“So the writer who breeds more words than he needs, is making a chore for
the reader who reads."
-Dr. Seuss-
Nothing will weigh your writing down more than excessive wordage. Whether you are writing fiction or nonfiction, a crucial step in the self-editing process is to scrutinize your work and weed out the extra baggage.
Extra words make their appearance in a number of ways:
CONCISE WRITING EXCLUDES UNNECSSARY WORDS
Consider the paragraph below and notice the number of common but unnecessary phrases that have crept into the writing. Note how changing or removing these extra words (in yellow) create a more clear, concise, and vivid paragraph.
Unedited Version
At this point in time, we are going to take a look at the basic fundamentals of how to edit your book. It is important to note that you must scrutinize your work very carefully in order to become more concise. Examine and re-examine your writing. Be aware of the fact that the self-editing process can often seem like it is overwhelming. But in time, you will be able to gain enough experience in order to feel more confident in your ability. The more you practice, the more concise your work will become.
Edited Version
Currently, we are going to look at the fundamentals of editing your book. Note that you must scrutinize your work to become more concise. Be aware that self-editing can seem overwhelming, but in time, with experience, you will gain confidence in your ability.
At this point in time - change to "currently" (excessive words).
Take a look - change to "look" (excessive words).
Basic fundamentals - change to "fundamentals" (redundant words).
How to edit - change to "editing" (extra words).
It is important to note - change to "note" (excessive words).
Very carefully - delete (scrutinize already implies very carefully).
In order to - change to "to" (extra words).
Examine and reexamine your writing - delete (repetitive statement).
Of the fact - delete (extra words).
Process, often, like it is - delete (extra words).
But in time, you will be able to gain enough experience in order to feel more confident in your ability. The more you practice, the more concise your work will become - combine sentences to reduce redundancy.
BEWARE OF PLEONASMS
Another way to write concisely is to search your work for pleonasms. A pleonasm is an expression of the same thought twice, creating unnecessary repetition. Below are a few common pleonasms. (The words in yellow should be deleted).
Sam lifted up the hood of the car.
The couple sat down at the table.
Bob and Karen agreed to meet at the gym at twelve noon.
Kathy had her newborn baby early Friday morning.
The sand at the beach was burning hot.
Every attendee won a free gift.
The dog loved to romp in the cold snow.
The ingredients were combined together.
This is my own idea.
Writing concisely is an art that doesn't come naturally; it demands practice and commitment. However, the benefits are significant, resulting in writing that is clear, refined, and more interesting!
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