Words & Overuse -- What’s your crutch?

Reviewing my not exactly half-finished project I realized that I overused the word “illicitly.”

Of all the words to be a crutch! I have no idea why this one reared its head. However, it did. So I find myself sifting through my rough work, wracking my brain for appropriate synonyms that don’t sound too out-of-place.

I have never found a word used this frequently, however from project to project I have favored and purged different words. The interesting thing is that each project seem to have it’s own group of crutch words. I wonder if it’s because the stories are so different or because of some mental zone I’m in while approaching any of these projects.

Nonetheless, they go on. And while crutch words are present--they aren’t the end all be-all.

So while I’m thinking about what I could use instead, I haven’t changed not one of them. The plan is not to alter anything in any seriousness until the entire project is done. Completion is important.