I was rereading some of my favourites. Anne McCaffrey's Catteni series and some new books from my favourite authors. I've been going through my books getting rid of any word that ends with ly and all the were's and was's. I'm told they weaken your writing and make you look like an amateur. I want to call BS. because as I was reading there on the first line of a brand new book by a well established author is the a was. Yes, the dreaded was that is supposed to be stripped becau