Good day, my fellow wordsmiths. Let’s talk about something that can be a little tough to swallow, but ultimately makes our writing so much better: cutting.
I know what you’re thinking. We pour our hearts and souls into our words, and the idea of slashing them can feel like a personal attack. But trust me, it’s a necessary evil.
Recently, I had two experiences that hammered this lesson home:
- I had an article all ready to go, and I got the green light from the editor. Then the magazine format changed. They had to cut it down to fit two facing pages, which meant five whole paragraphs got the axe. My initial reaction? Panic. But the editor assured me the impact of the article remained, and they were right! It actually flowed better, and the message was even clearer.
- I sent a chapter of my book to a friend for feedback, and he returned it. Every fourth word or so was crossed out. I won’t lie, my self-esteem took a hit. But then I actually read it. The changes were impressive. The writing was tighter, the flow was smoother, and the overall impact was stronger.
These experiences taught me a valuable lesson: sometimes, less is more.
It’s easy to get caught up in the joy of writing, but it’s crucial to remember that our job as writers is to communicate effectively. In certain instances, that means accepting constructive suggestions.
I believe that if you can cut something, you should. Always strive to tighten up the expression of your message.
This applies to everything from tweets to blog posts to novels. Every word counts, and every unnecessary word dilutes the power of your message.
So, the next time you’re working on a piece of writing, take a step back and ask yourself: “Can I cut anything?” You might be surprised at what you find.
Trust me, your writing will thank you for it. And your readers will too.
Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.