Filter words are extra words that put distance between readers and a character’s experience. They are usually explanatory words that remove a reader from the action by describing a character’s thought process or action in an explanatory way. As an example, in the sentence, “I hear the engine rumbling,” you could eliminate the filter words “I hear” and simply write, “The engine rumbles.” Filter words pop up in both third-person and first-person narratives, and they take away the potency and immediacy that first-person narration affords an author. Eliminating filter words can help you [*show* instead of *telling*](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-write-effective-exposition). 


There is no definitive list of filter words for writers to consult because what makes a word a filter word varies entirely based on context. Here’s a sample passage from a first-person story that has some common filter words included:

> __I realized__ that the older boy was toying with me. __I watched as__ he overturned my backpack. __I stared helplessly as__ a box filled with colored pencils, post-it notes, and bookmarks clattered onto the floor. A creased paperback of Jane Eyre and a Sherlock Holmes collection tumbled out after them. __I thought I saw__ a sneer creep across his lips and __watched__ as he narrowed his eyes on the new calculator __I held__ in my hands. 

Here is the same passage with the filter words omitted:

> The older boy was toying with me. He overturned my backpack, and a box filled with colored pencils, post-it notes and bookmarks clattered onto the floor. A creased paperback of Jane Eyre and a Sherlock Holmes collection tumbled out after them. A sneer crept across his lips and he narrowed his eyes on the new calculator in my hands. 
If you’re taking a stab at first-person writing, you’ll notice that your writing has more drive and immediacy when you edit it down to its most essential parts. Filter words aren’t just something to be aware of when dealing with narration in pieces of fiction. Filter words can creep into any sort of writing, including non-fiction. There are instances when filter words might be necessary, and including a few won’t spoil your whole piece, but moving towards more economic prose and dynamic first-person narration will generally improve your writing.

First-person narratives like *To Kill a Mockingbird* by Harper Lee, *The Great Gatsby* by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and *Moby Dick* by Herman Melville use [the first-person perspective](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-first-person-point-of-view-in-writing-how-to-write-in-first-person-narrative-voice-with-examples) to align the reader’s experience with a character’s. These writers limit their filler words when writing in first-person point of view in order to place the reader directly into the character’s shoes and limit the distance between the reader and POV character. 


There are a variety of techniques to help you avoid using filter words that place distance between your first-person narrator and the reader. Here are a few tips for identifying filter words and omitting them from your work:

1. __Keep your sentences tight__. A good rule of thumb to follow is to avoid extraneous words that don’t alter your character’s point. Filter words are oftentimes redundant and unnecessary explanations of your character’s thought process and actions. Trust that your readers will be able to keep up with your character without the inclusion of these extra words. 
2. __Use the active voice__. Writers [consider passive voice](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/guide-to-active-vs-passive-voice) bad practice because it makes writing less active and dynamic. Passive voice also often forces you to include filter words that separate your character from the reader.
3. __Look for verbs following ‘I.’__ Oftentimes filter words will follow the word ‘I’ in lines written in your character’s voice—“I hear,” “I feel,” etc. If you’re writing from the perspective of a viewpoint character, keep an eye out for verbs immediately following the word ‘I.’
4. __Put yourself in the character’s shoes__. One of the strengths of first-person narration is that it places a reader directly into a character’s mindset giving them access to that character’s thoughts. Beyond necessary <a href='https://masterclass.com/articles/what-is-exposition-film' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://masterclass.com/articles/what-is-exposition-film","linkCopy":"exposition","category":"automated-link"}' automatic='true'>exposition</a> and backstory, cut down on the extra information you <a href='https://masterclass.com/articles/robin-robertss-tips-for-effective-communication' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://masterclass.com/articles/robin-robertss-tips-for-effective-communication","linkCopy":"communicate","category":"automated-link"}' automatic='true'>communicate</a> to your readers in your character’s first-person voice. You’d be surprised how much a reader will be able to pick up without you explicitly stating it.

Become a better writer with the [Masterclass Annual Membership](https://www.masterclass.com/). Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by literary masters, including Neil Gaiman, David Baldacci, Joyce Carol Oates, Dan Brown, Margaret Atwood, David Sedaris, and more.
Writing in the first-person point of view is a great way for first-time writers to enter into a character’s head, but many new writers tend to overuse so-called “filter words” when writing from this perspective. Whether you are writing your first short story or the sequel to a bestseller, removing filter words from your work can help bring your readers closer to your narrator and make your action pop off the page.

Writing in the first-person point of view is a great way for first-time writers to enter into a character’s head, but many new writers tend to overuse so-called “filter words” when writing from this perspective. Whether you are writing your first short story or the sequel to a bestseller, removing filter words from your work can help bring your readers closer to your narrator and make your action pop off the page.


How to Avoid Unnecessary Filter Words in Your Writing

Filter words are extra words that put distance between readers and a character’s experience. They are usually explanatory words that remove a reader from the action by describing a character’s thought process or action in an explanatory way. As an example, in the sentence, “I hear the engine rumbling,” you could eliminate the filter words “I hear” and simply write, “The engine rumbles.” Filter words pop up in both third-person and first-person narratives, and they take away the potency and immediacy that first-person narration affords an author. Eliminating filter words can help you <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-write-effective-exposition' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-write-effective-exposition","linkCopy":"\u003cem class=\"mc-text--italic\"\u003eshow\u003c/em\u003e instead of \u003cem class=\"mc-text--italic\"\u003etelling\u003c/em\u003e","category":null}'>show instead of telling</a>.

What Are Filter Words?

There is no definitive list of filter words for writers to consult because what makes a word a filter word varies entirely based on context. Here’s a sample passage from a first-person story that has some common filter words included:<blockquote class="mc-text--italic mc-opacity--hinted mc-my-8 mc-mr-0 mc-ml-6 mc-pl-6">I realized that the older boy was toying with me. I watched as he overturned my backpack. I stared helplessly as a box filled with colored pencils, post-it notes, and bookmarks clattered onto the floor. A creased paperback of Jane Eyre and a Sherlock Holmes collection tumbled out after them. I thought I saw a sneer creep across his lips and watched as he narrowed his eyes on the new calculator I held in my hands. </blockquote>Here is the same passage with the filter words omitted:<blockquote class="mc-text--italic mc-opacity--hinted mc-my-8 mc-mr-0 mc-ml-6 mc-pl-6">The older boy was toying with me. He overturned my backpack, and a box filled with colored pencils, post-it notes and bookmarks clattered onto the floor. A creased paperback of Jane Eyre and a Sherlock Holmes collection tumbled out after them. A sneer crept across his lips and he narrowed his eyes on the new calculator in my hands. </blockquote>

An Example of Filter Words in Writing

If you’re taking a stab at first-person writing, you’ll notice that your writing has more drive and immediacy when you edit it down to its most essential parts. Filter words aren’t just something to be aware of when dealing with narration in pieces of fiction. Filter words can creep into any sort of writing, including non-fiction. There are instances when filter words might be necessary, and including a few won’t spoil your whole piece, but moving towards more economic prose and dynamic first-person narration will generally improve your writing.First-person narratives like To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Moby Dick by Herman Melville use <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-first-person-point-of-view-in-writing-how-to-write-in-first-person-narrative-voice-with-examples' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-first-person-point-of-view-in-writing-how-to-write-in-first-person-narrative-voice-with-examples","linkCopy":"the first-person perspective","category":null}'>the first-person perspective</a> to align the reader’s experience with a character’s. These writers limit their filler words when writing in first-person point of view in order to place the reader directly into the character’s shoes and limit the distance between the reader and POV character.

Why Avoid Filter Words?

There are a variety of techniques to help you avoid using filter words that place distance between your first-person narrator and the reader. Here are a few tips for identifying filter words and omitting them from your work:<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Keep your sentences tight. A good rule of thumb to follow is to avoid extraneous words that don’t alter your character’s point. Filter words are oftentimes redundant and unnecessary explanations of your character’s thought process and actions. Trust that your readers will be able to keep up with your character without the inclusion of these extra words. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Use the active voice. Writers <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/guide-to-active-vs-passive-voice' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/guide-to-active-vs-passive-voice","linkCopy":"consider passive voice","category":null}'>consider passive voice</a> bad practice because it makes writing less active and dynamic. Passive voice also often forces you to include filter words that separate your character from the reader. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Look for verbs following ‘I.’ Oftentimes filter words will follow the word ‘I’ in lines written in your character’s voice—“I hear,” “I feel,” etc. If you’re writing from the perspective of a viewpoint character, keep an eye out for verbs immediately following the word ‘I.’ </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 4. Put yourself in the character’s shoes. One of the strengths of first-person narration is that it places a reader directly into a character’s mindset giving them access to that character’s thoughts. Beyond necessary <a href='https://masterclass.com/articles/what-is-exposition-film' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://masterclass.com/articles/what-is-exposition-film","linkCopy":"exposition","category":"automated-link"}' automatic='true'>exposition</a> and backstory, cut down on the extra information you <a href='https://masterclass.com/articles/robin-robertss-tips-for-effective-communication' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://masterclass.com/articles/robin-robertss-tips-for-effective-communication","linkCopy":"communicate","category":"automated-link"}' automatic='true'>communicate</a> to your readers in your character’s first-person voice. You’d be surprised how much a reader will be able to pick up without you explicitly stating it. </li></ol>

How to Eliminate Filter Words From Your Writing

Become a better writer with the <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/","linkCopy":"Masterclass Annual Membership","category":null}'>Masterclass Annual Membership</a>. Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by literary masters, including Neil Gaiman, David Baldacci, Joyce Carol Oates, Dan Brown, Margaret Atwood, David Sedaris, and more.

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Writing in the first-person point of view is a great way for first-time writers to enter into a character’s head, but many new writers tend to overuse so-called “filter words” when writing from this perspective. Whether you are writing your first short story or the sequel to a bestseller, removing filter words from your work can help bring your readers closer to your narrator and make your action pop off the page.

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How to Avoid Unnecessary Filter Words in Your Writing