Last post we looked a few easy ways to tighten your prose. A reader commented that she learned this valuable skill writing poetry. Economy of words is paramount in poetry, it’s true. But your writing will thank you when you extend that idea to whatever you write.

Writing Tip for Today: Here are three more ways to tighten up your writing. Remember, you draft with no regard to how well you write. Only in revision should you attempt to cull excess words.

Banish Wimpy Words

As I revise, I come across a few words I virtually never leave in place. So and because are two I abuse in draft and then must later strike. Both are mainly used as bridge words–unnecessary when punctuation is handier and more readily identified by readers. If you write, “He was in the doctor’s office without an appointment because he’d sprained his ankle trying to learn to skateboard,” it’s easy to remove the “because” and simply break into two sentences: He was in the doctor’s office without an appointment. He’d sprained his ankle trying to learn to skateboard. So is similar and in most cases can be removed. So they lived happily ever after is just as much a cliche as They lived happily ever. The word SO adds nothing to the sentence’s meaning.

Watch Those Prepositions

Prepositional phrases can often be shortened or eliminated. If you write, “She got the keys to the house,” to the house is a prepositional phrase that can be simplified to read, “She got the house keys.” Similarly, show ownership with apostrophes instead of a prepositional phrase: She arrived at the house of Don Villejo,” becomes “She arrived at Don Villejo’s house.” Another way prepositional phrases are overused is when writers are afraid readers won’t understand what’s happening in a scene. EX: In the study, he gathered up the papers, making sure the last will and testament of his late father was hidden among other mundane documents.  If anyone found out he was smuggling out the wishes of his late father, he would be run out of Medford. The last will and testament of his late father’s was key to funding the lavish lifestyle he deserved. He tucked the last will and testament of his late father under his arm and walked out, whistling a the favorite tune of his late father’s, “Waltzing Matilda.” Are you sick of reading “the last will and testament of his late father?” You should be. Once you’ve established an object or setting, readers will get it. No need to repeat the obvious.

Modify in Moderation

No discussion on tightening is complete without a mention of modifiers, those pesky adverbs and even adjective that can clog up good writing. If you employ strong, active and specific verbs, the need for modifiers, especially “ly” words decreases dramatically. The same can be said of adjectives, especially when a writer begins to establish a pattern. Look through a rough draft. Are there a lot of double adjectives, that is, nouns modified by two describers? This kind of pattern can easily become sing-song. Instead of adding to the work, repetitious patterns such as this actually can irritate a reader. Readers look for patterns