Even if you have an unlimited word count (which is, of course, quite rare), the best writing is simple — absent of extraneous words. Here are just a few simple ways to eliminate unnecessary words and make your copy easier to read. Scan your text for these phrases:
1. In order to. This phrase is a personal pet peeve. In most cases, “to” works just fine.
2. The matter of/The issue of. Generally, this can be eliminated. If you’re “looking into the matter of local crime rates,” you can be “looking into local crime rates.”
3. Have got. If you “have got” something, you can also just “have” it. (Not only does this eliminate an unnecessary word, but it just sounds better.)
4. Tried to. If you succeeded, you didn’t try to. You did.
OMG. You must have been reading my blog.
It is a good thing I don’t write professionally in order to make my living, but I do realize that when it comes to the issue of my writing I have got to try to do better.
Ha! Dane, I promise, the blog was not directed at anyone in particular! The goal of the AVC blog is not to make you feel bad, but to learn. 🙂 Thanks, as always, for reading!
Do or do not, there is no try.
I find myself doing these things to make my non-journalism work appear longer to meet the word count, but then when I switch to tighter writing, it’s hard to cut them out! Why can’t journalism and academic writing have the same criteria?
Great post! Simple. To the point. Good writing is slipping away. These are great reminders and it’s refreshing that some still care.