Polish & share · Tip 77 of 82 · 4 min read
Snip! Cutting Words You Don't Need
Trim the extra words and watch your sentences get faster, sharper and stronger.
A gardener trims a bush so it grows into a better shape. Writers do the same with words. When you snip away the ones you don't need, the important words stand out.
Words to look out for
- very and really: very big could be enormous, really scared could be terrified.
- just, suddenly and then: useful once in a while, but they sneak in everywhere.
- started to and began to: she started to run is usually just she ran.
- Saying the same thing twice: a small little mouse, he nodded his head.
Okay 😐
Then all of a sudden the very big dog started to run really fast towards the little small cat, who was just sitting there.
Wow! 🤩
The huge dog charged at the kitten.
The second sentence is less than half as long, but it feels quicker and more exciting. Nothing important was lost.
Cut whole sentences too
Sometimes a sentence tells the reader something they already know. If you showed that Tom was shivering, you don't also need Tom was cold. Trust your reader to work it out.
But don't cut the magic
Snipping isn't about making everything tiny. Keep the details that help your reader see, hear and feel the story. Cut the words that only take up space.