Newbie Alert: Words to Stay Away From

As I wade through the choppy waters of revisions, I see these very words marked out of my script. If you're like me, you're probably wondering ... how else am I to write these sentences?

Turns out there are lots of other ways to write without using words considered a big 'no-no' for seasoned writers. I'm also told editors, agents, and publishers alike find them cringe worthy.
I only know this because my line by line edit came back littered with words for me to get rid of. Rather frustrating but newbies like myself should take joy in honing the craft :)

Was/Were/Am

These words are considered crutch words for new writers. It's regarded as passive and editors feel it doesn't add anything to the sentence.

"The food was on the table."
Consider instead, "Bread and honey lay on the table."  This way you get more specific with the food and you eliminate the word 'was.'

Really/Very/Extremely/Severely

They have become so commonplace in our language it really doesn't help the language at all. They are intensifiers that don't intensify.

"Tom is very hungry." 

"Tom is famished."

"The weather is extremely hot."

"The weather is sweltering."

Started/Began

I was told they slow the writing down. That it gives the appearance of hesitance in the writer and not the character.

"Lila began jumping in the fields."

"Lila jumped in the fields."

"John started walking to the light but stopped suddenly."

"John took a few steps towards the light before stopping suddenly." 

The list is quite extensive but these are just some of the common culprits. You'll agree in almost all scenarios the sentence fares better without the 'taboo' words.

Happy writing and best of luck in avoiding the new writer trap.