RETURN TO WRITING STRATEGIES

E-Communication Strategies
Write Tight
By Terri Mrosko

Remember when you were in high school and you needed to write a 500-word essay on a topic you knew absolutely nothing about and you tried very, very, very hard to come up with enough words to meet the requisite number of words and you just kept writing and writing and writing? You hoped that the teacher would be really, really impressed that you were using gigantic words that would show her that you really, really knew what you were talking about.

Well, you're all grown up, so you can cut the crap!

...and I do mean "cut." There is no need to write long, flowery sentences to get your point across. Whether you are writing a business letter, an essay or magazine article, keep it concise.

Write sentences that are short and to the point. Use simple words to express your thoughts. Avoid using fillers like "very" and "really" or vague words like "many." Be specific. Cut out the time-consuming and wasteful expressions such as "On the other hand," "Therefore," "It goes without saying," (I just love that one) and other unnecessary sentence starters.

Another tip: try not to use the word "that." You'll be surprised how many extraneous "thats" are used. The next time you write a few paragraphs, look over what you wrote and see if you can simply delete "that." See, the sentences still make sense, don't they?

Take my opening sentence two paragraphs up. "Write sentences that are short and to the point." Why not just say "Write sentences short and to the point."? It still says the same thing.

One of the best little reference books to own is "The Elements of Style" (I know you writers have one) by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. (Charlotte's Web) White. You can pick one up for about $7.00 at your local book store or on Amazon.com.

The best way to learn to write tight is to rewrite. Go ahead and let the words flow to get down what you are trying to say. Now go back and reread what you just wrote and see if you can tighten it. Remember to take out "that" if you can. (If the sentence makes sense without it, cut it.)

Pay attention to the words you use to start each sentence. Anything extra sitting in front there you can cut? Do it! If the sentence still says the same thing without it, you don't need it. While we are it, delete any unnecessary whole sentences, too. If the sentence does not add to the content, then it is "unnecessary."