Definition
Filter words are verbs of perception and cognition that remind the reader they're watching a character experience something rather than experiencing it directly. Words like 'saw,' 'heard,' 'felt,' 'noticed,' 'realized,' 'wondered,' and 'thought' act as a camera between the reader and the scene. Removing them lets the reader step into the character's skin instead of watching from behind their shoulder.
Why It Matters
Every filter word is a tiny wall between your reader and your story. 'She heard the clock ticking' puts the reader outside watching her. 'The clock ticked' puts the reader in the room. When you're writing in deep point of view, cutting filter words is one of the fastest ways to make your prose feel immediate and immersive.
Types of Filter Words
Famous Examples
Collins writes in first person present tense and ruthlessly cuts filter words, putting the reader directly inside Katniss's experience. You don't watch Katniss notice danger - you feel it.
Ishiguro deliberately uses filter words through Kathy's narration to create emotional distance, showing how she protects herself from fully processing her reality.
Common Mistakes
Sometimes you need filter words. 'She noticed the scar for the first time' is different from 'a scar ran along his jaw' - the noticing is the point. Cut filters that add nothing, keep the ones that carry meaning.
Words like 'seemed,' 'appeared,' 'wondered,' 'decided,' 'remembered,' and 'knew' are all filters too. Do a full audit of perception and cognition verbs.
Filter words create appropriate distance in omniscient POV. The problem is mostly in close third and first person, where you want the reader inside the character's head.
Try It Yourself
Take a page from your current project and highlight every perception verb: saw, heard, felt, noticed, realized, wondered, thought, knew, seemed, watched. For each one, try rewriting the sentence without it. Keep a tally of how many you could cut versus how many actually needed to stay. Most writers find they can cut 70-80% of them.
Find your filter words before readers feel the distance
Novelium's Writing Analytics scans your manuscript for filter words and perception verbs, showing you exactly where your prose pushes readers away from your character's direct experience. See the patterns, fix the distance.