Writing to the Point

July 29, 2019 by AES | Categories: Writing No Comments ↓

When authors ramble, they tend to lose readers in the words. So, unless your intent is to write as many words as possible, your message should be written as clearly and concisely as possible.

Efficient writing

Efficient writing means communicating a message in the fewest words possible. But that doesn’t necessarily come easy for every writer. Following are some ideas for how to identify those extra words and tighten up your writing.

Redundant words

Getting rid of extra words that don’t add anything to your message will usually create sentences that are stronger, more direct, and easier to read. They’ll also get your point across faster. Here’s an example. Original: The manual listed several necessary requirements. Improved: The manual listed several requirements.

Weak adjectives

Using weak adjectives sometimes indicates a weak vocabulary. The result is that a writer will usually need to express an idea using two or more weak words, where one strong word would be more effective. Here’s an example. Original: The painting was very good. Improved: The painting was superb. Working on improving your vocabulary will go a long way to ensuring that you’re using the fewest and strongest words to convey your message. And, more significantly, strong adjectives make your writing more vibrant.

Vague nouns

This is another case of using too many words to do the job. Here’s an example. Original: Career growth was an important reason why I decided to join the company. Improved: I joined the company to advance my career. Even if you don’t do it while you’re writing, when you edit your work, look for sentences that can be re-worded to make them more succinct, direct, and clear.

Filler words

These are words that add no meaning or value to a sentence. They just take up space. They get into writing because they’re so often used in everyday speech. Here’s an example. Original: For all intents and purposes, the story was an autobiography. Improved: The story was essentially an autobiography. Removing filler words makes writing crisper.

Passive voice

Passive voice is okay when used in moderation. Maybe you’re using it to make a sentence sound more sophisticated or elaborate, or maybe it softens an unpleasant thought. However, passive-voice sentences are often wordier and can sound weak. On the other hand, active-voice sentences are more concise, have a more direct tone, and sound stronger. Here’s an example. Original: The error message was created by a computer. Improved: A computer created the error message. On the whole, readers generally appreciate active sentences.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, it’s all too easy to fill up a text with extra words, especially in the excitement of creating the first draft. Writing to the point often means several critical edits, but the result is that every word earns its place in your work.