Filter Words & How to Fix This "Telling" Problem 

TIMESTAMPS Filter words definition & why they can be bad 2:50 List of common filter words 04:43 Strategy for fixing filter words 05:33 Examples of bad filtering w/ fixes 08:52 Examples of filtering exceptions 14:19

"Just" and "about" appear way too much in just about everything i write. wait...

I vote that we call this phenomenon "distancing" instead of "filtering"...

I really have a hard time getting rid of "realize" and "notice" specifically. Almost all the hear, see, smell, feel are easy to rewrite. But I can't seem to do it with realize and notice. XD So hard!

Just reached 80,000 words of my thriller today. I’m so happy and I love watching your videos. Thank you for all the wonderful advice you give us 😊😊😊

Girl, your eye shadow always blows me away.

As a non-native reader: I actually understand the one with filter words better. Probably, because I learned English from hearing/watching videos, not from reading.

Your prose is gooood. I’m definitely buying this one on release.

I have been trying to leave out the filter words as I write. However, with 1st person, the character doesn't know what the others are thinking, so I've been using "seem" and "appear" when she is guessing what they are thinking/feeling. Another option would be to describe the outward signs of whatever the character is thinking/feeling, and let the reader guess. Not sure which is better.

My mortal enemy of a filter word is “look”. But after watching this video every time I see the word unintentionally pop up in my manuscript like a jack in the box, this is what I’ll see:👁👄👁

I'm guilty of all of these and more. I've learned from Grammarly that I use passive voice a lot. It also tells me when words are used repeatedly. I use "just" a lot... I've had to go through and start asking myself if I need that word, or would the sentence be better without it.

Thanks for the tips. My filter words and phrases were always something like "She looked over at..." "He sat back down..." Also, I used "so" and "just" way too much lol. I am heavy in edits for an overlong novel; I've cut out several thousand words already getting rid of that stuff :D

Filtering words could be good when the character is introspective, and more aware of thier reaction to something. Maybe they are surprised by thier own feelings. and I find filter words work rather well for this

Your assurance that you don't have to remove ALL filter words right away was really helpful. I have a big issue with them (especially 'looked' and variations) and trying to get rid of them all was seriously stressful. Now, I feel a bit better. They don't have to all go away, but they can't be a crutch.

Me: Dang, that sounds pretty good! Alexa: That was an example with filter words. Me: :(

It took me a minute to understand what this all meant and the examples were really helpful. It made me realise I don't naturally do this in my writing. This isn't meant to be a brag, more an observation that now that I know what this IS I can choose to use it as a technique when I want a particular effect in my writing. So I think your intentional examples were in a way more helpful for me. Thank you!

Years of creative writing and English classes and this might be the most helpful thing I’ve ever heard! This is the connection I was missing to make my writing work.

In the second example, the version without filtering is obviously better. But in the v with filtering I really like the line ‘deciding she’ll fit’ I think it shows characterisation just as much (if not better), because ‘deciding she’ll fit’ could be interpreted in a lot of ways.

Thank you so much for saying that sometimes filter words may be used. It's the same for showing, not telling. Sometimes you have to tell. The trick is having the knowledge and skill to know when and how to bend and break certain rules. Make it count. By the way, I love your hair and makeup in this video. Your eye makeup and lipstick beautifully complement your hair color. And it makes those blue eyes pop. Nice. (And no I'm not coming on to you. I'm a happily married heterosexual woman who happened to notice and like your makeup and wanted to compliment you on it. Just to be clear. lol.)

I always learn so much from your videos and appreciate the time you take to put together really clear examples! Thank you!

Definitely need this video! In the middle of editing. Glad you touched on it isn’t a delete all approach. I know my writing will confirm to improve watching you.

I love you videos. From all the writer/youtubers I watch, you're my fave. A lot of them say what not to do but give you no example of what TO do. You're also not worried about keeping vids short just to end up trumping over the content and that's what I like the most. I'm not new to writing, though I'm dyslexic and I don't read as much as I would like, so these vids are so helpful to me. Thank you

I am proud to say that I instinctively avoided filter words in my manuscript the first time around, now if you want to talk about echoes, that’s a whole different story

Great video, Alexa! I'm nearing the end of my draft and I'll definitely be going back to check for instances of these words.

Like your other recent videos, this one makes me just want to start editing my book immediately, but my first draft isn’t done yet. So, I’ve made a note to come back to the video and watch it again when I’m done drafting and start editing. Thank you so much for taking the time to do these videos. I know it’s part of your job, but I just want you to know it’s all greatly appreciated ❤️

I would love to hear your pros/cons about different POV’s. Third person limited vs first person and the benefits or limits that they each bring!

I have never ever watched full videos of someone on youtube… I am in love with your content, your energy, Gosh. 1 day ago I was listening to songs in public transport, and now I am binge watching your videos… MOREEEEEE 🧟

I loved this video. It was super informative, especially the comparison of the passages with and without. Thank you!

You are soooo helpful and wonderful! A great teacher. I appreciate these videos!

Seems like seems is my go to... Great topic, and awesome break down of what filtering is, and some ways to mitigate it.

These examples are EVERYTHING. Thank you!

Yayyyy! Thank you luv. You are appreciated!

I love and hate you at the same time. Well, I don't actually hate you, I just hate that you've given me a TON of information to think about. So I spent days and days watching every single one of your videos because one led to another, and another and so on. I need to understand what I have to do to make my manuscript better (make that 3 manuscripts because it's a completed trilogy, 1,085 pages of it), and there are soooo many things I have to look for. I'm exhausted just thinking about it. Now on to why I absolutely love you. First of all, you explain things clearly and provide excellent examples. Your tips and How To videos are informative, easy to follow and interesting. I'm so glad you popped up in my Recommendations, probably because I searched RU-vid for something to do with writing. Ok, so I'm off to watch more of your videos and then I'm going to jump back into my manuscript(s). You motivated me in every possible way. Thank you!

This is such a helpful channel, thank you so much for posting all of your videos. They are really helping me with my first manuscript, thank so much!

Thank you for your time and effort. This comes out at the perfect timing. I'm guilty of this habbit.

Thank you, Alexa! These are fantastic tips. I definitely will use these in my writing!

This video is freaking awesome! Your examples are so helpful and I REALLY appreciate your realism and not being so all-or- nothing/ hard- and-fast with the rules, but accounting for style, context etc. The examples of the exceptions are great, and I love the way you explained the passivity of using this kind of language, the exact WHY it can hinder your writing. I've never written a novel (working on my first now), but I've been writing fiction consistently for about 15 years so I found that I don't actually do much filtering now, just through experience and subconsciously moving away from this, but I didn't actually know about this term before, and I still feel like its a super valuable thing for me to know, so I can be more conscientious with my writing. If something is bothering me, maybe I'll be more aware of it, in case this is what's happening. Also I really want to say I LOVE your channel. I've just found it and I've been bingeing your videos and its already helped me get through some of my outlining and the issues i was having with figuring out exactly where/how to open my book. I'll confess, I previously found a different author with advice on their platform, who seems to be extremely popular, and though she has some good points and perspectives, I gradually found her to be really black and white with "rights and wrongs" and very... er.... lets say immodest, not to mention kind of preachy and affected/performative in her videos. So I moved on to try to find someone else who I trusted more, and you've been SUCH a breath of fresh air. You come from a place of more experience, firstly, and I really appreciate how respectful you are of different writers and/or techniques. THANK YOU ❤

Such a helpful video, thank you! There's a lot more filter words than I was aware of.

This is such an awesome real world lesson on better writing. These are the kind of tutorials that build on your craft. Please do more of these kinds of videos, your soul bare analysis of writing and readability is so good, I *insert filter word* like dancing 💃

Thank you so much for your videos, Alexa. I’m binge watching these before I edit tomorrow.

Thanks for making this video! It was super helpful! Have an awesome day!

This video was so helpful especially the examples. Thank you so much, you rock!

Meehh the "All of nothing" thing kills meeeee! As my professional job always says-you never stop learning-EVER. I feel like writing is the same way.

Thanks for going into more depth on the subject of filter words! ^^

I needed a video on craft like this!

Great video! I'd say the filtering rule is like most writing rules: you can do it, but do it intentionally. Don't just default to using filter words.

I really like your videos. I feel they’re always brutally honest and I need that✌️

This video on filter words was a GAME CHANGER for me! Thank you thank you...

I’m going to try to switch to using the filtering phrases for assumptions in a way that indicated the protagonist might be wrong. In the same way I’ll be using more detail and effort of a plan to indicate that the plan will fail so it sparks more emotion. The winning plan wouldn’t need as much of the build up because the wait before the telling of the win will bring more anxiety. It’s going to be more dire so there will be more pressure during the wait anyways. It’s really just a lot of sneaky foreshadowing!

I am writing a story in 3rd person with multiple POVs, and it is SO hard not to filter sometimes 😅… I’m scared that if I don’t, then it will sound like I’m slipping into third person omniscient when the book is supposed to be focused on just one character per POV.

Oh this is absolutely perfect timing! I’m working on my second draft currently

Wow these are actionable and really useful tips, thank you!

Seriously enlightening. Awesome video. Thank you.

Fantastic advice.Thanks.

Thank you for yet another great video! 😊😁

Great tips alexa, will keep on eye during editing... 😉

This was a really helpful one, thank you!

This video was so helpful to me, thank you so much!

Thanks for your honesty.... I was just removing and identifying a bunch of filter words on my work in progress and once I finished.... Eureka! I saw your video depicting exactly what I was doing....Is that coincidence....? I don't think so 🤔

Useful discussion. Helpful examples. Thank you.

Thank you!! I'm a new writer and had some of these in my writing and hated what I wrote. Couldn't figure out why! Now I know.

Thank you for the video. It was wonderful

Thanks for another amazing video 💖

I struggle with filter words often (still very novice in terms of writing), and the most challenging are the "blushing" type of reactions or the shocked looks. Most of the time I can't think of a creative way to interpret how my character reacts in surprise or embarrassment, or whether they're starting to fall for the other character without using some sort of filter word to describe it. I'm thankful that this video helps clarify this and I can put it to use in my writing.

The examples were super helpful thank you! I feel like I have only seen authors who write in primarily first person talking about this issue. Is it that big of a deal in third person?

Problem: I like the filtering better? Maybe this comes from reading wordy classics. I did realize I use " I feel" way too much and taking those put did help a lot.

I've seen so many articles talking about reducing pronoun usage but none of them have been as helpful as this! So glad that I just happened to stumble along the right key words to find your video. :)

Tbh the reworked fragments to remove the filtering don't feel like the same thing. The idea that they try to convey is different based on the changed words

i definitely use filtering to signal third-person-limited as opposed to omniscient a lot so this is a helpful thing to keep in mind

Thanks for this advice... I just finished my first rough draft of my first novel... it was a lifelong dream and I finally did it... at 43! Also, adverbs might not be bad, but they can definitely be overused (JK Rowling)... I love the HP books, but there were multiple times when I rolled my eyes because every line of dialogue had an adverb!

Compared to you I know absolutely nothing about writing, so I wouldn't dream of arguing with you, and I am sure your advice is very good and correct! But I will tell you this, two years ago I wrote about 50 or so pages of my novel, my first attempt at writing a novel. Then I went to RU-vid for advice, and found 1000s of people like you offering advice on 100s and 100s of do's and don'ts, and the end result was I became so depressed about the whole process that I stopped writing! So two years on I came back to it, I finished 5 or 6 more pages and then back to RU-vid. Ok 'show don't tell' I get it's obvious, but then I find filter words, Jesus Christ every word I have spent my 50 years on this planet saying in every sentence ever spoken in my life is now forbidden!? How I passed my English exams at school I will never know? I do get the point of what you guy's say about filter words, but there are so many, that I feel it's practically IMPOSSIBLE to omit these words from sentences, it is strangling me, every sentence now becomes an hour. So I have had enough of this, and the pen has been put down again. I think I will stick to learning Polish, which is not only a Slavic language, but probably one of the hardest languages in the world, because I'm sure it will be a dam site easier than trying to express myself in my native language which is the easiest language in the world, English. Seriously though Alexa, how can anyone write without these words ; decide, realise, feel, hear, know, could, can, would, look, notice, wonder, watch, touch, think, saw, smell, seemed, sounded, remember, recall etc etc etc etc. If these words are omitted, it means that EVERYTHING must be explained in some kind of dramatic way which in turn may add about another 10,000 words to the story!

How to write introspection and third person character thoughts and feelings without filtering ?🤔

The light is becoming 🔆

That was a great lesson, thank you so much. It's very understandable, but I'm a little bit confused. What if there is a situation where a character is trying to decipher another character's reaction? For example; I watched as his lips curled up and sighed in relief. I can't find any other way to write this, because I'm not sure if I'm on point.

*sees video* OMFG I’M SO EXCITED A WHOLE 20 MIN VIDEO BY ALEXA ON ONE OF MY MAIN WRITING PROBLEMS!!!!!!!!!!!🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳

I feel like this is a test of strength regarding how hyped I could get for The Ivies

I'm editing right now and trying to eliminate filter words from my first manuscript. Needless to say there are A LOT of them. My problem is the word "seem". When I use it, I want to give the sense of the doubt in the observation. "He seemed" and not "he was" declares that the narrator isn't sure about what the other person is feeling. How can I eliminate the word without losing that doubt?

its been almost 20 damn years since I started writing but this year I am finally committing to finishing and publishing a novel.

This is awesome

I really appreciate this video, despite the burn you just gave, well, all of us, lol. I always know that when I find myself getting a little angry at one of your videos, that it is because I am guilty of it, lol. However, is there any chance you can make an addendum to this video using 3rd person examples? While some of the filter usage is obvious either way, there are certainly differences which can come into play. This is especially for novice writers too close to the material. Without an example to see it in 3rd, it's often harder... Forest for the trees, so-to-speak?

Thanks for the video, but if I ever wrote the sentence 'Anxiety pushes at my limbs.' I'd consider rewriting it, with, or without filter words. Also people don't use the word 'Deigns' because it doesn't mean anything.

One of my biggest problems is the over usage of the word "seems". I use it a lot since there is a distinct difference between something 'being' a certain way or 'seeming' that way. Like if I have a sentence like "She saw a cat." that can be easily replaced with "There was a cat." But if I say "The animal seemed to be a cat" this tells the reader that there is the distinct possibility that it wasn't actually a cat. Don't know if that was understandable but basically I use the word seem too much.

Okay what about “try”? Like “he tried to understand…” or “tried to remember…” is that okay or should I avoid it?

I have a question. Would it be acceptable to use filter words when a character can't properly describe what they're experiencing? Such as feeling, seeing, deciding etc?

Question: I’m writing a book that is first person. The main character, Obsidian, is telling the story to the reader as one would tell their friend, rather than he and the reader experiencing the story as it happens. Because I want this feel of you and him sitting in a room while he tells you this story, I use a lot of filter words particularly when he takes time out of the story to reflect on how he was feeling at the time and what he thinks about it now. Is this incorrect or clumsy? Is there a better way to do what I want to do? With my third person book series I actively try to get rid of filtering because I want it to be in deep POV as much as possible but I am trying to do something entirely different with Obsidian I’ve never done before. Thoughts?

in the case of "she looks at me" or similar constructions, "looks" does not function as a filter word, right...? because i can't think of a different way to word that meaning 😅😅

Love this, Alexa! How many times did you actually use 'see' and 'feel' in your manuscript? Trying to gauge what's acceptable :D

Okay so can I write “embarrassment crawled up in his body” instead of “he felt embarrassed” or is that still bad? Also sorry English is not my first language

Hi Alexa! What do you do when your editor is so heavy-handed that the manuscript no longer sounds like your own voice? Thanks. Lumi

I didn’t quite understand the difference between telling and showing/describing yet. So I know that “he hears/sees/feels…” is telling. But what about “he walked…” or “she put her hand on his shoulder” Is that telling or describing? And if it’s telling, how do I fix it? Can someone please help me and give examples?😭

filtering can be a great tool for narrativ purposes like signaling insecurety, beeing careful not to judge . . . or if a character i supposed to feel removed and alien. This works especialy well if you contrast two povs by haveing one diliberatly filtered, while the other is very much not. characterising the first as observant and selfaware, questioning themselfs and their perception, while the other is more connected, sure of their interpretation of events and things like that, maybe even more impulsiv and rash. It also gets interessting in regards of an unreliable narrator, filtered you are more inclined to question the rightness their interpretation while unfiltered you often assume they are right and that can play you. As always, it is about beeing aware of how filtering effects the impression a reader gets from your writing and takeing that into consideration.

I think that filtering words are unnecessary once the POV of the section is established. Because then it is always clear who is experiencing what is described. I sometimes use filtering words at the beginning of a section with a new POV, though, to make clear who the POV-character is. In my view, it is better to write without filtering words in 99,9% of the cases, even though it is difficult to find alternative ways of expressing it, especially since you want there to be variation. But it always turns out better if you take the time to figure out a good alternative.

"Cuz that is who Avery is" hahaha. You're awesome.

I think blush is more than just a visible clue, yes it is that, but using blush to describe the physical sensation feels fine to me.

love your videos, im keep rewatching them! i'd love to see a video about symbolism. thought it'd be funny to give my MC's a Betta fish so i wrote wrote that, but now it has a huge meaning in the story??? and I'm like..........what do i do with this

Hi Alexa, awesome video as always! I have a question~ what thoughts do you have about getting traditionally published as a teenager? Like, how often would agents reject you just because you're a teen? Is it a good idea to try or should I wait until I'm older? Thank you!!

Most people who tell you you're not a "real writer" if you don't do it my way, guaranteed they've never sold a novel. Those who can't do teach.

I regularly watch your videos and learn stuff from them and will continue to watch. Your vids beat a 'Top 10 List' any day. So, please don't take this the wrong way. But you actually use a lot of filtering when you're talking and your vids would benefit from an edited script. From the moment you say you 'searched your manuscript' (7:05) it is a full two minutes and ten seconds before we ever see an example. What would've been the outcome if you said, 'I searched my manuscript, and here's an example I wanted to show you:' and then simply show the example without 2 minutes of intro? Some of your longer vids would benefit hugely from a streamlined script and the same editing technique you use in your books applied. I'm looking forward to more of your vids.

I have a question about the use of filter words. Are these discouraged in third-person-limited perspectives? The world of such a story is experienced through the "lense" of one main character. Why prohibit them? The best example, of course, is Harry Potter. These stories are full of filter words--it lets the reader see (hear, taste, smell, feel) the world through his consciousness. Thanks for any comments. This is something I'm struggling with.

This filtering concept... I had never heard of this concern in my language. I find it so confusing when you mention this. I am trying to understand it so hard. It makes no sense lol