Wonders of the sky
Such lovely shapes in the clouds
That we spy above
These curious minds
Ponder this blossoming love
And see everything
Through these secret eyes
Everything is beautiful
Our wonderful life
My responses to Ronovan Writes‘ Weekly Haiku Challenge #144: Wonder & Spy. Sorry I’m late on this one; I just couldn’t resist such an interesting theme! Thanks for the prompt, Ronovan!
A couple of weeks ago, I shared a list taken from the Elevate – Brain Training app of common phrases that are unnecessarily wordy and should be edited out of most writers’ first drafts. Continuing on that theme, today I’d like to share another list of phrases from a similar Elevate game, Brevity, this time of redundant phrases that should be simplified for conciseness. Redundancy is another common plague of first drafts, so you can never know too many tips for making your writing as clear and concise as possible!
So for your reference, here are 16 redundant phrases you should simplify while editing your writing. Enjoy!
1) Empty space: Space, by definition, is an unoccupied area, so the word “empty” is redundant. Simplify “empty space” to “space”.
2) Evil fiend/villain: The word “fiend” or “villain” already implies said person is evil. Simplify “evil fiend” to “fiend” or “evil villain” to “villain”.
3) First and foremost: An unnecessarily long phrase to indicate something that is most important. Simplify “first and foremost” to “first”.
4) Follow after: To follow already means to go or come after someone or something. Simplify “follow after” to “follow”.
5) HIV virus: HIV stands for “human immunodeficiency virus”, so the word “virus” is redundant. Simplify “HIV virus” to “HIV”.
6) In order to: A longer and less direct way of saying “to”. Simplify “in order to” to “to”.
7) Join together: To join means to connect two things to each other, making the word “together” redundant. Simplify “join together” to “join”.
8) None at all: None, by definition, means not any, so the phrase “at all” is unnecessary. Simplify “none at all” to “none”.
9) LCD display: LCD stands for “liquid crystal display”, so the word “display” is redundant. Simplify “LCD display” to “LCD”.
10) Might possibly: Both “might” and “possibly” indicate uncertainty of an event taking place. Simplify “might possibly” to “might”.
11) Past experience: Experience already indicates knowledge gained in the past. Simplify “past experience” to “experience”.
12) Please RSVP: RSVP stands for the French expression “répondez s’il vous plaît”, or “please reply” in English, making the word “please” redundant. Simplify “please RSVP” to “RSVP”.
13) PIN number: PIN stands for “personal identification number”, so the word “number” is redundant. Simplify “PIN number” to “PIN”.
14) Terrible disaster: A disaster is an event that causes great damage, making the adjective “terrible” unnecessary. Simplify “terrible disaster” to “disaster”.
15) Totally destroyed: To be destroyed is to be completely ruined, so the adverb “totally” is unneeded. Simplify “totally destroyed” to “destroyed”.
16) Unsolved mystery: A mystery is already an unexplained or unsolved event. Simplify “unsolved mystery” to “mystery”.
Are you guilty of using any of these phrases in your writing? What other redundant phrases would you add to this list?
Word: terraform
Pronunciation: TE-rə-form
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: transform a planet so as to resemble the earth, especially so that it can support human life
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
Earth Day was this past weekend, but I’d still like to acknowledge the date one more time with a related vocabulary word. I learned today’s Word of the Week from watching my boyfriend play Elite: Dangerous, a space exploration game scaled to scientifically accurate proportions. Every once in a while, he discovers a water world on his travels through the galaxy, and scanning it will reveal, among other data, whether the planet can be modified to become habitable. These are naturally the most valuable planets when exchanging data for in-game credits; a world that humans could “terraform” would be the ultimate treasure of space!
To “terraform” a planet would be to transform it to resemble Earth, especially with the purpose of supporting human life. This word was coined in 1942 by the science fiction author Jack Williamson, who first used the term in his short story “Collision Orbit”, published in Astounding Science Fiction magazine. The verb comprises the Latin noun terra “earth” and the suffix -form “having the shape of”.
Given its hypothetical nature, the word “terraform” is especially popular in science fiction, but it does have a place in real science as well. The potential colonization of Mars, for example, is a subject that often ties in with the concept of “terraforming“, as altering the planet’s surface and climate would make it hospitable to human beings. The idea is so fascinating and has so many possibilities, it’s really no wonder that it’s such a popular subject in sci-fi stories and scientific debates alike! If you write science fiction about the transformation and colonization of extraterrestrial worlds, “terraform” is a must-use word for your stories!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
Celebrate the Earth
And its natural treasures
That sustain all life
Take care of your home
Recycle, reuse, reduce
And preserve the world
Science is the key
To defending all life from
Total destruction
Save our dear planet
Defend the environment
March on this Earth Day!
Earth Day is this Saturday, and that means it’s time for some new “What If?” Writing Prompts! This week’s post features yet another batch of prompts in the theme of nature and environmentalism. See what stories you can spin from these ideas, and feel free to add more of your own! Enjoy!
What if… there were only one way to save the environment from total destruction… and it came at the price of half the global human population?
What if… human beings were the only animals in the world?
What if… all the trees in the world disappeared?
What if… every food source on the planet became sustainable?
What if… all major sources of carbon emission on Earth suddenly stopped?
Good luck writing more environmentalist stories!
If you have any “What If?” writing prompt suggestions (for any theme), please feel free to share them in the comments below. Ideas I like may be featured in future “What If?” posts, with full credit and a link to your blog (if you have one)! Also, if you’ve written a piece based on an idea you’ve found here, be sure to link back to the respective “What If?” post. I would love to see what you’ve done with the prompt! Thank you!
Follow The Wolfe's (Writing) Den on WordPress.com
Read More…
Recent Comments