t forget to revise. I like to make it obvious in the text, but you can also make notes in another file if that works better for you.

(Here’s more on common red-flag words for telling)

And speaking of notes…

Placeholder words don’t have to stop at the “don’t use” words (like adverbs) either—notes can be placeholders as well. My first drafts are full of bracketed reminders of things I need to do, such as [describe] or [research lock picking]. I’ll even have placeholders for name of characters and locations. I once had an entire draft with a character named Oldguy.

I’ve found placeholder words incredibly helpful in my drafting, but if you’re the type of writer who hates revisions and prefers to get it right the first time, this might not be the best technique to try (and that’s okay, we all have our own process). But if this appeals to you, give yourself the freedom to experiment a little and see how it works.

There’s so much to remember when writing, that trying to keep it all in our heads can hurt or slow down our drafting. If you’ve been derailed by struggling to find the right word, or think placeholder words will help you keep that writing momentum going, then give them a try.

Do you use placeholder words? Do you think they’d help or hinder your writing? 

Find out more about show, don't tell in my book, Understanding Show, Don't Tell (And Really Getting It).

With in-depth analysis, Understanding Show, Don't Tell (And Really Getting It) teaches you how to spot told prose in your writing, and discover why common advice on how to fix it doesn't always work. It also explores aspects of writing that aren’t technically telling, but are connected to told prose and can make prose feel told, such as infodumps, description, and backstory.

This book will help you:

• Understand when to tell and when to show
• Spot common red flag words often found in told prose
• Learn why one single rule doesn't apply to all books
• Determine how much telling is acceptable in your writing
• Fix stale or flat prose holding your writing back

Understanding Show, Don't Tell (And Really Getting It) is more than just advice on what to do and what not to do—it’s a down and dirty examination and analysis of how show, don’t tell works, so you can adapt the “rules” to whatever style or genre you’re writing. By the end of this book, you’ll have a solid understanding of show, don’t tell and the ability to use it without fear or frustration.

Available in paperback and ebook formats.

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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