As writers, we like words, don’t we? We like the way they sound. We like stringing them together in long, elaborate sentences. We work hard to make our words say what we mean.
Sometimes, we work too hard. Sometimes, we just need to say what we mean and get out of our own way–and out of the way of the words themselves.
Today’s lesson has to do with cutting the fat and streamlining your writing in a way that enables the reader’s eyes to keep moving. You don’t want your readers to get bogged down in mucky, wordy sentences. Let’s give them some solid ground.
Consider the following fat sentences and the revisions I recommend:
ORIGINAL: I came up with the idea the second I noticed Megan hesitating. REVISION: I came up with the idea when Megan hesitated. OR The second that Megan hesitated, I came up with the idea. [Editor’s note: if you leave “that” out of the second option, it reads a little bit like there are two Megans.]
ORIGINAL: When I walked in the room, I noticed Sam looking at me. REVISION: When I walked in the room, Sam looked at me.
ORIGINAL: At the very top of the mountain, I noticed a blinking white light. REVISION: At the very top of the mountain is a blinking white light. OR I saw a blinking white light at the top of the mountain.
What’s the common denominator in these examples? Exactly. “I noticed.” This phrase (and variations of it) pops up often in early drafts, but active writing can do its job much better. Instead of saying that a character notices something, just tell the reader what it is the character notices, as I did in the revisions.
Consider these now, along with my revisions:
ORIGINAL: So I decide to explain my side of the story. REVISION: So I explain my side of the story.
ORIGINAL: I decide to stop at the first bank I find. REVISION: I stop at the first bank I find.
Similar to “I notice/d” is “I decide/d.” If someone sees you do something or hears you say something, they will likely assume (without conscious thought, probably) that you decided to do or say that particular thing. It’s superfluous to say “I decide/d” when the action reveals your decision. Cut that fat!
Consider this:
ORIGINAL: I can feel my heartrate accelerate. REVISION: My heartrate accelerates.
There’s no need to say “I feel” when it’s just as clear–and doesn’t change the meaning–to remove that phrase. Now, it would add to the description to write something like, “My palms begin to sweat. My mouth goes dry.” Those types of details add to the feeling the writer is trying to create without saying, for example, “I feel my palms begin to sweat” or “I feel my mouth go dry.”
Finally, we have excessive dialogue tags.
ORIGINAL: “Okay, but remember I’m running late!” I remind her. REVISION: “Okay, but remember I’m running late!”
If the speaker has already said “remember” in their dialogue, there’s no need to add a dialogue tag that says, “I remind her.”
ORIGINAL: “Are you kidding?” William said with a dumbfounded tone to his voice. REVISION: “Are you kidding?” William said, dumbfounded. [Editor’s note: In this example, “dumbfounded” isn’t needed, even in the revised version. Asking the question, “Are you kidding?” implies that he’s dumbfounded.]
See how many words I was able to cut from the original without changing the meaning? My revision is cleaner and easier to read.
ORIGINAL: “Of course not!” I scoff. REVISION: “Of course not!”
It’s clear in the spoken words (“Of course not!”) that the speaker is scoffing. There’s no need to add a dialogue tag that says so.
I hope these examples have given you some ideas as to how you can clean up your own writing. You could even search your document for some of the problematic phrases I discussed above. If you find these fatty phrases in your writing, see if you can’t rewrite the sentence in a way that makes your writing cleaner.
If you’re curious about the services I offer and how I work, please send me an email at sharon@editorsharonhoneycutt.com and ask me whatever questions you have, or feel free to post them in the comment section below.
If you’re ready to begin the process of hiring an editor and you’re interested in working with me, please send me an email and tell me about your project.
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Thanks for stopping by, and keep writing!
Thanks for the read. One day, soon perhaps, I may need the services of an editor. I write stuff, nothing important or groundbreaking, I’m sad to say, but still, I write. I’d like to know more about your services and pricing and your background.
Thanks much.
— Dennis G.
Hi Dennis,
Thanks for your note. You’ll never know how your writing might affect someone someday and how important they may find it to be to them, so don’t be too harsh on yourself. 🙂
As far as my services, I do all levels of editing–developmental (looking at big-picture elements), line/copy editing (looking at each line/sentence/word to ensure it’s written well), and proofreading (final read-through to ensure the copy is clean and ready for publication). When I take on a developmental project, I often also wear a coach’s hat as I’m often teaching my clients through the process how to be stronger, better writers.
Regarding my background, I was a newspaper reporter and editor for a little more than three years. After that, I taught middle school and high school English classes for twelve years. During my last year of teaching, I started freelancing as an editor part-time to see if I liked it and if it would work as a full-time job. I loved it, and it’s worked wonderfully well. I’ve been a full-time freelancer since 2012.
I’d love to hear more specifically what you’re working on and how I might be able to help. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at sharon@editorsharonhoneycutt.com and tell me more.
Thanks again for the note! And if you haven’t, please do subscribe to my newsletter!