Here is another word to watch out for. Reach. I don’t have a big problem with reach, but I found a few places to tighten my sentences. These examples are from The Proper Way to Say Goodbye.

-She reached over and touched my arm.

-I couldn’t help it and reached out and pulled the door open.

-He reached for the heat and turned it down.

-She reached down and squeezed my shoulder.

In all those cases, I really don’t need the reach. Sometimes it’s important for your character to show they are reaching for something, but many times, like my examples above, it’s not necessary.

So watch out for reach. I may not overuse it, but I’m sure there are others who do.