Short and Sweet Writing Strategies

Writing something long is easy; writing something short is hard. Below is a list of strategies you can use to reduce your word count while making your stories more memorable. It may be difficult at first, but with practice these strategies can become automatic. If you need to lower your word count, or if you just want to improve your writing, try each strategy to discover which ones work best for you.

1. Eliminate Passive Verbs
2. Avoid Wordy Verb Phrases
3. Use Direct Speech
4. Deflate Inflated Phrases
5. Unique and Important Adjectives to Avoid
6. Put a Stop to Inchoative Verbs
7. Watch out for IT
8. Don't Seem... BE!
9. Don't Hedge Your Bets

So the writer who breeds more words than he needs 

is making a chore for the reader who reads. 

— Theodore Geisel (Dr. Seuss)

Short and Sweet: Don't Seem... Get Real!

The word "seem" can be very useful when you want to distinguish between appearances and reality. Often, however, the word "seem" just weakens the sentence, as if the writer is not really sure what to say. Especially if you are writing fiction, you are the omniscient creator, and your readers are depending on you to know what is really happening — not just what seems to be happening.

So, check for any usage of the word "seem" in your writing and make sure you really need it. You might also check for the word "appear" too! Here are some examples to look at; you can see that without "seem" the sentences are stronger, and it reduces the word count by about 20% as well.

BEFORE: After a while, he seemed to calm down. (8 words)
AFTER: After a while, he calmed down. (6 words)

BEFORE: It seemed that later that night, the monster returned. (9 words)
AFTER: Later that night, the monster returned.  (6 words)

BEFORE: The four elves seemed to cower under the table. (9 words)
AFTER: The four elves cowered under the table.  (7 words)

BEFORE: The nice pigeons seemed to help Cinderella finish the housework. (10 words)
AFTER: The nice pigeons helped Cinderella finish the housework. (8 words)

BEFORE: The deepness of his voice seemed to resonate with prophecy. (10 words)
AFTER: The deepness of his voice resonated with prophecy. (8 words)

BEFORE: He seemed to be trying to intimidate me with his gaze. (11 words)
AFTER: He was trying to intimidate me with his gaze. (9 words)

BEFORE: The warriors were very skilled and seemed to move about like shadows. (12 words)
AFTER: The warriors were very skilled and moved about like shadows. (10 words)

BEFORE: Jacob seemed to shiver from excitement, while Wilhelm continued to look skeptical. (12 words)
AFTER: Jacob shivered from excitement, while Wilhelm continued to look skeptical. (10 words)

BEFORE: The crowded room seemed to fall silent when the singer began his song. (13 words)
AFTER: The crowded room fell silent when the singer began his song.  (11 words)

BEFORE: Ravana seemed to be attacking Rama with every possible supernatural weapon, using all twenty arms. (15 words)
AFTER: Ravana attacked Rama with every possible supernatural weapon, using all twenty arms. (12 words)


For more strategies to use in reducing your word count while improving your writing, see this list: Short and Sweet Writing Strategies.

(Ravana fighting Rama)

Short and Sweet: Watch Out for IT

Sometimes the pronoun “it” does important work in a sentence, acting as a true pronoun by standing in for another noun. Sometimes, however, the word “it” signals an impersonal construction, often with a passive verb. Not good.

So, read through your writing and look for every use of the word “it” to see what’s going on. If the word “it” is acting as a true pronoun, that’s great, but if "it" signals a weak passage in your writing, you might want to revise, especially if you are trying to reducing your word count. Checking for “it” is also a good way to double-check on “its” (belonging to it) versus “it’s” (= it is).

Below are some examples of impersonal uses of “it” that benefit from revising, along with a 30% reduction in the word count:

BEFORE: It is our shared experience that makes me trust you. (10 words)
AFTER: Our shared experience makes me trust you. (7 words)

BEFORE: It is because I love that I say these words. (10 words)
AFTER: I say these words because I love you. (7 words)

BEFORE: It is important for you to remember the wizard's name. (10 words)
AFTER: You need to remember the wizard's name. (7 words)

BEFORE: It is sometimes necessary for children to confront their parents. (10 words)
AFTER: Sometimes children must confront their parents. (6 words)

BEFORE: It is fully established that the sword possesses magical powers. (10 words)
AFTER: The sword definitely possesses magical powers. (6 words)

BEFORE: It is not known to the brothers what the words mean. (11 words)
AFTER: The brothers do not know what the words mean. (9 words)

BEFORE: It is obligatory for you to pay me a reward. (11 words)
AFTER: You must pay me a reward. (6 words)

BEFORE: It will be possible for you to climb the walls at night. (12 words)
AFTER: You will be able to climb the walls at night. (10 words)

BEFORE: It is believed by everyone that the thief is hiding in the forest. (13 words)
AFTER: Everyone believes the thief is hiding in the forest. (9 words)

BEFORE: I must go to the river, and it is there that I will perform my prayers. (16 words)
AFTER: I must go to the river, and there I will perform my prayers. (13 words)


For more strategies to use in reducing your word count while improving your writing, see this list: Short and Sweet Writing Strategies.

Cousin Itt Stamp by Mikhail S. Dingle.

Short and Sweet: Use Direct Speech

Direct statements are more vivid than indirect statements. So, be direct! Use quoted speech and quoted thoughts whenever you can. Depending on the type of statement, this can also lower your word count. In the examples below, the use of direct speech lowers the word count by 15%.

You might need to review the special punctuation rules for quoted statements: The Ten Rules of Quoted Speech.

Examples:

BEFORE: I told my father not to worry. (7 words)
AFTER: "Father," I said, "don't worry." (5 words)

BEFORE: Dr. Mutiba thought that Ravana might be depressed. (8 words)
AFTER: "Ravana might be depressed," thought Dr. Mutiba. (7 words)

BEFORE: He told me that I had to believe him. (9 words)
AFTER: "You must believe me!" he said. (6 words)

BEFORE: The general asked himself if he could trust this young soldier. (11 words)
AFTER: "Can I trust this young soldier?" the general asked himself. (10 words)

BEFORE: Sugriva promised Rama that his army would go with him to Lanka. (12 words)
AFTER: "Rama," Sugriva promised, "my army will go with you to Lanka." (11 words)

BEFORE: Mordecai told Esther that she had to beg the king for protection. (12 words)
AFTER: Mordecai told Esther, "You must beg the king for protection." (10 words)

BEFORE: The priest asked Joan if she was sorry for what she had done. (13 words)
AFTER: "Joan, are you sorry for what you have done?" the priest asked. (12 words)

BEFORE: Robin wondered whether or not he would ever get out of the dungeon.  (13 words)
AFTER: "Will I ever get out of this dungeon?" Robin wondered. (10 words)

BEFORE: The Beast explained that an evil witch had put a curse on him. (13 words)
AFTER: "An evil witch put a curse on me," the Beast explained. (11 words)

BEFORE: Little Red told the wolf that she was going to her grandmother's house. (13 words)
AFTER: Little Red told the wolf, "I'm going to my grandmother's house." (11 words)

For more strategies to use in reducing your word count while improving your writing, see this list: Short and Sweet Writing Strategies.

Little Red Riding Hood by Carl Larsson (1881)

Web Source: Wikipedia

Short and Sweet: Avoid Wordy Verb Phrases

To find weak spots in your writing, look for forms of the verb "to be" (is, are, was, were) used with adjectives or abstract nouns, and then see if you can replace the phrase with a single verb. (This also gives you a chance to look for passive verbs that need to be active.)

Next, look for the verb "to have" (has, have, had) used with an abstract noun. You can look for the verb "to make" (makes, make, made). See if you can replace the verb phrase with a single verb. As a rule, verbs are better than verbal nouns.

By replacing weak verbal phrases with strong verbs, you can make your writing more forceful and reduce your word count by as much as 20%.

Examples:

BEFORE: The bar was full of smoke. (6 words)
AFTER: Smoke filled the bar. (4 words)

BEFORE: Arthur had no doubts about Lancelot's bravery. (7 words)
AFTER: Arthur did not doubt Lancelot's bravery. (6 words)

BEFORE: The witch had a knowledge of many dangerous spells. (9 words)
AFTER: The witch knew many dangerous spells. (6 words)

BEFORE: Bathsheba was aware that David loved her. (7 words)
AFTER: Bathsheba knew that David loved her. (6 words)

BEFORE: The little boy had a liking for strawberries. (8 words)
AFTER: The little boy liked strawberries. (5 words)

BEFORE: Sita had the sensation that someone was watching her. (9 words)
AFTER: Sita sensed that someone was watching her. (7 words)

BEFORE: Vibhishana made the argument that Ravana should let Sita go. (10 words)
AFTER: Vibhishana argued that Ravana should let Sita go. (8 words)

BEFORE: The gods had need of a human hero who could defeat Ravana. (12 words)
AFTER: The gods needed a human hero who could defeat Ravana. (10 words)

BEFORE: The queen's devotion was an inspiration to the people of her kingdom. (12 words)
AFTER: The queen's devotion inspired the people of her kingdom. (9 words)

BEFORE: Alice had a desire to see where the White Rabbit had gone. (12 words)
AFTER: Alice wanted to see where the White Rabbit had gone. (10 words)

For more strategies to use in reducing your word count while improving your writing, see this list: Short and Sweet Writing Strategies.

(Illustration by John Tenniel)

Short and Sweet: Put a Stop to Inchoative Verbs

Linguists use the word "inchoative"  for verbs that express the start of an action. In some languages, each verb might have a special inchoative form, but in English, we use the words "start" or "begin" to indicate the beginning of an action. The problem is that some writers overuse these words, repeating them over and over again. Are you one of those writers? If so, read on. If not, you can safely skip this strategy.

Sometimes, of course, you do need "begin" or "start" to indicate the beginning of an action; it all depends on the context. So, check each instance carefully. Removing unnecessary uses of "start" and "begin" will make your writing more clear, and it will also reduce your word count by around 15%. Below you will find some examples where the words "start" or "begin" are unnecessary:

BEFORE: Tears started to stream down her face. (7 words)
AFTER: Tears streamed down her face. (5 words)

BEFORE: The smell of freshly baked bread made me start to feel hungry. (12 words)
BEFORE: The smell of freshly baked bread made me feel hungry. (10 words)

BEFORE: When the knight saw the queen, he began to shout with joy. (12 words)
AFTER: When the knight saw the queen, he shouted with joy.  (10 words)

BEFORE: Rama quickly began to gain ground as the demon king started to grow tired. (14 words)
AFTER: Rama quickly gained ground as the demon king grew tired. (10 words)

BEFORE: Tears began to fill his eyes and started to roll down his cheeks. (13 words)
AFTER:  Tears filled his eyes and rolled down his cheeks. (9 words)

BEFORE: When the salt touched its skin, the demon began to shriek in pain. (13 words)
AFTER: When the salt touched its skin, the demon shrieked in pain. (11 words)

BEFORE: We waited there, very worried, until the other search parties began to return. (13 words)
AFTER: We waited there, very worried, until the other search parties returned. (11 words)

BEFORE: After reading the diary, he began to realize why she had left him. (13 words)
AFTER: After reading the diary, he realized why she had left him. (11 words)

BEFORE: She gave her dad a hug and then began heading for the departure gate. (14 words)
AFTER: She gave her dad a hug and then headed for the departure gate. (13 words)

BEFORE: The monstrous hydra's heads started to grow back each time Hercules chopped them off. (14 words)
AFTER: The monstrous hydra's heads grew back each time Hercules chopped them off. (12 words)

For more strategies to use in reducing your word count while improving your writing, see this list: Short and Sweet Writing Strategies.

Hercules and the Hydra, by John Singer Sargent (1921)

Web Source: Wikipedia

Unique and Important Adjectives to Avoid

Let's be honest: adjectives like "interesting" and "unique" are a waste of space. They convey no useful information to your reader. Adding an adverb — "extremely interesting," "very unique," etc. — only makes it worse, not better.

Some of these adjectives are hype (short for hyperbole), exaggerated claims that your readers will ignore. Unique? Really? Telling your readers that something is unique does not make it so; you must give them the evidence they need to reach that conclusion on their own.

Other adjectives are so vague that they convey no useful information. Your readers need to know more, and it is your job to provide the details. Important... for what purpose? Special... in what way? Incredible... for what reason?

So, if you see one of these empty adjectives, that means you probably still have work to do. You may need to add more detail to the sentence, or you may decide to delete the sentence and start over from scratch.

interesting
unique
important 
unusual
incredible
special 
remarkable
exceptional

Of course, this is only a partial list. As you read, look for the empty adjectives that annoy you. If you find the adjectives annoying as a reader, you should avoid those adjectives when you write!

Examples:

BEFORE: Sita's story is truly unique.
(This sentence cannot be saved; start over.)

BEFORE: He admired the orchids for their beauty and unique shape.
AFTER: He admired the orchids for their beauty.
(Of course, if you want to describe the shape, then do that! Great!)

BEFORE: Although the three previous murders were very unique, the fourth murder was the strangest of all.
AFTER: The three previous murders were strange indeed, but the fourth murder was the strangest of all.
(This sentence is still more fluff than substance, but at least it is no longer "very unique.")

BEFORE: Hercules is a very interesting hero.
(This sentence cannot be saved; start over.)

BEFORE: I wanted to learn more about these interesting and mysterious creatures.
AFTER: I wanted to learn more about these mysterious creatures.
(And if you want to say more about exactly why the creatures were interesting, then do that!)

BEFORE: I want to tell you an interesting story about a sloth.
AFTER: I want to tell you a story about a sloth.
(We trust you not to tell us a boring story, at least not on purpose.)

BEFORE: Hanuman is an important character in the Ramayana.
(This sentence cannot be saved; start over.)

BEFORE: The king had four daughters who were known for their exceptional beauty.
AFTER: The king had four beautiful daughters.
(That is a sentence you can build on; if you have more to say, say it! Describe those daughters to us so that we can see how beautiful they were.)

BEFORE: An unusual, phosphorescent moss covered the walls, glowing faintly in the dark.
AFTER: Phosphorescent moss covered the walls, glowing faintly in the dark.
(Phosphorescent moss is already unusual; you can safely leave that adjective out.)

BEFORE: Sita gave Hanuman a special necklace.
AFTER: Sita gave Hanuman a necklace.
(What kind of necklace? The word "special" does not answer that question; we need to know more.)

For more strategies to use in reducing your word count while improving your writing, see this list: Short and Sweet Writing Strategies.

Hanuman; photograph by Os Rupias at Flickr.

Short and Sweet: Deflate Inflated Phrases

At the bottom of this post, there is a chart of "Inflated Versus Concise" phrases. If you eliminate inflated phrases like these from your writing, you can reduce your word count and also make your writing more forceful. In the examples below, concise phrases lower the word count by 25%.

Examples:

BEFORE: Zeus deceived Hera on many separate occasions. (7 words)
AFTER: Zeus often deceived Hera. (4 words)

BEFORE: Robin had used the majority of his arrows. (8 words)
AFTER: Robin had used most of his arrows. (7 words)

BEFORE: Cinderella visited the palace on three separate occasions. (8 words)
AFTER: Cinderella visited the palace three times. (6 words)

BEFORE: You must keep this sword with you at all times. (10 words)
AFTER: You must always keep this sword with you. (8 words)

BEFORE: In the event that someone speaks to you, say nothing. (10 words)
AFTER: If someone speaks to you, say nothing. (7 words)

BEFORE: The dragon has the ability to see into your mind. (10 words)
AFTER: The dragon can see into your mind. (7 words)

BEFORE: At that point in time, Rama was living in the forest. (11 words)
AFTER: At that time, Rama was living in the forest. (9 words)

BEFORE: You will remain here until such time as the king summons you. (12 words)
AFTER: You will remain here until the king summons you. (9 words)

BEFORE: Despite the fact that I do not believe in ghosts, I'm still scared. (13 words)
AFTER: Although I do not believe in ghosts, I'm still scared. (10 words)

BEFORE: Beauty returned to the Beast's castle because of the fact that she loved him. (14 words)
AFTER: Beauty returned to the Beast's castle because she loved him. (10 words)

For more strategies to use in reducing your word count while improving your writing, see this list: Short and Sweet Writing Strategies.

Short and Sweet: Eliminate All Passive Verbs

If you use active verbs instead of passive, you can trim your word count and make your writing more powerful. First, review the basics of Active and Passive Verbs. Then, get to work! Eliminate all passive verbs from your writing. The sentences will be shorter, and the meaning will be more clear too. In the examples below, the use of active verbs reduces the word count by 25%.

Examples:

BEFORE: Mistakes are often made by people. (6 words)
AFTER: People often make mistakes. (4 words)

BEFORE: The king wanted Robin to be caught. (7 words)
AFTER: The king wanted to catch Robin. (6 words)

BEFORE: Narasimha was asked by Veerbhadra to calm down. (8 words)
AFTER: Veerbhadra asked Narasimha to calm down. (6 words)

BEFORE: Surpanakha had her ears cut off by Lakshmana. (8 words)
AFTER: Lakshmana cut off Surpanakha's ears. (5 words)

BEFORE: The giant's foolishness was taken advantage of by Jack. (9 words)
AFTER: Jack took advantage of the giant's foolishness. (7 words)

BEFORE: Sita's behavior was not understood by Rama and his brother. (10 words)
AFTER: Rama and his brother did not understand Sita's behavior. (9 words)

BEFORE: Eve was fooled by the snake into eating the apple. (10 words)
AFTER: The snake fooled Eve into eating the apple. (8 words)

BEFORE: Maricha was shot through the heart with one of Rama’s golden arrows. (12 words)
AFTER: Rama shot Maricha through the heart with a golden arrow. (10 words)

BEFORE: You will be amazed at the things that are revealed in these diaries. (13 words)
AFTER: These diaries reveal things that will amaze you. (8 words)

BEFORE: Menaka was sent by Indra to seduce Vishvamitra, but she was rejected by him. (14 words)
AFTER: Indra sent Menaka to seduce Vishvamitra, but he rejected her. (10 words)

For more strategies to use in reducing your word count while improving your writing, see this list: Short and Sweet Writing Strategies.

Vishwamitra and Menaka by Raja Ravi Varma (1890)

Web Source: Wikipedia

Short and Sweet: Don't Hedge Your Bets

If you want your readers to trust you as a writer, you need to earn their trust. If you doubt yourself, however, your readers will also doubt you. So, write with confidence, and don't hedge your bets. Take a look at this list of phrases to see if they pop up in your writing:

• somewhat
• sort of, kind of
• to some degree
• relatively
• more or less, nearly
• a little, slightly, faintly
• almost, practically
• apparently, seemingly
• possibly, probably, maybe, perhaps
• rather, quite, fairly
• might, could
• if not...

If you do use words like these, make sure they add meaning to your sentence. If the sentence sounds better without the word, leave it out! Removing words of hesitation will improve your writing while also reducing your word count. In these examples, the word count goes down by over 10%.

BEFORE: These bold words annoyed Ravana somewhat. (6 words)
AFTER: These bold words annoyed Ravana. (5 words)

BEFORE: The children felt somewhat confused and afraid. (7 words)
AFTER:  The children felt confused and afraid. (6 words)

BEFORE: Mr. Rabbit grinned slightly at Mr. Otter. (7 words)
AFTER: Mr. Rabbit grinned at Mr. Otter. (6 words)

BEFORE:  Gomer is a somewhat controversial character in the Bible. (9 words)
AFTER: Gomer is a controversial character in the Bible.  (8 words)

BEFORE: The man was somewhat in love with the mermaid. (9 words)
AFTER: The man was in love with the mermaid. (8 words)

BEFORE: The wolf stood there with his mouth slightly hanging open. (10 words)
AFTER: The wolf stood there with his mouth hanging open. (9 words)

BEFORE: I was sort of hoping you would come see me! (10 words)
AFTER: I was hoping you would come see me! (8 words)

BEFORE: Paris felt slightly overwhelmed by the three goddesses standing there. (10 words)
AFTER:  Paris felt overwhelmed by the three goddesses standing there. (9 words)

BEFORE: I see a sort of similarity between your situation and mine. (11 words)
AFTER: I see a similarity between your situation and mine. (9 words)

BEFORE: When Lakshmana heard about Dasaratha's decision to exile Rama, he was somewhat furious. (13 words)
AFTER:  When Lakshmana heard about Dasaratha's decision to exile Rama, he was furious. (12 words)


For more strategies to use in reducing your word count while improving your writing, see this list: Short and Sweet Writing Strategies.

(Rama and Lakshmana)