Filter Words
Updated 2026-07-31
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
Filter words are verbs of perception, thought, and decision that report an experience instead of rendering it. Phrases such as she noticed, he realized, I felt, and I decided place a narrating consciousness between the reader and the scene, so the reader watches someone perceive rather than perceiving directly. Removing them, or replacing them with concrete sensory detail, is a standard revision technique in fiction and screenwriting for deepening point of view. The technique is not absolute, since a filter is sometimes the point of the sentence.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Direct entry: cut the narrator so the reader enters the scene directly. - Show over tell: replace a reported feeling with the sensory detail that produces it. - Revision sweep: scan the finished draft specifically for perception and thought verbs.
Anchor fast decisions
Reported perception adds a processing step: the reader must first register the narrator's act of noticing and only then the thing noticed. Removing the step shortens the distance to the scene, and the resulting immediacy is what makes the writing feel lived rather than summarized.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
account_treeGenealogyexpand_more
menu_bookReferencesexpand_more
Source support: Explicit
- prowritingaid.comhttps://prowritingaid.com/art/356/Use-All-5-Senses-In-Your-Writing-With-The-Sensory-Check-.aspxverified
PRIVATE NOTES · Only visible to you
SAVED Q&A
ENTRY Q&A · Private saving available
Ask with a clear boundary
thinkingmodels answers from published entry context only.
Your question is sent to thinkingmodels. The answer uses public entry context only.
RELATED MODELS