Photo by Can Berkol_Stock Exchange
Some writers may faint at the thought of “slicing and dicing” their work. The thought of removing this or that could send them running for the hills! You won’t feel the pain of weeding out extraneous words if you write in a clear and concise manner.
Freelance writers know that a blog post is between 350-700 words, unless a client specifically asks for 500 words. Make good use of the space by getting to the point. Take out words such as so, just, because, really, and other words. Say what you want to say!
Writers write from the heart. It makes sense they’d want to keep every word they wrote on the page. Thank God for editors; they’ll trim the fat without thinking twice about it. Articles are written with precision to alleviate spacing issues in publications.
Cut down on these extra words
- So
- Just
- That
- Also
- Seriously
- Really
- Because
- Usually
- This
It’s a good idea to put your writing away and come back to it with a fresh pair of eyes. Read it a few times and see if you can find words to cut. You may only find one or two words to remove; it’s better than nothing. At least you’ll have the satisfaction of taking out unnecessary words.
Freelance writers love what they do. Trimming words may be a challenge for some of them. It’s as if they’re taking a piece of their soul out of the writing. Or, they need the words in order to reach the specified word count! You may want to go back and reread your writing if you’re using “filler words” to guarantee a set amount of words. Remember, you’re a professional writer.
Ask any travel writer how to pack for vacation and they’ll tell you, “…when in doubt, leave it out!” Approach your writing this way. If certain words don’t make an impact on your article or blog post, take them out or replace them. It’s better to have a well written piece instead of one filled with puff!
Rebecca
What words do you eliminate from your writing? Share your thoughts.