Write Straight and Strong

 

Do you write overly long sentences? Do you tend to start describing something and find you go on and on, never seeming to find a stopping point? Do you add details that are unnecessary? Do you repeat information? Do you add unnecessary words?

If you do any and all of the above, you are driving on curves that you don't need. When writing a story, essay, or article, your job is to get straight to the point. No bends in the road. Let's take a look at each of the no-no points above.

Overly long sentences: Sentences that have an overabundance of words and turn into many parts connected by 'and, but, or' words can overwhelm your reader. By the time they reach the end of the sentence, they've possibly lost the beginning. If a person is reading aloud, those lengthy sentences are difficult to read as the reader must stop to take a breath one, two, or even three times. Sentences with those 'and, but, or' connectors can easily be broken into two shorter, more manageable sentences. 

Overly long descriptions:  Description is a real plus when writing a story, but some writers have a tendency to go on at great length to the point that the reader loses the train of thought that came prior to that description. The 'less is more' principle seems to fit this problem. 

Unnecessary details:  The classic example for this one is a person in a story, sitting at a kitchen table who makes a sandwich. All you need to tell your readers is that Jim made himself a ham sandwich. The overly-detail-oriented writer would write something like this: Jim slid his chair back, rose, and walked to the refrigerator. He opened the door and looked inside. He picked up the ham, the mayo, then the lettuce, and finally, the mustard. He closed the fridge door and walked to the counter. He removed the loaf of bread from the breadbox and opened the end. He removed two slices of .....You get the idea. All those tiny details have nothing to do with the actual story. All you need to say is that Jim made a ham sandwich. Your reader has probably made any of them, so they know the drill. Writers who put in myriad tiny details end up boring their readers. 

Repeating information:  Writers who do this don't give their readers enough credit. They fear that the reader might have missed the information the first time (or even the second) so they toss it in again. A very well-known writer, who shall remain nameless. does this to the point that it drives me crazy on the few occasions I read her books. There is no need to keep reminding the reader over and over again.

Unnecessary words:  This is a very common error. We toss in words like really, very, just, certainly, usually, and many others. Google for a list of unnecessary words in writing. Many of us use these words in our everyday conversation, but they only clutter up your writing. Some writers use these added words for emphasis, but all they do is add to your word count. When you edit and try to cut words, words like the ones I mentioned here are the first you should cut. 

When you write, the idea is to get straight to the point. Don't slow yourself down going around the many curves I pinpointed here. Your writing will also be stronger.