Arthur Plotnik is a contributing editor to the Writer magazine. His new book is "Spunk & Bite: A Writer's Guide to Punchier, More Engaging Language & Style." IT’S HARD OUT HERE for a word. Take the ...
In a recent New York Times piece, novelist Zoe Heller wrote about helping her daughter with an English essay. “Try excising the words ‘extremely,’ ‘totally’ and ‘incredibly,’” Heller suggested. Her ...