Little Orange Flags

(4-minute read)

When I started my editing career, I kept a list of suboptimal words. The list was entitled ‘Little Orange Flags’, and I’ve since internalised it – orange-flag words stick out to me now like little sore thumbs. The main cause of orange? Non-specificity.

Vague writing is annoying at best and damning at worst; it renders fiction boring, non-fiction ambiguous, and scientific texts useless. But it’s also easy to dodge, so there’s no need to blow your copyediting budget on edits you could have avoided.

With the following exercise, the standard of your writing will improve and you’ll get more out of your copyediting budget (after all, the cleaner a manuscript is when you hand it over, the cleaner it will be when you get it back).

To keep your writing interesting, clear, and useful, simply avoid the eight vague words listed below.

Top Eight Little Orange Flags

Under each vague word, you’ll find two example sentences: one with the orange-flag word, one without. Read each pair and notice how the tone and available information changes.

1. Thing

-          Here is something you can do to improve your title.

-          Here is a technique you can use to improve your title.

2. People

-          People appreciate clearer language.

-          Readers appreciate clearer language.

3. Good

-          Your book is good.

-          Your book made me laugh!

4. Bad

-          Vague words are bad.

-          Vague words weaken my writing.

5. Better

-          It’s better to be precise.

-          Precision will strengthen your message.

6. Worse

-          My writing is worse than hers.

-          My writing is messier than hers.

7. One of

-          You are one of the best writers I know!

-          You are an exceptional writer!

8. Some

-          I’ve given you some tips.

-          I’ve given you eight tips.

Until these little orange flags become automatic internal alarm bells to you, refer to this list and, perhaps when finishing a project, use the search function in your document (often Ctrl+F) to hunt down those pesky ambiguities hidden in your writing. When you find one, consider what it is you’re really trying to say and what you could write in place of the vague word to spice it up.

Happy writing!