Somehow

Storytelling doesn't have room for the word somehow.

Why not?

Somehow is the lazy writer's way of shrugging.

Nope, I am not gonna write it.  Somehow means the reader has to do the work.  It's the writer saying, "Not my job!"

Well, writers, SOMEHOW it IS your job.  :)

Let's talk it through.

some·how

  [suhm-hou]  Show IPA

adverb

1.

in some way not specified, apparent, or known.

Idioms

2.

somehow or other, in an undetermined way; by any means possible: She was determined to finishcollege somehow or other.

Somehow #1  Writers need to tell the story and describe the elements of the story, the history of the story and the future of the story.  When the story turns to "somehow" to describe what's happening, the reader should get mad at toss that book at the wall!  If I wanted to imagine "somehow" everything you're supposed to be telling me in your story, I'd go write my own "somehow."  

Sometimes the writer is writing from a point of view of a character who doesn't know how it happened.  Instead of dumping this on the reader, the writer can describe how the character feels not knowing what is happening.  Somehow is lazy!

Somehow #2 in any old way - somehow or other;  This phrase is OK for me as a reader.  It implies that the character will find the resolve, the way, or the willpower to make it happen.

Now writers, SOMEHOW needs to go bye bye.  I'll admit that I am sure that somehow or other a somehow snuck into my writing a time or two.  I'm going to share 2 things I'm doing to eliminate "somehow" from my writing:

1) I want you to check your drafts and look for every instance of SOMEHOW and write it out.  Tell the reader what you can about the "somehow."  

2) Use "somehow" as a way to fight writer's block.  When you're stuck, go back over your draft, find the "somehows" and write those scenes.

Have fun!