Resource: Edit Ruthlessly

It is far more difficult to write something short than to write something long. If you can learn how to edit down your writing, you will have learned a very valuable skill! Here are some webpages with tips:

• Shorten Your Writing with Action Verbs
• Shortening Prose
• How to Shorten Your College Essay Without Ruining It!
• Improve the Readability of Your Writing
• How to Avoid Going Over an Essay Word Limit
• Trouble Sticking to Your Word Count? Try These Editing Tricks

And here is a great example of editing ruthlessly:

Not edited (54 words): Somebody has said that words are a lot like inflated money - the more of them that you use, the less each one of them is worth. Right on. Go through your entire letter just as many times as it takes. Search out and annihilate all unnecessary words and sentences - even entire paragraphs.

Edited ruthlessly (39 words): Somebody said that words are like inflated money - the more you use, the less each one is worth. Go through your entire letter as many times as it takes. Annihilate all unnecessary words, sentences - even paragraphs.