Last week I wrote about revision, starting with the very fact that…it should happen.
I’m following up with a list of words you can cut from your writing. A little nip/tuck can make your work tighter, brighter and easier to read.
1. Extra words in a list.
Sometimes we get excited and squish a whole buncha items into a list within a sentence. For example:
I want to wake up every morning feeling radiant, grateful, determined, energetic, inspired, and motivated.
But less is more, my friend. This sentence would be more impactful if we chose a few feelings and let them shine.
I’m all about the power of threes. Three is abundant but not overwhelming. Three allows you to create a bouquet in which every flower is distinct.
If you look closely, you’ll see that the feelings I used in the above list overlap, big time.
Determined, motivated and inspired are similar. Radiant and energetic are too.
So what about:
I want to wake up every morning feeling energetic, grateful, and inspired.
Better.
2. Unnecessary filler.
As a reader pointed out (thank you, Larissa!), I’ve mentioned in the past that you should always check your writing for unnecessary words including those you use in conversation that don’t add anything in print.
Here are a few to look out for. I should be clear that there’s definitely a time and place for these words, but they are often overused.
- so
- really
- that
- and (if you see a lot of these in your copy, you might want to break up some sentences)
- but
- then (when indicating sequential events)
- usually, often, always, sometimes
- much (as in “much more”)
3. Verb tense.
Verbs don’t always roll off our tongues (and fingertips) in the most efficient ways. For example, in the section above, I originally wrote:
If you’re seeing a lot of these in your copy, you might be better off breaking up some sentences.
But “you’re seeing,” and “better off breaking up” isn’t exactly sprightly and active. By tweaking my verb tense, the sentence became:
If you see a lot of these in your copy, you might want to break up some sentences.
Such a simple change, but it makes a difference!
I hope you find these tips helpful! I could create an entire masterclass on revision, but today I wanted to share something easy and breezy to help you along.