Common words to cut might be overly descriptive adjectives that don't add much to the story, like 'very' or 'extremely'. Also, redundant adverbs. For example, if you say 'He ran quickly' and the context already implies speed, 'quickly' could be cut.
The 29 words could vary greatly depending on the style and content of the novel. If it's a mystery novel, perhaps words that give away too much too soon in the form of excessive foreshadowing. In a romance novel, overly flowery language that detracts from the emotional core of the relationship. In a thriller, words that slow down the pacing, like long-winded internal monologues of the characters that don't really build tension. It really requires a close reading of the text to determine exactly which 29 words should be cut.
Words that can be cut from your novel include passive voice constructions when possible. For example, instead of 'The ball was thrown by John', you could say 'John threw the ball'. Another type is excessive prepositional phrases. Instead of 'He walked in the direction of the store', it could be 'He walked toward the store'. And words that state the obvious, like 'he sat down' (sitting usually implies down).
Some common words to cut in a novel might be overly descriptive adverbs like'very', 'extremely', 'incredibly' as they can often be removed without losing much meaning. For example, instead of 'He was very tired', you could just say 'He was tired'. Also, redundant prepositions can be cut. For instance, 'up' in 'pick up' might not be necessary in some cases.
Well, common filler words like 'um', 'uh', 'like' in a more informal sense, and overly used adverbs such as 'very' can often be cut. For example, instead of saying 'He was very tired', you could say 'He was tired'. Also, words that don't add much meaning to the sentence, like some redundant prepositional phrases, should be considered for removal. Look at your sentences closely and see if words can be removed without changing the core meaning.
One way is to analyze each sentence. If a word can be removed without changing the meaning significantly, it might be one of the 29. Also, look for words that are part of over - descriptive passages. For example, if there are three adjectives where one would do, the extra two could be candidates. And check for words in dialogues that are just filler and not essential for character development or plot progression.
First, read the novel aloud. Words that make you stumble or that seem out of place when spoken are likely candidates for cutting. Second, analyze each sentence for its core meaning. Words that are added just for decoration but don't add to the essential meaning can be removed. For example, if a sentence is 'The beautiful, amazing, wonderful sunset filled the sky', you could cut 'beautiful', 'amazing' and 'wonderful' as the word'sunset' already gives the main idea. Also, look at the overall style of the novel. If it's a minimalist style, then more words may need to be cut compared to a more elaborate, descriptive style.
Well, 'just', 'maybe', and 'sort of' are among the filler words to cut. 'Just' is used so often but often doesn't add much. For instance, 'I just wanted to say' could be 'I wanted to say'. 'Maybe' can make a statement seem less certain than it should be in a novel. 'Sort of' is a very weak expression. Instead of 'He was sort of angry', you could be more definitive like 'He was angry'. By removing these filler words, your novel can have a more direct and engaging style.