Just a Word
Just is such a handy word, isn’t it?
A short story I’d written had the word ‘just’ in it 12 times. In a 2500 word story that was far too many. I didn’t even notice it until after about the twentieth read through. I concluded I was writing in the manner in which I speak.
Why I was overusing ‘just’? What were my intentions in the sentence? It was embedded frequently in the dialogue, as in, ‘Will you just listen?’; and then there was a lot of ‘…just as I turned…’
‘Just’ can be used in so many ways; to redirect another’s attention, or to diminish importance, or it can even be considered manipulative, depending on its use. Here are some examples;
Just say no; deliberate oversimplification of a complex issue,
I was just about to; a white lie from procrastinators everywhere,
Just do it; implies an impatience with excuses, (advertising campaigns included),
Oh, I was just kidding; a way to diminish another’s feelings if offence was taken,
Just a minute; a signal,
She’s just a; reductive,
Just so; exactly, perfect,
Just for fun; it doesn’t matter,
I just don’t like him/her; I can’t explain why.
There are hundreds more uses. Just can be a useful word, but it can also be a weasly little crutch worming it’s way into my stories. Just a lesson for me.
Keep your joy.
Anne Milne is an every Sunday blogger, unless it’s a holiday weekend. Or summertime. Facebook or email.
I just love this, Anne! Just so you know….
Thank you–made me laugh.
A.
Arrgghhh. So true — a verbal crutch
Hi Judith,
The funny thing is I didn’t recognize it. It’s such a habit in my own speech, it just (ahem) sounded so normal it didn’t stand out.
Thanks for commenting,
A.
Love this post. Thank you. Words mean so much – and can be incredibly beautiful yet it can be manipulated in so many ways – some you have illustrated. Great topic. Always enjoy looking at things from different angles.
(My problem is that I use too many words)
For someone who says they use too many words, you’ve made a very succinct comment.
Thank you,
A.