Cut, Cut, Cut: The Secret to Creating Concise Writing

by Laura Fabiani @ NouveauWriter

One of the most common mistakes new (and sometimes established) writers make is to overwrite and use superfluous words. William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White aptly say in their classic book The Elements of Style, “Omit needless words.” This advice cannot be stressed enough. Apply it diligently.

For your writing to be concise and tight, you will need to revise. Do not be afraid to cut. It will sound better. Take the time to reread your work and look for such wishy-washy words that drain strong statements of their validity. Words like that, then, just, even, like, although, also, besides, almost, maybe, if, but, too, unless, sort of, etc. or phrases such as the reason why is that or the fact that, can be eliminated or replaced most of the time:

The reason why I ate is that I got too hungry to wait.
I ate because I got too hungry to wait.


The fact that I had arrived late caused a stir among the gossiping ladies.
My late arrival caused a stir among the gossiping ladies.

The same can be said for who is, and which was:

His sister, who is a dancer for Les Grands Ballet de Montreal…
His sister, a dancer for Les Grands Ballet de Montreal…

Beware of the overuse of adjectives and run-on sentences. They can clutter your writing and water down your meaning. Use strong verbs instead. Good prose is filled with such verbs. They create great imagery with few words. You can write:

The murderer’s eyes looked over her body.

It would not be as vivid as writing:

The murderer’s eyes raked over her body. The second sentence instills more fear.

Verbs such as there was, there is, and he has are colorless. Try replacing them or removing them. For example:

There was a log cabin situated in the woods.
A log cabin nestled in the woods.

Lastly, avoid clichés and flowery descriptions. Find unique ways of getting your message across. Be innovative. Original. Your writing will stand out and others will take notice.

If you apply these simple suggestions when writing, you will immediately see a difference in your writing. Minimizing redundant words and phrases will maximize your literary work.