Tip From Tara: That's Enough!

I'm sick of that! I really am! Seriously, I am sick of that!

It's the most overused word in the English language. Authors, open your current WIP and do a search for that. You may find you have over 1,500 of them. I promise you can get rid of half of them and your readers won't miss a beat.

I've decided that I need to leave.

I told him that I love him and that I can't live without him.

He said that he was going to be late.

Each one of those sentences do just fine without the that.

I've decided I need to leave.

I told him I love him and can't live without him.

He said he was going to be late.

Can you see how tiresome the word would be if all those sentences were in a paragraph?

I've decided that I need to leave. I told him that I love him and that I can't live without him, and all he said back was that he was going to be late.

Four thats. And I see this all the time. I hate that. Really, that's enough already!